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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Landmark Commission - 03/27/2008 w MINUTES LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS MARCH 27, 2008 MEMBERS PRESENT: Ms. Bunny Tinker, Chairman Ms. Randi Evans Dr. Richard Moore Mr. Herb Morrison Mr. Leo Rios Ms. Susie Rucker Mr. Randy Sahadi Mr. Craig Thompson Mr.Art Zeitler MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Michelle Braselton (Excused) Mr. David Brown (Excused) Dr.James Carter (Excused) Ms.Anita Eisenhauer (Excused) Ms. Maria Guajardo (Excused) Mr. Myron Grossman (Excused) STAFF PRESENT: Mr.Wesley Vardeman, City Planner Ms. Linda Williams, Recording Secretary The meeting was called to order at 4:45 p.m. by Ms. Bunny Tinker, Chairman. The roll was called and a quorum was not present. Upon arrival of Mr.Thompson,a quorum was declared. Ms. linker welcomed and introduced new commissioners Randi Evans, Leo Rios, Susie Rucker and Randy Sahadi, Ms. Evans is a land surveyor with Maverick Engineering and has been in the city since November 2007. Mr. Rios is a realtor with ReMax Real Estate, Ms. Rucker is a native Corpus Christian and is an interior designer with the architectural firm of Rucker&Rucker and Mr. Sahadi is a local attorney. ACTION ITEMS: Approval of January 24 & February 28, 2008 Minutes: The January 24, 2008 minutes were approved with the following corrections: Page 1 -Action Items: Approve Removal of the Jim Belanger House located as 1613 Mestina from the Landmark Commission's "HC"Designation Listing for Proposed Demolition Under Project Operation Clean Sweep: Paragraph 1 - Sentence reading: "Ms. Tinker continued that at one lime, the 1623 Mestina property was the headquarters for the old Garrett Ranch . . . remove." The sentence was deleted in its entirely. Paragraph 1 - Sentence reading: "Ms. Tinker went on to say that the Landmark Commission has been involved with the property since the early 1990s when Ms. Belanger. taxes. Minutes was corrected to say "Mr." Belanger. Page 2: Second paragraph: Sentence reading: "Ms. Tinker continued that at the time, this style of architecture was the only one in Heritage Park." Sentence was corrected to read"Gugenheim House"instead of"Lichenstein House. SCANNED Landmark Commission Meeting March 27,2008 Page 2 Approve Master Review Committee's Recommendation Whether to Rescind "HC" Designation on the James Belanger House at 1613 Mestina Street& Possible Removal from the Historical Listing: Ms. Tinker stated since there was no quorum present at this time, for benefit of new commissioners, she would provide background information on this item to inform them of what has happened. Ms. linker continued that the Landmark Commission has been dealing with the Belanger House for sometime. When the commission was first approached, the house was considered a relic and it was in horrible condition. The structure was moved to its current location by the owner at that time. The owner came to the Landmark Commission because he realized the value of the property. The property taxes were behind and the owner was willing to give the house to anyone who would take ownership and were willing to pay the delinquent taxes. With unpaid taxes, the City would not issue a building permit to make any of the required repairs. New owners were found and the taxes were paid and they came to the Landmark Commission requesting "HC" designation for the property. The process was initiated by the Landmark Commission and the designation was approved by both Planning Commission and City Council. The owners did not want to live in the house, but they wanted to restore it and use the house as office space for a non-profit organization. The designation was in place and the owners did not pursue their proposed plan to restore the house. The"HC"designated house has been vacant and no repairs or restoration have taken place. Ms. Tinker stated that the issue of the house has come up again because the neighborhood in which it is located has been designated as part of the city's Neighborhood Services new initiative program. Ms. Tinker stated the Master Review Committee, which is a subcommittee of the commission, along with staff from the Police Department, Neighborhood Services, and Wes Vardeman toured the house and the interior of the house was a mess. Ms. Tinker continued that Neighborhood Services staff offended the February meeting and provided a brief presentation as to why they were involved in the proposal to demolish the house. According to staff, they were contacted by the Police Department because several complaints had been received from residents in the neighborhood. The complaints stated the house was being used for shelter by homeless individuals and the neighbors were afraid that the house would catch fire since they were burning wood to keep warm. Ms. Tinker continued that because of the "HC" ordinance, the house cannot be demolished without Landmark Commission approval. Ms. linker continued that approximately two weeks after they initially toured the house after the January meeting, the house suffered a fire and sustained even more damage. Ms. Tinker continued that staff has been requested to provide a written structural analysis on the fire damage to the house. The Fire Department submitted a brief report, but the commission felt it was not detailed enough to make an informed decision so the item was tabled to the February meeting. No documentation has been received from Development Services. Mr. Vardeman stated he verbally requested Robert Stoddard, Plan Review Coordinator and Joe Elliott, Acting Building Official,to submit their findings in writing. Dr. Moore asked what would be the resolution to this issue and Ms. Tinker answered that it would be her recommendation that the commission take the time to make an effort to find someone who was willing to take ownership of the house and move it offsite and restore it. Ms. linker continued that even though the house is in deplorable condition, she felt it could be restored. Ms. Tinker recommended that after the commission receives more information from Development Services, the Master Review Committee should review it and no action should be taken at today's meeting until such information is received. After further discussion, the following action was taken: IT WAS MOVED BY MR. ZEITLER AND SECONDED BY MR. MORRISON THAT REVIEW AND ACTION OF THIS ITEM BE TABLED TO THE MARCH 27, 2008 MEETING PENDING SUBMITTAL OF THE REPORT FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF REGARDING THEIR FINDINGS ON THE STRUCTURAL CONDITION OF THE BELANGER HOUSE. MOTION PASSED. Approve Nominating Committee's Recommendation for 2008 Chairman/Co-Chairman: Ms. Tinker submitted the Nominating Committee's recommendation of David Brown and Herb Morrison be elected as Chairman and Co-Chairman, respectively. Ms. Tinker stated that both Mr. Brown and Mr. Morrison agreed to serve as chairman and co-chairman. After a brief discussion,the commission accepted and approved the committee's recommendation. Consideration of Recommendations for 2008 Landmark Commission Recognition Awards&Final Selection of Nominees: Mr. Art Zeitler, Chairman of the Landmark Commission Recognition Awards Committee, submitted their recommendations. Written descriptions of each of the categories for the recognition awards were provided in the packets for the commissioners to review. Mr. Zeitler stated the committee met and reviewed a number of Landmark Commission Meeting - March 27,2008 Page 3 nominations. The committee felt all of the nominations were good, but the following nominations were recommended for approval: • Johann Collins for residential property improvement at 1323 North Chaparral; • Glenn Peterson for residential property improvement at 333 Clifford; • Whataburger, Inc.for commercial property improvement-restaurant located 3220 Gollihar; and • Brooke Sween-McGloin for community leadership. 1323 North Chaparral: Mr, Morrison stated that he was very impressed with the restoration project that Mr. Collins did on his house and he did a very creative job in restoring the interior of the house. It was very impressive of how Mr. Collins considered every facet in trying to maintain the historical integrity of the house. Mr. Morrison continued he was very impressed with Mr. Collin's enthusiasm in trying to restore the property as to close to the original as possible. The property should be considered for"HC"designation. 333 Clifford: Dr. Moore stated this house was built between 1928 and 1930 and it was located east of the Six Points area. Mr. Peterson restored three houses on that street and this house was considered to be the best representation of the three. The house was built in the middle of the depression. Whataburger, Inc.: Mr. Morrison stated that Whataburger, Inc. was considered for an award because of the restoration of the restaurant at 3220 Gollihar Road. The company could have torn down the restaurant and replaced it with the modern version, but instead, they kept the old version and added onto the property to the right. Mr. Morrison added that this restaurant was the last A-framed building style for Whataburger in the city. The restoration of the building was considered because of the intent to preserve an iconic image and they did a great job in achieving that. Brooke Sween-McGloin: Mr. Zeitler stated Ms. Sween-McGloin was nominated because of her continued commitment to the community in preservation/restoration. Ms. Sween-McGloin has spoken on topics dealing with preservation/restoration and she was very instrumental in spearheading a preservation effort of the old County Courthouse. Ms. Sween-McGloin also conducted great research for the Rotary Club town clock project. After the committee's recommendations and comments for each nomination, the floor was opened for comments. Ms. Tinker stated she was very excited and happy that Mr. Peterson undertook the task of repairing and restoring six (6) structures and then had them "HC" designated. Ms. Tinker continued that he deserves to be recognized for his effort. Ms. Tinker went on to say that she felt the 333 Clifford Street property should not be one of the recipients. Ms. linker stated there were several items that should be considered: • A carport was attached, not a garage; • The materials used on the gable end looks like standard siding material from Home Depot; • No screens were on the window; and • The section of the structure that the shutters were added,the screens were not put back on. Mr. Morrison stated that nominations were submitted for three of Mr. Peterson's properties and the committee felt that out of the six, the structure at 333 Clifford was the most worthy for consideration. It was pointed out that if a commissioner did not agree with any of the nominations,they had the right to not vote for it. After all discussion and comments concluded, the nominations were approved by the Landmark Commission with one vote in opposition for the 333 Clifford Street property. Selection of Place and Time for Awards Ceremony for Landmark Commission Recognition Awards: Mr, Zeitler stated that at the last meeting, he proposed for commission consideration that the recognition awards be held during the Rotary Club's monthly meeting in May. Mr. Zeitler continued that one of the reasons he suggested that meeting was because the Rotary Club was hosting a program on Heritage Park. Representatives from the City Park Board and Landmark Commission were being invited to participate in the program to discuss the possibility of future expansion as well as other concerns regarding the Park. Mr. Zeitler continued he presented the idea to the Club and they agreed that the award recognition could be part of the program and the recognition would occur at the end of the program. The club would cover lunch for the honorees, but staff and Landmark Commission members would have to pay $15.00 for their lunch. The meeting will be on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at Landmark Commission Meeting - March 27,2008 Page 4 12 noon at the Solomon Ortiz Center. Mr. Zeitler continued that the media would be present and he would prepare the news release regarding the awards recognition. After a brief discussion,the following action was taken: IT WAS MOVED BY MR. MORRISION AND SECONDED BY MS. RUCKER THAT THE LANDMARK COMMISSON ACCEPT THE ROTARY CLUB'S INVITATION TO HAVE THE LANDMARK COMMISSION 2008 AWARDS RECOGNITION DURING THE ROTARY CLUB'S MAY 8, 2008 MONTHLY MEETING AT 12 NOON AT THE SOLOMON ORTIZ CENTER. MOTION PASSED. COMMITTEE REPORTS: Chairman's Report: Ms. Tinker stated that staff submitted a listing of commission members to the Texas Historical Commission in order for commissioners to receive the bi-monthly Medallion publication. The City of Corpus Christi will host the annual Texas Historical Conference. The conference will start May 1 and end May 3, 2008. THC has submitted a written response to Daniel Gallegos regarding the Ward Building. The Landmark Commission has not been notified of any proposed plans for tearing down the building in order for a parking lot to be constructed. Ms. Tinker continued that since last summer, she has been trying to schedule a tour for the commission to look at the building that will be converted into lofts, but there have been numerous obstacles. It seems that the process bypassed the commission. The same group that purchased the building for the Nueces Lofts also purchased the Ward Building, There will be a joint meeting between the various groups and THC to discuss the Ward Building. Ms. Tinker stated someone from the Landmark Commission should attend this meeting. It was suggested that Herb Morrison attend on behalf of the commission. Dr. Moore commented that he did not want the commission to get into a power struggle between the two entities. The commission should be very careful in how this is handled. Ms. Tinker stated it was the job of the Landmark Commission to make sure that anything regarding historical resources in the city come before this board or at least make sure the commission was aware. Mr. Thompson stated that the city of Corpus Christi was the one who brought this project to the developers. The city is paying for the demolition of the building for the parking garage to be constructed. The parking garage will be leased to the developer to use for the residents in the lofts. There is definitely a gap of communication which is adverse to what the Landmark Commission is trying to do. Mr. Thompson stated the commission has a real opportunity to get in on the upcoming bond election. The City is in the preliminary process of putting together proposals for projects to be funded through this election. This would be a great to get together with a proposal to purchase land to develop another Heritage Park. The commission should get a solid project together with costs estimates. Mr. Thompson continued he spoke with Kevin Stower, Acting Director of Engineering Services, and suggested that the commission submit a proposal for consideration. After further discussion,the following action was taken: IT WAS MOVED BY MR. MORRISON AND SECONDED BY MR. ZEITLER THAT DAVID BROWN AND CRAIG THOMPSON BE AUTHORIZED TO WRITE A LETTER TO KEVIN STOWERS, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING SERVICES, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION, OUTLINING A PROPOSAL OF A COST ANALYSIS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION OF HERITAGE PARK THROUGH PURCHASE OF AVAILABLE LAND. MOTION PASSED. Mr. Vardeman informed commissioners that there was a large pink stucco structure that fronted Furman Avenue that Mr. Jim Charnquist was willing to give to anyone willing to move it from its current site. Mr. Vardeman continued that it was told that in 1920, a prominent dentist lived in the house. Mr. Vardeman continued that it would a great endeavor for someone to save the structure. Landmark Commission Meeting -- u March 27,2008 Page 5 Mr. Zeitler asked if the Steamboat House had been completely moved and Mr. Vardeman answered that the house has been sited and placed on its new foundation. Mr. Vardeman continued that currently, the City has no money to renovate the structure and no organization has been found to spearhead it. Ms. Tinker asked about the proposed project between the Port Commission, PPG and LULAC and it was answered that the project was on hold. There being no further business,the meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m. fr(i{,541 Linda 'illiams Wesley Vardeman, City Planner Record g Secretary \ Staff Liaison to Landmark Commission • (H:PW-DIRWNDA\WORD\VNDMMK\MINUIES'M 2708.MINSj jib 5 r l SUMMARY SHEET cS' LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING APR 2008 R MARCH 27, 2008 RECEIVED J \17-,-;. CITY SECRETARY'S Al \ � OFFICE c, 1, The Landmark Commission approved tabling action on the Belanger House€located at 1.6p Mestina Street until the March 27, 2008 meeting. 2. The Landmark Commission approved the Nominating Committee's recommendation that David Brown and Herb Morrison be elected as the 2008 Chairman and Co-Chairman. 3. The Landmark Commission approved the Awards Recognition Committee's recommendation that the following nominees be approved for the 2008 Awards Recognition: Johann Collins and Glen Peterson for residential property improvement, Whataburger, Inc. for commercial property improvement and Brooke Sween-McGloin for community leadership. 4. The Landmark Commission accepted the Rotary Club's invitation to have the Landmark Commission 2008 Awards Recognition during the Rotary Club's May 8, 2008 monthly meeting. 5. The Landmark Commission approved the authorization of David Brown and Craig Thompson to write a letter to Kevin Stowers, Interim Director of Engineering Services, on behalf of the Landmark Commission outlining a proposal of a cost analysis for the future expansion of Heritage Park through purchase of available land in the two-block area adjacent to the existing park.