Vallejo commission approves CEQA exemptions and Certificates of Appropriateness for Mare Island rehab projects

The Vallejo Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved CEQA exemptions and Certificates of Appropriateness for rehabilitation work on Mare Island that will make historic buildings safer and more accessible.

Associate Planner Laura Solomon told commissioners the principal item before the commission was a request to find Quarters A (1065 Walnut Avenue) exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guidelines section 15331 (historic resource restoration and rehabilitation) and to approve Certificate of Appropriateness PLN 250231. “Based on the analysis contained in the staff report and resolution, staff recommends the Architectural Heritage and Landmarks Commission find the project exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15331, class 31, historic resource restoration and rehabilitation, and approve a Certificate of Appropriateness,” Solomon said.

Why it matters: The approvals allow work funded by a National Park Service grant and matched by city dollars to proceed. Project manager Yvette Iraeta told the commission the city won a $750,000 NPS grant that required a dollar-for-dollar match; she explained the NPS portion is focused on structural, seismic and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements to Quarters A. "This project is federally funded," Iraeta said, adding that the award required local matching funds and that combining NPS and HUD funds will increase the overall budget available for work.

What was approved: The NPS-funded scope for Quarters A includes masonry repointing, installation of basement shotcrete and shear walls, chimney bracing, interior plaster repair, repainting, a wheelchair lift at the south elevation and associated accessibility work, staff said. Architect Mike Garavaglia described core structural measures as anchoring the building to its foundation, basement shear walls and localized beam strengthening; he noted most seismic upgrades will be concealed within finishes rather than visible to the public.

Public questions and staff answers: Vallejo resident Angela McDonald asked whether ground-floor interventions would be visible. Garavaglia replied that add‑alternate shear walls at the main level would be hidden in existing walls and that removed finishes (for example, paneling) would be carefully reinstalled. On funding, the commission was told $750,000 in NPS funds has been awarded and that a matching contribution from the City of Vallejo’s general fund is required; staff confirmed city match funds are being committed.

Related approvals: The commission also considered a companion item covering St. Peter’s Naval Chapel, Quarters A and the Servants Quarters (listed under CEQA Guidelines sections 15303 and 15331) that would authorize a standalone accessible restroom, an ADA path of travel, landscape and lighting improvements, selective exterior repairs and interior painting to preserve historic character. Planning Manager Cesar Orozco summarized the scope and said the work has been reviewed against the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. "Staff believes that the project can be found to be exempt from CEQA," Orozco said.

Vote and next steps: Commissioners moved and seconded the approval motions and conducted verbal roll calls for each item. Both the Quarters A certificate of appropriateness and the resolution finding the chapel and associated buildings exempt from CEQA passed unanimously. Following the 10‑day appeal period (if any appeals are filed the city council would hear them de novo), Public Works and the applicant will proceed with building permits, plan routing and the bid process; staff and the architect said bids are targeted by August with construction potentially beginning in November and lasting about six months.

Project constraints and funding notes: Project managers cautioned that the NPS funds and the city’s match are focused on the structural and accessibility scope and that combining HUD dollars (presented to the commission as a separate agenda item) is intended to increase the overall work that can be completed. A cistern on the site will be reactivated as part of drainage and irrigation planning; the architect described its capacity as about "13 or 14,000 gallons." The commission also discussed phasing and the standard building permit review process that will enforce conditions of approval.

The commission closed the public hearing after taking questions; staff said no written comments had been received as of the hearing. With no appeals filed, the approvals will allow the rehabilitation to move into permitting and bidding stages.