The Historic Landmarks Commission meets on Thursday the 20th and they have several interesting items on the agenda this month.
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| A kind of glamor shot (City of Salem/Ron Cooper) |
Most interesting is a request on the Acid Ball Eco-Earth:
[T]he Salem Public Art Commission, has requested that the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) initiate the local historic resource nomination for the Eco Earth Globe (1960). The Eco-Earth Globe is significant for its association with the Oregon Pulp and Paper Mill and Boise Cascade as well as for significance as one of Salem’s first community projects that adaptively reused an industrial structure, converting it to a piece of art representing the earth and symbolizing world peace and cultural diversity...
It has seemed here like we overdesignate our historic resources. We use Historic Districts as a hidden form of exclusionary zoning, and we elevate very minor buildings as Local Landmarks. The conclusion here is that we should have fewer formal Historic designations, but we should also apply more resources to support those we do decide are Historic: Quality over quantity.
The prevailing approach has seemed to be the reverse, quantity over quality: More is better.
But this approach has not saved Howard Hall at the Blind School, Le Breton Hall at Fairview, or the Belluschi First National Bank downtown. It doesn't seem actually to do what we might like it to do.
We also have a housing crisis and a climate crisis.
Keeping things the same, using an approach created in the 20th century, is not working very well.
So in that context I was initially very skeptical about the idea of formally designating the Acid Ball as Historic.
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| Grand Opening Hoopla September 30th, 1920 |
But as I read the Staff Report - and the formal matter at the HLC is merely for action to initiate the process, not yet actually to confer the designation - the Acid Ball meets in a very strong way two of the criteria for cultural and human significance:
a. Cultural Significance: (i) Contributes to the character and historic identity of the neighborhood or City; (ii) Makes a contribution to the historic character of a historic resource, neighborhood, district, or City as a whole.
b. Human Significance: (i) Is associated historically with the life or activities of a person, group, organization or institution that has made a significant contribution to the local community; or (ii) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local history; or (iii) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, important information concerning prehistory or history.
That the Parks Foundation has agreed to lead the fundraising for a restoration of it testifies to its continued significance and sense of overall contribution to the community.
It will be very interesting to see if anyone criticizes the proposal and how they actually mount a critique. I think that will be difficult, and probably ungracious.
Apart from the specifics of this situation, this request is also interesting as it might be the very first instance of art here being designated as Historic. Art at the Capitol is part of its designation, but single works are not individually designated, and depending on how this process goes, we might see others.
But what would we do with something like Guidance of Youth, which is very much historical and had positive significance at one time, but which now we should not want to celebrate uncritically? Would we designate it as a way to lock it in?
So this move will be very interesting to follow.
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| Existing at top, proposed at bottom |
Back in December, the Kitchen on Court Street had submitted a proposal for repairs to the storefront window system and permanence for its dining platform. (First Staff Report from December, second revised Staff Report for this month.)
The window plan seems routine, but the dining platform drew out opposition from a few downtown residents and merchants. The objections exemplify some of the hidden exclusionary function of Historic Districts and show ways that our current framework gets caught up in detail and misses the big picture:
This temporary building [the dining platform] is constructed of materials and a design that is incompatible with the other buildings in the district...all construction materials and element are alien to the district...This temporary building is locate in front of the historic property and obscures all historic features...a harmonious relationship is [not] created in relationship to the original building....
This temporary building is not compatible with any historical contributing or non-contributing building in this area of the historic district. All adjacent buildings are either brick or stucco-over-brick, this wood framed structure [again, the dining platform] is not compatible with the Odd Fellows building complex buildings or the other historic contributing and non-contributing buildings in this area, and the historic district generally. As such this temporary building violates the standard. The metal livestock tubs in the street are a hideous detraction from our beautiful historic district.
The building, formally called the "Odd Fellows Hall Annex Building" dates to 1922/1936, a full generation after the original theater of 1900. Its significance should be secondary to the primary significance of the original theater.
The criticism also focuses on the buildings as things to look at and admire, as aesthetic objects, rather than buildings for residential and commercial life.
We are in the middle of a Pandemic!!!
But also, we still do not have the lively sidewalk life we might like downtown, and the dining platforms help with this.
Fortunately, there seems to be a way out. The proposed design for the permanent platform has been adjusted in ways to take it out of the purview of the HLC's formal approval. The revised design is subject only to the City's new regulations on dining platforms.
[T]his testimony [in critique of the platform design] is regarding the withdrawn portion of the proposal relating to the dining platform and awning and therefore is not applicable to the HLC’s evaluation of their current proposal....
[T]he applicant voluntarily agreed to cut back their platform awning so that it would no longer impact the Odd Fellows Annex Building and agreed to continue to work with Public Works to ensure compliance with the City Council adopted guidelines for dining platforms in the downtown. Therefore the applicant withdrew their request for approval of the outdoor dining platform and awning and this portion of the project is no longer subject to historic design review before the HLC.
So even though it is a procedural dodge, overall this seems like a satisfactory conclusion. But this will also be interesting to follow, especially if the HLC does not agree with the Staff conclusion or if there is some kind of appeal.
Also on the agenda:
1 comment:
In the most recent update from the City Manager he took a supportive position:
"The Historic Landmarks Commission will be considering designating the Eco-Earth as a historic landmark. There are no drawbacks to the designation. The restoration would have to maintain existing materials and designs, as planned."
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