Gilroy
– One of California’s premier preservation groups will visit
Gilroy to discuss how to save the city’s architectural treasures
and ensure new buildings and homes match their historic
surroundings.
Gilroy – One of California’s premier preservation groups will visit Gilroy to discuss how to save the city’s architectural treasures and ensure new buildings and homes match their historic surroundings.
The California Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit group that educates and advocates for historic preservation, will hold workshops Jan. 24 and 25 in old City Hall, one of Gilroy’s most significant historic locations.
“This workshop is really about how to rehabilitate historic buildings and create design guidelines to preserve a historic district,” said Cindy Heitzman, the foundation’s executive director.
The group travels the state year-round offering classes on a range of subjects, including the California Environmental Quality Act, conservation districts, and ways to identify sites of historic value.
Architects, city planners, and others from Carmel, Gilroy, Hollister and Monterey requested this particular workshop, Heitzman said. The foundation chose Gilroy as a central location.
The workshops come at a time when Gilroy officials are working with downtown property owners and developers to replace older buildings. City officials recently completed a major overhaul of the street and sidewalks, and the next phase of redevelopment involves the rehabilitation of brick buildings deemed earthquake hazards. Officials have also started looking for ways to preserve historic neighborhoods outside the downtown.
Talk has centered on historic preservation districts or even a set of design guidelines aimed at keeping new construction in sync with surrounding homes.
Local developer Gary Walton helped sponsor the event. He knows a few things about preservation. In 1995, he won a gubernatorial preservation award for relocating and rehabilitating the historic Morgan Hill Elementary School. The 16,000-square-foot building is a product of William Weeks, a famous architect who designed many of the buildings in the region in the early 20th Century. In Gilroy, Weeks is responsible for 19 homes and buildings, including the former Wheeler Hospital on Sixth Street.
“Preservation of significant historic buildings in the downtown corridor is important, but also the neighborhoods around downtown,” Walton said. “That’s what makes them a special place and adds value to the community and makes them unique. I think this workshop is very timely.”
The workshops are open to any member of the public for a fee. The first day costs $150, and the second day $60. Reduced fees are available for donors to the California Preservation Foundation. To register, call 415-495-0349 or visit www.californiapreservation.org.
