pages: HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2021-05-06.pdf, 8
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HistoricalAdvisoryBoard | 2021-05-06 | 8 | Laura Gamble said the speakers who were demanding to keep these buildings for historic value had previously advocated for their demolition. She did not appreciate the negative remarks directed at the applicant as well as the city staff in a bad faith attempt to further delay a project. She added that subject matter experts all concurred that the answer was to delist this property. Bronwyn Harris said she had read AAPS's letter regarding this site and disagreed with their comments. She believed the same people who wanted to tear down these buildings to build a park are now trying to save the buildings to stop the wellness center. She felt it was time to listen to the experts and delist the property. Brenden Sullivan discussed the rich military history that the Bay Area had and how unique the Merchant Marine history was. He believed taking the extra time to get this right was not a bad thing. He said we don't need to tear down our history and should preserve the buildings. Ezra Denney discussed statements previously made by other commenters and urged the board to end this delay and move forward with this incredibly needed facility that would serve the community. Trust the experts, city staff, and voters and let the Wellness Center happen. Margaret Hall discussed Adaptive Reuse and what had been in the Measure that had been voted on. She discussed her past work as a contractor and how this is something you should have figured out at the beginning of a project. She felt the buildings should be reused and saw the merit in the historic feeling of a building. She described her experience rehabbing 100-year-old homes and argued to save these buildings. She agreed with Matt Reid's comparison of saving the buildings to saving the Great Wall of China. Thomas Stapleton, calling from Texas, discussed his history with Alameda and his time with the Merchant Marines. He talked about the Maritime Training School in New York, where his father had trained, and how it had been torn down in the 1950s without honoring the mariners who had served there. No one had stood up against the developers then so saving the buildings tonight was an opportunity to right what was previously lost. He said there was so little that had been done to honor the Merchant Marines and pleaded with the board not to delist this property. He did not believe Alameda needed more concrete and steel but needed to protect the sacred grounds of Alameda's maritime history. Chair Saxby closed public comments and opened the board's discussion. Chair Saxby thanked everyone for their comments and acknowledged they were still getting email comments as well. He noted everyone's passion and said this would add to the difficulty in making the decision. Approved HAB Meeting Minutes May 6, 2021 8 | HistoricalAdvisoryBoard/2021-05-06.pdf |