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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Landmark Commission - 07/23/1992 02(29—a- 4110 MINUTES LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS JULY 23, 1992 MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Edwin Goodman, Chairman Ms. Nancy Bowen Mr. James Catron Ms. Pam Lakhani Ms. Alclair Pleasant Mr. Michael Shelly Ms. Bunny Tinker Mr. Joe Williams MEMBERS ABSENT: Ms. Patricia Atkins Ms. Mary Ellen Collins Ms. Cynthia Hill-McKinney Mr. Leslie Mabrey Mr. Govind Nadkarni Mr. Donald Victory STAFF PRESENT: Ms. Faryce Goode-Macon, Staff Liaison Ms. Lorraine Del Alto, Recording Secretary Mr. Michael Gunning, Senior Planner The meeting was called to order at 4:37 p.m. by Mr. Edwin Goodman, Chairman. The roll was called and quorum was not present. Upon arrival of Ms. Alclair Pleasant and Mr. Michael Shelly at 4:40 p.m.,a quorum was declared. ACTION ITEM(S): Approval of May 28. 1992 and June 25. 1992 Minutes: The May 28, 1992 and June 25, 1992 were approved as distributed. DISCUSSION ITEM(S): Committee 's Recommendation On Adopting State and National Guidelines For Naming Historical Designated Structures: Ms. Tinker stated she received a packet of information on guidelines from Lee Govatos after their meeting and forwarded the information to Michael Shelly. Ms. Tinker continued she thought Mr. Shelly would make the presentation, but she had not heard from Mr. Shelly. After a brief discussion, Ms. Tinker was requested to follow-up on the information and report at the regularly scheduled meeting in August. SCANNED Landmark Commissieeting July 23, 1992 Page 2 Task Force Report On 1914 County Courthouse: Mr. Goodman commented that the news media has kept the community abreast of what is happening with the County Courthouse. At this point, Mr. Catron was asked if he had additional information regarding the Task Force's activity on the Courthouse and Mr. Catron responded that the last meeting he attended was in February 1992. Mr. Catron added that at this point the priority is to obtain a clear title to the property. At the first meeting, the Task Force learned from City Legal Staff how complicated the legalities are in trying to find out what can and cannot be done. The second meeting was more or less discussing the same topic -- various legalities to overcome and clearing the title and, at the same time, find a person or group who would be willing to undertake the project; and that person seems to be Mr. Dusty Durrill. Ms. Tinker asked who would be making the report to City Council in August as was mandated in the Comprehensive Plan, and Mr. Catron answered he was not sure, but it was turned over to the Planning Department and he assumed it would be Brandol Harvey or Kelly Elizondo. Mr. Williams stated that at some future point, Mr. Durrill would be presenting more detailed information as to what is happening on the project. At this particular time, their priority is to get the title transferred and to clear the tax situation. At this point in the meeting, Mr. Goodman asked Mr. Shelly if he had any information regarding the State/National Guidelines and Mr. Shelly answered that he received the packet of information from Ms. Tinker, but he had not reviewed the information. Mr. Goodman requested that Ms. Tinker, Mr. Shelly, and Ms. Whitmire meet and review the packet of information with representatives from the Nueces County Historical Commission so that a recommendation can made at the next regularly scheduled meeting in August. Special Meeting - Wednesday. August 19. 1992: Mr. Goodman stated Staff was requested to select a meeting date for Landmark Commissioners to meet and review the remaining slides of the historical site survey. Mr. Goodman continued that the Commission needs to complete the slide review in order to move forward. This special meeting will be in addition to the regularly scheduled meeting on August 27, 1992. Mr. Goodman stated that it would be helpful if Mr. Williams, Mr. Govind, or Mr. Mabrey could attend the meeting, since their expertise is needed. CLG Preservation Conference: Mr. Goodman referenced the conference brochure distributed by Ms. Macon, Staff Liaison. The conference is sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission and Los Caminos del Rio Heritage Park and co-sponsored by several other entities. The conference is scheduled for October 28-30, 1992 at the Fort Brown Hotel in Brownsville, Landmark CommissioTMeeting 111110 July 23, 1992 Page 3 Texas. Mr. Goodman continued that several commissioners attended the 1991 conference in San Antonio, Texas. The conference provided valuable information regarding historic preservation and, at the same time, representatives shared what their cities were doing. The title of the 1992 conference is: "People, Parks, and Partnerships: Our Heritage As Community Assets." Mr. Goodman stated he would like for three (3) members to attend the conference. Funding has been provided for registration, hotel accommodations, and per diem. Mr. Goodman stated if commission members are interested in attending, they should let Ms. Macon know by the August meeting so that arrangements can be made. Mr. Goodman stated Mr. Catron informed him that because of schedule conflicts, he will not be able to serve as liaison to the Nueces County Historical Commission. The County Historical Commission meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners ' Court at the County Courthouse. Ms. Mary Whitmire volunteered to serve as interim liaison until November. Ms. Tinker stated she received notification from the Heart of Corpus Christi that she is officially the liaison for the Landmark Commission and will attend her first meeting in August. The Heart meets quarterly. Ms. Macon stated that City Council approved acceptance of the CLG grant from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and CDBG. The grant was returned to THC with appropriate signatures; and the City has received its copy of the official grant. At this point, Staff is ready to send out bid proposals to preservation consultants to initiate Phase Il-A of the site survey. The RFP will be the same as in the past, except the five (5) areas are different. There will be a forty-five day time limit requesting a detailed survey be performed on approximately 320 properties, which include two sets of slides and two sets of prints. A new mailout listing of consultants was provided by THC. Before the RFPs are mailed out, as done in the past, a subcommittee should review the RFP before it is sent to the consultants. Also, THC requested that a copy of the RFP be faxed to their office for review. After all reviews are completed and changes, if any,incorporated, the RFPs will be mailed with a requested forty-five day response date. Mr. Williams served on this committee in the past. After a brief discussion, Ms. Bowen, Mr. Williams, Ms. Tinker, and Ms. Lakhani volunteered to serve on the subcommittee. Ms. Macon will arrange the meeting date and time. Mr. Goodman stated he and Ms. Tinker met with Kelly Elizondo, Director of Community Development, attempting to establish a new preservation program between Community Development and the Landmark Commission. Mr. Landmark Commissioll•Meeting 1111110 July 23, 1992 Page 4 Goodman stated that at the 1991 preservation conference in San Antonio, Mayor Riley of Charleston, South Carolina was the keynote speaker and he shared what the City of Charleston was doing in the area of preservation. Mr. Riley was a strong force in the city's preservation efforts; whereby he established a system where the city could quickly move and buy properties that they wanted to renovate. The properties were restored and sold. The city worked with some of the local lending institutions through the Community Reinvestment Act where dollars were placed back in the lower income areas. Property owners were able to buy the property because of the low interest rates, etc. At the meeting with Mr. Elizondo, he was asked if the City of Corpus Christi had an entity with the power and authority to move forward in purchasing potential properties that are in danger of demolition to restore them and, at a later date, sell them. Mr. Elizondo answered that the City does not have an entity in place, but the City is currently trying to set one up. Mr. Goodman continued that according to Mr. Elizondo, an advertisement was placed in the newspaper seeking a non-profit organization to be that vehicle. Mr. Goodman asked Staff for clarification as to why the City has never had a program set up and Ms. Macon stated that at this time, the primary focus of the City has been rehabilitation services and neighborhood improvements, but that focus could include other areas as time goes on. Mr. Goodman stated that basically through the current program of Neighborhood Improvement, the primary focus has been on home improvement loans and rehabilitation of existing properties instead of buying properties to have them restored. Ms. Tinker stated in the meeting, Mr. Elizondo kept emphasizing that the entity had to be ongoing. The Board membership majority has to be of low income citizens and the program currently in place does not meet some of those qualifications. Ms. Tinker continued that during their discussion, she referenced the Furman Avenue Block Association and the fact there is a spinoff type of application that can be submitted. Ms. Tinker went on to say that it takes approximately eighteen months to two (2) years to get a non- profit qualified through the Internal Revenue Service; which could be a stumbling block. Ms. Tinker added that an existing non-profit could submit an abbreviated application and become qualified through the IRS as a different entity; and if this route was to be pursued, the time limit would not be as lengthy. Mr. Goodman stated that as a result of the meeting, it was learned that the City does not have an established entity, but they are working in that direction Landmark CommissioWleeting July 23, 1992 Page 5 whereby the City will be able to move forward and act quickly to buy properties as they become available and restore them. Ms. Tinker stated that the Commission should follow-up to see if any groups responded to the advertisements and then maybe the group can be contacted. Staff was asked if they were aware if any groups had responded and it was answered no, but Staff would follow-up and report at the August meeting. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:07 p.m.