Subject: DOWNTOWN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY PHASES I AND II
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 3
The Historic Landmarks Commission recommends City Council accept the Downtown Core Survey.
BACKGROUND
In 1998 City Council directed Planning staff to conduct historic resource surveys in the downtown to ensure the careful consideration of historic resources in land use and development planning. Phase I consisted of the Downtown Core and Phase II the Downtown East Frame Area.
In September 2000 the Historic Resource Survey for the Downtown Core, Phase I, was completed and submitted to Planning and the Redevelopment Agency. A copy of the survey summary report is attached. The purpose of the survey was to gain an accurate inventory of the existing historic resources within the Core Area and to identify potential City Landmarks as well as those eligible for the California and National registers. The boundaries for the survey were State Highway 87 on the west, Interstate 280 on the south, North and South Fourth Street on the east and the historic alignment of East and West Julian on the north.
The Historic Landmarks Commission discussed the survey at their September 2000 meeting. The consultants, the Dill Design Group, surveyed 281 properties in the Core Area. Of the 281 properties, 143 were found to be potentially eligible for the San Jose Inventory. Of these properties 22 are potentially eligible as City Landmarks and 64 of the properties are potentially eligible for the California and/or National registers. Among the recommendations made in the survey summary report is the designation of the Downtown Commercial Historic District, currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as a City Historic District. Expansion of the district boundaries is also recommended.
The Planning Department and Redevelopment Agency held several public workshops during the fall and winter to discuss the survey findings. From these workshops it was generally agreed that the Historic Landmarks Commission would move forward with the designation of the expanded Downtown Commercial District (the proposed boundaries are on Page 49 of the attached report) as well as the qualifying City Landmark properties, with four exceptions. The exceptions include two modern buildings (170 Park Center Plaza and 55 S. Market Street) and two properties where the Redevelopment Agency plans future activity (494 S. Almaden Avenue and 47 Notre Dame Avenue). A list of the individual landmarks for which the Commission will request initiation is attached.
The Landmarks Commission will begin the designation process for the properties that merit individual City Landmark designation at the June 6, 2001 meeting. The Commission expects to request City Council initiation of the individual designations in one group. This will be followed by a request to initiate designation of the Downtown Commercial District as a City Landmark Historic District. City Council can expect to see these designation proceedings over the next several months in order to provide ample opportunity for public input.
Designation as a City Landmark will require approval of a Historic Preservation Permit
for exterior changes to the building. The Historic Landmarks Commission reviews HP Permits and forwards recommendations to the Director of Planning who may approve, conditionally approve or deny an application. HP Permits are required in order to help protect San Jose’s historic resources and maintain their integrity.
In addition to the Downtown Core Survey, Downtown East Frame Survey, Phase II, is currently being conducted and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2001. This second survey area is bounded by S. Fourth Street on the west, Santa Clara Street on the north, S. Eleventh Street on the east and Interstate 280 on the south. It is expected that this survey will also generate sites for future designation.
Public workshops on the Downtown Core Historic Resources Survey were held during the fall and winter. Copies of the survey have been sent to the Redevelopment Agency, the California Room of the Martin Luther King Junior Library, History San Jose and to the Preservation Action Council of San Jose. The Planning Department has added all San Jose Inventory eligible sites to its Inventory of historic properties, which is used by the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Building for reviewing development permits. In addition, Planning staff is working to provide copies of all prior surveys to the Redevelopment Agency and the California Room of the Martin Luther King Junior Library for greater public access.
This memorandum has been coordinated with the Redevelopment Agency.
JAMES R. DERRYBERRY, DIRECTOR
Planning Building and Code Enforcement