HomeMy WebLinkAbout25217RESOLUTION NO. 25217
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
' SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE "HARRIET VAN
HORN RESIDENCE" LOCATED AT 1121 LINDA VISTA ROAD, AS
A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #157,
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 507-132-001).
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, the City of Palm Springs initiated an application seeking historic site
designation of the Harriet Van Horn Residence located at 1121 Linda Vista Road; and
C. WHEREAS, in January 31, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board
(HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and
D. WHEREAS, on June 4, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site
Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #157 was held in accordance with applicable law;
and
E. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all 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 and voted unanimously to recommend that the
Council designate the Harriet Van Horn Residence a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and
F. WHEREAS, on June 13, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council
to consider Case HSPB #157 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all
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.
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,1,a), the City
Council shall evaluate the application and make findings in 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 ("a"
and "b') are met.
' a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
The report clarifies the permit history and provides historical context surrounding the home and
the development patterns for the period after World War 11 in Palm Springs. Not only is the
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June 13, 2024
property an early example of Herbert Burns' residential work, but the home is also an intact
representation of an architectural style that was desired and readily accepted. The period of '
significance is 1948. The following is an analysis of the criterion and integrity findings.
(Criterion 1) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful
contribution to the nation, state, or community;
No information was provided indicating any significant event was directly associated with this
site. The site does not qualify under Criterion I.
(Criterion 2) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a
meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
The home was the residence of a writer and character actress by the name of Harriet Merry Van
Horn in 1950. The report concludes that there is little information about this individual other than
the fact that she owned the property for about a year shortly after it was constructed in 1948.
City Council finds that criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion 3) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national,
state, or local history;
The home was completed for the developers O.W. Kam and R.C. Inger in the El Mirador Park
tract. According to the research in the report, developers during this period tried to set apart their
homes through design. Herbert W. Burns was an established designer that had a distinctive style '
that identified with the Late Moderne movement of the post -World War II era. The design of the
building has a strong emphasis on the horizontal form and a flat roof. The mullions of the steel
framed windows, the vertical wooden poles and the horizontally stacked Arizona sandstone all
contribute to creating a subtle sense of ornamentation. The home in its condition is an
exceptional representation of this particular time period from a state and local standpoint, thus,
criterion iii is met.
(Criterion 4) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type,
period, or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs
evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of
construction) and the method (of construction). It appears that the home was constructed
using standard construction methods and does not qualify for this criterion.
(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;
Designer Herbert W. Burns is a locally recognized figure who designed a number of historically
significant buildings in Palm Springs such as the Town & Desert Apartments (370 W. Arenas '
Road, HSPB #90, Class 1 Site) and the Gillman Residence (574 W. Mariscal Road, HSPB #142,
Class 1 site). His designs include the use of specific building materials and his mastery in
creating balance with asymmetric compositions. His contributions to the development of Palm
Springs as a designer is evident in his work, thus City Council finds Criterion v is met.
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June 13, 2024
(Criterion 6) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity
' whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating
applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one
entity exists, or
No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi.
(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 on any pre -historic significance of the site.
SECTION 2: PART "B" ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC 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.
Beginning on page 12 of the report is an evaluation of the site relative to the seven aspects or
qualities of historic 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 site retains a high degree of integrity and is further
analyzed below:
1. Location:
The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of
location.
2. Design:
The single -story home is sited on a corner lot with the open space concentrated towards the
front yard and a square pool located at the far southwest corner of the lot. The design of the
home identifies with Late Moderne architecture which is identified in the Citywide Historic
Context Statement for Palm Springs as style that incorporates elements of Streamline Moderne
and the International style. The home emphasizes horizontality with the flat roof and the layout
of the building footprint. The stacked Arizona sandstone, steel framed windows with mullions,
and the vertical wood poles creates a composition of materials that emphasizes utilitarian
aesthetics with natural materials. The carport/garage area is enclosed, and a covered
breezeway now connects the detached maid's quarters to the home, but the majority of the
layout remains consistent to the original design, and all changes to the home are in discrete
locations with minimal impact to the design intent. The home retains the integrity of materials
which contributes to the clear depiction of the design intent. The integrity of design is met.
3. Setting.
The single-family home remains in a residential subdivision and the home occupies the same
location on the lot as it was originally intended. New hedges for privacy screening were installed
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June 13, 2024
to the front of the home which has altered the visibility of the home from the public right-of-way
but the overall relationship between the home and the open areas on site remain consistent ,
given that no significant additions were added to the home.
4. Materials:
The exterior of the building is comprised of unadorned stucco walls, unpainted Arizona
sandstone, thin vertical wooden columns, and steel framed windows. New solar panels were
installed to the flat roof but with a minimal profile and a new sliding door and windows were
added to the rear fagade but all the fenestration and sandstone details on the primary facades
appear to be original. The materials play an important role in the design of the building because
they incorporate the decorative elements that tie the design together. The integrity of materials
is met.
5. Workmanship:
Conventional construction methods were used to build the home but the attention to detail is
clearly visible when you observe the thin inset mortar joints between each layer of Arizona
sandstone. The property as it stands exhibits craft and high -quality workmanship. City Council
finds the integrity of workmanship is met.
6. Feeling:
The property remains a single-family home and clearly demonstrates characteristics pertaining
to Late Moderne architecture. The clear visibility of the site is now partially obstructed due to the
newly planted vegetation, however, the feeling related to the design remains fully intact. The
integrity of feeling is met.
7. Association:
The property is associated with the designer Herbert W. Burns and the high level of design and
material integrity that is retained affirms the building's strong association with the designer.
The integrity of association is met.
SECTION 3: 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.
The following is a list of character -defining features identified by the City Council:
Character -defining features of the resource are as follows:
• Overall site design
• Low -slung one-story configuration with horizontal massing and splayed L-shaped
building footprint
• Two main building volumes separated by inset entryway beneath a rectangular canopy
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June 13, 2024
• Unadorned stucco walls and stucco cladding with continuous slightly projecting relief
' along the roofline at exterior walls
• Flat roofline with wide overhanging eaves
• Flat -stacked Arizona sandstone chimneys projecting above the roofline at the north
and west elevations
• Fenestration patterns consisting of rectangular fixed and casement steel -frame
windows at all elevations
• Rectangular Swimming pool
• Flat -stacked Arizona sandstone wall, east of inset entryway at north elevation
• Low flat -stacked Arizona sandstone planters at north and south elevations
• Vertical cylindrical poles used as accents framing the north elevation of the western
volume
• Low concrete wall separating the front yard from the sidewalk
Non-contributing elements:
• Concrete entry pathway
• Hedges installed along the street -facing front fagade
• Enclosed carport with garage door east of the sandstone chimney on the north elevation
• Sliding glass door on the rear elevation
Privacy wall that terminates into the corner of the west fagade
Spa attached to the swimming pool
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.
SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO 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 Class 1 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
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June 13, 2024
within 90 days of the effective date of the Council's resolution.
Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates the "Harriet Van Horn Residence" I
located at 1121 Linda Vista Road, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #157).
ADOPTED THIS THIRTEENTH DAY OF JUNE. 2024.
ATTEST:
Brenda Pree, City Clerk
Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. '
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS)
I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution
No. 25217 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 June 13, 2024, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City
of Palm Springs, California, this Q +'I day of June 2024.
41
renda Oree, MC, A, City Clerk
City of Palm Springs