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2005-02-10 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES February 10, 2005 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting of the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 3:30 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of City Hall, 121 — 51 Avenue North. PRESENT Stephen Waite, Chair Barbara Kindness, Vice Chair Ed Baker Darrell Marmion Chuck LeWarne Brian Hall Deborah Binder (arrived at 3:42 p.m.) Michael Plunkett READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES STAFF PRESENT Star Campbell, Planner Rob Chave, Planning Division Manager COMMISSIONER MARMION MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 14, 2004 AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. COMMISSIONER KINDNESS MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 9, 2004 AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. COMMISSIONER LEWARNE MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 9, 2004 AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. COMMISSIONER HALL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 13, 2005 AS PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER KINDNESS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA Chair Waite announced that Susan Boyle, the consultant hired by the City to complete the Historic Inventory Survey Report, would be present later in the meeting to review her findings. REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE There were no requests from the audience. PUBLIC HEARINGS No public hearings were scheduled on the agenda. Permit Customer Handouts Ms. Campbell said staff has been busy over the past month, and was unable to get the handouts prepared for Commission discussion. She asked that this item be postponed to the next meeting. Commissioner Marmion recalled that Past Chair Arnold created a roadmap identifying where communication materials were needed and what their purpose would be. It would be helpful for the Commission to have this type of document again so they can understand the purpose of each handout that is prepared. Commissioner Binder arrived at 3:42 p.m. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS Administrative Subcommittee Report Commissioner LeWarne recalled that last year a brochure was created by the Commission to describe the Commission and their role in historic preservation. While the Commission applied for grants to fund the brochure, their requests were unsuccessful. However, last fall he prepared a proposal for grant funding from the Edmonds Arts Commission, which comes through the lodging tax. The Arts Commission denied the request to fund the printing costs for the existing brochure, but they offered $500 if the Commission were to come up with a new brochure related more towards cultural tourism since their grant monies are intended for projects that bring people into the community. Commissioner LeWarne pointed out that the Edmonds Museum publishes a brochure that provides a historic walking tour. They also have a brochure that identifies the historic plaques that are located throughout the City. He suggested that the Commission seek other sources of funding to get the existing brochure out to the public now. Then they could do the other brochure at a future time when more sites have been added to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. Commissioner Binder inquired if the Commission had ever approached the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation regarding grant opportunities. Commissioner LeWarne answered that the Commission has not approached this group, but he questioned if their funding would also have to be focused on tourism projects. Commissioner Binder noted that she is on the Board of the Edmonds Arts Foundation, so she could research their grant opportunities further. She also suggested that the Snohomish County Arts Commission might have grant funding opportunities. PRESENTATION OF HISTORIC SURVEY REPORT Susan Boyle distributed copies of the final historic survey report. She also provided an example of the individual survey reports that were prepared for each property. In addition, she provided copies of two maps, and explained that the intent is to get the maps on a PDF file that can be attached to the final report. Ms. Boyle thanked the Commissioners for their careful review of the draft document and the comments they provided. She specifically referred to the photo (a 1948 photograph of the downtown, looking north on Main Street) that was placed on the cover of the survey. She said she used this photo because it embodies one of the unique and special features about Edmonds, Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 2 which is that it has retained its downtown character (a small, pedestrian -scale, homey downtown, with a lot of individual businesses that are run by local people and respond to local needs). During the sequence of the survey, she said she was able to learn how the downtown came about. Ms. Boyle reminded the Commission that specific goals for the historic survey were set out in the grant application that was funded by the Washington State Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation. They particularly focused on the downtown bowl area because that is where the highest concentration of historic resources is available. Ms. Boyle explained that in addition to surveying individual properties, she also reviewed the overall development patterns that have occurred in the City over time. She advised that she received a significant amount of help from a number of people, and she referred the Commission to the pages of the report that lists those who contributed. Ms. Boyle said the grant required that 70 to 75 resources be sited. When she conducted a preliminary drive through the City, she didn't think she would be able to come up with even 50. However, she ended up with more than 105 properties and had to choose those that were most representative of all of the historic themes in the City. She emphasized that while the survey report is a good start, it includes only 80 properties. Ms. Boyle said that as she conducted the fieldwork for the report, she also tried to get a better understanding of the historic context of Edmonds. She referred to Page 6 of the report, which breaks the historic context into a chronology of eras. She noted that the City does not have any properties to represent the pre -settlement era. She further noted that the specific geographic setting of Edmonds had a significant impact on how the town developed. Because there was no deep harbor, it developed as a mill town, with railroad connections rather than one that focused on fishing, etc. She said she found the history of the founding of Edmonds to be fascinating. The early pioneers made a significant contribution to the City's initial development pattern by setting a philanthropic and government service tone. Ms. Boyle pointed out that the wood that came from the early mills was used to construct many of the buildings that remain today. She noted the rustic style cladding on many of the structures that have been included on the inventory. Edmonds has always been influenced by transportation, and the linkages were important because the City's geography isolated it from other towns. She said the report also talks about the immergence of the town and some of the important early religious, cultural and social institutions that were developed. She noted that many of the original downtown structures were "vernacular" style buildings, which means they were probably designed by builders and property owners using very simple techniques. She said it is important for the Commission to help people understand the value of this simple style of building. There is a tendency for people to add more decorative materials when they restore structures. One of her recommendations is that the City should foster a culture of authenticity —to encourage people to understand and appreciate the honesty of the older structures and resist the impulse to "make them better." Ms. Boyle said the report cites the growth of the Edmonds municipal government and the kinds of services that it provided. Edmonds benefited from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Depression through road construction and infrastructure improvements. Council Member Plunkett inquired if there are any historic structures remaining that were created as part of a WPA project. Commissioner LeWame pointed out that the original high school was built in 1909, and it is currently being restored for the new Arts Center. Later, an auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria and football field were constructed using WPA labor. Ms. Boyle said it is difficult to find this exact information because the records are not complete. Ms. Boyle said they found many records of houses and other structures being moved around the City. This was fairly common because the early buildings didn't have foundation systems. If a road was widened, it wasn't hard to jack the house up and move it over or to a new site. Commissioner Marmion said he considers the time when buildings were moved frequently to be a unique historic era, as well. Ms. Boyle pointed out that Edmonds changed a lot through post war and suburban development. The City annexed areas and its population grew significantly. While most of the suburban development didn't influence the area of the survey, it is still important to acknowledge. She referred to the photograph on Page 19 of the Edmonds Waterfront, which went through a transformation in the 1960's. At this point, people began to see the value of transforming the waterfront by creating the boat Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 3 harbor and making it a place where larger construction could occur. She noted that the last mill on the waterfront shut down in the late 1940's, but many of the industrial sheds were flexible and could be used for other things, as well. Ms. Boyle said that starting on Page 20 of the report, the 80 individual properties are listed, and the list corresponds to the numbers provided on the two maps. She said she deliberately tried to find structures to represent each era. She pointed out that post-war structures are more modern in style and architectural, such as the American Legion Building, which was important socially and culturally and represents the post-war wood style of development. She said she did not include memorial sites since the survey is more driven towards properties that are buildings. She also didn't include cultural landscapes, which are parks or infrastructures. She pointed out that one of the Commissioners suggested that she look at the retaining walls along the railroad tracks and other things that might be characterized as cultural landscapes. She agreed that this should be considered in the future, but this was not within the scope of the initial survey. Ms. Boyle reported that 60 percent of the buildings surveyed were single-family homes, which represents the percentage of residential homes verses commercial structures in Edmonds. These are the more likely buildings to be preserved because changes tend to happen more frequently with commercial buildings. She further reported that ten of the commercial buildings on the survey include office or commercial space with residential uses above. Thirteen of the properties were community based, which includes public buildings, cultural institutions, religious institutions, etc. There are also some multi -family residential structures identified on the list. Chair Waite asked if Ms. Boyle came across any properties that had no history associated with them. Ms. Boyle said she came across many buildings for which she couldn't determine history. However, she found things at the Museum that helped her identify their historic significance. She explained that the survey was broad. In some situations, she was unable to site the original owners, but she felt that some structures were still worthy to be included on the survey because they provide a good representation of development that occurred in previous eras. Once again, she pointed out that more work still needs to be done on the survey to make it more complete. Given the time she was allotted, she did the best she could. Ms. Boyle pointed out that she used the State's inventory forms, which are in database format and do not allow space to provide all of the information she would have wanted to. For example, there was no space to explain why a property would or would not qualify for the National Register of Historic Places. By filling out the forms, the information will automatically be placed in the State's database. Ms. Boyle said a number of the properties on the list have already been identified on the National Register, and she found eight more that could possibly be added because of their historical and/or architectural significance. She felt that 52 of them could be included in a potential historic district, but this work would involve more detailed work. Ms. Boyle said the Survey Report cites the common building types to identify what the structures were originally used for. The report also speaks about the popular building styles of each era. Many homeowners are interested in style, and talking to them about their building style provided a connective way to speak to them about historic preservation. She referred to a book written by Virginia Lee McAllister entitled, "A FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICAN HOUSES," which provides numerous photographs to illustrate the various styles of homes. She said it would be helpful for the City to develop their own library on home styles for their benefit and for the benefit the citizens who want to learn more. This could be done collaboratively with the Museum. Chair Waite pointed out that Ms. Campbell has already starting compiling a collection of photographs. Ms. Boyle said it is important to understand that the notion of view has changed significantly over the years. The front porches that allowed people to sit in front of their homes and talk to their neighbors are not so important now. Now the decks that look out at the territorial view are more important. People want to live in much larger houses, and the wonderful thing about many of the historical homes in Edmonds is their modesty and their responsiveness to simple dwelling. Commissioner Binder pointed out that in many situations, people are buying the smaller old homes, anticipating that they will demolish them to make room for much larger structures. Ms. Binder said the most vulnerable historic buildings are those smaller ones that are located on larger sites. Ms. Boyle said another current trend is the notion of cultural tourism, which the City is capitalizing on with the arts festivals, farmers markets, etc. Cultural tourism will really start to value the small town quality and the historic buildings in Edmonds, and this would provide the Commission with another opportunity to speak to new constituency groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, business owners, etc. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 4 Ms. Boyle referred to the recommendations made in the Survey Report, which were placed in sequence starting with those that would be the easiest to accomplish. She suggested that the study be publicized by providing copies of it online or at the libraries. It would also be helpful for the Commission to contact the owners of the properties identified on the inventory. Some of them were happy to talk to her and expressed an interest in seeing the final report. The Commission could also encourage property owners to consider local landmark designations, particularly by helping them recognize the incentives that might be available to them. In addition, the Commission might want to consider cultural landscapes and other sites for the archeological significance, since this was not part of the study work. Ms. Boyle recommended that it would be beneficial for the Commission, as they undertake design review, to get some training. The State Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation offers training opportunities of this type. There are also seminars and conferences available for Commissioners to attend. Carrying their values through public scrutiny is not always easy for Commissioners to do. Learning from others could help them feel more comfortable in their role and more consistent in the comments they provide to the public. Ms. Boyle said the Commission has a real opportunity to publicize their activities and reach out to new constituency groups such as downtown businesses and schools. Teachers can use the City as a tool within their curriculum, and the Study Report, as well as other documents created by the Commission, could help engage some of the teachers and children in learning about the history of Edmonds. Commissioner LeWarne pointed out that the Museum provides opportunities of this type, as well. Ms. Boyle encouraged the Commission to expand on the walking tour guides that are already available. Now that there is more information available, they can share the history of the City with more people. Perhaps this could be done as part of a "Preservation Week" activity. Gradually, she felt the Commission would begin to understand how properties might be linked into historic districts, and perhaps they will want to explore this option. The State Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation can aid the Commission in this effort. She provided information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation about maintaining community character and establishing local historic districts. She recommended that the Commission review some of the historic districts that have been created by neighboring jurisdictions to find out what they learned through the process. She also provided a list of the preservation and design professional groups that can help the City spread preservationism throughout the town. Ms. Boyle recommended that the Commission develop additional preservation incentives through some revisions to the zoning code and permit process, such as limited alley vacations. If they want to preserve buildings, they must develop their constituency group and be bold about asking government officials to approve more ordinances that support the preservation of buildings. Lastly, Ms. Boyle recommended that the City undertake additional historic surveys, whether by consultant or by organizing community members. Chair Waite recalled Ms. Boyle's statement that when she visited with residential owners of historic properties, there appeared to be a sense of pride in ownership. He asked if this applied to commercial property owners, as well. Ms. Boyle said commercial owners look at their properties as investment assets. She did not receive very many responses from the commercial property owners. She concluded that commercial property owners are more concerned about any restrictions that might be associated with a historic designation. Chair Waite pointed out that commercial structures create the image for the City. As the Commissioners approach the commercial properties about historic preservation, it might be difficult to convince them to be involved. Ms. Boyle said it is important to help them understand that people come to shop in Edmonds because of the wonderful pedestrian scale of the City and because there are a lot of variety and specialty stores. Rather than focusing on the restrictions, the Commission should focus on the shared values about what makes Edmonds special and how each business fits in. They should also focus on the financial incentives for historic preservation that might be attractive to some property owners. People might also be responsive to the concept of preserving the legacy of the downtown. Commissioner Hall asked for more information about preserving cultural landscaping such as the railroad, shell creek, the marsh, etc. Ms. Boyle said the reason she did not include cultural landscaping as part of the Survey Report is that they are much more difficult to investigate. For instance, she questioned if the Marsh's origin was related to geology or if it was man made or an old mill pond associated with the lumber yards, etc. She said that guidelines are available on how to study and evaluate significant cultural landscapes, and these properties could be studied to determine if there is enough of their Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 5 character left to tell a story. Often they do not think of natural landscapes as being historic. That doesn't mean they do not warrant preservation, but they gain more appropriate significance by being studied for their resource contributions. Commissioner Hall said it is important to note that part of the reason Edmonds was established is because of the natural resources that were available. Ms. Boyle agreed that the natural resources played a significant part in the creation of cities and towns in the west. Chair Waite thanked Ms. Boyle and the staff for doing a fantastic job of completing the Survey Report. Commissioner Marmion reminded the Commission that the report must now be presented to the City Council. Ms. Boyle said she would be willing to attend the City Council meeting to aid in the presentation. She suggested that some type of slide or PowerPoint presentation would be appropriate. A PRESENTATION ON THE HISTORY OF THE SEAVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD Council Member Plunkett introduced Neil Tibbetts who was invited to share information he discovered as he and his neighbors researched the history of the Sea View Neighborhood. While there are numerous stories about what used to be located in the neighborhood, they found very little photographic evidence prior to the 1970's. They started their research by asking neighbors to provide artifacts, photos, etc. He shared one particularly interesting artifact they obtained, which was a movie a family had made of their childhood home on Olympic Avenue. The Commissioners viewed the movie and then briefly discussed some of the specific historic features of the neighborhood that they noted while viewing the document. COMMISSIONER MARMION MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION EXTEND THE REGULAR BUSINESS PORTION OF THE MEETING UNTIL 6:00 P.M. COMMISSIONER BINDER SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CONTINUATION OF SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS Continued Administrative Subcommittee Report Council Member Plunkett questioned if the City needs to make more copies of their historic preservation fliers. Mr. Chave indicated that there are still plenty of flyers available at City Hall. Council Member Plunkett pointed out that it would be simple enough for the staff to continue to print the fliers in small volumes, which appears to be sufficient to meet the demand. Council Member Plunkett questioned the timeline for the $500 grant that was offered by the Edmonds Art Commission. Commissioner LeWarne indicated that the grant money is only available through December of 2005. Council Member Plunkett said that if the Commission is going to hold a special public forum to introduce their plans for historic preservation, perhaps the grant money could be used to create a brochure to accompany this event. Another option would be to create a separate brochure for a historic tour. Commissioner Kindness noted that a mock up of a proposed brochure must be presented to the Arts Commission before any money would be allocated. Commissioner LeWarne said the money would be available at any time in 2005, but any second brochure that uses this funding would have to be approved by the Arts Commission. He read a portion of the letter that was sent to the Historic Preservation Commission from the Edmonds Arts Commission to explain the provisions of the grant opportunity. Council Member Plunkett reminded the Commission of their commitment to be part of a convention in 2006 in Edmonds. Perhaps the Commission should use this grant funding to produce a walking tour that could be used in 2006 and for the public forum. Mr. Chave said that later in 2005, he would be able to work on this type of project. Since the survey has already been done, the project would not be that difficult. The Commission could choose which properties they want to include in the brochure, and then staff could edit the property descriptions and add photographs. Commissioner LeWarne referred to a walking tour brochure that was created and updated by the Edmonds Museum. Mr. Chave suggested that the information in the Museum's brochure could be merged with the survey information to create a new walking tour brochure. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 6 The Commission discussed that additional funding would be needed in order to copy large quantities of the existing brochure in order to distribute it on a broader basis. Commissioner Binder said that while the existing brochure is valuable and professional looking, getting people to notice the historical structures in the City would have a more lasting impact. Commissioner Marmion referred to his previous comment that it would be helpful to have a chart identifying the intended target audiences for each of the communication pieces created by the Commission. Council Member Plunkett suggested that perhaps the Administrative Subcommittee could work with staff to get a walking tour brochure underway. Mr. Chave said that when people visit cities, one of the first things they ask for is a walking or driving tour. This type of brochure would afford the Commission a huge opportunity to partner with organizations such as the Arts Center, festivals, etc. The Commission agreed that the Administrative Subcommittee should start working on the walking tour. Commissioner LeWarne said he would write a letter to the Edmonds Arts Commission expressing the Historic Preservation Commission's intentions for using the grant funding to create a brochure later in the year. Council Member Plunkett reminded the Commission that they have still not resolved the issue of plaques to identify properties that are listed on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. He said the South Snohomish County Historical Society has inquired if the Commission would be interested in working with them to create the plaques. He suggested that Commissioner LeWarne contact the Society regarding this opportunity. Commissioner LeWarne accepted the assignment. Communications Subcommittee Report Commissioner Kindness said she is still trying to get the local newspaper to automatically advertise the Commission's meeting date on the second Thursday of each month. So far, she has had to notify them each time. She said she would be willing to work with the Administrative Subcommittee to sort through the sites that might be included in the new walking tour brochure. Commissioner Kindness asked that the Commission identify a specific date for the public forum. Council Member Plunkett said it is important to have a plan for the public forum before scheduling a date. Perhaps as part of their retreat discussion, a subcommittee could be assigned to create a plan for the forum. Mr. Chave said that now that the survey has been completed, the Commission has a mailing list of property owners to invite. They could hold an informal event that allows the property owners to share their stories, find out about the historic survey, etc. Mr. Chave reported that the City just received notification that they have been designated as a "Preserve America Community." The City applied for this distinction because it was implied that money might be available for cultural tourism for "Preserve America Communities." He explained that there was a push to get some communities in Washington State to apply, and Edmonds is the second one in the State to receive the designation. Chair Waite suggested that the Commission create standard acknowledgement or thank you notes. These could be sent out to those who provide presentations and other services to the Commission. Historic Register Subcommittee Report Commissioner Marmion said he has not heard any new information about whether not the Church has accepted their opportunity to be placed on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. Council Member Plunkett said he has made efforts to explain the situation to the Church representatives, but they still have concerns about moving forward. However, there is value in the fact that the community has told the Church that they believe the structure has historic value. Commissioner Binder said she comes from the East Coast where it is considered a privilege to own a historic structure. It is heartbreaking for her to see how afraid the citizens in Edmonds are of historic preservation. Commissioner Marmion said one goal of the Commission is to take small steps to educate the public and eliminate some of the fear and concern. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 7 Commissioner Marmion said he would update the Commission's website in the near future to identify potential projects. Incentives Subcommittee Report The Incentives Subcommittee had nothing new to report. NEW BUSINESS Election of Officers COMMISSIONER LEWARNE MOVED THAT COMMISSIONER WAITE BE RE-ELECTED AS CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION FOR 2005 AND THAT COMMISSIONER KINDNESS BE RE-ELECTED AS THE VICE CHAIR. COMMISSIONER MARMION SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS Commissioner Marmion referred the Commission to the memorandum they each recently received regarding the upcoming Comprehensive Plan Review before the City Council. The concern was that the Historic Preservation Commission had not had an opportunity to review the document. He reminded the Commission that one of their responsibilities is to review and provide comment to the City Council regarding land use, housing, redevelopment, and municipal and other type of programs related to historic resources. He noted that during the rewrite of the Comprehensive Plan, some of the references related to historic preservation appear to have been either deleted or taken out of their context. He said that in his initial reading of the proposed amendments, there are definitely changes that are designed to encourage development in the BC zone to expand, and the Commission should go on record with their concerns. Commissioner Marmion also expressed concern that the Comprehensive Plan sets the direction for where the City will go in the future, yet the recommendations made in the study of historic properties that was recently completed were not even considered for inclusion. Once the Comprehensive Plan has been adopted, it might be difficult for the Commission to implement the study recommendations at a later time. Commissioner Marmion suggested that the Commission review the document within the next four days before it goes before the City Council for review. The other option would be to make a recommendation to the City Council that the Commission would like an opportunity to provide input before the Comprehensive Plan is approved. Council Member Plunkett agreed with Commissioner Marmion's concerns. He also has amendments he would like to make in regards to historic preservation. He pointed out that any Commissioner would be able to speak before the City Council and make recommendations for changes. He said he would also be willing to present amendments related to historic preservation. But all of these comments and amendments must be presented to the City Council by February 15' Mr. Chave pointed out that the public hearing on February 151 is just related to the Downtown Waterfront Plan. The other portions of the Comprehensive Plan Update have already been approved. Commissioner Marmion suggested that since the Historic Preservation Commission as an advisory group to the City Council, the City Council could accept additional comments after the public hearing. This would allow the Commission to have a special meeting to determine their position. Again, Commissioner Marmion expressed his opinion that some of the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan are intended to encourage redevelopment, and this goes against historic preservation efforts. It is important to go on record with this concern. Mr. Chave cautioned the Commission when speaking regarding the height limit that is being proposed for the downtown area since this is a highly charge issue. If they are interested in getting the business community to participate in the historic preservation program, the Commission should be cautious about how they set themselves up early on. If the business owners perceive that the Commission is advocating no new development or slow development, the Commission could set themselves up as a political group that the business owners would be hesitant to work with. He pointed out that, Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 8 traditionally, historic preservation has always been concerned with design and stays out of zoning, height and bulk issues. He encouraged the Commissioners to carefully review the design guidelines included in the Downtown Waterfront Plan update because there are a number of mentions about being compatible with buildings, etc. It would be appropriate for the Commission to make suggestions related to the design guidelines, but if they talk specifically about height, they could endanger their relationship with the business community. Mr. Chave suggested that the Commission's comments be couched in a positive tone. For example, they could reference the survey that was recently completed for the downtown and ask the City Council to make sure there is ample protection for historic properties. He said it is important not to confuse the survey with the Comprehensive Plan issues. The survey should stand alone as a positive document. If it were inserted into the Comprehensive Plan, much of its value could be lost. Commissioner Marmion expressed his belief that the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan could place roadblocks on the option of creating historic districts in the future. Mr. Chave said that for more information about downtown regulations, the Commission should review the design guidelines because the relationship of new structures to historic buildings is mentioned numerous times. There is also a policy in the Downtown Waterfront Plan that talks about relating new construction to historic buildings. If the Commission wants to eventually consider historic districts in the City, it will be important for new development to be compatible with historic buildings. He agreed with Commissioner Marmion that reviewing all aspects of the Comprehensive Plan will not be an easy assignment. He suggested that that the Commission provide as many positive comments as possible, make the City Council aware of their goals, and provide specific policy suggestions. Once the City Council has taken action, the Commission could review the document and come up with a cohesive set of recommendations to consider as part of the next update. He explained that the Comprehensive Plan is updated every single year, so the Commission would not lose an opportunity to make changes if they cannot have them ready by February 15'. Commissioner Marmion pointed out that there used to be a section on "downtown concept'' that talked about encouraging the rehabilitation or restoration of older buildings. He would recommend that this language be put back in the document. He said the people who originally wrote the Comprehensive Plan told him their vision was a picture of Main Street America, which would be two-story buildings with common walls, close to the sidewalk, small parking at the rear of the building, shops and storefronts at the street level, and compact configuration of buildings without large open areas. This has all been replaced with a section about how the downtown area would be expanded to connect to the waterfront. Mr. Chave said the expansion of downtown to the waterfront has always been part of the Downtown Waterfront Plan. Commissioner Marmion again suggested that the Commission ask the City Council to hold off on their final approval of the Comprehensive Plan until they can provide input. Mr. Chave said he does not think it would be possible for the City Council to postpone their final action since they are obligated to meet deadline requirements. It is important for the Commission to remember that the Comprehensive Plan is amended every year, and they would have additional opportunities to make changes in the future. Again, he suggested that the Commission's comments focus on historic preservation, and that they be delivered in a positive way so that they are not seen as advocating one position. Commissioner Marmion agreed to continue his review of the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments and forward his comments to the Commissioners. Based on comments he receives back, he could prepare a written statement to the City Council. Commissioner LeWarne agreed to attend the City Council meeting and state the Commission's position as per the written document. REVIEW OF NEXT MEETING'S PROPOSED AGENDA No specific comments were provided related to the proposed agenda for the next meeting. HISTORIC PRESERVATION CHAIR COMMENTS There were no additional Chair comments. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 9 HISTORIC PRESERVATION MEMBER COMMENTS None of the Commissioners provided additional comments. ADJOURNMENT The Commission meeting was adjourned at 6:40, and the Commission enjoyed a potluck dinner. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes February 10, 2005 Page 10