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ATTACHMENT 3 Steve Otto From: Linda Garbarino Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 3:43 PM To: Maria Hoey Subject: Historic Residential Preservation-Municipal Codes Hello Pleasanton City Council Members, As the council discusses historic preservation issues on November 3, the focus will be on which homes within our DSP that would benefit from Municipal Code language to protect their architectural integrity. I wanted to follow up with each of you regarding the concerns I've discussed with council about design review authority. There were over 200 homes that were surveyed as part of the limited scope Historic Survey process conducted by ARG. Of the 83 homes found to be historic within the DSP, the design review authority needs to be secured through a municipal code as recommended to you by the Planning Commission. There were 103 homes found not to qualify for historic status. These homes are within historic neighborhoods often in between those found to be historic. Unfortunately, they were altered enough that their original architectural integrity was lost. The concern is that they are not protected for first floor remodel. This is true for single as well as two-story homes. What that means is these homes can be remodeled again and again without planning oversight from the city. What we are asking is for you to direct your professional planning staff to develop language expanding design review authority for those 103 homes within the historic neighborhoods by developing municipal code language allowing the protection for the basic changes in a home: changes in windows, doors, siding and massing. In my thorough review of the historic survey document those changes in windows, doors, siding and massing were the major reasons that the 103 homes were disqualified. If design review authority had been in place for the first floor of homes in the DSP there would have been far more homes qualify as historic. Recall also that changes in first floor for single story homes, 10 feet or under, could be the entire home! Thanks for your consideration of these issues. The Historic Preservation Task Force recommended that the municipal code be developed for the first 10 feet of homes within the DSP. Noting that the positive impact of this would preserve the historic look of our city based on the styles we enjoy that are listed in the Historic Context Statement. Unmonitored changes in homes without design review may have some positive results because of the diligence of a few owners who made efforts to replicate historic looks to their homes. But the worrisome factor here is that there are examples of homes where serious errors in placement of windows, doors, siding and massing have compromised the community character and neighborhood preservation. Quality of life is important and the threat of incremental degradation of our historic neighborhoods will exist without design review protection. Rising tides lift all boats. Everyone wins when the property values are protected. Thanks to all of you for your consideration of these important issues regarding the preservation our city's residential architectural integrity. Linda Garbarino, Member Pleasanton Historic Preservation Task Force Click here to report this email as spam. t