FortLowell Historic District Advisory Board

Minutes from Meeting:  January 23, 2007, 7 pm

Peggy Sackheim’s residence, 5425 E. Fort Lowell Rd.

1.  Roll Call:

Please note that Mick Davidson and Elaine Hill are now official members, sworn in.  Congratulations to them, and welcome.  Present:  Brisley, Burges, Davidson, Ewing, Hastings, Hill, Maywood, Nuttall, Osborne, Sackheim, Varley.  Absent:  Jo McClure.  Guest tonight:  Neighbor from the Commissary, Tamiyo Monshita.

Diana Osborne volunteered to make a sign-in form for us to record attendance as per City requirements.

2.  Review of Meeting minutes, November 28, 2006. 

Minor correction made; approved as corrected.

3. Financial Report:

Peggy presented in the absence of Treasurer, Jo McClure.  Balance is $959.79 including $45 deposit for “People of Fort Lowell” sold at History lectures.  Bob Hastings is working on a project for a new booklet by Barry Spicer; good use for these funds?

4. Plans reviews:  None

5. Old Business:

  1. Portfolio distribution update:  Peggy will present one to Jim Conroy.
  1. Archiving:  No report.
  1. OFLNA attendance and FLHDB membership:  Elaine attended; quick meeting.  Jo McClure’s term limit expires, but it is in our by-laws that we can have associate members.  Peggy moved, Bob Hastings seconded, MOTION:  that Jo McClure is nominated to be associate member, and to continue as Treasurer.  Motion passed unanimously.  Mary Lou reminded us that we need to be recruiting new members for 2008.  Two or three members will reach term limits then, and it can be very difficult to replace the expertise and experience of our members.  This challenge is even greater during this critical period for the HD. 
  1. Monitoring of current projects:  Schoolhouse property.  Nothing much going on.
  1. Adkins Property.  No caretaker on the site yet because much clean-up remains.  Many hazards.  No news about a walk-through for the Board.  We will ask Simon Herbert whether he can do this before his History Lecture.  No lighting yet, graffiti on trucks already.  Peg will call to reaffirm our concern about height and brightness of lights to be installed, ask if they can be put on motion sensors.  Discussion on the process of annexing this property to the HD.  We agree that it is best to help the City get this process going.  Minnette will draft a document suggesting that the City as new owner may be able to simply waive the exemption that Mr. Adkins had been granted when the District was created (the property does sit within the HD).  She will distribute this to Board members for review and modification.  Members also discussed the need to document the rehabilitation of this site, over time, by video, preferably wide-angle lens.
  1. Inventory:  Peg will contact Cathy Leonard (SHPPO) for updated version of the form.  Over the next couple of meetings, we will form teams, develop guidelines, send out letters of explanation in advance to homeowners, and start the written and photo documentation this Spring.  Peggy will prepare a list of the residences not inventoried, and those in our inventory that need updating. 
  1. La Reunion:  Docents will be stationed at the chapel, to answer questions. There are only two or three now, but they hope to have more by next year.  Peggy passed copies to us of the La Reunion schedule of events.
  1. Reaching out to other Boards:  Minnette will contact Corky, and set up a meeting with her and Elaine Hill.  Peg contacted Chris Carroll of El Presidio Historic District, asking for their guidelines. She passed those around, along with those fromArmory Park and Barrio Historico Historic Districts.  (This was in reply to Cate’s previous report of conversation with Brooks Jeffery, who recommended we see those “developer-friendly” (clear) guidelines.) 
  1. 2920 N. Beverly (Kollar).  No report. 
  1. 5328 E. Fort Lowell Rd.  No report.
  1. Commissary: City’s information to the Board.  City has a contractor doing repair work, but did not present to FLHDB before starting. A roof leak required the removal of plaster, but the new finish is rough sand, not smooth plaster as is the existing finish.  Inside walls have been painted glossy white each time City has repainted, rather than the traditional (and our preferred) matte white. We recommend restoring the matte finish on interiors over time as possible, and immediate amelioration of the problem with the stucco on the exterior.  Discussion:  Minnette noted that we need a regular process with the City (for such approvals on these City-owned properties). We decided that we will ask Mike Margolis (former owner) for his advice regarding guidelines for repairs and maintenance (materials, etc). Recommend that the City appoint a liaison with expertise to recommend and oversee repairs.  Peggy will contact Midge Irwin about this.  Residents at the Commissary indicated that they had asked Gary Scott, Midge Irwin, and Jim Conroy to contact the FLHDB before starting the work (they did not).  Carl Ewing would like to look at the plaster work, noting that roof leaks create disasters.   Carol West will be at Simon Herbert’s presentation on the Adkins property this Sunday for the History Lecture series.
  1. Diana reported that a section of the unsightly chain link fence (that surrounds and exposed the dumpster) at FortLowell Park has been replaced with corrugated metal, which will rust nicely and appropriately and acts as a good screen.

8.  Adjournment:  8:25 pm.  We were then treated to Bob Hasting’s History Lecture.