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From:kenrolandelli@aol.com <br />To:GRP-City Council <br />Subject:Fw: HRAC Meeting, August 14, 2025, Agenda Item 7.A., Adoption of HRAC Work Plan for FY2025-2026 and <br />FY2026-FY2027 <br />Date:Monday, December 8, 2025 10:58:50 AM <br />Attachments:Potential Historic Landmarks List Rev04(6).ods <br />Some people who received this message don't often get email from kenrolandelli@aol.com. Learn why this isimportant <br />----- Forwarded Message ----- <br />From: kenrolandelli@aol.com <kenrolandelli@aol.com> <br />To: jgoldman@redwoodcity.org <jgoldman@redwoodcity.org>; gbabbitt@redwoodcity.org <br /><gbabbitt@redwoodcity.org>; gwebber@redwoodcity.org <gwebber@redwoodcity.org>; <br />rklebe@redwoodcity.org <rklebe@redwoodcity.org>; sfigueroa@redwoodcity.org <br /><sfigueroa@redwoodcity.org> <br />Cc: rkuchenig@redwoodcity.org <rkuchenig@redwoodcity.org>; Jim Gernand <br /><jimgernand@sbcglobal.net> <br />Sent: Monday, August 11, 2025 at 11:20:12 AM PDT <br />Subject: HRAC Meeting, August 14, 2025, Agenda Item 7.A., Adoption of HRAC Work Plan for FY2025- <br />2026 and FY2026-FY2027 <br />Dear Chair Jon Goldman and Members of the HRAC, <br />I am writing to express my deep concern that the proposed HRAC Work Plan for FY2025– <br />2026 and FY2026–2027 omits one of the Committee’s most vital and defining advocacy <br />responsibilities—initiating historic landmark designations. Without this core function, we <br />risk losing irreplaceable pieces of Redwood City’s heritage. <br />For the benefit of members who joined after my last term in 2020, I served on the HRAC <br />for 40 years, including 30 years as chair. During that time, the Committee successfully <br />initiated the overwhelming majority of Redwood City’s landmark designations—preserving <br />historic structures that continue to shape our community’s character today. <br />Historic landmark designations are not simply ceremonial; they are the backbone of <br />effective preservation. The authority for the HRAC to initiate such designations is explicitly <br />provided in the Historic Preservation Ordinance (§40.7(A), Historic Designation <br />Procedures). The foundation for making sound, defensible landmark determinations already <br />exists: the Historic Resources Inventory, containing assessments and recommendations <br />from professional consultants. These inventories are the same type of resources relied upon <br />by preservation boards and commissions across the nation. <br />To underscore this point: <br />- The majority of Redwood City’s historic landmarks were initiated by the HRAC. <br />- The last three HRAC-initiated designations occurred in 2016. <br />- The process and template for success are established and ready to use. <br />- Delaying proactive designations increases the likelihood that significant properties will be <br />altered or lost. <br />For your reference, I have attached the “Potential Historic Landmarks List,” created from <br />my 2017 review of all Historic Resources Inventory ratings, consultant comments, and <br />recommendations. Working with former HRAC Chair Jim Gernand (copied), we ranked