Rehab and Repair Resources for Older Structures

Brief History – The Sacramento Old City Association (SOCA) was born in 1972. Pioneering downtown homeowners banded together and formed SOCA, and because of their efforts, many of the city’s historic homes and civic landmarks have been saved and restored. SOCA is an all-volunteer organization whose members devote their time to increasing awareness of the irreplaceable historic and cultural resources of the city.

Purpose- This rehab and restoration resources list is a joint effort by Sacramento Heritage, Inc. and SOCA, dedicated preservationists working to facilitate appropriate rehabilitation and restoration of older structures. It contains information including a list of contractors, artisans and suppliers known to be skilled in working on older homes in the Sacramento area. While the list was assembled from a variety of sources, we are indebted to Roger Lathe, Housewright, for sharing his list of reputable contractors accumulated during his many years as a “savior” of old houses, both instructively and literally. Suggestions continue to be received and included from satisfied customers, our thanks to all. (more…)

Letters to Elected Officials & Policy Makers

If you have a question or comment for our Sacramento area elected officials, you can get a lot done with a letter. Our Sacramento area elected officials really do carefully read and consider letters from citizens.

in late 2009, SOCA spearheaded and effort to save the Bel-Vue Apartments. The Bel Vue Apartments were designed by George Sellon the first State Architect and designer of the Cal Western Building at 926 J Street (Currently the Citizen Hotel). The Bel Vue in on the City of Sacramento’s Historic Register and is desinated a city Landmark Structure! Currently, plans are moving forward to rehabitliate the 700 and 800 Blocks of K Street. The selection committee charged with making recommendations to the City Council on which of the four developer submitted plans the Council should choose, has recommended a plan that includes the restoration and rehabilitation of the Bel-Vue. SOCA supports the selection committee’s proposal.

2010 Board of Directors

PRESIDENT – Linda Whitney

PAST PRESIDENT – Kay Knepprath
TREASURER – Jennifer Stanley

BOARD MEMBERS At-Large

William Burg

Vivian Gerlach

Meg Glynn

Kathleen Green

Guy Guarige

Linda Hinchey

Luis Sumpter

Vickie Valine

Preservation Groups Share Information, Welcome Guests

Sacramento’s Preservation Roundtable is a quarterly gathering of local history and historic preservation organizations, intended to share current information on local preservation topics, public policy, events, and plans in progress. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Endangered Structures Listed as “Fainted Ladies”

A number of endangered structures will appear on Sacramento’s “Fainted Ladies List.”  The SOCA board is working to revitalize this program.  Neighborhood Associations are encouraged to name three structures in their area that are in need of repair. If possible, do not name structures that are owner occupied.  Send the list to sacoldcity.org.

SMUD Building Named to the National Register of Historic Places

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.

The Portuguese Club in Rio Vista was named a California Point of Historical Interest.

It has been in continuous use as a social hall since 1928, and is described as “one of the most important centers of social life for residents of the central Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region.” The designation takes effect immediately.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District headquarters at 6201 S St. was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in 1959, it was recognized as a “virtually pristine example of the International/Miesian style of post-WWII Modernism in Sacramento.”

The Fiddyment Ranch Complex in Roseville, also nominated for the National Register, contains a Neo-Classical ranch house, three 1879 brick structures, and archaeological deposits associated with farming by three generations from 1879 to 2004.

The national designations must still be approved by the National Park Service, a process expected to take several months.

See Sacraemnto Bee article.

2030 General Plan & Historic Preservation

The City of Sacramento is announcing that there will be an environmental review of its proposed new general plan. People interested in historic preservation will want to participate in this review which begins today, July 9, 2007 with the Notice of Preparation (NOP). The following is from Roberta Deering in the Preservation Office:

“The purpose of the NOP is to notify responsible agencies, interested stakeholders, and other members of the public that a lead agency intends to prepare an EIR for a proposed project. Public comments on the NOP are received for a 30-day review period which will begin in Monday, July 9, 2007.

Note also that a public scoping meeting on the General Plan EIR will be held at the Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 5:30 PM. The location of the meeting will be Historic City
Hall, 2nd Floor hearing room, 915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Members of the public are welcome to attend and provide comments.

If you have any questions, please call the General Plan hotline at (916) 808-7500 or send an email to generalplan@cityofsacramento.org.”

SOCA will be carefully following this issue. There is the possibility for urban density to encroach into Historic Districts.

800 K & L / Bel-Vue Update

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.