3 - WORK STUDY_114 AND 117 EAST FIFTH STREET_COMMENT

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with the building since 1931. Tim also remarked that the local preservation organizations had not been asked for their input in the process until recently, too late in the process to have any meaningful input. Possible salvage of historic fragments? Mike McCann stated that in addition to allowing photo documentation of the buildings, Toll Bros. could also allow for a 90-day on-site salvage and perhaps support the salvage effort with manpower, tools, trucks, etc. Robert Imboden stated that typically, POC does not engage in salvage efforts as a means of mitigating demolition. Alison Young of Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society said, that although there is precedent for their nonprofit to receive rights to historical salvage, SAHPS did not have the resources to take or store historic fragments of this building, as Mike McCann had offered to allow preservationists to do. She also said that she hoped interior elements, such as a stairway, might be considered to be incorporated into the new project. Toll Bros. considers moving historic building to out-of-county school campus Mike McCann said that Toll Bros. had been in conversation with an out-of-county school, which had expressed interest in taking the historic First American building facade for their campus to provide a historic character and sense of place. Preservation could be limited to two facades, not entire structure: Tim Rush drew a diagram of the property which included the two older buildings that are currently on the site. He stated that POC understands that complete retention/preservation of those buildings was most likely not viable within the proposed project. He proposed, however, that if an investigation shows that the original 1931 building is still in good condition beneath the applied metal panels, the north and west walls of the First American building could be incorporated into the new development on the corner of Main and Fifth. While this not an ideal preservation outcome (the better solution would be to preserve and incorporate the entire building, plus the neighboring historic structure immediately to the south), Tim Rush stated that at this point in the process the incorporation of these preserved facades could be acceptable to POC. Toll Brothers’ issues re: preservation: Mike McCann said that he would consider consulting an historic preservation architect. He was not in favor of a limited demolition to take off part of the metal screening to assess what remains of the original building underneath though, stating that the building is still owned by and under the control of First American, not Toll Brothers. He was also not in favor of altering the currently proposed design, stating that it would be costly, and that the project’s feasibility is based on a thin profit margin. He also indicated that Toll Bros. would not carry out the limited demolition, due to the cost of a hazardous materials survey (which could cost $20,000) and remediation for the entire property.