Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-03-12 - Minutes - HPC-PC2 8 3 1 Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission Agenda March 12, 2025 Final Minutes Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 7:00 p.m. The regular joint meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission was held on March 12, 2025. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Morales at 7:00 p.m. A. Roll Call Planning Commission present: Chairman Morales, Vice Chairman Boling, Commissioner Dopp, Commissioner Daniels and Commissioner Diaz. Staff Present: Katherine Reed, Assistant City Attorney; Jennifer Nakamura, Planning Director; Stacy Lee, Assistant Planner; Aracely Estrada, Management Analyst; Sean McPherson, Principal Planner; Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant. B. Public Communications Chairman Morales opened the public communications. Hearing no comments from the public, Chairman Morales closed the public communications. C. Consent Calendar C1. Consideration to adopt Regular Meeting Minutes of February 26, 2025. Motion: Moved by Vice Chairman Boling; seconded by Commissioner Diaz. Motion carried 5-0 approved the minutes as presented. D. Public Hearings D1. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS – ETIWANDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY – A request to rehabilitate the front porch of the Chaffey-Isle House, a historic landmark, by replacing the wood flooring with composite decking within the Very Low (VL) Residential Zone, located at 7086 Etiwanda Avenue; APN: 1089-071-26. This item is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 – Existing Facilities and Section 15331 – Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation (DRC2025-00040). Assistant Planner Lee presented a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file). She mentioned the applicant is considering using a double processed wood and it would not require a Certificate of Appropriateness. However, today we are considering the alternative material (Trex) as a potential option. HPC/PC MINUTES – March 12, 2025 Page 1 of 5 HPC/PC MINUTES – March 12, 2025 Page 2 of 5 2 8 3 1 Principal Planner McPherson noted that staff identified a last-minute typo in the resolution, which incorrectly listed the City of Rancho Cucamonga as a co-applicant. The error has since been corrected, and the redlined version is available on the dais. Chairman Morales opened the public hearing. Applicant Marsha Banks spoke about the history of Chaffey-Isle House and expressed her preference for the material to be used in the restoration of the porch. Commissioner Daniels asked how many visitors do they get at the house. Applicant Banks responded that they have been unable to open to the public since before COVID, due to the City-issued red tag because of the damaged porch. Although, they do offer a combined package for visitors to see the Chaffey-Garcia House, they can walk up the street to see the Chaffey-Isle House, with groups of up to 20 visitors on a good day. Chairman Morales asked applicant how the replacement board was selected and what process was used to choose it. Jim Banks, who works closely with the contractor, explained that the alternate material was chosen because it closely resembles the original boards. He said they are seeking approval from the Commission to use this alternate material. He added that if approval for Tex is granted, they would have the option to use either the double processed wood or Trex. He mentioned the double processed wood is more expensive. Chairman Morales asked how long the double processed wood will last. Jim Banks replied that his contractor indicated it would be in close competition with the Trex material. Commissioner Diaz asked to confirm that the porch is not original to the actual home. Applicant Banks confirmed. Etiwanda Historical Society Member Perdew stated that although not original, the porch has been an integral part of the house for over 100 years. She expressed that either of the two wood options would be suitable. Applicant Banks reiterated that restoring the porch will not cost the city, as they have remaining funds from a grant. Chairman Morales closed the public hearing. Principal Planner McPherson provided the following for clarification: 1) The applicant proposed an alternate material for the porch deck currently which is the Trex decking. He said if the applicant now prefers to go with wood material, of which the applicant expressed recently, that is fine but to be clear, approving the Trex option tonight does not prevent the applicant from moving forward with the wood material if they so choose. 2) The lease agreement between the city and Etiwanda Historical Society stipulates the maintenance of the structure is at cost to the Etiwanda Historical Society. HPC/PC MINUTES – March 12, 2025 Page 3 of 5 2 8 3 1 Commissioner Dopp stated the applicant makes a compelling case for considering an alternate use with material closest to the original. He expressed he is not 100% happy with the Trex option but said he is in favor of approving the Certificate of Appropriateness given the financial circumstances and given the relative closeness of the materials. Commissioner Daniels stated that he has no issues with using Trex as the replacement material. He mentioned that it feels and looks like wood, and the extended lifespan it offers is a positive aspect. Commissioner Diaz expressed gratitude for their volunteerism and advocacy, she knows volunteering in a group like this takes a lot of work. She had reservations about the wood, but understands flexibility is needed. She said a major goal of the Commissioners is preserving this site along with other Historical landmarks in the city but along with that a foundational goal for organizations like theirs is to get as many people as possible to see this site and learn about the house. Chairman Morales stated the applicant did a good job in finding a replacement like item material. He has seen the good work they do in keeping up the buildings for the historical part of our city and expressed his support for the item. Vice Chairman Boling stated he also sees the benefit in identifying similar materials for use. He acknowledged that the wraparound porch was not part of the original design, but it was added in the early 1800’s and is worth preserving. He emphasized the importance of sourcing materials as close to the original as possible and installing them in a similar fashion. He expressed concerns about the coloring, noting that the porch is entirely white, but there are different shades of Trex material, and he strongly encouraged considering the closest match. He also raised concerns about Historical Preservation, specially about moving away from using like-for-like materials. He pointed out that as repairs and replacement occur over time, substituting original materials with something similar could lead to further deviation from the original design with each replacement cycle. He urged the Historical Society to keep this in mind moving forward. Motion: Moved by Commissioner Diaz; seconded by Vice Chairman Boling to adopt Resolution HPC 2025-001, Certificate of Appropriateness DRC2025-00040, with the correction to the resolution deleting the city as the applicant. Motion carried 5-0. E. General Business E1. Consideration to Receive and File the 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report and the Housing Element Annual Progress Report. Management Analyst Estrada presented a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file). Commissioner Daniels expressed that staff did a very good job on the report. He said the format was very easy to read. Vice Chairman Boling commended staff for their excellent work on the progress report. He acknowledged the stakeholders who played a key role in achieving the General Plan and Housing Element. These individuals are recognized, but not limited to, the following: •City Council for providing and setting policy direction. •Colleagues on this Commission for helping ensure the Council policy guidance is adhered to as development projects come forward. •City staff for their diligence in working with developers, property owners and businesses. HPC/PC MINUTES – March 12, 2025 Page 4 of 5 2 8 3 1 •All of the various categories of developers and applicants who have chosen to invest in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. Commissioner Diaz referenced the Housing Element quantities, noting that the average for the 8-year period is 1,316 per year, of which we have constructed 642. She mentioned that we are halfway to the goal, but it is her understanding that the target of 10,525 units is an ambitious one, and she would expect the 1,316 per year target to be similarly challenging. She inquired whether achieving half of that goal would be considered acceptable. Planning Director Nakamura provided a detailed explanation. Commissioner Daniels asked how the four income categories for the ADUs were determined. Management Analyst Estrada explained how the four income categories were established. Vice Chairman Boling stated that the RHNA numbers handed down from Sacramento are difficult to justify. He emphasized that, as an organization, we need to be careful in the language we use when discussing these numbers with the public. He pointed out that it has been mentioned several times that the 642 units constructed or completed is what we built by the city. However, no units have been built by the city. He noted that there are few numbers that city staff, elected officials, or appointed officials have direct control over. The 10,525 units were given to us by Sacramento, and the 1,316 units are simply a mathematical calculation. He explained that this organization plans for zones and allows for the potential development of those 10,525 units or more, but that does not guarantee applications will come in for that level of development. Even if that number of units is applied for, it does not mean any units will be constructed. He expressed frustration that the people in Sacramento are imposing unrealistic numbers on municipalities and then threatening action if cities do not meet their goals. The idea of holding cities accountable for not meeting those numbers seems unreasonable. He praised the nearly 50% success rate as exceptional and cautioned everyone to be careful with how they present these figures – reminding everyone that the city does not build the units; we zone and plan for them, but the market ultimately drives what happens, and we do not control the market. Commissioner Dopp concurred with Vice Chairman Boling. He expressed that staff did a great job in keeping our pro-housing designation going and that certainly means something. Vice Chairman Boling expressed that staff did a great job in telling the City’s story. Chairman Morales expressed his relief that our city is not among those fighting the issue, as he often reads about in the news, because such efforts incur unnecessary costs and lead to consequences. He also shared his pride in the staff and the city for performing better than other cities and being recognized by the state for our commitment to doing the right thing. With no other comments, Commission received and filed report. F.Director Announcements Principal Planner McPherson mentioned there will be no meeting on March 26th, and the next meeting is scheduled for April 9th. G.Commission Announcements - None HPC/PC MINUTES – March 12, 2025 Page 5 of 5 2 8 3 1 H.Adjournment Motion: Moved by Vice Chairman Boling, seconded by Commissioner Diaz to adjoin the meeting. Hearing no objections, Chairman Morales adjourned the meeting at 8:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant Planning Department Approved: HPC/PC April 9, 2025 Meeting.