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To: Pleasanton City Clerk ubject: FW: Comments on Proposed Historic Preservation Policies em FPI itAL MAT UUHiAL !w_av 't i; tc the City COund From: Peter MacDonald] v fte� - ist it w;,ti '`, of Packet Sent: Monday, January 20, 2014 4:08 PM To: Mayor and City Council / 911 Cc: Brian Dolan; Nelson Fialho; Scott Raty; Laura Olson; Date Subject: Comments on Proposed Historic Preservation Policies Honorable Mayor Thorne, and Members of the Council The issues raised by the draft Historic Preservation Policies have been narrowed and simplified during this public review process. There are really only two key issues: 1. What are the rules and process for buildings which are determined to be a "Historic Resource" of the People of Pleasanton? 2. What are the rules and process for the remainder of buildings, which are determined not to be historic resources? With both issues, there are new rules proposed that will significantly burden property improvement, discouraging the vitality this task force process was intended to achieve. 1. Demolition Rules for Historic Resource properties. When the Historic Resource Survey comes back to City Council, actual property owners will notified that their property is about to receive a Historic Resource" designation. At that point, you will need to explain to them honestly what that means for their home maintenance and improvement. Ideally you could tell them: "We can't create a situation where young families buy a home that's historic and then can't make changes as their families grow. Under these new guidelines, they could still make additions, modernize the interiors, put on new roofs, even solar, and install energy-efficient windows." Nelson Fialh D in Pleasanton Weekly 1/1/2014. But that is not what proposed policy says. Under the "demolition" definition, demolitions are prohibited. Then the latest (1/17/2014) draft says: " . . . If the portion(s) of a building that is (are) required to remain as described above are later determined by the Director of Community Development to be unusable (e.g., due to dry rot, termite damage, etc.) then said portion(s) may be removed and reconstructed provided the new exterior construction matches the original in material composition, design, color, texture, shape, and dimensions. Changes to the front façade as described above that are determined to be consistent with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation shall not be considered a demolition. " other words, no modification of any facade or facade materials is allowed unless the materials have oecome unusable. Then the replacement has to meet the Secretary. of Interior Standards for exact (archival) reconstruction and preservation. Remember, the Kolln Hardware building sat vacant and 1