HomeMy WebLinkAbout24798RESOLUTION NO. 24798
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING "THE LAS
PALMAS LIQUOR STORE" LOCATED AT 1595 NORTH
PALM CANYON DRIVE, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, (HSPB
#127), APN# 505-165-010.
THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:
A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the
designation of historic sites and districts, and
B. WHEREAS, on July 9, 2019, the City's Historic Site Preservation Board ("HSPB")
finalized its annual work plan for FY 2019 / 2020 and selected the Las Palmas Liquor &
Food store as its top priority to nominate as a possible Class 1 historic site; and
C. WHEREAS, the City commissioned a consultant, Northwind Resource Consulting,
LLC, to investigate the site and develop a historic resources report to inform the board
about the Las Palmas Liquor Store building; and
D. WHEREAS, in June, 2020, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board
(HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and
D. WHEREAS, on July 7, 2020, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic
Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #127 was held in accordance with
applicable law; and
E. 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 unanimously to
recommend that the City Council designate the site a Class 1 historic resource.
F. WHEREAS, on September 10, 2020, a noticed public hearing of the City Council
of the City of Palm Springs, California to consider Case HSPB #127 was held in
accordance with applicable law, and
G. WHEREAS, at said hearing 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 RESOLVES:
SECTION 1: FINDINGS — PART "A", CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.
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
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Page 2
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 Las Palmas Liquor Store Building may be considered historically significant as a
notable example of the Googie architectural style.
(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 does not identify any persons of significance associated with the site who
made a meaningful contribution to local, state or national history, thus it does not qualify
as a historic resource under Criterion 2.
(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of
national, state or local history;
The Las Palmas Liquor Store exemplifies the post -World War II Modern period in
architecture and development in Palm Springs. The Googie style, a substyle of
Modernism, was a direct result of greater auto mobility and tourism. As such the building
qualifies as a historic site under Criterion 3.
(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a
type, period or method of construction;
The Las Palmas Liquor Store embodies the distinctive structural characteristics of the
Google style which resulted from post-war economic prosperity and advances in building
technology. The specific characteristics include the exposed structure consisting of large
curved glulam beams and stone piers, as well as its sweeping cantilevered roof and glass
storefront. The architect's use of engineered glulam beams, rather than solid wood or
metal roof trusses allowed for the building's thin curved roof, dramatic cantilever and
uninterrupted interior space. As such the building can be found to qualify 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
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possesses high artistic value, -
Las Palmas Liquor does not represent the work of a master builder, designer, artist or
architect who was found to have had a significant influence on his age. The engineer of
record, Harold Schlintz was not found to have been prolific or especially notable, as very
little information about him was uncovered.
However Las Palmas Liquor possesses high artistic value as an intact example of the
Googie style of architecture as demonstrated in its expressive curvilinear roof, large
expanses of plate glass windows, beams, stacked block walls and stone piers. The
exuberant Googie style was presumably chosen for the Las Palmas Liquor store to catch
the eye of the passing motorist along Palm Canyon Drive, the City's main commercial
street. Therefore the building meets the definition of a historic site based on Criteria 5.
(Criterion 6) The resource represents
entity whose components may lack
evaluating applications for designation
which more than one entity exists; or
a significant and distinguishable
individual distinction, as used in
of historic districts, for parcels on
The Las Palmas Liquors building does not qualify 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.
Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,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.
The application includes an evaluation of the site 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 report concludes that the Las Palmas Liquors building retains a high
degree of integrity. Below is the City Council's evaluation of the site's integrity.
1. Location. -
Las Palmas Liquors remains in the same location in which it was constructed, thus it
retains integrity of location.
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2. Design:
The Las Palmas Liquor Store building appears to have had no significant alterations and
thus retains a high degree of design integrity.
3. Setting:
The setting of the Las Palmas Liquor Store building remains an active part of the Palm
Canyon commercial strip and thus retains integrity of Setting.
4. Materials:
The Las Palmas Liquor Store building has had very few modifications or alterations. It
continues to convey the material preferences of the design engineer and those material
technologies that were available at the time of construction. For example, the large
custom glulam beams designed specifically for use in the Las Palmas Liquor Store
building are still evident and unaltered, and the thin sweeping roof is intact and continues
to reflect the Googie style of architecture.
5. Workmanship:
The Las Palmas Liquor Store building retains integrity of workmanship as it continues to
convey evidence of the building's construction and aesthetic principals of the Googie
style. The building's workmanship is best expressed by the pre-engineered, curved
glulam beams which allowed for the sweeping curvilinear roof design.
6. Feeling. -
The Las Palmas Liquor Store building generally retains integrity of feeling. It still retains
its feeling as a modest -scaled commercial building built in the Googie style and designed
to catch the eye of passing motorists.
7. Association:
The Las Palmas Liquor Store building retains integrity of association due to its ability to
convey its association with the growth and development of Palm Springs as a mecca for
Modern architecture and tourism.
SECTION 1 DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS
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 later 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 it is tasked with evaluating
future alterations to the historic resource.
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The physical character -defining historic features of this resource include the following:
1. The shape of the building with its dramatic sweeping roof which is cantilevered
over the front facade is one of its most pronounced character -defining elements.
2. The roof and related elements: The dramatic slope of the roof, along with the
exposed curved glu-lam beams. The beams, which can be seen both inside the
building and out, are fundamental to the appearance of a light, "weightless" roof
resting on a transparent store front as they take the place of bulky trusses.
3. Projections. The cantilevered eave with exposed structural elements, thin profile
and upward slope is considered a character -defining feature of the store.
Additional the low stacked block planter on the east facade is also a
character0defining feature as it visually connects the stacked block wall at the
southeast corner of the facade to the front of the building and provides a visual
"base" for the east facade.
4. Openings. The front facade, comprised of full -height glass storefront along two-
thirds of the facade and a stucco wall on the remaining one-third. The
asymmetrical configuration is a key element of the Mid-century Modern style as is
the broad expanse of full -height glass.
5. Materials. The combination of materials including the stacked concrete block,
stone piers, expansive storefront glass and other materials that are representative
of Mid-century Modern architecture.
6. Craft Details. The curved glulam beams were engineered specifically for the Las
Palmas Liquor Store building and thus are considered character -defining elements
of the building.
7. Exterior features. The open space around the building including the landscape
planter and parkway along Palm Canyon and the parking lot on the north side of
the building which allows ample views of the dramatic roofline and provides visual
awareness of the "transparency" of the north facade and the dramatic effect
created by the large cantilevered upswept roof.
The non-contributing features include the following:
1. The landscaping
2. Mechanical equipment.
3. The parking lot and monument sign.
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 No. 24798
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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 on the property shall be maintained by the City.
3. It may be qualified as 'historic' at the federal, state, and/or 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 required.
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, City Council hereby designates "The Las Palmas Liquor Store
located at 1595 North Palm Canyon Drive, a Class 1 Historic Resource (Case HSPB
#127).
ADOPTED this loth day of September, 2020.
David H. Ready, Cit ager
ATTEST:
4t6ony J. M Ci C
Resolution No. 24798
Page 7
CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS)
I, ANTHONY J. MEJIA, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that
Resolution No. 24798 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 September 10, 2020, by the
following vote:
AYES:
Councilmembers Garner, Middleton, Woods. Mayor Pro Tern Holstege, and
Mayor Kors
NOES:
None
ABSENT:
None
ABSTAIN:
None
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of Palm Springs, California, this 24* day of 2.
A ony J. Mtprings,
jia,
City of Palm California