REPORT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION April 23, 2018 FROM: DANIEL ZACK, AICP, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Development and Resource Management Dept. Secretary, Historic Preservation Commission BY: LAURA VAN ONNA Historic Preservation Specialist SUBJECT: ..Title REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE NOMINATION OF HOTEL FRESNO TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Commission review and approve a drafted letter addressed to the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) regarding the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places and provide additional comment if needed. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) has requested review and comment from the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission regarding the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places. City staff has drafted a letter in support of the nomination for the Commission to review, to provide further comment if needed, and to approve for submittal to the OHP. The OHP has requested written comment preferably at least fifteen (15) days prior to the State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) meeting on Thursday, May 17, 2018 - at which time action will be taken on the nomination. BACKGROUND The City of Fresno received correspondence by mail regarding the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places from the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) toward the end of March 2018. The correspondence consisted of a letter dated March 15, 2018 which provided notification of the nomination being put forward as well as a copy of the draft nomination for Hotel Fresno. The letter also gave notice of a sixty (60) day review and comment period during which the Historic Preservation Commission could provide written comment regarding the nomination, preferably at least fifteen (15) days prior to the State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) meeting on Thursday, May 17, 2018 - at which time action will be taken on the nomination. Staff has drafted a letter in support of the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places, as it was previously determined eligible for National Register listing in 2011 under Criterion A as the oldest extant hotel in the city, having been the largest and most lavish at the time of its construction in 1912 and under Criterion C as the work of prominent architect Edward T. Foulkes. Staff noted some minor clarifications needed under the Narrative Description of Hotel Fresno. The building has a tripartite division, consisting of a base, shaft, and capital. The shaft which contains four floors is not a piano nobile, as a piano nobile is defined as the first and principal main floor of a building - most notably in a grand palace residence and is typically set above ground level and accessed by steps. And, the base of the building, or ground floor, consists of a double-height ceiling with partial second-story gallery. Overall, the drafted letter conveys support and excitement at the prospect of Hotel Fresno being listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the current property owners' efforts to retain and restore the building's historic character. It is an early and important symbol of Fresno's development history that will hopefully grace the skyline for many years to come. Staff is looking to the Commission for further comment, if needed, to submit to the OHP. Attachments Exhibit A: Draft letter addressed to the State Office of Historic Preservation regarding the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places Exhibit B: Mailed correspondence received from the State Office of Historic Preservation regarding the nomination of Hotel Fresno to the National Register of Historic Places