June 30, 2022 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes

Meeting Minutes
Historic Preservation Commission
Regular Meeting

June 30, 2022 | 5:00 p.m.

Chandler City Council Chambers 6... CHANDLER
; C/I arizona

88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ Community of Innovation

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Vice Chairman Velasquez at 5:02 p.m.

Roll Call

Commission Attendance Staff Attendance

Vice Chairman Jeff Velasquez Derek Horn, Development Services Director
Commissioner Erika Finbraaten Kevin Mayo, Planning Administrator
Commissioner Bryan Saba David de la Torre, Planning Manager
Commissioner Cheryl Bell John Owens, Downtown Redevelopment Specialist
Commissioner Mark Yost Thomas Allen, Assistant City Attorney

Ex Officio Member Jody Crago Julie San Miguel, Clerk

Absent

Chairman Devan Wastchak
Commissioner Kevin Weight

Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Commissioner Bell.

Scheduled and Unscheduled Public Appearances

Members of the audience may address any item not on the agenda. State Statute prohibits the
Board or Commission from discussing an item that is not on the agenda, but the Board or
Commission does listen to your concerns and has staff follow up on any questions you raise.

Action Agenda and Discussion
1. Meeting Minutes of January 31, 2022, Historic Preservation Commission

Move Historic Preservation Commission approve Historic Preservation meeting minutes of
January 31, 2022.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ confirmed there were no questions or comments from the Commission
regarding this item.

Action Agenda Item No. 1 Motion and Vote
COMMISSIONER SABA moved to approve Action Agenda Item 1, of the June 30, 2022, Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting; Seconded by COMMISSIONER YOST.

Motion carried (4,0). Commissioner Finbraaten was not present for the vote.
2. PLH22-0025 Southside Village Historic Conservation District

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES presented details regarding the request to
establish a Historic Conservation District in the area generally bounded by Arizona Avenue,
Folley Street, Pecos Road and Delaware Street. The purpose of the conservation district is to
document and honor the heritage and history of the district and its residents as well as to
encourage the preservation of remaining historic structures within the district.

Two letters of support were presented to the Commission on the dais, Planning staff received
correspondence from residents after the posting of the memo.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN was proud to see this proposed as the first Historic Conservation
District and stated this is such an impactful first case.

COMMISSIONER SABA mentioned there was no opposition notated in the memo and asked if
any opposition has come up since the Memo was written.

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES replied no opposition has been received.
He stated one email inquiry was received by staff after the public notification postcards were
sent. He further stated two letters of support were received and provided on the dais. He
mentioned three hundred people signed petitions for this item; the signatures included
residents, property owners, and people who had connections to Southside.

VICE CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ stated one of the benefits to this Commission is being able to see
the past celebrated, preserved, and conserved. He further stated staff is doing absolutely
fantastic work to bridge the gap and mentioned the need for kiosks or monuments along the

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streetscape that celebrate the history of the conservation district.

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES stated there are funds available to do that
and the City is looking forward to that effort.

COMMISSIONER YOST asked if signage is planned with a brief educational piece.

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES explained staff will be working with
Southside Village on this, but there is no specific plan at this time. He further explained there are
discussions of a recognition piece in the form of plaques, signage, pylons to memorialize what is
there or what was once there.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ confirmed there were no further questions or comments from the
Commission regarding this item.

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES thanked Southside Village for their hard
work, time, and support in this effort. He stated Elaine Woods will present next on the history
and people of Southside Village.

ELAINE WOODS, 265 EAST SARAGOSA STREET introduced herself and began the presentation
with images of segregated times in education where high school age children in the area would
be bused to Carver High School in Phoenix. She then presented images of the Vidal Family who
were instrumental in starting the First Hispanic Church in the community and the Turner Family
who were advocates for childhood education and started the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist
Church. She stated two of the Turner boys, Richard and Fred Turner, are both doctors; one
currently working with the Oakland A's and the other working in education field in California. She
presented an image of Missionary Baptist Church and explained it is one of the oldest churches
in the neighborhood and still active in the community, holding services to this day. She further
explained churches served as a hub for the community as they would aid and bring residents
together. She presented images of the Arbuckle Family and explained their connection with the
Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ. She stated her own mother founded South Chandler Self-
Help Foundation Inc. and both her and her mother were church members for several years. She
presented more images of the Arbuckle Family and mentioned Emma Arbuckle’s work with the
church. She presented an image of Deborah Arbuckle and stated she was the first female
published author was born and raised in this community. She showed a photo of Lucille Wilson
and stated she was the community cook and cleaner. Ms. Woods explained how Lucille Wilson
was a provider and would wash, iron clothes, and have dinner prepared for those working long
hours. She introduced her mother, Lavon Woods, and stated she was granddaughter of NJ Harris
who crafted a barbeque pit out of a water tower. She presented images of her grandparents and
other relatives and explained how her great grandmother, Alberta Jacko Harris, assisted the
community, specifically people in the labor force with anything they needed including housing.
She continued the presentation with images of the Foley Family and stated we want to hold

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truth. She explained, it is imperative to maintain heritage and conserve the impact the residents
from this area had in creating the City of Chandler, whether it was tending to crops or being a
caregiver, everyone had a piece in its cultivation. She stated her father, Jean Woods, was the first
environmental inspector for the City of Chandler. She explained, he created neighborhood
campaigns to clean up the community and he would coordinate clean up events to have the
community come together then have free hotdogs at the park. She presented statements and
images of the Westbrook Family and stated the Southside Village are all family and have lived as
such. She stated it is exciting to know the same type of camaraderie that was there throughout
history is still in the community today. She presented images of Pinnacle Church and the
Arbuckle Family. She explained the importance of providing accurate information and presented
statements about the family of former mayor, Coy Payne, she presented an image of his
daughter and his sister. She mentioned his sister, Ruth Payne, is ninety-four years old and the
community historian as she still has a great memory and many of the historic photos in this
presentation were provided by her. She presented statements regarding the Escondido Family
and advised they have been in Chandler since 1923 and were instrumental in supporting
entrepreneurs and residents of the City. She explained it is important that it is known that
people from this community, which is historic with or without recognition, had an impact on
what you see here and in terms of change. She further explained, this is why we want
recognition and to maintain heritage of the community. She thanked the City of Chandler for
their support and thanked staff for their assistance.

VICE CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ thanked Mrs. Woods and staff for the fantastic presentation and
stated we cannot step into the future without recognizing the past. He further stated we need to
know where we came from and how wonderful it is to see this come to light. He explained his
children went to Navarette Elementary, Payne Junior High, and played at Foley Park, so to hear
the stories of the families in person is very enriching and has provoked the thought of including
more storytelling throughout the downtown area to hold on to this history. He mentioned it will
be interesting to see how these kinds of things can be interpreted into downtown.

COMMISSIONER SABA thanked Mrs. Woods for her positive presentation and stated as someone
who grew up in Chandler, he learned quite a few things. He explained the presentation
reminded him of his earliest memory of Coy Payne as an Administrator at Chandler Junior High
and noticing how impressive he was. He thanked Mrs. Woods again for everything she had to do
to prepare and stated as a Chandler native, it helped him understand a few things he did not
know before.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN gave Mrs. Woods kudos for taking the time to collect images and
stories. She explained the importance of oral history and stated as the greatest and silent
generations leave us, the more photos and tales we collect the better future generations will be.

COMMISSIONER BELL echoed the statements of the other Commission Members and stated the
presentation was beautiful. She explained preserving history in our community and stories like

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these are the reason she joined this Commission and thanked Mrs. Woods for the reminding her
why she chose to serve.

Action Agenda Item No. 2 Motion and Vote

Move Historic Preservation Commission recommend City Council adopt Resolution No. 5598 to
establish the Southside Village Historic Conservation District in the area generally bounded by
Arizona Avenue, Folley Street, Pecos Road, and Delaware Street as recommended by staff.

COMMISSIONER SABA moved to approve Action Agenda Item 2, of the June 30, 2022, Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting; Seconded by COMMISSIONER YOST.

Motion carried unanimously (5-0).

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ would like the record to reflect there are five Commission Members
present as Commissioner Finbraaten is in attendance.

3. PLH22-0033 Maple House
DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER presented details regarding the request architectural
plan review approval for a new building located at 198 W. Boston Street, the northeast corner of

California and Boston Streets in Downtown Chandler.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ stated this is exciting and asked if this was under the same ownership as
Brickyard and Hidden House.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER confirmed Maple House has the same owner.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN presented concerns of creating a false sense of history and stated
this is going in a good direction of being reminiscent and not too much of a mimic. She asked if
the siding real board and batten or a composite material.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER deferred the question to the Applicant to confirm the
type of material to be used.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN asked if the house next door was used as a home and how the
resident felt about living next door to a bar.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER responded although its located in the City Center
District, the house next door is used as a home. He stated no correspondence was received from

the residents.

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COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN stated that was just something to think about even though it is not
in this Commission's purview. She asked for the height of the ridge line on the original house,
the house next door, and the proposed. She is curious if the proposed will overwhelm the house
to the east.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER replied they are the same height, and it is not
significantly taller than the original house.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN explained on Google Street View the height of the original build
looked similar height to the house to the east. She stated this is an acceptable infill project, but
she worries about the neighbor. She further stated it would be good if the height stayed in
range, so it does not overwhelm the house to the east and asked for the Applicant to speak
about the materials on the exterior.

COMMISSIONER BELL presented concerns regarding size and materials. She explained there are
a lot of instances where a new building comes in and make the surrounding homes look worse.
She also mentioned her concern for the house to the east as it could be easy for them to be
taken over and loose that history as well. She pointed out the area has quite a bit of history and
she would hate to see everyone follow in the same footsteps and the effects of this in terms of
historic preservation.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER replied the proposed will be the same scale and size
of what was there previously, so it will not overshadow the home to the east. He stated it is
unknown what the owner next door plans are for the future.

COMMISSIONER SABA stated he appreciated the architectural elements that capture the
elements of the old house and that it strikes a nice balance of what was there before without
looking like it is trying to be historical. He explained the Commission needs to be more
comfortable with some of the structures in downtown Chandler being changed drastically
because some of them are so older its cost prohibitive. He further stated there are times to
rehabilitate, but at this property would have been hard to salvage. He presented statements
regarding his experience in rehab work downtown and advised some of the buildings are very
brittle. He stated the proposed strikes a nice balance between preserving what was there and
making a cost-effective development so that it doesn't just sit as an empty building. He asked if
the Applicant could present statements regarding their thoughts on signage.

COMMISSIONER YOST pointed out there are a few downtown restaurants that are very loud and
there is no sound absorption. He suggested the use of sound absorption materials as to not
disturb the resident next door and to prevent sound reverberating at the site.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ thanked everyone for their great comments and asked if trash pickup
was going to take place in the alley.

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DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER confirmed trash pickup would occur in the alley.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ pointed out there are no ADA access on the renderings and asked if that
was going to be worked in.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER confirmed if the proposed is approved, ADA access
will be required and shown on the construction documents.

VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ asked if the grass will be artificial turf and presented comments
regarding the need for elegant outdoor lighting to match current lighting in the area and the
Applicant working with Staff regarding trees along Boston.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE stated they own the property next door, and the tenant is excited
about the growth. He explained in terms of sound this is going to be elegant and sophisticated
almost like a French Café where you can have a drinks and pastries. He further stated they also
own Hidden House and are respectful to the community in terms of noise. He mentioned intent
of keeping historic elements and size in the elevations to brighten up the community and stated
the board and batten will be original wood.

VICE CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ asked what they anticipate doing for outdoor lighting.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE stated outdoor lighting will be ambient and what you would see
in a backyard as they wanted to avoid anything too extensive or bright. He further stated
pathways would be well lit with twinkle lights.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN asked the Applicant what they envisioned for their sign.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE stated the goal is to stay small and within City Code. He
mentioned a sign like Hidden House.

COMMISSIONER BELL asked what the height of the building compared to the home next door.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE explained structurally they are making it commercial, therefore
the building is eight to twelve inches higher than it was originally, but this will not overshadow
the property next door. He further explained we tried to make the property into residential and
even had staff members from the City look at it, but due to the dry rot and termite damager
noting was salvageable.

VICE CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ asked for shade if they were going to use umbrellas on the tables.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE stated they will be using umbrellas throughout the property for
shade, but they will not be attached to the table so they can be moved around.

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COMMISSIONER SABA thanked the Applicant for the work and energy put in this exciting and
interesting development.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN mentioned one-thousand square feet is slightly larger than the
homes in the area, however, it is still very small.

GAVIN JACOBS, MAPLE HOUSE stated the proposed is approximately one-hundred square feet
larger due to the restrooms and they tried to keep it close to the same size and where it
originally stood.

Action Agenda Item No. 3 Motion and Vote
Move Historic Preservation Commission approve PLH22-0033 Maple House, architectural plan
review for a new commercial building subject to conditions as recommended by Planning staff.

Upon finding the proposed exterior signs to complement the existing Early Twentieth Century
Commercial style of architecture, Planning staff recommends the Historic Preservation
Committee approve PLH22-0033 Maple House, located at 198 W. Boston Street, subject to the
following conditions:

1. Development shall be in substantial conformance with Exhibit A, kept on file in the City of
Chandler Planning Division, in File No. PLH22-033 Maple House.

2. The perimeter walls shall be enhanced as to have appropriately spaced, substantial
columns of a differing material and the height of the perimeter wall shall be varied,

ranging from 6' in height to 3' in height, as approved by the Zoning Administrator.

COMMISSIONER SABA moved to approve Action Agenda Item 3, of the June 30, 2022, Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting; Seconded by COMMISSIONER YOST.

Motion carried (4-1), Commissioner Bell dissenting.

Member Comments/Announcements

None.

Calendar
The next Regular Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission will be scheduled as needed.

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m.

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Devan Wastchak, Chairman

Derek Horn, Staff Liaison for Historic Preservation
Matters and Designation

Vo

David de la Torre, Staff Liaison for City Center District
Matters and Reviews

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