HomeMy WebLinkAbout24715RESOLUTION NO. 24715
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING "THE J.
CHENEY WELLS RESIDENCE" LOCATED AT 1850 SMOKE
TREE LANE, ROCK 12, AS HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB
#125, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS. (APN #510-192-003).
WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the
designation of historic. sites and districts; and
WHEREAS, on, September 19, 2019, William and Jennifer Nelson Fain, owners
and applicant, filed an application with the City pursuant to Article 111, Section 8.05.070
(Procedure for Designation of Historic Sites and Historic Districts) of the Palm Springs
Municipal Code requesting Class 1 historic resource designation for the parcel located at
1850 Smoketree Lane Rock 12 (APN #510-192-003). The application included a historic
resources report ("the report") prepared by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation,
dated September, 2019; and -
WHEREAS, in October, 2019, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board
(HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource, accompanied by
City staff; and
WHEREAS, on November 12,201.9, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs
Historic Site Preservation Board ("HSPB") to consider Case HSPB #125 was held in
accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence
presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the
staff report and all written and oral testimony presented and voted to recommend that the
City Council designate "The J. Cheney Wells Residence" locate1850 Smoke Tree Lane
Rock 12 (APN #510-192-003), as a Class 1 historic site; and
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020 a noticed public hearing of the City Council to
consider Case HSPB 125 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all of the
evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not
limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony presented.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS HEREBY RESOLVES
AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: FINDINGS -PART "A". CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.
Resolution No. 24715
Page2
Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C), in
considering a recommendation to designate the site as a Class 1 or 2 historic resource
the City Council shall evaluate the application and make findings for conformance with
the following criteria:
Criteria-for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or
object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following
findings are met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
The J. Cheney Wells Residence exhibits exceptional historic significance as a highly
intact example of a custom designed California Ranch style home by notable architect
Albert Frey.
(Criterion 1) The resource is associated with events that have made a
meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community;
The report does not identify any events associated with the site, thus the site does not
qualify under Criterion 1.
(Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who
made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
The report identifies J. Cheney Wells (1874-1960) as a person who made a meaningful
contribution to national history because of his association with the American Optical
Company and as co-founder and developer of Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts,
the biggest living history museum in New England. Thus the Wells Residence qualifies
as a historic resource under Criterion 2.
(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of
national, state or local history;
The Wells Residence reflects the period in the development of Palm Springs between the
wars (1919 -1941) when notable personages from the movie industry and industry
mogels such as Wells discovered Palm Springs as a favored vacation destination and
built large custom homes here, transforming the small desert village into an internationally
known resort destination. It also reflects the period when the private enclave known as
Smoke Tree Ranch was first developing under the management of Fred and Maziebelle
Markham. Smoketree was one of the few subdivisions to be developed during the Great
Depression. As such the Wells Residence qualifies as a historic site under Criterion 3.
(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a
type, period or method of construction;
Resolution No. 24715
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The Wells Residence is a noteworthy example of a large custom home constructed in the
California Ranch style with modernist detailing. The California Ranch style was
popularized in the twenties and thirties by architect Cliff May. The Wells Residence
possesses qualities of the California Ranch style, notably its long sprawling form, a
pitched and/or hipped roof, an asymmetrical floor plan often in the form of a wide "V", an
emphasis on casual indoor I outdoor living, board and batten siding, and exposed rafter
tails. Although the architectural standard for Smoke Tree ranch was the ranch· style
typology, Frey infused the Wells Residence with many modernist details, such as large
expanses of glass, open floor plan, minimalist detailing of the home's interior and "wrap-
around" corner windows. For these reasons the Wells Residence qualifies under
Criterion 4.
(Criterion 5) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer,
artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that
possesses high artistic value;
The Wells Residence was designed by Albert Frey while he was an associate in the firm
of John Porter Clark1 . The report explains that although John Porter Clark's name is listed
on the building permit and the title block of the drawings for the home, Frey verified that
the design of the home was indeed his creation. As such the J. Cheney Wells Residence
qualifies as a historic resource under Criterion 5.
(Criterion 6) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable
entity whose components may Jack individual distinction, as used in
evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on
which more than one entity exists; or
The report does not assert that the Wells Residence qualifies under Criterion 6.
(Criterion 7) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information
important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
No information has been provided in the historic resources report on any pre-historic
significance of the site.
SECTION 2: FINDINGS -PART "B" -ANALYSIS OF INTEGRITY.
b. The site, structure, building or object retains one or more of the following aspects
of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards: integrity of design,
materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.
1 The report asserts that it was Clark's name, not Frey's on the blueprints and associated documents on
the house because Frey had not yet been elevated to Partner status within the firm, may not have been
licensed at the time to practice architecture at the time of construction of the Wells Residence and ii was
and is still common practice for the head of an architectural firm to be given the credit for an associates
work.
Resolution No. 24715
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The application includes an evaluation of the residence relative to the seven aspects or
qualities of integrity, as recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. The seven
aspects or qualities include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and
association. The application concludes that the residence retains a high degree of
integrity despite some modifications. The City Council made the following findings of the
site's historic Integrity:
1. Location:
The Wells Residence remains in the same location that it was constructed, thus it retains
integrity of location.
2. Design:
The Wells Residence possesses a high degree of design integrity and has been well
maintained.
3. Setting:
The setting of the Wells Residence, within a tract of similar custom-designed homes
within the rustic environment of Smoketree Ranch, remains as it was from the time of its
construction; it thus retains integrity of Setting.
4. Materials:
The Wells Residence was constructed of high quality materials; stucco, horizontal
clapboard siding, and steel casement windows; all of which are intact and in very good
condition. The original wood shake roof has been removed and replaced with
cementitious flat "shingles" which diminishes the material integrity of the residence. Thus
the home exhibits a fair degree of material integrity.
5. Workmanship:
The Wells Residence is a structure built of high-quality materials and craftsmanship
typical of a custom-built residence and thus retains integrity of workmanship.
6. Feeling:
The casual informal living style expressed in the Wells Residence with its large expanses
of multi-paned glass that create a strong visual connection between the inside and outside
of the·home is still intact as is the open floor plan. The home continues to exude a quiet
sense of elegance and comfort and thus retains integrity of feeling.
Resolution No. 24715
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7. Association:
The association with J. Cheney Wells is well documented in the report and the home also
retains its association visually with architect Albert Frey thus integrity of Association
remains strong.
SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS AND NON-
CONTRIBUTING FEATURES.
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to
distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that
contribute to the resource's historic significance from alterations, additions or features
that were added at a lat~r time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but
which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining
features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when ii is tasked with evaluating
future alterations to the historic resource.
The physical character-defining historic features of this resource include the following:
1. The California Ranch architectural style of the home.
2. The low-profile roofline with deep cantilevered eaves, wood shake roof, with
exposed rafter tails.
3. The stucco and horizontal clapboard exterior wall treatments.
4. The steel casement windows, including the large "walls of glass" in the living room.
5. The covered patios and verandas.
6. The additions, the designs of which are specifically credited to Albert Frey,
including those from 1947, 1968 and 1974.
The nonscc:intributing features include the following:
1. The 2009 swimming pool and 2014 spa installation.
2. The walkways and driveways.
3. The perimeter garden wall and equipment enclosure wall.
SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct
or reasonably-foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3)
(the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines,
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for
resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Resolution N o. 247 15
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SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITES .
According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code , the following shall apply to a Class 1
Historic Resource :
1. It shall meet the definition of a historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section
8 .05 .020.
2 . An archival file shall be maintained on the property by the City .
3 . It may be qualified as 'historic' at the federal , state , and/o r county level.
4 . The structure/site may not be modified nor objects removed without following the
procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05 .110 "Demolition or Alteration
of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources -Certificate of Appropriateness ".
5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a
location viewable from the public way .
6 . Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts
under Chapter 8 .05 of the Municipal Code shall be requ ired .
7 . The site shall not be further subdivided.
8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for
recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council 's resolution .
Based upon the foregoing , the City Council hereby designates "The J . Chen ey Wells
Residence " at , a Class 1 Historic Resource (Case HSPB #125).
ADOPTED THIS 30th DAY OF JANUARY, 2020 .
ATTEST:
Resolution No . 2471 5
Page 7
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
CERTIFI CATI ON
I, ANTHONY J . MEJIA, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs , hereby c ertify that
Resolution No. 24715 is a full , true and correct copy , and was duly adopted at a regular
meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on th e 30th day of January , 2020 ,
by the following vote :
AYES :
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN :
Counci lmembe rs Garner, Middleton , Woods , Mayor Pro Tern Hol stege , and
Mayor Kors
None
None
None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of Palm Springs , California , this 19 ,j...--. day of rE-\o>'vc?7 , 2.o 2..0
(1~
City Clerk