10 06 2026 Final HP Meeting Minutes

HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD
MEETING MINUTES
October 6, 2026
The Historic Preservation Board of the City of Mesa met in the Study Session room at City Hall, 20 East
Main Street, on October 6, 2026, at 5:03 p.m.
BOARD PRESENT BOARD ABSENT STAFF PRESENT
James Babos, Chairperson None Meg Eaton
Sarah Prince, Vice Chairperson Matthew Kriegl
Jason Ludwig
Bruce Nelson
Jocelyn Skogebo
Jeff Welker
(*Participated in the meeting through the use of video conference equipment)
Chairperson Babos conducted a roll call.
1. Approval of minutes of previous meetings as written.
Minutes from the Historic Preservation Board meeting held on September 1, 2026.
It was moved by Boardmember Nelson, seconded by Boardmember Ludwig, that the minutes
from the September 1, 2026 Historic Preservation meeting be approved.
Upon tabulation of votes, it showed:
AYES – Babos–Prince–Ludwig-Nelson-Skogebo-Welker
NAYS – None
ABSENT– None
Chairperson Babos declared the motion carried unanimously.

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2. Discussion Items:
2-a. Discuss and plan for the 2027 Mesa Historic Preservation Board Retreat, including
potential date, time, venue, and topics.
Historic Preservation Officer, Matthew Kriegl began the discussion by offering some
possible dates and locations. After some discussion by the Board, January 30, 2027, was
selected as the Board Retreat date and several venues were suggested. Staff will reach out
to the suggested venues and report back to the Board at the next meeting.
Mr. Kriegl asked for additional topic ideas for the retreat. Boardmember Nelson offered to
share the documentary and also suggested discussing the original cemetery, as well as the
importance of collaborating with the historical museum. Chair Babos expressed interest in
reviewing the supplemental list. Boardmember Welker proposed improving visual
documentation of historic structures to avoid future uncertainty when reviewing requested
changes. Vice Chair Prince would like to discuss increasing public engagement. The Board
also discussed recognizing community contributors through plaques or banners and
addressing the current issues with poorly placed or hidden plaques around Mesa.
Boardmember Skogebo suggested assigning board members as liaisons to historic
districts.
Discussion only; no formal action taken by the Board.
2-b. Discuss and plan for the May 2027 Historic Preservation Month Student Essay and
Visual Arts contest, including contest topics.
Mr. Kriegl presented the proposed 2027 student art and essay contest themes, all centered
on Falcon Field, including Mesa Takes Flight, Beyond the Runway, Mesa Past–Present–
Future, and a group project called Uncovering Falcon Field. He explained that the topics
encourage students to explore aviation, local history, and the broader role of Falcon Field in
Mesa’s development, with different expectations for various grade levels.
Chair Babos asked about historic structures at Falcon Field and suggested incorporating
them into the activities. Boardmember Nelson shared concerns that aviation-only themes
often overlook the contributions of minorities and non-pilot military personnel, urging a
broader framing that includes military and community history. He emphasized the
importance of recognizing African American, Latino, and other underrepresented groups
who contributed significantly but are often omitted from traditional aviation narratives. Mr.
Kriegl agreed and noted that the event can be shaped to include these stories, with
collaboration from Williams Field and museum partners. Boardmember Nelson offered to
display an exhibit he created about the Negro troops at Williams Field, including
storyboards, uniforms, and historical films.
City Archeologist, Meg Eaton suggested providing more guidance to students through
sample projects, and Boardmember Welker recommended offering reference materials and

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historic imagery to help students research Falcon Field’s past. Mr. Kriegl stated these ideas
could also be incorporated into the retreat discussion, where the board can influence how
Preservation Month is presented. Chair Babos proposed adding a topic specifically
addressing minority contributions to Mesa’s wartime efforts. Mr. Kriegl concluded by
encouraging board members to send additional ideas soon so staff can finalize contest
materials and better integrate board participation into event planning.
Discussion only; no formal action taken by the Board.
3. Hear reports from Board Members of current events and education topics related to historic
preservation*:
Boardmember Skogebo shared the news that the recently donated Mesa Historic Preservation
Board brick was stolen along with other ones, but the Mesa Historical Museum is working on
replacing it.
Chair Babos mentioned the city of Mesa Cemetery Tour is October 24, 2026.
4. Items from citizens present**:
Ron Peters, 1711 E Brown Road, Mesa representing the Mesa Preservation Foundation,
expressed concern about the planned demolition of the Martin Ray Young building on Morris
Street. He emphasized the building’s significance, noting that Young was Mesa’s first registered
architect and contributed many important structures to the city. The foundation believes the
building is eligible for historic recognition and hopes the board will discuss why it was
overlooked before demolition approval was granted. He requested that the issue be placed on a
future agenda for full discussion and thanked the board for its work.
5. Historic Preservation Officer’s Updates*:
Mr. Kriegl reported that staff is compiling and mapping past downtown Mesa building surveys,
including a major 2018 survey and earlier rail-related surveys, to better understand historic
resources along Main Street. He explained that downtown has long been recognized as historic
but under-documented, and the new digitization work—including Sandborn maps—will help
guide future preservation efforts. Mr. Kriegl agreed with Boardmember Welker’s request that the
Office of Urban Transformation could present updates a few times a year, especially given
ongoing projects such as facade improvements, resurvey work, and new construction.
Mr. Kriegl shared that the historic preservation design guidelines and text amendments will go to
City Council on October 26, 2026 marking significant progress after many years.
Additionally, Mr. Kriegl and Ms. Eaton will present at the upcoming Arizona APA conference on
how highway rerouting impacted downtown Mesa and what cities are doing to revitalize their
cores.

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6. Adjourn.
Without objection, the Historic Preservation Board adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Historic
Preservation Board meeting of the City of Mesa, Arizona, held on 6th day of October, 2026. I further
certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
__________________________________________
JAMES BABOS, CHAIRPERSON
DMD
(Attachments – none)