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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRCC MIN 2001/05/14 MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION COMMISSION May 14, 2001 Mercy Building Conference Room 430 "F" Street MEETING CALLED TO ORDER: Chair Cindy Burrascano called the meeting to order at 6:43 p.m. ROLL CALL/MOTION TO EXCUSE: MSC (T. Thomas/S. Thomas) to excuse Commissioner Juan Diaz. Vote: (4-0) MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Cindy Burrascano, Vice-Chair Charles Bull, Commissioners Teresa Thomas, Steve Thomas and Pam Bensoussan (6:45) STAFF PRESENT: Marilyn Ponseggi, Environmental Review Coordinator Jim Sandoval, Assistant Planning Director Beverly Blessent, Principal Planner Linda Bond, Recording Secretary OTHERS PRESENT: Philip Hinshaw, A.D. Hinshaw Associates Glenda DeVaney, Historic Homeowners Group Jeff Bender, TNT Services, Inc. Mike McGuire, South Bay Baptist Church Jim Howard, South Bay Baptist Church Frank Roseman, Chula Vista Historic Museum Corinne McCall, 642 Second Avenue Peter Watry, Chula Vista Historic Museum Susan Watry, 81 Second Avenue Imozelle McVeigh, 644 Second Avenue Jim McVeigh, 644 Second Avenue Denise Winslett, San Diego Railroad Museum Commissioner T. Thomas requested that two items be placed on the next agenda: 1) A standing order that the work plan be on every agenda. 2) The Environmental Impact Report for the Police Department relocation concerning noise did not include a helicopter and was incomplete of possible mitigation for noise. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: April 2 and 16,2001 The appropriate Commissioners were not present to approve the April 2, 2001 minutes. The minutes were deferred until the next meeting. RCC Minutes - 2 - May 14, 2001 MSC (Bull/T. Thomas) for approval of the April 16, 2001 minutes. Vote: (5- 0-0-1) with Diaz absent. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS: None. OLD BUSINESS 1. Update of Mills Act Mr. Jim Sandoval (Assistant Planning Director) indicated that staff was directed by City Council to bring them a vehicle that would allow property owners who own historic homes to have an opportunity to participate in the financial benefits that the Mills Act provides. The way the current Ordinance is, the RCC is the body that is responsible for making recommendations as to what structures should go on that list of recognized structures in the City. That is a role that staff would expect RCC to continue to perform, and for that reason staff wants to keep RCC in the loop on this item and bring it to the RCC before staff takes the matter to the City Council on May 29, 2001. Ms. Beverly Blessent (Principal Planner) handed out Section 2.32.070 and 2.32.090 of the Chula Vista Municipal Code, a list of recommended property maintenance guidelines and a draft application form. The code section gives RCC the authority to develop a policy to enter into contracts with owners of currently designated homes. The City Attorney is reviewing a draft contract, which has been based on the City of San Diego model. What staff has got so far are a draft resolution and a draft Council policy. Staff feels that a policy is going to give them the vehicle that they need to get these contracts done in an expeditious way. Staff will be meeting with property owners before May 29. Commissioner Bensoussan asked Ms. Blessent to run through the resolution. Ms. Blessent complied. Commissioner S. Thomas asked if the functional process is basically contract negotiations where the agreements are more site-specific? Mr. Sandoval indicated that the agreements are general in nature and more than anything else a financing mechanism and not that site-specific. Commissioner Bensoussan pointed out that a lot of municipalities allow businesses to take advantage of the Mills Act. If businesses are excluded from the contract it could have an adverse affect. Ms. Blessent did not have an answer to that question, but staff knows it is out there as an issue. Commissioner S. Thomas asked who actually enters into these agreements? Mr. Sandoval indicated that it would be the City Council with the City Manager having the authorization to sign the contracts. RCC Minutes - 3 - May 14, 2001 Commissioner Bensoussan thought the RCC might want to immediately review the 40 already designated properties and make a recommendation to staff as to whether those properties have kept their integrity to such a degree that they would qualify for the Mills Act. She stated that Councilperson Mary Salas mentioned at a Council meeting how the Montgomery area was not considered in the list of historic resources inventory that was done in 1985 or 1986. That list of 150 or so properties is not comprehensive today. Chair Burrascano asked if staff was going to send notices to those that are registered or those that are on the original inventory list? Mr. Sandoval stated that the application forms would be available the next day after Council approval. Mr. Jim McVeigh (644 Second Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910) asked if by entering into the Mills Act he would fall under the historic designation and the restrictions under Municipal Code 2.32.090? Ms. Blessent responded in the negative. It would actually be 2.32.070, A. and F. Vice-Chair Bull stated that he would prefer to have demolition permits be discretionary when it comes to historic buildings. Commissioner Bensoussan thought the way it works in San Diego is that, if a property has been historically designated and someone goes to apply for demolition permit, then that immediately gets a process going whereby it is kicked over to the historic site board for their recommendation. She would very much like to see that in Chula Vista. By what we are doing today, it sounds like even if they had a Mills Act contract we still could not prevent demolition, although they would be subject to penalties for violating their contract. Mr. McVeigh had no problem with the Mills Act. Staff ought to move forward with it. His concern was that if we go through this and it dies here and you get a handful of people under Mills Act, it is still not a full-fledged historic preservation entered by the City. MSC (Bull/T. Thomas) to support adoption of the resolution implementing the Mills Act throughout the City, including all redevelopment areas, and further recommend that properties with Mills Act contracts shall have no permit issued for the demolition, substantial alteration of site without first referring the matter to the Resource Conservation Commission. Vote: (5- 0-0-1) with Diaz absent. Chair Burrascano wanted to request that the City perform an inventory of the Montgomery area and that notification of the availability of the Mills Act be sent to all of those that are on the current inventory. RCC Minutes -4- May 14, 2001 MSC (Burrascano/T. Thomas) requesting the City Council either conduct an inventory of the Montgomery area or perform research to exam the previous analysis of that area through other County organizations and that the notification about the Mills Act be sent to all those on the inventory that currently exists. Amendment the motion to include the western area of Chula Vista including the Montgomery area. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Diaz absent. NEW BUSINESS Agenda Item 5 was taken out of order. 5. Potential Demolition of Henry Fischer House Ms. Ponseggi wanted the Commissioners to be aware that a letter had been sent to the Chula Vista Heritage Museum regarding the potential demolition of the Henry Fischer house. Ms. Blessent stated that the property is in escrow, and the new owner wants to expand the used car lot, which would require the house to be moved or demolished. Vice-Chair Bull asked if the expansion of the used car lot was an allowable use? Ms. Blessent thought they might have to process a use permit. Vice-Chair Bull then argued that the fact that the site, even though it does not have a permit recognized by the City, is on a register and would fall under CEQA as a significant resource. And if there is any discretionary permit associated with its potential use, it has to be evaluated. Ms. Ponseggi indicated that staff would have to research if the City has the authority to deny the demolition permit. It is administerial and CEQA does not apply. Mr. Frank Roseman (Chula Vista Heritage Museum) indicated that the City Manager approached him, and he is very interested in saving the house and giving it to the museum and moving it right next door to where the museum is today. The City Manager commented that he could very easily find $20,000 to move the house. Mr. Roseman thought the Heritage Museum could work a real good deal with the City saving the house and turning it into a museum and get plenty of support for maintenance. Commissioner T. Thomas noted that included in the attachments to the letter were minutes from the January 11, 1988 RCC meeting in which they unanimously recommended to the City to allocate funds to conduct a historical resources inventory of the Montgomery area including the Southwood Psychiatric Hospital. MSC (Bensoussan/T. Thomas) to request that the Henry Fischer House be placed on the next RCC agenda. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Diaz absent. RCC Minutes - 5 - May 14, 2001 2. IS-00-53 - South Bay Baptist Church Multi-Purpose Building No staff presentation was given. Commissioner T. Thomas asked that lead be added to HAZARDS on page 3 of the Mitigated Negative Declaration. If lead is not a part of the ordinance now, she would like to recommend that the RCC put it on an agenda. Ms. Ponseggi stated that staff would look into that. If APCD has a standard, staff could start to include that as a mitigation measure. Vice-Chair Bull had a concern regarding noise and received a satisfactory response from staff. MSC (T. Thomas/Bull) to approve staffs' recommendation. Vote: (4-0-0-2) with Diaz and Bensoussan absent. 3. IS-01-040 - Cedar Park Subdivision Mr. Philip Hinshaw (A.D. Hinshaw Associates, P.O. Box 13200, EI Cajon, CA 92022) stated that the 2.43-acre project site is located at Cedar Avenue and 'L' Street. It is a 12-lot subdivision. Commissioner T. Thomas asked Mr. Hinshaw to comment on the water and drainage, which he did. MSC (Bull/Burrascano) to approve staffs' recommendation. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Diaz absent. 4. IS-01-027 - Fourth Park Place Mr. Hinshaw indicated that this is an apartment project located on Fourth Avenue between 'C' and 'D' Streets. At this point Mr. Hinshaw read a correction into the record. There is a mistake in the Mitigation Negative Declaration on page 4 in the first paragraph. 'Tentative Map' should be changed to "site plan". Commissioner S. Thomas inquired about drainage, which Mr. Hinshaw responded to satisfactorily. MSC (Bull/S. Thomas) to accept staffs' recommendation. Vote: (5-0-0-1) with Diaz absent. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COORDINATOR COMMENTS Ms. Ponseggi stated that the RCC would have a special meeting on Monday, June 11, 2001 in order to accommodate the Salt Creek Sewer EIR schedule. RCC Minutes - 6 - May 14, 2001 The Awards Banquet has been postponed to Thursday, June 14, 2001. Ms. Bond will double check with the Mayor's office regarding the awards banquet nominees. CHAIR COMMENTS: None. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 6. Letter to City Council Regarding the Coronado Belt Line Railroad Right-of Way Historic Designation (Commissioner Bensoussan) Ms. Ponseggi stated that staff went back through the records of the meeting and a couple changes appear not to have been made to the letter. The RCC agreed to the revisions. Ms. Bond will make the revisions and forward the letter to the City Manager's office requesting that the letter be placed on the City Council agenda for June 12, 2001 or later. Commissioner Bensoussan asked to be notified as to when the item would go before Council. Commissioner Bensoussan asked to be excused from the June 4, 2001 meeting as she would be on vacation. MSC (Burrascano/Bull) to excuse Commissioner Bensoussan from the June 4, 2001 RCC meeting. Vote: (4-0-1-1) with Diaz absent and Bensoussan abstaining. ADJOURNMENT: Chair Burrascano adjourned the meeting at 9:21 p.m. to a regular meeting on Monday, June 4, 2001, at 6:30 p.m. in the Mercy Building Conference Room, 430 'F' Street, Chula Vista, CA. Prepared by: ~ ./7 ,.:: -,L.-<~< /.-;?-/.' ~¿7-r' ,¿-- Linda Bond Recording Secretary (A:\lIb\RCC#1\RCC051401MINS Final.doc)