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	Newsletter
	SRING 2008

	Join us April 14 for HPL’s Spring General Membership Meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Folsom History Museum, 823 Sutter St. Speakers include Doug Scalzi who will update us on his project at 302 Leidesdorff St. Jim Simpson, senior planner with the City of Folsom’s Parks and Recreation Department, who will discuss cultural elements of the Parks’ new Master Plan and update us on other projects. Bill Anderson, president of FEDS, will talk about future FEDS plans and current Railroad Block Plaza issues. And, Dan Winkleman who will update us on the new visitors center at the Folsom Powerhouse. Light refreshments will be served. Progress Is Made in Sutter Street Streetscape design Last fall, we reported that the Folsom City Council had approved, in concept, a new streetscape for four blocks of Sutter Street, as part of the Revitalization Project. The concept envisioned removal of the medians with two adjacent travel lanes, widening of the sidewalks on both sides of the street, and removing the uniform shed roofs. Working with the newly formed Cultural Resources Conservancy, and our Heritage Preservation League, the City’s Redevelopment Agency agreed to hire Page & Turnbull Architects, a San Francisco firm specializing in historic preservation, to identify the street’s historic features and structures that should be protected and preserved. The Page & Turnbull study has now been completed. It found a rich diversity of building styles and periods of construction. The features of the street, including the sidewalks, reflect the same diversity. The street itself was once part of the historic Lincoln Highway and Highway 50. The addition of Page & Turnbull to the consultant team working on the Streetscape design for Sutter Street appears to have changed the direction of the planning process in a positive way for those concerned about preserving the street’s character and charm. The Page & Turnbull Historic Assessment & Project Evaluation report identified these character defining features of Sutter Street: * Width of street right of way * Building scale * No setbacks * Change in grade from street to sidewalk level * 10-ft sidewalk width * Coverings – awnings, canopies, balconies to edge of sidewalk * Granite curbs * Few trees with no formal planting pattern * Concrete sidewalks with concrete stamps They have also suggested adding a new element to the design – a series of displays along the street that “Tell the story of the Historic District.” Example include a display commemorating Folsom’s Chinatown, Folsom’s streetscape evolution over time, and the Aug. 13, 1886 fire – the most destructive of the many fires that occurred in Folsom’s early history. These fires are the primary factor in a disappointing conclusion in the Page and Turnbull study. They stated that while Sutter Street certainly has the character and charm of an historic street, it lacks sufficient historic integrity to qualify for official historic status at the state or federal level. There is a fascinating chart in their report showing the age of each building currently on Sutter Street and the history of previous buildings and fires at each address. It shows that the majority of the buildings standing today were constructed in the 1940s or later. (Page & Turnbull goes on to say that the lack of historic integrity does not diminish the importance of the street to the local community and that every effort should be made to preserve its character in the design of the streetscape changes. This recommendation was enthusiastically supported by everyone on the Streetscape Committee. It is still too early to tell what the final design will look like. The Streetscape Committee is continuing to consider design options. Their task is challenging because of the number of seemingly contradictory goals the design is attempting to achieve. Along with preserving character and charm, the design needs to upgrade all the underground utilities such as water, sewer and electrical systems, satisfy American Disability Act (ADA) requirements, provide for on-street parking – especially for deliveries, and include new street trees. Ideally all this can happen while preserving the character defining elements listed above. The Streetscape Committee is moderated by Revitalization Project Manager Jeff Ferreira-Pro, and composed of city staff, Sutter Street merchants and property owners, representatives of HPL and other stakeholders. The Committee is continuing to work with BMS, the streetscape consultants. Let Us Know What You Think of The Sutter Street Study HPL would like to hear from any of its members who have had the opportunity to review the recently completed Page & Turnbull Historic Assessment and Project Evaluation report on Sutter Street (See our page 1 article on the Sutter Street streetscape design project.). HPL Vice President Loretta Hettinger has kindly agreed to collect any comments HPL members have on the study. She can be reached at (916) 990-0719. Copies of the study are available for viewing at the Housing and Redevelopment Office at City Hall (50 Natoma St.), at the Folsom History Museum (823 Sutter St.), and at the Folsom Public Library (411 Stafford St.) Snow, Bells, and Railroad Tracks: First HPL Meeting of 2008 Very Informative The Heritage Preservation League of Folsom held its first general membership meeting of the year on Jan. 16, at the Folsom History Museum. After taking care of some housekeeping business —namely the election of new HPL officers for 2008—President Patrick Maxfield started off the evening’s program by introducing Ellen Hester, research director of the Folsom History Museum. Ellen spent more than two years researching the history of the Sutter Street. She took members on an informative half-hour tour of Sutter Street, regaling them with entertaining stories and lesser known facts about Folsom. Among these: a four-inch snowfall in Folsom one year, buildings built over gulches or with tracks leading into them, community bells, and more. Fortunately, Ellen’s presentation was recorded by Alan Gray of www.NewsBlaze.com and posted on their Web site. Local developer Jerry Bernau of Bernau Construction Corporation next brought us up to date on the Historic Folsom Station and Jeff Ferreira-Pro updated the audience on the Revitalization Project and Sutter Street Streetscape plans. Elected to serve in 2008 were: Patrick Maxfield, president; Loretta Hettinger, vice president; Kathryn Corbett, secretary; Dollie Sundahl-Fagalde, treasurer. Board members are: Pat Binley, Bob Cullifer, Jeff Ferreira-Pro, Brad McDowell, Nancy Percy, Anne Rhea, Courtney Puffer, and Deino Trotta. HPL Watch Update: Nimbus Winery HPL has been keeping a close eye on this one. Since December 2006, we have been involved in trying to prevent the total make-over of the historic Nimbus Winery. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors had instructed the developer to respect the history of the Nimbus Winery and not try to avoid the project review processes by submitting building permits one building at a time. However, following a recent storm, the Nimbus Winery owner took advantage of minor storm damage to what used to be the small brandy distillery building as an excuse to completely destroy it (this after pledging to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to preserve it for at least a few years). Upset by this action, Supervisors Roberta MacGlashan and Don Nottoli convened a meeting with HPL and with the owner’s attorneys. The conclusion was that the owner would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with The Heritage Preservation League to provide additional assurance that the main building of the winery complex would be sensitively remodeled. However, a month and a half later, we’re still waiting. We understand that the attorneys did their part, sending a draft for their client to review, but we have been unable to get a phone call or e-mail returned. Stay tuned. HPL is staying on the watch! HPL Celebrates Five Years This July On July 21, the Heritage Preservation League of Folsom will mark its five-year anniversary with a party. Please plan to join us as we look back on the challenges we have faced in protecting Folsom’s historical treasures and on our successes. Details, as well as location and time, will be announced in the next newsletter. See you July 21!