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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Landmark Commission - 04/25/2024MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING LANDMARK COMMISSION CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS - 4:30 pm 1201 LEOPARD STREET THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024 COMMISSIONERS: Armando Mendez -Chairman Melissa Espinoza Matthew Forrester Gordon Landreth Cheryl McLaughlin STAFF: Bria Whitmire, Engineer V Robert Kurtz, Historic Preservation Officer Ruth Bocchino, Agenda Coordinator Buck Brice, Deputy City Attorney CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONERS: Albert Montez Jeff Mumme Dr. James Pruitt -Vice Chair Elizabeth Riggle Michelle Wanzer Veronica Wilson Vice Chairman Pruitt called the meeting to order at 4:33 pm and a quorum was established with Chairman Mendez and Commissioners Forrester and Montez absent. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: March 28, 2024. A motion was made by Commissioner Wanzer to approve the minutes as presented by staff and seconded by Commissioner Landreth. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. iv. APPROVAL OF ABSENCES: March 28, 2024: Commissioners Montez and Mumme. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle to approve the absence of Commissioner Mumme, seconded by .Commissioner McLaughlin. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle to disapprove the absence of Commissioner Montez, seconded by Commissioner Wanzer. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. v. DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION: Discuss and vote on Preservation Award Nominees Categories: Buildings/Properties nominated must be 50 years or older and show the use of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Architects/Organizations nominated must demonstrate innovation in preservation mechanisms or be working towards a lasting impact regarding preservation projects within the city. History Books nominated must be a historical monograph (past or present) that communicates the history of Corpus Christi. • Education Award recipients may be individuals or organizations that promote educating the public on the history of Corpus Christi, the preservation of community resources, or the need for historic preservation in general. Buildings and Properties: • 521 North Starr St.; Completed in 1917 (107); At one time housed every Federal Agency in the city; Renovated several times; Purchased by Thomas J. Henry in 2004. • 416 Starr St.; Outside recommendation; Renovated by Sparkman Energy in 1981; Meeting w/architects Weds. 24t" @ 0930 • 314 Clifford Street, Karl Schlatter, Built in 1970; Worked with Craig on restoration; Original Brick and replaced damaged brick from original manufacturer, ACME Brick out of Denton, Texas Architects/organ izations: Whataburger Field; Architect: HKS, Inc.; Completed in 2005; Field location is original home of cotton warehouses/presses; Two original buildings flank the scoreboard in the outfield; Kieschnick's Korner was constructed using timbers from the old cotton warehouses; Named season ticket holder lounge, "The Cotton Club."; Incorporated same types of materials as used to construct the cotton warehouses and created a massive entry with large supports to pay homage to the history of the site. James Rome is being awarded for devoting his life to architecture in southern Texas and Corpus Christi. He was involved in the restoration of several houses in Heritage Park and the Centennial House. He served on the Nueces County Historical Commission and was an active member of the Nueces County Historical Society. HKS • Colors/shapes/typefaces/signage were all heavily researched to achieve an accurate early 20th century aesthetic. • "The challenge was to work with existing and new architecture to present a cohesive, historical, and exciting solution." Fred Ortiz • The goal was to return the place to its former splendor when nightclubs mixed with warehouse buildings and the neighborhood bustled day and night. Reid Ryan • City originally wanted it built on the south side. • Lot was full of cotton warehouses and some still in use. • They stood on the roof of one of the warehouses (main entry area) and decided that it was the perfect location. • Ryan stated, "What makes baseball great is its connection to the past." • The stands were supposed to extend further but they ran out of money. History Books Mary Jo O'Rear -Local author, researcher, and retired professor. -She has written three works on the history of Corpus Christi. -Texas A&M University Press published all three as part of their Gulf Coast Book Series. Storm Over the Bay. The People of Corpus Christi and Their Port (2009)(Finalist for the 2010 Most Significant Scholarly Book Award, presented by the Texas Institute of Letters) • Bulwark Against the Bay: The People of Corpus Christi and Their Seawall (2017) • Barrier to the Bays: The Islands of the Texas Coastal Bend and Their Pass (2022) Ms. O'Rear was essential to developing the World War II Heritage Trail and the language for its trail markers Dr. Norman C. Delaney -Local author, researcher, and a retired Professor of History with Del Mar College. -He has written several books on the history of Corpus Christi and the Naval Air Station. -The oral interviews that he conducted for the Naval Air Station are preserved at the Texas A&M University Corpus Christi Special Collections and Archives. The Maltby Brothers Civil War (2013) An Oral History Of The Naval Air Station Corpus Christi During World War 11 (1995) for the Department of Defense. Dr. Delaney has served as an editor on the narratives for the Texas Historical Commission Markers submitted by the Nueces County Historical Commission. Education Kathy Werner -Local teacher who has served as the President of the Nueces County Historical Commission and Vice -President of the Nueces County Historical Society. -She also serves as one of the leads at the Britton -Evans Centennial House Museum. -Mrs. Weimer has written the narrative for several Texas Historical Commission Markers. She also served on the Ad Hoc Committee working on the World War II Heritage Trail. Art Contest: Judges: Gerardo Cabarrivius (Del Mar); Cadence Olivarez (Art Museum); Emily Aparicio (McGregor Archivist or Dillon Beal (Science and History Museum), one vacancy. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle that the category of Buildings and Properties be made into two with the gold star going to buildings that used the Secretary of Interior's standard for treatment of historic properties and the sliver star for properties that don't meet all the standards, seconded by Commissioner Wanzer. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle for the gold star award to be presented to the Carl Slaughter House, 314 Clifford Street, and the silver star to be presented to the Federal Agency, built in 1917, and the Dallas Hotel. Commissioner Wilson seconded. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Wilson for Whataburger Field to be awarded in the category of Architects/Organizations, seconded by Commissioner McLaughlin. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Landreth to nominate Jim Rome to be awarded in the category of Architects/Organizations, seconded by Commissioner Riggle. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle to accept the nomination, seconded by Commissioner Wilson. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Riggle for Dr. Norman C. Delaney and Mary Jo O'Rear to be awarded in the category of History Books, seconded by Commissioner Wilson The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. A motion was made by Commissioner Wilson for Kathy Weimer to be awarded in the category of Education, seconded by Commissioner McLaughlin. The Vote: All Aye. The motion passed. vi. PRESENTATION: Terri Myers, Preservation Central: Update Upper West Side Historic Survey. Ms. Myers discussed the following categories: Field Investigations, Windshield Surveys; Recon & Intensive Level Surveys; Documenting resources such as buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts; National Register of Historic Places; Historic Research and resources; data encoding and eligibility; contributing properties in historic districts; and designations of properties. vn. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER REPORT: Robert Kurtz, Historic Preservation Officer. 1) Update on the Dr. Garcia Building: the owner contacted Mr. Kurtz and asked about the city removing trash and moving the sidewalk. The building is currently not for sale. vui. DIRECTOR'S REPORT: No report. ix. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS: Sunshine Cemetery update; Pompeo Copppini "Queen of the Sea" relief has been damaged; all Commissioners will be involved in presenting awards at the May 23 meeting. x. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business tc 6:11 pm. -ned at