Agenda Item Wording:
title
Review and accept the 2022-2023 Annual Report from the City of Visalia Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.
body
Deadline for Action: 8/21/2023
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Walter Deissler, Chairperson, Historic Preservation Advisory Committee
Cristobal Carrillo, Associate Planner, (559) 713-4443, cristobal.carrillo@visalia.city <mailto:cristobal.carrillo@visalia.city>
Paul Bernal, Community Development Director, (559) 713-4025 paul.bernal@visalia.city <mailto:paul.bernal@visalia.city>
Background:
As one of the oldest cities in the Central Valley, Visalia hosts an impressive collection of historic sites and structures. Numerous structures with distinctive architectural styles are present in Visalia, concentrated in the city’s historic core. The Historic Preservation Ordinance, adopted in 1979 and updated in 2001 and 2022, established the HPAC to act as a steward for historic preservation causes.
The Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC) is a seven-member committee that is primarily responsible for periodically updating the Local Register of Historic Structures, nominating properties to Local, State, and Federal Historic Registers, and reviewing building/planning actions related to historically designated structures within the Historic District and/or on the Local Register. Review of building and planning actions is the most frequent task undertaken by the Committee, consisting of review of exterior alterations to historically designated structures, and review of zoning actions on sites within the Historic District (ex. Change of Zones, Conditional Use Permits, Variances, and Planned Unit Developments). HPAC reviews are conducted with a focus on preserving the integrity of historic structures and maintaining the unified architectural character of historic neighborhoods. Committee actions are appealable directly to the City Council.
The Committee currently consists of six members (there is currently one vacancy) with a wide variety of knowledge relevant to historic preservation. Current members of the HPAC work in construction, architecture, real estate, and landscaping, and many of the members are active in community groups. The Committee meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month so as to provide expedient review of development requests. In 2022, the HPAC held a total of 25 public meetings, which included 23 regular meetings (including a public outreach meeting) and two special called meetings. Committee members also spoke at multiple public meetings of the Visalia Planning Commission and Visalia City Council regarding historic preservation items of interest.
Discussion:
In 2022/2023, the HPAC took a number of actions to administer the goals and policies of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Historic Preservation Element. The actions of the Committee are described in detail below.
Project Reviews
In 2022, the HPAC conducted a total of 27 project reviews. Items reviewed by the HPAC consisted of a wide range of residential and commercial projects, including proposals for a bed and breakfast inn, a medical spa, the demolition and rebuilding of Lee’s Market, and the rehabilitation of several multifamily residential complexes. Projects reviewed also included updates to the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Local Register of Historic Register, discussed further in the “Long Range Projects” section of this report. All projects, as well as decisions rendered by the HPAC, are described in Attachment No. 1.
Long Range Projects
This past year saw the culmination of two long range HPAC projects: an update to Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.56 (Historic Preservation District Ordinance) and an update to the Local Register of Historic Structures. Both items were approved by the Visalia City Council on August 1, 2022.
The Historic Preservation Ordinance Update revised various provisions of the Ordinance to improve the ability of the HPAC to preserve historic resources. These included changes allowing for HPAC review of Local Register structures located outside the Historic District, and changes to reviews of demolition requests. The Local Register Update consisted of evaluations and updates to classifications applied to all structures listed on the Local Register of Historic Structures, resulting in changes to 100 properties. The updated Historic Preservation Ordinance and Local Register of Historic Structures are included as Attachment Nos. 2 and 3 respectively.
In the latter part of 2022, the HPAC also began planning the next stage of its long-range survey activities, consisting of site visits and evaluations of properties within and surrounding the Historic District. The goal of the “Historic District Survey Project”, as it is now called, is to identify and evaluate properties for the possible addition to the Historic District and/or the Local Register of Historic Structures. Site surveys and evaluations by the HPAC are currently underway in 2023.
2022-2024 Goal Setting
Following completion of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Local Register updates, the HPAC developed a list of goals to guide its activities for the following two years. Goal setting consisted of multiple discussions by the HPAC during public meetings, as well as a specially called work session with City Staff to discuss staff involvement and the feasibility of various goals. Goal setting was completed in September 2022. The list of goals is included as Attachment No. 5. Since completion of goal setting, the HPAC has focused its efforts on four main goals:
1. Survey sites within and around the Historic District for potential inclusion in the Historic District and/or Local Register of Historic District (Goals 1.a, 1.b, 1.g). Work on this goal is ongoing in 2023.
2. Re-establish HPAC recognition and awards programs (Goal 3.a). Work on this goal is ongoing in 2023.
3. Reach out to the Tulare County Association of Realtors (TCAR) to inform brokers of the HPAC and historic preservation in Visalia (Goal 4.a). This goal was completed in February 2023 via a presentation by HPAC members at a TCAR luncheon.
4. Improve architectural style descriptors on the Local Register and provide guidance documents for property owner and occupant use (Goal 5). This goal was completed in 2022 via minor administrative revisions to the Local Register of Historic Structures and completion of the Architectural Style Guide (see below).
Architectural Style Guide
During a 2022 public outreach meeting conducted for the Historic Preservation Ordinance and Local Register updates, members of the public expressed a need for guidance from the HPAC on best practices for the maintenance and restoration of historic structures. The HPAC responded by developing an “Architectural Style Guide”. Spearheaded by HPAC Vice-Chair Tyler Davis, the guide contains information on Visalia’s major architectural styles and their subsets. The guide highlights a wide range of residential, religious, commercial, professional, and civic buildings, with each section containing photo examples of each style of architecture, and bullet points that describe architectural features typical of each style. The guide is intended to help building owners determine the style of their structure and serve as a reference for those who are interested in local architecture. The Architectural Style Guide is currently available on the City of Visalia website and is included as Attachment No. 6 of this report.
Historic Preservation Month Proclamation
Through efforts from the HPAC, the Visalia City Council issued a proclamation on May 2, 2022, declaring May 2022 as Historic Preservation Month. The proclamation celebrated the establishment of the City and various actions taken to preserve the City’s historic resources. The proclamation is included as Attachment No. 7 of this report.
Letters to Property Owners
In an effort to conduct public outreach and encourage the preservation of historically significant structures, the HPAC embarked on a project to send letters to property owners of historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The letters inform property owners of existing historic designations and provide information on preservation and maintenance. Information provided to property owners included the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, the Visalia Historic Preservation Ordinance, and the Visalia “Historic Sites and You” Guide. Letters to owners of Visalia National Register sites were sent out in October 2022.
The HPAC has also made it a practice to send letters to interested property owners inviting them to apply for historic designation. Letters include information on the HPAC and the benefits of being historically designated. Such letters are only sent out when a property owner contacts City staff with questions on how to designate their structure as historic. In 2022, one such letter was sent out.
Fiscal Impact: None.
Prior Council Action:
1. At the August 1, 2022, City Council meeting the Council approved Zone Text Amendment No. 2022-01, a request by the City of Visalia to amend Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.56 (Historic Preservation District).
2. At the August 1, 2022, City Council meeting the Council approved Zone Text Amendment No. 2022-02, a request by the City of Visalia to amend the Local Register of Historic Structures, reclassifying 100 structures.
Committee/Commission Review and Action:
The Historic Preservation Advisory Committee discussed the preparation and content of the annual report at its August 9, 2023, meeting.
Alternatives: None.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to accept the 2022-2023 Annual Report from the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.
end
CEQA Review: Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee - Project Reviews 2022
2. Historic Preservation District Ordinance (2022)
3. Local Register of Historic Structures (2022)
4. Historic District and Local Register Map
5. Historic Preservation Advisory Committee - 2022-2024 Goals
6. Architectural Style Guide
7. National Historic Preservation Month Proclamation - May 2022
8. Sample Letter to Properties on the National Register of Historic Places
9. Committee Member List