{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 1, "text": "MEETING MINUTES\nREGULAR MEETING OF THE\nCITY OF ALAMEDA HISTORICAL ADVISORY BOARD\nTHURSDAY, February 2, 2012\n1.\nCONVENE:\n7:00 p.m.\n2.\nROLL CALL:\nPresent: Chair Owens, Vice-Chair Rauk, Board Members\nHoffman, Jasper, and Lynch\nAbsent: None\n3.\nMINUTES:\nMeeting of December 1, 2011\nBoard member Lynch stated that on page two the sentence \"Mr. Minor stated yes 1897\nwhen it was built to 1944 when the Bruton's left.' The word Bruton's should not have an\napostrophe because it is not possessive.\nCalled to approve motion Board member Hoffman, 2nd motion Board member Rauk,\napproved 5-0.\nMeeting of January 5, 2012 (Pending)\n4.\nAGENDA CHANGES AND DISCUSSIONS:\nBoard member Owens called for board members to approve a motion to move item 7-B\nahead of 7-A. Board members approved 5-0.\n5.\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS:\nNone.\n6.\nWRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS:\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch, Planning Services Manager, gave a brief report.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 1 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 2, "text": "7.\nREGULAR AGENDA ITEMS:\n7-B\nRestoration Review - Applicant: Dominic Chan Nguyen - 500 Central Avenue.\nModification of the approved restoration plans for 500 Central Avenue. Continued\nfrom the meeting of January 5, 2012\nChristopher Buckley, Alameda Architectural Preservation Society, stated that the group\nhasn't submitted a formal statement on the proposal, but some of the members have\ndiscussed the issue and are comfortable with the subcommittee recommendation and\nplans that were submitted, but they would like to see clarification on the railing designs.\nBoard member Hoffman stated that he and Board member Jasper went to the site and they\nsuggested that the window eyebrows should be removed. He also stated that they didn't\nwant the pinewood, cedar or redwood would be fine. He suggested that the Board talk\nabout the design of the railing and the back porch. Furthermore, he would like to make a\ndecision so the property owner can move on and get this done.\nChair Owens stated agreed that a decision should be made and there was a decision\nmade, but the property changed hands and the new owner drafted new plans.\nBoard member Lynch stated that on page 3 of 4 within the four drawings Board member\nHoffman and Board member Jasper agreed with the two drawings located on the left hand\nside, the Vertical Boards, but for the railing piece.\nBoard member Lynch asked if the plans were a reflection of the Draft Resolution.\nBoard member Hoffman stated that it was in the draft resolution option A, recommended by\nthe subcommittee.\nBoard member Owens asked Board member Hoffman to make a motion to approve the\nresolution choosing the option 4A instead of 4B. The motion was 2nd by Board member\nLynch. Approved 4-0.\n7-A Certificate of Approval - PLN11-0272 - 1518 Park Street - Italo Calpestri. The\nproperty owner requests a Certificate of Approval to reconfigure the storefront of a\ncontributor in the Park Street Historic Commercial District and remove the recessed\ncorner entry and square off the building with removable window panels on both\nfacades. This application first appeared before the Board on October 6, 2011.\nPursuant to AMC, the Board must act on the application before April 5, 2012.\nContinued from the meeting of January 5, 2012\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 2 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 3, "text": "Margaret Kavanaugh-Lynch, Planning Services Manager, presented the follow up report to\nthe January 5th report.\nBoard member Owens asked if the staff report was the same as last meeting.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch replied yes.\nChair Owens called for public comment.\nMario Mariani, Commercial Realtor at Gallagher and Lindsey Realtors, stated that he is in\nfavor of the project. He explained that today's customers are attracted to outdoor cafes and\nthat is a unique thing. If you go to the cities of Emeryville, Walnut Creek, and Berkeley,\nmost restaurants have outdoor seating. Therefore, it is important for restaurants to survive\nthe economic downturn and if that is what it takes please make that happen.\nRichard Rutter, Alameda resident, stated that the corner is well executed and it would be a\nshame to lose it. He recommended that the property owner should save the tiled entry, the\ntop soffit, and the existing door. He also suggested that the owner change the glazing to\noperable windows on top of the existing bulkhead and to not tear out the existing bulkhead.\nFurthermore, he believed the building to be a treasure and for the Board to compromise\nwith the property owner by using his recommendations.\nMi'Chelle Fredrick, experienced retail and restaurant designer, spoke about the need to\npromote adaptive reuse projects that function with the evolving times and neighborhood\ncharacteristics. She believed that outdoor seating is a desired amenity and she urged the\nBoard to approve the project.\nShadi Movafagh, General Manager of Linguini's Restaurant in Alameda, spoke on behalf\nof the General Manager of Havana and the other employees. She explained that the\nbuilding must be revitalized in order to compete with other businesses, especially\nbusinesses that have patio seating.\nKathi Young, Alameda resident, stated she approved the project because it will create\nmore jobs and revenue for the city. She acknowledged the fact that the open space design\nwas necessary so waiters and waitresses can safely serve patrons.\nNancy Hird, Alameda resident, stated that outdoor seating is a great idea but the issue lies\nwithin the National Park Service guidelines, also known as The Secretary of the Interior's\nStandards for the treatment of historical properties. Therefore, she doesn't want to see the\nbuilding's character diminished.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 3 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 4, "text": "Robb Ratto, Executive Director of the Park Street Business Association, stated that Park\nStreet Business Association and board members support the project. The association does\nnot believe the design will be a detriment to the historical nature of the district. He also\nurged the Board to approve the project as soon as possible.\nChristopher Buckley, Second VP for the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society,\nexplained that he wanted to focus on the bigger issue. He supports the sidewalk-seating\nconcept, but what concerns the organization is why some of the options suggested to the\nproperty owners won't work. The Board chair suggested folding doors and his organization\nwould like to know why this option didn't work for the owner. He also stated that staff\norganized extensive discussions and various options were explored, but the options didn't\nwork out. Thus, he wanted to know why they didn't work and he was concerned that\nmodifying the building and others in the district will jeopardize the Park Street District's\nhistorical status.\nItalo Calpestri, project architect, stated that he supported the application and mentioned to\nthe Board that there were a number of items to bear in mind. In regards to the folding\ndoors, he explained that the corner is retained when the doors are open (usually when the\nrestaurant is open) so they don't loose the corner except for late at night. He also talked to\nthe property owner at length about the project and they are keeping the polychrome tile\ndesign, which will extend into the building as a way of supporting the desire of the\nhistorical element and present a more inviting entry. He believed that outdoor seating was\ngood for the business and having the doors open will add circulation and give people on\nthe sidewalk separation.\nBoard member Lynch asked whether the corner would be lost when the doors are opened.\nMr. Calpestri stated the column at the corner will remain, but when the doors are folded\nback then the corner will be open on both sides of the street.\nBoard member Lynch asked if the doors would be open for most of the restaurant's\noperating time.\nMr. Calpestri stated yes, but depending on weather conditions.\nBoard member Lynch stated that she didn't see that indicated in the last meeting's\ndrawings and she would like to see that illustrated in the next meeting.\nChair Owens asked if the configuration would be the same as present, but substituting the\nfolding storefront system for the historic storefront fabric.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 4 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 5, "text": "Mr. Calpestri responded by stating that they did discuss that option, but not at great length\nand the design did not meet the standard of how the restaurant would function.\nChair Owens asked instead of replacing the corner storefront section replace the non-\nhistoric section.\nMr. Calpestri replied that the design option would not serve the restaurant's operating\nfunction well.\nJack Dudum, Owner of Havana's Restaurant, stated that the restaurant's access to that\ncorner would be from 10 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. from 12:30\na.m. on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). So, in order to employ staff and to be a\ncompetitive restaurant in Alameda, he needs to create outdoor seating. He responded to a\nquestion that imagines the folding storefront following the exact same line and he\nexplained that following the HAB plan would be cost prohibitive for the restaurant and\nwould ultimately quadruple the cost.\nBoard member Lynch asked to outline on the plan where the outdoor seating would be.\nShe also asked, based on the design; if the first 1/3 of the building (5 panels) would fold\nback and would fold back overlapping onto each other.\nMr. Dudum stated yes and they would fold back.\nChair Owens asked whether the property owner would save the tiles on the ceiling, since\nthey are similar to the floor pattern.\nMr. Dudum stated yes and the only changes for the building would be to take the sliding\ndoors and bring them to the corner. Also, he stated that the City of Alameda and Alcohol\nand Beverage Control (ABC) approved outdoor seating on Webster and Park Streets.\nBoard member Lynch asked how many seats would be placed outdoors.\nMr. Dudum replied that the approximate number of outdoor seating would be 30 total for\nboth sides.\nBoard member Lynch asked whether that would significantly add more customers to the\nrestaurant.\nMr. Dudum replied there are 50 seats right now, so that would bring the total number of\nseats to 80. And that is a fair size for a restaurant owner to try to earn a living.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 5 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 6, "text": "Chair Owens called for the Board to discuss the project.\nBoard member Jasper stated that given the economic climate it is important to support the\nproject. He explained that keeping the restaurant the way it is would not help the City,\nespecially if it's just to keep the corner door. Finally, he appreciated the project owner's\nefforts and time to review the project.\nBoard member Lynch stated that their job is to take care of the City's historical buildings\nand she understood the hardships for restaurant employees and owners, but she did not\nsupport the project.\nVice Chair Rauk stated a lot of her questions had been answered and as an accountant,\nshe understood the restaurant's economic considerations for not being able to follow the\nexisting footprint of the restaurant. She also believes that the project should be supported\nbased on the business association's support of it.\nBoard member Hoffman stated that the building's changes does not negatively affect the\nhistoric district as a whole, but enhances it in other ways. Thus, he supports the project.\nBoard member Owens asked if the board opposes the outdoor seating.\nThe Board did not oppose to the outdoor seating.\nChair Owens stated there are a couple of issues: 1) the Board must judge the project\nbased on the Secretary of Interior Standards; and 2) the project owner and the Board\nshould discuss all alternative design options considered. He believed that based on the\nSecretary of Interior Standards the project's design proposal does not meet the standards\nbecause the project would remove historic fa\u00e7ade materials, namely the bulkhead,\nwindows, and would change the configuration of the corner, which is a historical corner\nentry. He opposed the design as it is right now, but he would favor a design that would\ninclude the folding storefront in the same plan arrangement, as it exists now.\nBoard member Hoffman replied that he felt the Secretary of Interior Standards could be\ninterpreted so that the project does lie within the standards.\nBoard member Hoffman called a motion to approve the resolution with the polychrome tile\ncovering the entire threshold entrance of the building, the soffit would remain above the\ndoor area as physically possible and the transit windows would remain unchanged.\nVice Chair Rauk 2nd the motion.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 6 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 7, "text": "Approved 3-2. Chair Owens and Board member Lynch were opposed.\n8.\nBOARD COMMUNICATIONS:\n8-A.\nPresentation by Board member Lynch on Historic Preservation Season in\nAlameda\nBoard member Lynch asked if the Board was able to review the Draft Proclamation (last\npart of the packet given to the Board) and they had any comments or revisions. She further\nexplained that event # 1 of the Historical Preservation Season will continue to have items\nadded onto it such as Woody Minor making a presentation about the Bruton House.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch stated that the first meeting in March currently has the golf\ncourse and housing item plus the monument designation. So, would like to move the item\nto March 20th.\nThe Board agreed and Board member Lynch would be present at the monument\ndesignation.\nChair Owens stated that Congress is reconsidering the tax credits for historical\npreservation. For the City of Alameda, the tax credit is an advantage especially for any\nbuilding on Park Street and the Naval Air Station. He also urged members of the\nsubcommittee, public, and City staff to weigh in with their representatives on the issue.\nFinally, he voiced to Margaret Kavanaugh-Lynch that the current Secretary of Interior\nStandards for Rehabilitation contains a couple of wording differences since the last version\nand he would send the new document to her.\nBoard member Hoffman suggested that going forward the Board and public to speak\nlouder during recorded meetings.\n8-B.\nAppointment of new sub-committee members for Historic Preservation\nCommittee.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch stated there is no minimum size for a sub-committee.\nThe Board did not finalize an appointment.\n9.\nSTAFF COMMUNICATIONS:\n9-A. Implementation of the Sunshine Ordinance as related to the business of the\nHAB and its sub-committees.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 7 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}
{"body": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard", "date": "2012-02-02", "page": 8, "text": "Margaret Kavanaugh-Lynch presented the Sunshine Ordinance requirements and staff\nwould receive new interpretations as they go along with the process. She believed the\nrequirements will have positive impacts on the transparency of the work done on behalf of\nthe Board.\nBoard member Lynch asked staff how do they notice a subcommittee.\nPlanning Staff stated they would post the meeting on the website and they only need to\nrecord a meeting if there are three or more board members at any point.\nChair Owens asked how far in advance would a meeting date have to be published.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch stated 7 calendar days. Also, in the near future the Board will\nhave to attend training about the Sunshine Ordinance.\nChair Owens asked about the public passing a piece of evidence (diagram, picture, letter,\netc.) to the Board.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch stated that if evidence were submitted within minutes of the\nmeeting taking session, then Staff would submit it to the Board. Also, staff will scan and\npost the evidence to the City's website.\nChair Owens asked about items that come in electronically and whether staff would print\nand present the information to the Board at each meeting.\nMargaret Kavanaugh-Lynch stated yes.\n10.\nADJOURNMENT:\nVice Chair Rauk made a motion to adjourn\n2nd by Board member Jasper\nApproved 5-0.\nDraft Meeting Minutes 2/2/2012\nPage 8 of 8\nHistorical Advisory Board", "path": "HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2012-02-02.pdf"}