QUARTERLY MEETING

November 12, 2013 | Temescal Beach House, Oakland

Chair: Larkin Owens
Recorder: Chris Pattillo
Attendees: Larkin Owens, Ellen Johnck, Cathy Garrett, Fredrica Drotos, Sarah Raube, Chris Pattillo and Dave Zuckerman

Mark your calendar for the next meeting: February 11, 2014. Location to be announced.

The meeting venue - The Beach House at Lake Temescal - was spectacular. We met in the main room with a fireplace, beamed ceiling with windows overlooking the lake and a background of fall-colored trees. Dave Zuckerman with the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) was our host and speaker. Dave gave a thorough and very interesting presentation on the history of the district with slides. He explained that it was part of Olmsted's vision and began in 1934. The dam, built in 1866, that created Lake Temescal, the Beach House and other park improvements were built by one of three CCC crews that were housed within the EBRPD. Lake Temescal was one of the first three parks created. The other two were Wildcat Canyon (Tilden) and Sibley (Round Top). We learned that one of the reasons the district came into being is because when the Contra Costa Water District consolidated its resources they had 40,000 acres of excess land some of which was purchased by forward thinking individuals to create the district. Duncan McDuffie, of Mason-McDuffie real estate Company, was one of those people and he contracted with Olmsted in May of 1930 to assess the property and advise on what property should be acquired. There was much more to Dave's presentation - all very interesting.

1. New Secretary

   Larkin Owens announced that Gretchen Hilyard has volunteered to take over as the incoming secretary. Valeria resigned.

2. SHPO Subcommittee

   Cathy Garrett reported on discussions that have been had with the State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO). Plans are being made for a follow-up meeting scheduled for December 4. She distributed a draft agenda.

3. China Camp

   Ellen Johnck reported that no progress has been made to advance the historic narrative or drawings since our last meeting. She suggested that funding may be needed to complete this work.

4. HALS Hero - Photography

   Chris Pattillo reported that Dane Pollok is still planning to submit photographs of the Oakland Museum for our HALS Heroes initiative. She agreed to meet with him to review and discuss his study photos.

5. New HALS-NCC Documentation Project

   We had a good discussion regarding possible candidates for a new HALS documentation project. Fredrica Drotos suggested that we undertake one or more sets of pathway/steps in Berkeley. She agreed to contact Path Wanderers to see if they might be interested in collaborating with us. Two specific paths suggested are Mosswood Lane and Panoramic Way.

   Sarah Raube suggested the Meyers Garden/Dry Creek Ranch in Newark. Anthony Veerkamp suggested Vermont Street in San Francisco.

   Chris mentioned Fern Dell in Griffith Park and the Hanna Center Japanese Garden - both in Los Angeles, and Jack London Lake in Glen Ellen, all of which were identified by the Cultural Landscape Foundation as threatened and endangered landscapes. PGAdesign is currently working for the Friends of Griffith Park and has suggested doing HALS for Fern Dell. RHAA has done work on Jack London Lake and should consider doing HALS documents.

6. Fulton Mall EIR

   Larkin Owens read the summary in the Fulton Mall EIR. We submitted a letter some while ago stating our concerns and recommended that HALS documentation be done if the proposed plans to destroy the mall move forward. Chris was charged with finding our original letter and sending it to Larkin.

7. HALS National News and Upcoming ASLA Conference

   Chris Pattillo summarized the annual report she sent to David Driapsi, HALS Liaison Coordinator, describing our chapter's accomplishments for the year. She also reviewed the highlights of the report she will give to the ASLA chapter presidents during the conference. She announced that the theme for the 2014 HALS Challenge is to document landscapes of the New Deal.

   Several tours with historic content are included in the conference but there are no education sessions with cultural landscape themes.

   There will be a HALS booth this year as part of ASLA Commons. Chris and others have volunteered to staff the booth during the two days that EXPO is open. She plans to take some of our drawings and show them off to conference attendees.

8. Announcements and Upcoming Events

   Cathy reminded us that the National Association of Olmsted Parks symposium about Frederic Law Olmsted, Jr's work in the west will be March 27 and 28th 2014 at Stanford University.

   For our February 11, 2014 HALS meeting we are trying to arrange for Tom Gates to talk about Ethnographic landscapes. Venue to be determined.

   The May 13th meeting may be in Petaluma and the August meeting will be in Oakland at the Chalet Restaurant at Lake Merritt.

   The Berkeley City Club HALS documentation - narrative, drawings and photographs have been received in Washington. Sharon Entwistle and Daisy Marshall, members of the Landscape Heritage Foundation expanded the narrative substantially and added eight historic photographs. Chris said she would send copies of the narrative out to everyone.