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88 Page 24 Staff Report To: Planning Commission Subject: Mezesville/Centennial Historic District proposal March 21,2006 Page 5 of 6 well documented information and is expected to provide a comprehensive level of protection to a qualified grouping of contributing structures. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION: A total of 210 notices were sent to affected residents prior to the Planning Commission meeting, all property owners and occupants residing within the district have received due notice of the public hearing on the proposed district designation. It is important to note that this meeting has been preceded by two neighborhood meetings which were held by the HRAC over the last few months to inform neighbors about the specifics of the proposed designation. The first neighborhood meeting on was held on December 13, 2005ßnd offered an in depth review of the district designation process and related information, the second meeting was held on February 13, 2006 and focused on offering training to the public on the basics of appropriate home preservation according to architectural style. Both were well attended (35 - 55 people in attendance) and supported by the community, no opposition was received. CONCLUSION: The Redwood City General Plan identifies the Mezesville/CentenniaJ area as an early Redwood City pioneer neighborhood whose residential presence played a significant role in the historic growth of Redwood City. One of the key tasks of the consultant's report was to refine the unique historic and architectural vocabulary of this neighborhood in the context of an historic district designation. For well over 100 years, the Mezesville/Centennial area served as a relatively modest residential neighborhood containing a significant concentration of properties which are historically and physically united. As a district, the contributing properties provide evidence and living testimony to the area's specific development pattern as a "working man's neighborhood" within the original Mezesville layout which was platted in 1856. The recurrence of specific types of historic resources in a relatively intact context, coupled with the preservation of original features and architectural details, clearly supports the proposed historic district designation and recognition as a community value which is well worth preserving. The proposed Mezesville/Centennial Historic District meets the City of Redwood City's criteria to be included in the inventory as an historic district. The designation of the Mezesville/Centennial area as an historic district offers district residents both an opportunity to embrace the local history and to retain neighborhood character through optional, protective measures.