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Chair Narum agreed. She recalled the Commission's vote to support the demolition of the house on Stanley Boulevard partly because of the integrity of the historic homes around it was gone. She noted that in this neighborhood, it is essential that the Commission understand the contribution of every house or garage if demolition is going to be considered. She indicated that she believes this should be done by an independent specialist. Commissioner Pentin added that it could also be someone who meets the Secretary of the Interior's and the State Office of Historic Preservation's professional qualification standards. Commissioner Olson agreed. There was consensus among the Commissioners that it is necessary to have an independent historic evaluation to be done by a qualified expert. Mr. Dolan stated that since Question No. 7 was brought before the Commission only this evening, he wanted to make sure that the Commission understood the question in its entirety. He advised the Commission that it has discretionary action here and CEQA will apply. He indicated that if the Commission wants an independent study done, the expert should be asked the second question which does not relate to house itself. He stated that there is another potential issue not addressed in the staff report, which is, if it is possible that what would be built there would have a significant adverse effect on a historic resource that is not this building, such as notable homes on each side of the property. Mr. Dolan stated that it would take an incredible amount of work to obtain an opinion on whether something of this size and location creates that impact, and the answer could very well be "No." He noted that staff cannot say definitively as they do not have that expertise. He added that the City would be a in a better position to make that call if it gets professional advice. Commissioner Olson inquired if staff has a sense of the cost for this which, presumably, will be borne by the applicant. Mr. Dolan replied that the first part would require a minimum amount of research to be done. He stated that his impression when he first saw the building was that it does not look too architecturally special. He noted, however, that after hearing the historical stories of what may potentially have occurred in the building, it is difficult to make that call without a professional opinion. He indicated that answering the particular question does not add to the cost and suggested that it could cost at least $2,000 or possibly twice that. Referring to Question No. 7, Chair Narum noted that if the specialist returns and states that what is proposed does not fit in, the next question would be what could fit in: if it has to be only one story or if it can be structured so one could make sense of it. EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 10 of 15