May 24, 2024 Regular Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes
Historic Preservation Commission
Regular Meeting

May 24, 2023 | 5:00 p.m.

Chandler City Council Chambers C.- CHANDLER
. C/I arizona

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

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Velasquez at 5:00 p.m.

Roll Call

Commission Attendance Staff Attendance

Chairman Jeff Velasquez Derek Horn, Director of Development Services
Vice Chairman Kevin Weight David de la Torre, Planning Manager
Commissioner Cheryl Bell Harley Mehlhorn, City Planner

Commissioner Erika Finbraaten Thomas Allen, Assistant City Attorney
Commissioner Bryan Saba Julie San Miguel, Clerk”

Commissioner Devan Wastchak
Commissioner Mark Yost

Absent
Ex Officio Jody Crago

Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Vice Chairman Weight.

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 questions you raise.

Action Agenda Item No. 1 and Discussion
1. Meeting Minutes of the May 4, 2023, Historic Preservation Commission

Move Historic Preservation Commission approve Historic Preservation Commission Meeting
Minutes of May 4, 2023.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ asked if there were any comments, questions, or corrections to the
Meeting Minutes of May 4, 2023.

VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT advised of the following corrections to the Historic Preservation
Commission Meeting Minutes of May 4, 2023:

Page 11, Paragraph 5, Correction to reflect the speaker as VICE CHAIRMAIN WEIGHT:
VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT advised he is supportive of the stipulation and wanted to verify to make
sure that this is something that can reasonably be enforced.

Page 12, Paragraph 6, Correction to reflect the speaker as VICE CHAIRMAIN WEIGHT:

VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT stated he is thrilled that the City acquired this property in 2001 and even
more thrilled now that it is going to be the first landmark nominated to the Chandler Historic
Register. He thanked Derek and staff for making this happened and mentioned this is the closest
thing we have to the founder’s house. He stated this is truly a Chandler landmark and one of the best
examples in the valley of Pueblo Revival style architecture.

COMMISSIONER SABA advised of the following correction to the Historic Preservation Commission
Meeting Minutes of May 4, 2023:

Page 7, Paragraph 2, Correction to replace Challenger Center for the Preforming Arts with
Chandler Center for the Preforming Arts:

COMMISSIONER SABA stated that will work and further stated that he recognizes the needs of the
business and does not wish to minimize that because there are a lot of great interesting signs in
downtown Chandler. He explained the Commission has been very supportive of that because of how
it supports businesses. He agreed that this is an entertainment venue, and it draws a parallel to the
Chandler Center for the Performing Arts, as a performing venue.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ advised of the following correction to the Historic Preservation
Commission Meeting Minutes of May 4, 2023:

Page 4, Paragraph 10, Correction to add “are”:
CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ asked Commissioner Bell if there are other signs that are not on the image
presented by staff.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ confirmed there were no further comments, questions, or corrections
from the Commission Members.

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Action Agenda Item No. 1 Motion and Vote

VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT moved to approve Action Agenda Item No. 1 of the May 24, 2023, Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting with corrections noted on record; Seconded by COMMISSION
YOST.

Motion carried unanimously (7-0).

Action Agenda Item No. 2 and Discussion

2. PLH23-0034 GOODYEAR CANAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER presented details regarding the request for Historic
Landmark Designation for the Goodyear Canal, located on the west side of Basha Road south of
Ocotillo Road, roughly % mile east of Alma School Road.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ thanked staff for the presentation and stated the history was incredible,
well written, and well presented. He asked if there was any way to trace who wrote the postcards
contained in the presentation. ,

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER could not recall the names of the sender or recipient of the
postcards and mentioned the images were provided by the Chandler Museum Manager.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN commented the history of Chandler's Goodyear area is very
different from the Goodyear area on the other side of the valley and asked if there was a
relationship or a rivalry between the two.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER replied the Goodyear Company actually founded both sides
simultaneously as they had interests in both the West and East Valley. He explained their
operations consolidated in the Litchfield area in the 1920s and he believed there was not much of
a rivalry. He stated various economic and circumstantial reasons influenced Goodyear to
centralize their operations in the West Valley.

COMMISSIONER SABA sought clarification regarding a particular slide and asked if the historic
designation is only the canal and not the entire district.

HARLEY MEHLHORN CITY PLANNER clarified that the image in question was a remnant from a
previous presentation. He confirmed that the focus of this discussion is only the canal and pointed
out the area could be a potential conservation district due to its retained context.

COMMISSIONER SABA inquired the neighborhood meeting, asking if there was any opposition and
pointed out the presentation mentioned there were concerns regarding the maintenance of the
canal.

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HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER clarified that no opposition was received; however, there was
dialogue that focused on concerns about maintenance of the canal.

COMMISSIONER SABA questioned how the landmark designation could affect improvements, he
asked if designation would allow for control improvements without necessarily preserving the
concrete in its current state.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER confirmed landmark designation permits maintenance and
restoration to its original condition. He mentioned the designation would prohibit certain types of
improvements that could alter the historical look and feel. He envisioned the possibility of adding
features like a pedestrian pathway alongside the canal, suggesting collaboration with future
developers and the Community Services Department.

VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT mentioned the existence of a Goodyear cemetery or its remnants near
Fulton Ranch and the discussed area. He asked if staff had any information about it or its
connection to the community of Goodyear.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER acknowledged the site's historic significance, believing it to
be in the county.

VICE CHAIRMAN WEIGHT complimented the presentation and suggested considering listing the
site on the National Register of Historic Places in the future.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER thanked the Vice Chairman and asked to discuss the process
of listing on the National Register of Historic Places after the meeting.

COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ inquired about the ongoing improvements and cleanup in the canal
zone and asked what is currently being done.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER stated the scope of work being done in the canal primarily
involves removing debris/vegetation and repairing critical areas. He mentioned future plans to
resurface and repair where necessary, referring to a historic template by Derek Horn that depicted
the canal's appearance in the 1920s.

COMMISSIONER WASTCHAK expressed gratitude to staff for the presentation and recommended
they make their research and historical findings available to the residents of Chandler. He stressed
the significance of public publication when approved by Council, so the community can appreciate
staff's efforts and the historical value of familiar places like the canal. He mentioned parking
alongside the canal to take his children to Senator Park and how he will view it differently to
identify older elements after reading the article and learning about its history. He acknowledged
the benefits of a plaque and encouraged publicly publicizing staffs research.

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HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER mentioned efforts to create a webpage where research and
historic images could be shared with residents interested in learning about the city's history.

COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN stated she graduated from the DSU Public History Program 20 years
ago and recalled completing major projects with limited capabilities due to the early stages of the
internet. She commented on opportunities in presenting and gathering historical information due
to advancements in technology and the internet. She pointed out how people can easily access
detailed information. She commended staff for assembling comprehensive resources,
acknowledging how sharing this information educates the community and preserves the visual
history of area.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ thanked staff and the Commission for their contributions and confirmed
there were no further comments or questions.

Action Agenda Item No. 2 Motion and Vote

Move Commission recommend City Council approve Ordinance 5058, PLH23-0034, Goodyear
Canal Historic Preservation District Landmark zoning overlay.

COMMISSIONER SABA moved to approve Action Agenda Item No. 2 of the May 24, 2023, Historic
Preservation Commission Meeting; Seconded by COMMISSIONER FINBRAATEN.

Motion carried unanimously (7-0).

Member Comments/Announcements
DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER stated staff will maintain contact with the Commission
regarding the next meeting.

DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES asked the Commission to reserve the fourth
Wednesday of the month for potential Historic Preservation Commission meetings.

COMMISSIONER SABA requested staff notify the Commission in advance about whether meetings
will be held each month. He stated notification would enable the Commission to adjust their
schedules accordingly and free up the dates meetings are not held.

DAVID DE LA TORRE, PLANNING MANAGER thanked the Commissioner and confirmed that staff
will email the commission early in the month to confirm meeting dates.

HARLEY MEHLHORN, CITY PLANNER announced this is the last Historic Preservation Commission
meeting for Derek Horn, Director of Development Services and acknowledged his significant
contributions to historic preservation. He expressed gratitude for Derek and his efforts creating
the program.

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DEREK HORN, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES thanked the Commission Members and
expressed optimism about the future growth of historic preservation established by the

Commission and staff.

CHAIRMAN VELASQUEZ wished everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day.

Calendar

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

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 5:31 p.m.

Jeff Velasquez, Chairman

Vea

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

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