REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
September 11, 2014
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: KARANA HATTERSLEY-DRAYTON, M.A., Historic Preservation Project Manager
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the South Van Ness Industrial District Historic Survey
1. * RESOLUTION - 18th Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2014-95 appropriating $40,000 from the California State Office of Historic Preservation for the South Van Ness Industrial District Survey (Requires 5 affirmative votes)
2. Authorize the Director of the Development and Resource Management Department to accept a Certified Local Government Grant for $40,000 from the California State Office of Historic Preservation for the South Van Ness Industrial District Historic Survey and authorize the Director and her designee(s) to execute all related agreements and payment requests
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that City Council take the following actions:
1. Adopt the resolution of the Council of the City of Fresno adopting the 18th Amendment to the AAR No. 2014-95 appropriating $40,000 from the California State Office of Historic Preservation for the South Van Ness Industrial District Survey.
2. Authorize the Director of the Development and Resource Management Department to accept a Certified Local Government Grant for $40,000 from the California State Office of Historic Preservation for the South Van Ness Industrial District Historic Survey and authorize the Director and her designee(s) to execute all related agreements and payment requests.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In its 2014 final report, the City's Business Friendly Fresno Task Force recommended that intensive historic property surveys, for neighborhoods not previously surveyed, would help facilitate future investment and streamline environmental review. City staff identified the South Van Ness Industrial Revitalization Project Area, with its mix of commercial and residential properties, as a good candidate for a potential Certified Local Government (CLG) matching grant through the State Office of Historic Preservation. The Development and Resource Management Department included a $60,000 line item for this parcel-by-parcel survey in the Department's approved 2015 budget. Department staff prepared a CLG grant application and the City was recently notified that it is one of five cities in the State to receive an award for the 2014-2015 grant cycle. The City's Finance Department has prepared an AAR (No. 2014-95) to incorporate the $40,000 grant into the budget of the Development and Resource Management Department.
BACKGROUND
Nine plan areas are located within the (former) Redevelopment Agency's Merger No. 1 Redevelopment Project. Of these nine areas, all but one, the South Van Ness Industrial Revitalization Project Area, was included in full or part within the 304 parcel Downtown Fresno (Fulton Corridor) Historic Resources Survey. The South Van Ness Industrial District encompasses 593 acres south of State Route 41 and east of State Route 99. The District includes the southern-most section of Fresno's historic Armenian Town. Further south the neighborhood is a mix of commercial buildings which reflect the area's former (and current) history of fruit packing and general industrial uses. The area is a focus of the City's economic revitalization with both vacant lots and existing older buildings. The City-established "Business Friendly Fresno Task Force" recommended that any new development or adaptive reuse of buildings will proceed more expediently if property owners are aware of the historic status of a parcel, prior to project development. One recommendation of the Task Force was to have the City prepare historic surveys of areas not previously recorded.
In spring of 2014 Department staff prepared a grant application to the California State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) for Phase 1 of the project area, thus a historic survey of the 207.6 acres north of California Avenue, which includes approximately 306 parcels. The OHP is required by federal law to pass through at least 10% of its annual Federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) allocation to Certified Local Government (CLG) for Historic Preservation Fund-eligible activities. The CLG grant program is based on a match of both actual dollars and in-kind services from the applicant. The $60,000 line item in the Department budget was leveraged with the $40,000 grant as well as staff and volunteer time for a total estimated budget of $103,186.
The project timeline begins October 1, 2014 and the project must be completed by September 30, 2015.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a "project" for the purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, section 15378(b)(4) as it is a government fiscal activity, and section 15378(b)(5) as it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because this does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
A $60,000 match for the project was previously approved as part of the Development and Resource Management Department's 2015 FY budget.
Attachments:
1. "National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Historical Resources Preservation Project Agreement"
2. 18th Amendment to the AAR.