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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission - Meeting Date: 3/25/2010 .47P. Historic Preservation Commission GLENDf,E Minutes THURSDAY, MARCH 25,2010 7:00 P.M. GLENDALE CITY HALL 5850 WEST GLENDALE AVENUE, ROOM 2A CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Ruth Byrne, Dan Leimeter, Mary Lou McNeill, Jim Grose Absent: Becky Shady, Bud Zomok, Linda Sue Trumble City Staff Present: Ron Short, FAICP, Deputy Director for Long Range Planning, Karen Flores, AICP, Historic Preservation Liaison, and Marilyn Clark, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES Acting Chairperson Grose called for approval of the February 25, 2010 Historic Preservation minutes. Commissioner Leimeter made a motion to approve the minutes as written, Commissioner Byrne seconded the motion, and the motion passed unanimously. FLORALCROFT HISTORIC DISTRICT: Carol St. Clair, a native of Glendale, president of the Glendale Historical Society, co-author with her husband of Glendale: Images of America, and lifelong aficionado of Glendale history, provided a presentation regarding the history of the Floralcroft Historic District. Mrs. St. Clair was one of the earliest residents in Floralcroft and spoke from personal reminiscences regarding the homes, people, and experiences of her childhood. Floralcroft was developed by Flora Statler with financing from a member of the early Brethren Church in Los Angeles. Flora Statler was a first cousin to Mrs. St. Clair's father. Mrs. St. Clair shared photographs of some of the original homes along Northview Avenue, then Avenue D, which contained much of the earliest Floralcroft development. She stated the area north of Northview, along State Avenue, was horse pasture at that time and was developed years later. Mrs. St. Clair indicated that a number of prominent people in Glendale lived in Floralcroft, including business persons and City Council members. March 25,2010 Minutes Historic Preservation Commission Page 2 Mrs. St. Clair distributed maps representing two different time periods of the Floralcroft subdivision, and shared several interesting factoids. For instance, Flora Statler sold a one-foot strip of land, marked "reserved" on the map which was along the eastern and southern boundaries of a vacant parcel at the northwest corner of the subdivision, to Ms. St. Clair's mother. The strip, being private property, blocked the alley access to 61st Drive (then North Third Street) and also blocked access for residents to walk through the vacant lot to get to their church on the other side of present-day State Avenue. Mrs. St. Clair remembers walking along Northview and crossing 59th Avenue, known at that time as Central Avenue or Lateral 18, which was the irrigation ditch extending from the Arizona Canal. She said that she and her friends crossed this lateral each day on the way to school. One day, they saw a construction crew working along the ditch with men pointing guns at the workers. Later they found out, the group of men were prisoners-of-war, and the men with guns guarding them were U.S. military soldiers. The work continued for a number of days and was a very frightening experience for all the school children. Commission members enjoyed the presentation and very much appreciated Mrs. St. Clair's first- hand account of life in Floralcroft in its early days. 2010 RUTH BYRNE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARD: Karen Flores, AICP, Staff Liaison provided an overview of the two nominations received for the 2010 Ruth Byrne Historic Preservation Award: Natalie Stahl, for restoration of the Virginia House, which is listed on the National Register and located at 6838 59th North Drive. Natalie has also spearheaded a Weed & Seed Program in this neighborhood which has significantly contributed to stabilizing the area. Mrs. Henning's After School Class, a group of elementary school children who selected Glendale history as the topic for a technical enrichment project. The students researched Glendale history and created a PowerPoint presentation and conducted an audio visual recording of an interview with Carol St. Clair which the commissioners viewed at the meeting. The Commission voted in favor of both nominations being recipients of the 2010 Ruth Byrne Historic Preservation Award. The Staff Liaison indicated that the awards would be presented at the City Council meeting on May 11, 2010. CENTENNIAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION BUS TOURS: Karen Flores, AICP, Staff Liaison reported that preparations for the three Centennial Bus Tours are a work in progress and by the first week of April information will be made available to the public for making reservations for one of the three tours. March 25,2010 Minutes Historic Preservation Commission Page 3 CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT GRANT PROJECTS: Karen Flores, AICP, Staff Liaison reported that the nominations for the Northfield and Thunderbird Estates / McDonald Addition Historic Districts have been forwarded to the Keeper of the Register who is required to respond and make a final decision within 45 days of receipt of the information. The Staff Liaison also reported that the consultant is working on the nomination for the proposed Sands Historic District, and that Ron Short, FAICP, Historic Preservation Officer, has secured CLG funding to begin the nomination process for two additional ranch house historic districts: Glendale Gardens located at the southeast corner of Orangewood and 51St Avenues, and Sage Acres located northeast of Bethany Home and 48th Avenues. Mr. Short noted that Glendale Gardens contains 32 ranch style houses constructed in the Post World War II era, and Sage Acres consists of a series of fourteen duplexes (twenty-eight units) situated along 48th Avenue, also constructed in the Post World War II era. STAFF REPORT Ms. Flores presented plaques to Ruth Byrne and Dan Leimeter, who will be finishing their terms on the Commission in April, to recognize and thank them for their service on the Commission. Chairperson Zomok and Vice Chair Shady were not present at the meeting, they will both receive certificates to recognize and honor their service as Chair and Vice Chair,respectively, for the past year. Chairperson Zomok will also receive a plaque in recognition of his service on the commission. COMMISSION COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS Commissioner Byrne commented that she has served a total of thirteen years on the Commission throughout her life, and that she was grateful for all the work that the Historic Preservation Officer has done with creating the historic districts and preserving Glendale's history, and hopes this will continue. Commissioner Leimeter also thanked the commission and stated that he too enjoyed serving his term on the commission. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:30 p.m. NEXT MEETING: April 22, 2010. Respectfully Submitted, 7)/7 / Marilyn Clark, Recording Secretary