SALT LAKE CITY HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes 451 South State Street, Room 326
A roll is being kept of all who attended the Historic Landmark Commission Meeting. The meeting was called to order at 5:33:04 PM. Audio recordings of the Historic Landmark Commission meetings are retained in the Planning Office for an indefinite period of time.
Present for the Historic Landmark Commission meeting were: Chairperson Thomas Brennan, Vice Chairperson Charles Shepherd; Commissioners Kenton Peters, David Richardson and Rachel Quist. Commissioner Heather Thuet and Sheleigh Harding were excused.
Planning Staff members present at the meeting were: Cheri Coffey, Assistant Planning Director; Michaela Oktay, Planning Manager; Lynn Lyons, Planning Intern; Michelle Moeller, Administrative Secretary and Paul Nielson, Senior City Attorney.
FIELD TRIP NOTES:
No field trip was held for this meeting.
APPROVAL OF THE JULY 13, 2016 and AUGUST 4, 2016, MINUTES 5:33:50 PM
MOTION
Commissioner Shepherd moved to approve the minutes from July 13, 2016 and August 4, 2016. Commissioner Richardson seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR 5:34:03 PM
Chairperson Thomas Brennan stated he had nothing to report. Chairperson Thomas Brennan stated he had nothing to report.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT 5:34:35 PM
Ms. Michaela Oktay, Planning Manager, introduced Mr. Carl Leith and stated he would give an update on the Hardison Apartments.
Mr. Carl Leith, Senior Planner, gave a presentation of the Hardison Apartments regarding the design, address clarification, windows, balconies, conditions of approval and how the proposal addressed those conditions.
The Commission and Staff discussed and stated the following:
• The South Temple elevation and the design of the building entrance.
• Great report and follow up from Staff.
Ms. Cheri Coffey, Assistant Planning Director, reviewed the development agreement process and whether it would impact the status of the certified local government that Salt Lake City has with the State Preservation Office. She stated there was no impact
and that to be a certified local government there needed to be a condition and ordinance related to historic preservation therefore, the development agreements made by the City Council should not interfere.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 5:43:48 PM
Chairperson Thomas Brennan opened the Public Comment Period, seeing no one wished to speak, Chairperson Thomas Brennan closed the Public Comment Period.
PRESENTATION 5:44:03 PM
Westmoreland Place & Public Outreach - A presentation by Planning Intern, Lynn Lyons, about his research on ways to improve awareness about historic preservation for those who live in local historic districts. Mr. Lex Traughber, Senior Planner, gave an overview of the proposal as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). He stated Staff was recommending that the Historic Landmark Commission approve the petition as presented.
Mr. Lynn Lyons, Planning Intern, reviewed the Westmoreland Place study for historic preservation education and why he chose this project for his Master Degree.
The Commission and Staff discussed and stated the following:
• Great report with great ideas.
• Would help to increase the awareness of the local and national historic districts.
• The next steps for the plan and how it fit with the City’s plans.
• Different signage that would notify people they were in a historic district.
• The grant for historic districts and how signage was addressed.
6:00:03 PM
Land Use Ordinances Pertaining to Historic Preservation – A request by Mayor Biskupski that Planning Staff study and make recommendations for potential changes to the City’s zoning ordinance for the following issues:
a. Review the role and responsibilities of the Historic Landmark Commission under the current code, in the creation of local historic districts and Landmark Sites, as well as the standards and decision making processes for granting or denying approval of development proposals within the H Historic Preservation Overlay.
b. Study and assess how other communities within and outside Utah structure their local regulations, standards and decision making functions. Assemble a possible range of options for the City to consider and identify best practices to provide greater clarity, consistency, transparency and accountability, and
c. Make recommendations to the Mayor and the City Council for any changes to the City’s ordinance for the role and responsibilities of the Historic Landmark Commission, the standards, and the decision making process for historic districts and landmark sites.
Planning Staff will brief the Commission on this project, including reviewing the research, scope and projected timeline and take input from the Commission on the study. (Staff contact is Michaela Oktay at (801)535-6003 or michaela.oktay@slcgov.com.) Case number PLNPCM2016-00330
Ms. Michaela Oktay, Planning Manager, gave an overview of the proposal as outlined in the Staff Report (located in the case file). She stated Staff was looking for questions, suggestions and comments on the proposal.
The Commission and Staff discussed and stated the following:
• The process for rezoning parcels in the historic district.
• The Commissions role in Development Agreements.
• How to encourage compatible infill in historic districts.
• Important to listen to and discuss with the Historic Landmark Commission how form based codes relate to historic districts.
• Standards of approval for Special Exceptions.
• If the Planning Commission felt the Historic Landmark Commission was reviewing/approving petitions the Planning Commission should be reviewing/approving.
• The process for Special Exceptions needed to be clear.
• Developers needed to know the impacts to an area should benefit the neighborhood or be neutral.
• Language should be changed to state “not adopt design guidelines as standards” (page 10).
• Adopt a way for someone to move between the Salt Lake City website and the Secretary of Interiors website to review the standards.
• If the large Developer or the individual home owners were having more trouble with the design guidelines.
• Biggest issues with the proposed large buildings, was the scale and the mass of the structures.
• Holding work sessions prior to public hearings and when work sessions had benefited proposals.
• The issues with subcommittees and work sessions.
• Training for the Commission regarding appeals and other processes.
• Training sessions and when they should be conducted.
• The benefits of work sessions and the response from developers.
• Making sure developers are properly prepared with their proposal prior to work sessions.
• Managing expectations at work sessions.
• Informational field trips and their purpose in the process.
• How public comments effect or integrate into the process.
• The review process for Special Exceptions and the need for it to remain qualitative.
• The role of Staff in managing the applicants to get the required application information.
• How to address conversations with applicants after work sessions.
• How to address and take public comment.
• How to get the public to give their statements pertaining to the cases directly.
• The Commissions role in the approval process.
• Clarifying the recommendation in the proposal to state there was no option to dissolve the Historic Landmark Commission.
• The appeal process, how the Appeals Hearing Officers are appointed and their meeting process.
• Help to fund the Heritage Foundation Loan program.
• How the Heritage Foundation Loan program worked.
• The research gathered from other Communities and the findings from that research.
• Emphasizing the applicant’s experience and perspective in the process.
• Adding language to the document titled Historic Landmark Commission Working Relationship with the Public, where public hearing process could be outlined.
• Adding information to the comment card outlining the comment period regulations.
• Lengthening the comment time to three minutes.
• A countdown clock the public could see when making their public comments.
• The next steps for the proposal.
ELECTIONS 7:27:13 PM
Commissioner Richardson nominated Commissioner Shepherd for Chair. Commissioner Lyons seconded the nomination. All in favor.
Commissioner Shepherd was elected as Chair.
Commissioner Shepherd nominated Commissioner Peters for Vice Chair. Commissioner Richardson seconded the nomination. All in favor.
Commissioner Peters was elected as Vice Chair. The meeting adjourned at 7:29:12 PM