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.
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Minutes Historic Preservation Commission
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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