The Capital City Preservation Trust felt that the SMUD building was worthy of nomination to the National Register of Historic Places and contracted with architectural historian Carol Roland who did the research and wrote the nomination. SMUD administration agreed for the Trust to proceed. The Capital City Preservation Trust is an off-shoot of the Sacramento Old City Association. The Trust is responsible for the photos and descriptions of the National Register properties in Sacramento County which you can see by clicking on “National Register” at the top of this page. The Trust has given awards the past three years to restoration projects nominated by Sacramento City Council Members.

Below is the article from the Sacramento Bee about the three local nominations
Three Sacramento-area properties were recommended for special historical status Friday by the State Historic Resources Commission. (more…)

Below is a sample of the issues and related activities the SOCA Board of Directors participated in this year. 

• Continue to work with the City Preservation Commission on minimum maintenance standards to prevent “demolition by neglect.”

• Monitor the restoration of the Historic SP Depot as it becomes a part of the new Intermodal Transportation Facility

• Work with State Parks to assure appropriate historic designation boundaries for the Railyards as the National Register nomination is prepared

• Work with the city to survey the historic underground sidewalks for the potential of becoming a popular tourist destinations and saved from demolition

• SOCA opposed the proposal by the Development Oversight Commission to eliminate the Design Commission

• SOCA opposes the demolition of the Bel Vue Apartments, a historic building on 8th Street between K and L where prospective developers want to demolish the entire site for a parking garage.  (more…)

The Sacramento Air Quality Management District (SAQMD) has funding - until it’s gone - to assist in eliminating wood-burning stoves and fireplaces to improve Sacramento’s air quality. We already have no-burn days. If you have a gas log or fireplace insert installed you can burn on any day.

Many older homes have smaller fireplaces for which an insert is not feasible and a gas log arrangement is appropriate and less expensive. A number of manufacturers can be found on the internet. The SAQMD has a list of qualified retailers in the area.

The SAQMD Web site for the wood burning change-out is http://www.airquality.org/woodstove/voucher.shtml.
There is a link to the application for a voucher which can be faxed to the SAQMD along with a gas or electric bill to verify your location. If you’re in an “Environmental Justice Area” (your air is worse than other places in the county) the amount you’re allowed is greater. At least half the funds must be used in the EJ areas. There is no income maximum to participate. People with low incomes can get further assistance. When the SAQMD issues you the voucher, you use it to pay the retailer.

We had decided to get a gas log arrangement and the retailer informed us of the program. The cost of the gas log we purchased was covered by the voucher, except for the $27 tax. It was determined that we are in an Environmental Justice Area and I imagine that all of the Central City may be. It’s good news for participating in this program but bad for breathing. The plumbing bill to bring gas to the fireplace was a much larger cost, $400.
Check the Air Quality District Web site for more info. http://www.airquality.org/woodstove/voucher.shtml

Sacramento Old City Association representatives spoke at City Council on August 25th. The Council moved the staff recommendation to give the development team working on this ambitious hotel plan for the 800 block of K Street, another 90 days to secure over $91 million in funding.  Concurrently, staff are working on a request for qualifications to seek development proposals when the 90 days are up if the current development team can not secure needed funding. Both Councilmember Tretheway and Cohn emphasized the importance of retaining the Bel-Vue as a viable building not just a hollow facade, and directed staff to work with the development team to seek ways to rehab and reuse the Bel-Vue, a listed city landmark.  If the current development team is able to secure funding, the community will seek a redo of the current plan that incorporates the rehabilitation of the landmark. If a new development proposal is sought, we will advocate that any and all plans that come forward must include the rehab and reuse of the Bel-Vue.  Staff will return to Council in late September or early October to discuss the implications of ths project on how transit occupancy taxes are distributed among various city programs as the existing ordinance would need to be altered to accommodate this project because it asks for many exceptions to current city rules. This saga is far from over, and we will do our best to keep you informed, stay tuned.

The City of Sacramento departments of Transportation and Economic Development invite residents to complete a Web-based survey to provide feedback on the K Street Vehicle Traffic Study. The survey results will be used by city staff and the project team to understand public sentiments about the idea and what features would be most important if the City went forward with a trial conversion.
 
To complete the survey, visit the project Web site at www.cityofsacramento.org/KStreetVehicleTraffic. The non-scientific survey will remain active until Saturday, August 22 at 12 noon.

Residents and interested parties are also invited to attend a community meeting on Wednesday, August 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. A brief presentation by City officials and the project team will begin at 5:45 p.m. followed by questions and answers. A summary of survey results also will be relayed. The community meeting will be held at the second floor of the California Association of Counties Conference Center at 1020 11th Street.

The Preservation Commission will be having a special presentation consultants’ Page & Turnbull’s preliminary findings on the historic survey they have been conducting of the Downtown Hollow Sidewalks/Raised Streets. The public is encouraged to attend. 

Special Presentation by Page & Turnbull - Preliminary Findings 

Sacramento’s Downtown Raised Streets/ Hollow Sidewalks Historic Survey

Wednesday, August 5^th, 2009 at 5:30 PM

City Of Sacramento Preservation Commission

915 I Street, 1^st Floor Hearing Room (Council Chambers)

By SOCA Board Member William Burg, Originally posted on Sacramento Press on July 3rd.

The city of Sacramento has announced its plans to demolish the Bel-Vue Apartments, a registered city landmark, in order to clear land on 8th Street for a potential future parking structure.

Located adjacent to the now-vacant corner of 8th and K Street, the Bel-Vue was built in 1910 as the American Cash Apartments. Built in the Craftsman style with Asian overtones, the three-story brick building contains apartments above a commercial ground floor. When the Bel-Vue was built, it was one of many downtown apartment buildings. If it was built today, the Bel-Vue would be described as a mixed-use, transit-oriented infill project. The building is currently owned by the city of Sacramento’s housing and redevelopment agency, the result of a complex land exchange between Mohammed “Mo” Mohanna, Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden, and the city of Sacramento. This land exchange was part of the currently stalled plans to rehabilitate the 700 block of K Street.