AgdaPkt 2005-11-14 - Laserfiche WebLink

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L /4-/ REfZ>CJRT To the Honorable Mayor and City Cou,ncH From the Cit Mana er Noyember 14, 2005 Subject Agreement with the Sequoia High School Alumni Association (SHSAA) for the loan of City- owned historic artifacts. Recommendation Approve the enclosed "Custodial Agreement" allowing the loan of historic artifacts and adopt the following findings: 1. There is a connection between the subject artifacts and the history of Sequoia High School. The artifacts were uncovered at the original location of the Sequoia High School campus on City-owned land during the excavation of the Jefferson Avenue parking garage, 2. The objects which are part of this loan agreement were selected by representatives from the SHSAA because of their historic link to the original high school. 3. The purpose of the loan is educational and is considered a public benefit. Once displayed on campus (inside SHSAA-donated display cases), these exhibits are expected to provide viewers with a greater understanding of Redwood City's educational and cultural heritage. Background In 2004, the City anticipated the high potential for the discovery of historic artifacts at the Jefferson parking garage site, and incorporated appropriate measures to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the "On Broadway" Retail-Cinema/parking garage project. As part of the project mitigation process, qualified archaeologists (Basin Research Inc.) were hired to monitor the salvage and documentation of all resources that were unearthed during the project excavation process. In addition to the fact that the site was known to have contained the first Sequoia High School building (established in 1895) as well as a Carnegie Library building, this specific site was archeologically and culturally sensitive because of the known presence of a creek, where lumber and shipbuilding activities had occurred, that ran through the site,. Because of the potential link of the excavation activities to the excavation of materials from the early high school building, the SHSAA expressed strong interest in the artifact recovery process to the Redwood City Historic Resources Advisory Committee which was also monitoring the process. Approximately 120 documented artifacts were retrieved from the site by the project archeologists, and after careful evaluation, the SHSAA selected 21 items for potential display (see attached list). An independent historical assessment of the subject artifacts occurred at City Hall on September 13, 2005. The total commercial yalue of these artifacts is estimated at approximately $560, which is relatiyely insignificant as antique items are concerned. The cultural and historical value to the community and SHSAA, however is high because of the context and relationship to Sequoia High School. 1