HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresentation - Late Document 02/06/2012 (1) La te'V oc-wvvievtt- Pre4enta tti ovv
February 3, 2012
Petaluma City Council
.11 English Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
Re:Trestle Rehabilitation Project
Dear'Mayor and Councilmembers,
Lam very pleased that the trestle is-the subject of your consideration. In a usable state it will be a terrific
feature, adding to the town's (already considerable) charm. And once the trolley runs again, we can be
sure that images will be seen in many venues and publications, keeping our town in the public eye.
We all understand that the trestle has historic significance, and that its condition is treacherous. Further-
more, it cannot be reconstructed, or even repaired, using the same materials and meet modern regula-
tions and codes. (As an aside, the'trestle should be documented for the Historic American Engineering
Record, with documentation stored,at the Library of Congress, before it is demolished or modified.)
The language the Secretary of the Interior has established indicates that the trestle project cannot be
preserved, rehabilitated, restored, or reconstructed; there will be too much new material for the project
to fit any of those categories. The trestle will become an entirely new structure that will, at best, have a
similar location and scale. Therefore, let's be straightforward about this fact and embrace this opportu-
nity to design something fitting and appropriate.
Some will make.the case for using modern materials to try to recreate a historic appearance (concrete
treated to look like wood, for instance). Some of us at the public meeting were quite against this idea. I
caution against this since the results are often silly looking. I also think this is an inappropriate approach.
The solutions offered thus far are limited in imagination. All are practical but, quite frankly, rather ugly.
We are a long:way from the era in which the original trestle was built and I.am excited about the idea of
a thoroughly modern and beautifully designed structure along the river. Your consultant team was given
a fairly narrow setof'tasks, and they have constructed their set of solutions within those limitations.
Now,we'have thelresults oftheir work we can step back and determine the best course of action.
As a landscape architect who visits and studies cities around the world, I can readily imagine some terrif-
ic possibilities that we haven't begun to consider. I am hoping!that you are willing to direct the city staff
to assemble a°design team for.next;phases; a team that would consider the aesthetic as well as practical
implications of the project. The.river is the heart of town and the results of your decision will be visible
for many generations-what an opportunity!
Regards,
cjitte1347%-Th
Janet Gracyk ,6i5 Prospect Street Petaluma, CA 94952 707-695-9360