Dave Stolte is a thoughtful, creative, kind and generous individual. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him in recent years and am excited that he’s been offered, and accepted, the role as President of the Old Riverside Foundation. Dave lives in a 1910 Craftsman home in the Colony Heights Historic District of Downtown Riverside. He and his wife have been restoring the home for several years now and he’s intimately aware of the benefits and challenges when it comes to owning a vintage home. To give you an idea of who he is, when it came time to paint the house he researched paint palettes from well known Craftsman home companies at the turn of the century and picked his colors to suit their taste but also with a mind for what is appropriate for the house. Dave is a strong believer that he is not the owner of his home so much as he is a caretaker, which has some powerful implications when it comes to how he approaches his home but other areas of his life as well.
Dave’s first contact with the Old Riverside Foundation was through Dan Cocco. His old home necessitated an expert opinion on options for repairs and a neighbor recommended that he speak to Dan. “Dan came over and was just so generous with his time and his expertise and his contacts, everything. I was really impressed with Dan and how gracious he was.” Through Dan he got connected with the Riverside Renovators group who meet once a month at a vintage home, hear stories about the property and then “snack and snoop,” as the group’s organizer, Bill, likes to say. He applied for one of ORF’s Preservation Grants and received some funds to restore some of his original wood windows. It wasn’t long before he became interested in getting involved in a volunteer capacity and when a vacancy on the Board of Directors opened up he decided to give it a shot. Dave’s background is in design so he immediately went to work refreshing the logo, redesigning the website, creating designs for merchandise and setting up an online shop and creating a digital newsletter among other things. If you’ve connected with ORF on social media you’ve probably been talking to Dave and if you’ve bought ORF merchandise then you have one of his designs already in your possession! Of course, he didn’t do it all alone but he certainly did a lot of the heavy lifting. When I asked Dave about his initial desire to get involved I really enjoyed his answer. He said that his Craftsman home in his Historic District is the first time in his adult life that he truly felt home. “I’ve always felt like I was just temporarily staying somewhere but it wasn’t really home. We never had good neighbors in terms of friendliness, community feeling and when we moved to Riverside I was just so impressed by the friendliness of the neighbors, the feel of the neighborhood; I think there is something about the way these homes are built and designed; living among the huge trees. Living in an old neighborhood like this, I think people know they are in a special place. I was just really impressed by that and so because I felt welcomed and because I felt like I was at home I felt that this is a place where I can get involved and give back.” I like that term “give back” because it implies that you have first received. I believe that we all have received great gifts from the place where we live but maybe we have yet to fully appreciate what those gifts are.
I was curious to know what he thought about the main challenges facing Riverside in the coming decade from a preservation perspective. He explained that the big question he and the board are looking for answers to is ultimately, “What is the future of this City and where does historic preservation fit into the future of this city as well as the present?” It seems that the lens through which he is analyzing these questions is that of stewardship. “[These questions] Tied in with a feeling that I got living in this house and renovating.. it and taking care of it, realizing that we are all just temporary caretakers of these homes, these homes do not belong to us. I feel like I am the caretaker because there are so many families before me that have lived here and hopefully many many more families after me. In a broader sense we are all temporary caretakers of our planet, our communities and we are all just here for a short time so one of my goals is to preserve things and ideally leave them in better shape for the people that come after.” He then explained that some specific challenges we are currently facing is that our Historic Preservation Fund is almost entirely depleted and there doesn’t appear to be any good ideas to replenish it. Without this fund the city doesn’t have a direct way to financially contribute toward the preservation of our historic properties. Another issue is that Riverside is growing rather rapidly. The population continues to increase and the pandemic has put increased pressure on our population growth as Riverside still boasts affordability when compared to the coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange County. Population growth affects every aspect of living in Riverside and historic preservation is no exception. It’s important to keep a historic perspective when thinking about growth. One of my favorite quotes about this topic was taken from Tom Patterson’s, A Colony for California where he writes, “In 1966, in the course of developing a new master plan, the City Planning Commission and its professional staff headed by Thomas M. Brown, published a report called, ‘The Road Ahead.’ “Unlike many communities,” it said, “Riverside has an inheritance to lose, and there is a clear and present danger of losing it. The image of the quality city, with its distinctive character and well-known landmarks, is threatened-not by identifiable villains but simply by growth. Can inevitable change be directed to preserve what is good and to create new values?” There’s no question that our city landmarks, especially those located in Downtown Riverside’s historic core are the main features that create a sense of place, a sense of uniqueness for Riversiders. Dave believes that we once again need to place historic preservation at the center of our growth strategy for the coming decade. He believes we need to take steps to increase the effectiveness of our City’s Cultural Heritage Board and would like to increase outreach and events that can draw people in, add value to their lives and educate them on the importance of historic preservation. I ended the interview by asking Dave what he was most excited about with his new position. “I’m excited about the opportunity to participate in vital things. While I’m here, if I can use my energy, my skills and my focus to do good things for this city that I love so much, I’m just grateful for that.” The conversation about how we find balance between new development and historic preservation is something he’s most excited about being involved with. These are highly complex conversations, when you consider the aspects of growth such as housing affordability, transportation demand, traffic, pollution, strain on city services and infrastructure to name a few. I’m glad Dave is entering the conversation in this new position, I believe his approach of stewardship is a great one and I encourage anyone reading this to get in contact with the Old Riverside Foundation and take steps to more directly participate in the future of Riverside. I was curious to know what he thought about the main challenges facing Riverside in the coming decade from a preservation perspective. He explained that the big question he and the board are looking for answers to is ultimately, “What is the future of this City and where does historic preservation fit into the future of this city as well as the present?” It seems that the lens through which he is analyzing these questions is that of stewardship. “[These questions] Tied in with a feeling that I got living in this house and renovating it and taking care of it, realizing that we are all just temporary caretakers of these homes, these homes do not belong to us. I feel like I am the caretaker because there are so many families before me that have lived here and hopefully many many more families after me. In a broader sense we are all temporary caretakers of our planet, our communities and we are all just here for a short time so one of my goals is to preserve things and ideally leave them in better shape for the people that come after.” He then explained that some specific challenges we are currently facing is that our Historic Preservation Fund is almost entirely depleted and there doesn’t appear to be any good ideas to replenish it. Without this fund the city doesn’t have a direct way to financially contribute toward the preservation of our historic properties. Another issue is that Riverside is growing rather rapidly. The population continues to increase and the pandemic has put increased pressure on our population growth as Riverside still boasts affordability when compared to the coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange County. Population growth affects every aspect of living in Riverside and historic preservation is no exception. It’s important to keep a historic perspective when thinking about growth. One of my favorite quotes about this topic was taken from Tom Patterson’s, A Colony for California where he writes, “In 1966, in the course of developing a new master plan, the City Planning Commission and its professional staff headed by Thomas M. Brown, published a report called, ‘The Road Ahead.’ “Unlike many communities,” it said, “Riverside has an inheritance to lose, and there is a clear and present danger of losing it. The image of the quality city, with its distinctive character and well-known landmarks, is threatened-not by identifiable villains but simply by growth. Can inevitable change be directed to preserve what is good and to create new values?” There’s no question that our city landmarks, especially those located in Downtown Riverside’s historic core are the main features that create a sense of place, a sense of uniqueness for Riversiders. Dave believes that we once again need to place historic preservation at the center of our growth strategy for the coming decade. He believes we need to take steps to increase the effectiveness of our City’s Cultural Heritage Board and would like to increase outreach and events that can draw people in, add value to their lives and educate them on the importance of historic preservation. I ended the interview by asking Dave what he was most excited about with his new position. “I’m excited about the opportunity to participate in vital things. While I’m here, if I can use my energy, my skills and my focus to do good things for this city that I love so much, I’m just grateful for that.” The conversation about how we find balance between new development and historic preservation is something he’s most excited about being involved with. These are highly complex conversations, when you consider the aspects of growth such as housing affordability, transportation demand, traffic, pollution, strain on city services and infrastructure to name a few. I’m glad Dave is entering the conversation in this new position, I believe his approach of stewardship is a great one and I encourage anyone reading this to get in contact with the Old Riverside Foundation and take steps to more directly participate in the future of Riverside.
Dave’s first contact with the Old Riverside Foundation was through Dan Cocco. His old home necessitated an expert opinion on options for repairs and a neighbor recommended that he speak to Dan. “Dan came over and was just so generous with his time and his expertise and his contacts, everything. I was really impressed with Dan and how gracious he was.” Through Dan he got connected with the Riverside Renovators group who meet once a month at a vintage home, hear stories about the property and then “snack and snoop,” as the group’s organizer, Bill, likes to say. He applied for one of ORF’s Preservation Grants and received some funds to restore some of his original wood windows. It wasn’t long before he became interested in getting involved in a volunteer capacity and when a vacancy on the Board of Directors opened up he decided to give it a shot. Dave’s background is in design so he immediately went to work refreshing the logo, redesigning the website, creating designs for merchandise and setting up an online shop and creating a digital newsletter among other things. If you’ve connected with ORF on social media you’ve probably been talking to Dave and if you’ve bought ORF merchandise then you have one of his designs already in your possession! Of course, he didn’t do it all alone but he certainly did a lot of the heavy lifting. When I asked Dave about his initial desire to get involved I really enjoyed his answer. He said that his Craftsman home in his Historic District is the first time in his adult life that he truly felt home. “I’ve always felt like I was just temporarily staying somewhere but it wasn’t really home. We never had good neighbors in terms of friendliness, community feeling and when we moved to Riverside I was just so impressed by the friendliness of the neighbors, the feel of the neighborhood; I think there is something about the way these homes are built and designed; living among the huge trees. Living in an old neighborhood like this, I think people know they are in a special place. I was just really impressed by that and so because I felt welcomed and because I felt like I was at home I felt that this is a place where I can get involved and give back.” I like that term “give back” because it implies that you have first received. I believe that we all have received great gifts from the place where we live but maybe we have yet to fully appreciate what those gifts are.
I was curious to know what he thought about the main challenges facing Riverside in the coming decade from a preservation perspective. He explained that the big question he and the board are looking for answers to is ultimately, “What is the future of this City and where does historic preservation fit into the future of this city as well as the present?” It seems that the lens through which he is analyzing these questions is that of stewardship. “[These questions] Tied in with a feeling that I got living in this house and renovating.. it and taking care of it, realizing that we are all just temporary caretakers of these homes, these homes do not belong to us. I feel like I am the caretaker because there are so many families before me that have lived here and hopefully many many more families after me. In a broader sense we are all temporary caretakers of our planet, our communities and we are all just here for a short time so one of my goals is to preserve things and ideally leave them in better shape for the people that come after.” He then explained that some specific challenges we are currently facing is that our Historic Preservation Fund is almost entirely depleted and there doesn’t appear to be any good ideas to replenish it. Without this fund the city doesn’t have a direct way to financially contribute toward the preservation of our historic properties. Another issue is that Riverside is growing rather rapidly. The population continues to increase and the pandemic has put increased pressure on our population growth as Riverside still boasts affordability when compared to the coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange County. Population growth affects every aspect of living in Riverside and historic preservation is no exception. It’s important to keep a historic perspective when thinking about growth. One of my favorite quotes about this topic was taken from Tom Patterson’s, A Colony for California where he writes, “In 1966, in the course of developing a new master plan, the City Planning Commission and its professional staff headed by Thomas M. Brown, published a report called, ‘The Road Ahead.’ “Unlike many communities,” it said, “Riverside has an inheritance to lose, and there is a clear and present danger of losing it. The image of the quality city, with its distinctive character and well-known landmarks, is threatened-not by identifiable villains but simply by growth. Can inevitable change be directed to preserve what is good and to create new values?” There’s no question that our city landmarks, especially those located in Downtown Riverside’s historic core are the main features that create a sense of place, a sense of uniqueness for Riversiders. Dave believes that we once again need to place historic preservation at the center of our growth strategy for the coming decade. He believes we need to take steps to increase the effectiveness of our City’s Cultural Heritage Board and would like to increase outreach and events that can draw people in, add value to their lives and educate them on the importance of historic preservation. I ended the interview by asking Dave what he was most excited about with his new position. “I’m excited about the opportunity to participate in vital things. While I’m here, if I can use my energy, my skills and my focus to do good things for this city that I love so much, I’m just grateful for that.” The conversation about how we find balance between new development and historic preservation is something he’s most excited about being involved with. These are highly complex conversations, when you consider the aspects of growth such as housing affordability, transportation demand, traffic, pollution, strain on city services and infrastructure to name a few. I’m glad Dave is entering the conversation in this new position, I believe his approach of stewardship is a great one and I encourage anyone reading this to get in contact with the Old Riverside Foundation and take steps to more directly participate in the future of Riverside. I was curious to know what he thought about the main challenges facing Riverside in the coming decade from a preservation perspective. He explained that the big question he and the board are looking for answers to is ultimately, “What is the future of this City and where does historic preservation fit into the future of this city as well as the present?” It seems that the lens through which he is analyzing these questions is that of stewardship. “[These questions] Tied in with a feeling that I got living in this house and renovating it and taking care of it, realizing that we are all just temporary caretakers of these homes, these homes do not belong to us. I feel like I am the caretaker because there are so many families before me that have lived here and hopefully many many more families after me. In a broader sense we are all temporary caretakers of our planet, our communities and we are all just here for a short time so one of my goals is to preserve things and ideally leave them in better shape for the people that come after.” He then explained that some specific challenges we are currently facing is that our Historic Preservation Fund is almost entirely depleted and there doesn’t appear to be any good ideas to replenish it. Without this fund the city doesn’t have a direct way to financially contribute toward the preservation of our historic properties. Another issue is that Riverside is growing rather rapidly. The population continues to increase and the pandemic has put increased pressure on our population growth as Riverside still boasts affordability when compared to the coastal areas of Los Angeles and Orange County. Population growth affects every aspect of living in Riverside and historic preservation is no exception. It’s important to keep a historic perspective when thinking about growth. One of my favorite quotes about this topic was taken from Tom Patterson’s, A Colony for California where he writes, “In 1966, in the course of developing a new master plan, the City Planning Commission and its professional staff headed by Thomas M. Brown, published a report called, ‘The Road Ahead.’ “Unlike many communities,” it said, “Riverside has an inheritance to lose, and there is a clear and present danger of losing it. The image of the quality city, with its distinctive character and well-known landmarks, is threatened-not by identifiable villains but simply by growth. Can inevitable change be directed to preserve what is good and to create new values?” There’s no question that our city landmarks, especially those located in Downtown Riverside’s historic core are the main features that create a sense of place, a sense of uniqueness for Riversiders. Dave believes that we once again need to place historic preservation at the center of our growth strategy for the coming decade. He believes we need to take steps to increase the effectiveness of our City’s Cultural Heritage Board and would like to increase outreach and events that can draw people in, add value to their lives and educate them on the importance of historic preservation. I ended the interview by asking Dave what he was most excited about with his new position. “I’m excited about the opportunity to participate in vital things. While I’m here, if I can use my energy, my skills and my focus to do good things for this city that I love so much, I’m just grateful for that.” The conversation about how we find balance between new development and historic preservation is something he’s most excited about being involved with. These are highly complex conversations, when you consider the aspects of growth such as housing affordability, transportation demand, traffic, pollution, strain on city services and infrastructure to name a few. I’m glad Dave is entering the conversation in this new position, I believe his approach of stewardship is a great one and I encourage anyone reading this to get in contact with the Old Riverside Foundation and take steps to more directly participate in the future of Riverside.
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