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City moves to abate Jose Garcia Brewer Adobe; plan calls for removal and storage of two walls and owner lien
Summary
Inspectors found temporary coverings inadequate at the Jose Garcia Brewer Adobe. Code enforcement has opened an administrative abatement; staff said the city will contract for temporary protection and remove two walls required by the project’s conditions of approval, with costs billed to the property and a lien to be placed.
City staff told the Historic Preservation Commission on Dec. 23 that a site inspection of the Jose Garcia Brewer Adobe found the temporary tarp inadequate and that code enforcement has begun an administrative abatement process.
Staff said they visited the property on Dec. 16 and again the morning of the meeting with an engineer, Eric Franklin, and noted a hole in the tarp that left the adobe exposed. Staff provided code enforcement with a scope of work and contractor contacts so the city can obtain bids for temporary protection and for removal and storage of two walls that the commission’s conditions of approval require be preserved.
A staff member said, "The city will do the work and then will place a lien on the property." Staff explained the city will pay the contractor and then bill the property owner for the work and administrative costs; storage, transport and staff time will be included in the charge. Staff advised commissioners that if the property remains undeveloped, storage costs would continue to accrue and the lien would remain until the bill is cleared.
Dr. Lisha Chen, the city’s historic preservationist, told the commission preserving the full structure on site is not currently feasible because the adobe lacks a reliable foundation and is being eroded: "The current condition of the property... would be much more difficult and much more expensive at this point to preserve on‑site." She said the plan is to remove and catalog the two walls that are subject to the condition of approval and store them in a climate‑controlled facility for later reinstallation as part of the approved project.
Staff and commissioners discussed the possibility that removing and storing the two walls will lead to the rest of the structure collapsing and suggested salvaging as much historic brick as feasible to preserve replacement material.
Commissioners asked whether removing the walls would prevent a developer from later changing project plans; staff said any owner who wished to change conditions of approval would have to return through the regular planning and commission review process.
Several commissioners expressed concern about demolition by neglect and said the adobe’s condition highlights a broader need to review how the city responds when designated or significant properties deteriorate. No formal commission action was taken; staff described ongoing coordination with code enforcement to implement the abatement and salvage work.
