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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-12-13- HSPB minutes Page 1 of 6 CITY OF PALM SPRINGS HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING Minutes of Regular Meeting -Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at 8:15 a.m. Large Conference Room, City Hall, 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, California 92262 ROLL CALL Present This Meeting Present Year-to-Date FY 2005-2006 Excused Absences To-Date James Hayton, Chair X 5 0 Sidney Williams, Vice Chair X 4 1 William “Bill” Scott X 5 0 John Williams X 5 0 Jim Isermann X 3 2 Jade Nelson X 5 0 STAFF PRESENT: Craig Ewing, Director of Planning Loretta Moffett, Senior Secretary Jing Yeo, Principal Planner * * * * * Chairman Hayton called the meeting to order at 8:18 a.m. * * * * * * REPORT OF POSTING OF AGENDA: The Revised Agenda was available and posted in accordance with state and local procedures for public access at the City Hall exterior bulletin board and the Department of Planning Services counter by 4:00 p.m., Thursday, December 7, 2005. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Robert Imber read his statements and also from the Historic assessment of the Oasis Hotel Adaptive Re-use about the front stairwell, and stated his appreciation for the revisions being made to the project. He challenged the architect to place the stairwell behind or within the building to protect the historic postcard view. Reported that he spoke with Eric Lloyd Wright, son of Lloyd Wright, and Wright remains concerned about the stairwell and the major exterior attachments to the concrete, stated that his father preferred a warm white on the tan side, and that the olive green was a favorite trim color. Mr. Imber urged the architect and developer to travel to Malibu to meet with Eric Wright. He urged the public to become more involved and supportive of this Board. Peter Moruzzi, President of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, indicated a sadness to learn that Planning staff has no authority to require review of modifications to buildings identified in the Historic Resource Survey that require buildings permits, which includes modifications to or demolition of properties rated as significant in the Survey, and stated that given the City’s lack of authority to review these buildings, it’s as if the Survey doesn’t exist. ModCom asked their attorney to review staff’s letter and passed around their response. He read one paragraph from the letter that stated.....”the City should either list all resources found to be significant by the Historic Resources Survey and Class 1 Historic Sites which would trigger discretionary review of projects or permits for demolition or remodeling, or update it’s Historic Preservation Ordinance to provide the same protection to these sites.” Mr. Moruzzi reported that the Palm Springs Modern Committee strongly urges this Board to take the advice of City staff and ModCom’s attorneys and update the Historic Preservation Ordinance. Basically it needs to state...”all Survey property identified as significant (53 properties of the 200 listed) will be subject to the same level of review as Class 1 Historic Sites.” ModCom proposes that the first priority of the HSPB Study Session be the drafting of a proposed ordinance updating these issues. Mr. Moruzzi stated that ModCom would provide their attorney to draft this language or it could be drafted by City staff or the City Attorney. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Page 2 of 6 M/S/C (S. Williams / B. Scott - 5 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent, 0 Abstentions) to approve the November 29, 2005 Special Meeting Minutes as submitted. The November 8, 2005 Meeting Minutes will be carried forward to the December 13 meeting. NOTE: Audio Cassettes and DVDs of HSPB Meetings are available for review. Cassettes will be kept for six months. DVDs of the meetings will be kept indefinitely. Minutes format is more action related than verbatim except where special interest or special meetings are involved. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Chairman Hayton passed around copies of an article related to recycling materials from buildings being demolished. Example was the 816 North Patencio home which had incredible materials showing great workmanship that were lost to the bulldozer, landfill, etc. Implores this Board and others to recycle materials when demolitions occur - - tax deductions are available as well. Public input is very important and urges continued input in this process. PUBLIC HEARING: N O N E ARCHITECTURAL APPROVAL: 5. Case 5.1076 - Application by Oasis Plaza for the adaptive re-use of a hotel to a restaurant and the demolition of two (2) buildings for a parking lot at 121 South Palm Canyon Drive, Zone CBD, Section 15. (Oasis Tower Class 1 Site #10) Staff reported this is being brought back to the Board as a follow-up to the November 29 Special meeting where the Board recommended 3-2 to approve the modifications as shown on the elevations subject to further study of the stairwell location, building color, and the landscaping. Sub-committee members Bill Scott and Sidney Williams attended the December 12 AAC meeting and reported meeting with the owner’s representative and architect to review the new landscape plan, revised stair plan, and the building colors. The original colors proposed for the building were a warm tan and green and the direction of the colors are now a white with olive green in keeping with Lloyd Wright’s original design. The Architectural Advisory Committee (AAC) at it’s December 12 meeting, made several interesting comments, overall they approved the building subject to more detailed refinement of the new stairway, re-study the colors in terms of graying them down, and more input on the landscape plan to a more desert style as well as the outdoor lighting aspects of the Oasis Tower and the up-lighting. It was mentioned that Frank Lloyd Wright and son Lloyd Wright were constantly renovating their own projects and changing their own buildings - both houses and commercial buildings. This needs to be taken into consideration. Overall AAC thought the project was going in the right direction and there was unanimous consent that the new stairway design is the way to go. AAC members suggested using alternative metal materials instead of wood 2 x 2's that are not conducive to the desert climate. Metal materials are easier to maintain and last longer. Additional paint scrapings were done down to the bare materials which indicated an off white and a pale olive. The stairwell revised plans and elevations were posted for review. Still to be resolved is the tweaking of the landscaping, detailing of the stairway, and paint colors. The sub-committee will remain active and will report back to the Board as issues develop rather than the developer having to come back to this Board as each issue comes up. Staff stated that the Board does have the ability to take action on this. At the last meeting, the Board recommended approval, but did not include the three focused areas: Stairway, paint colors, and Page 3 of 6 landscaping. If the Board is comfortable with the stairway as re-designed, except for the detailing issues, the paint color (color pallet passed around), and the landscaping appears to need a little more work. There is action to take in terms of the stairway. M/S/C (B. Scott / J. Williams 5 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent, 0 Abstentions) that the Board approve the revised stairway design, the revised paint colors as presented, and revised planting plan as presented with the understanding that there will be some refinement to the detail designs that will to through the AAC and will be reviewed by the standing sub-committee of Sidney Williams and Bill Scott. AGENDA ITEM # 1: PRE-APP: APPLICATION BY TAYLOR FIERCE ARCHITECTS FOR PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAMWAY TO ADD AN 1,180 SQUARE FOOT CAFÉ AND ADA RAMP, ZONE O, SECTION 7. (Class 1 Site #33) DISCUSSION ONLY Staff advised that this is being brought to the Board as an addition to a Class 1 Historic Site (Tramway Valley Station) as a free-standing new 1,000 sq. ft. building to enclose an existing outdoor café and add an ADA ramp to the second level. Site plans were posted for viewing. The Board is not being asked for approval or recommendation today. This is to present the concept and allow Board direction or input to the applicant before it is brought back in a formal application. Steve Fierce, of Taylor Fierce Architects, provided color concepts of the project. The existing patio has a current canvas canopy and the proposed project is a detached structure with no physical attachment to the existing building, but will enclose the existing outdoor dining space. There will be an ADA accessible ramp to lead up to the original deck. The color will match existing light green. Board concerns: Roof line mimics the Tramway Gas Station (Historic Site #33) which may not be appropriate being a new addition. Design does not seem in scale or in feeling to be consistent to Albert Frey’s work or philosophy. New additions need to be differentiated from originals - they should be significantly different than existing historic structures. Albert Frey’s work tends to be very subtle - in materials with a structural responsibility. This addition is a “look at me” and should respect the existing building as well as solve the enclosure problem. This new addition makes the existing building look and feel kind of “second cousin” old and perhaps a little stale. New structure should complement without overshadowing the existing. Director Craig Ewing stated that this is a pre-application and only goes as far as this Board or perhaps to the Architectural Advisory Committee before it becomes a formal application that would then go thru a full review including an environmental review. PUBLIC COMMENT: Peter Moruzzi, Chair of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, reported that ModCom was founded in 1999 around the Albert Frey issue (Fire Station #1). Many of Albert Frey’s works are extremely important. CEQA requires that direct or indirect impacts to historic resources are subject to full environmental review that would look at alternatives that would meet program requirements of the client. ADA requirements regarding the ramp, the state historic building code would apply to a Class 1 Historic Site. In terms of the EIR mentioned by staff, a mitigated negative declaration would not be appropriate, this requires full environmental review. Project applicant, James Whitmore, VP of Operations of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, indicated they are now aware of this Board’s direction and will proceed from this point. This item was for discussion only and will come back at a future meeting. A sub-committee will be appointed when a formal application has been filed. Staff will advise Board when application has been presented and will discuss how the sub-committee will be involved. Page 4 of 6 AGENDA ITEM #2: MEDIA OUTREACH SUB-COMMITTEE UPDATE - MEMBER JOHN WILLIAMS. Board Member Scott reported talking with several real estate brokers who do not understand about the Class 3 designation for historic structures built before 1945. It might be appropriate for Board Members to speak before some of the real estate brokers’ associations so they know a structure built before 1945 is a Class 3 Historic Site. Realtors have a Wednesday meeting, John Williams volunteered to speak about Class 1, 2, 3, and the Historic Survey. AGENDA ITEMS #3: HISTORIC SITE PLAQUE SURVEY UPDATE - STAFF Nothing to report. AGENDA ITEM #4: DISCUSSION OF CITY’S HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE (Chapter 8.05 PSMC), DUTIES, ACTIVITIES, ETC. Staff referred to a memo in the Board packet that is to clarify Board and staff’s development preview ability regarding City historic resources under CEQA that outlines procedures currently in place. Two case summaries in the Board packet are intended to outline the basics of CEQA and that it does not apply to ministerial permits. In the City of Palm Springs, ministerial permits would be such items as business licenses or building permits issued in areas that require architectural review and areas that do not. Areas that require architectural review are essentially commercial, industrial, churches, hospitals, homes on a major thoroughfare, such as Sunrise, Tahquitz, Palm Canyon, and hillside homes. This gives a basic foundation for discretionary review. All other places such as single-family homes not on a major thoroughfare are ministerial projects. In terms of how that applies to Historic Resources is if there is a resource on the Survey that otherwise does not require architectural review, such as a single-family home not on a major thoroughfare, staff cannot compel a discretionary review under CEQA. However, if it was a hillside or major thoroughfare home CEQA could come into place. Staff only looks at ministerial permits if they are demolitions. The Historic Preservation Ordinance requires discretionary review for demolition of Class 3 sites. Board concerns: Commercial properties, properties on major thoroughfares, hillside, etc that are on the Survey, will require more than ministerial review, such as the Bank of America building. The Washington Mutual Bank building application should have come before this Board. Has the Survey been submitted to the state office, and what is the significance of that submission? Is an Amendment to the Historic Ordinance necessary to include more of the structures listed in the Survey? How would this Board move forward with an amendment and who could craft the language. Is it appropriate to accept ModCom’s offer for their attorneys to prepare language to an amendment? Staff replied that SHPO is being researched. Will discuss with SHPO what it means when a survey is submitted. Will report back at a future meeting. The current Ordinance only requires review of Class 1, 2, and 3 sites. An update to the Ordinance would be needed to cover the resources in the Survey that otherwise would not require discretionary review. Staff, Council, and City Attorney would prepare the amendment(s). Public input is welcomed, so yes, staff would receive drafted language from ModCom’s attorney. Chairman Hayton asked about an older (maybe 20's or 30' era) bungalow style residence on Patencio that was undergoing extensive renovations – would that fall under what is being discussed? Would any of these older properties fall under the same guidelines? Staff explained that renovations occur throughout the City every day to buildings that are very old and some that are not. Today’s discussion is related to the 200 resources listed in the Historic Site Page 5 of 6 Survey. If the property mentioned above is not in the Survey, it would not fall under this Board’s review under the current Ordinance or a future Ordinance. There are hundreds of old properties in the City, it would take a major effort to flag all properties built before 1945 in Planning’s data system. Board suggestions: The Board look at drafted language for an amendment to the Ordinance and the importance of moving forward with this and coordinating a workshop to get this accomplished. The property mentioned above is a Class 3 site, built before 1945 and in the walk-around nothing is being done to the exterior, they are replacing the roof and a lot of interior work. Staff has to have the flexibility to approve those kinds of permits where there is no major change. This Board cannot review all the roofing applications for all the Class 3 sites. Staff indicated that is a policy question that should not be driven too much by staff re-sourcing. The community should define to what degree it wants to conduct historic preservation review in the community. The current Ordinance has kind of drawn the line around Class 1 and around demolition of Class 3. Can it be drawn a different way - absolutely. Does the staff know in advance the right way to draw – staff does not. That will be part of the workshop discussions for various options for drawing that line again and the preferences and what will be referred to the city Council. The Council will make the final decision as to where that line might be drawn between those buildings and properties subject to historical review and those that are not. Staff does not have an outcome in mind for this - options will be presented to the Board for consideration and the Board can decide what it feels is appropriate. The commercial, hillside, and main thoroughfare properties are subject to architectural review and that is a discretionary approval and the CEQA review process is then triggered. Amending the local Ordinance so it provides the protection directly - not through CEQA - is what should now be considered to say that “these properties are subject to a local Ordinance not to a CEQA information disclosure requirement.” Board Members agreed that the community should be involved when crafting the amendment of an ordinance and be invited to attend the HSPB workshop. The question now is drafting a simple invitation for members of the community so maximum public input and involvement can be obtained. PUBLIC COMMENT: Peter Moruzzi re-stated that commercial properties and properties on main thoroughfares are covered under the current regulations and Ordinance. The question is.. “What is the threshold by which architectural review would be required?” In the interim, will staff formalize that they will require review of these properties identified as significant on the Survey? Will they come before the Board as Class 1 Historic Sites do for alterations, or will it be done at the staff level and in some cases come before this Board? This needs to be clarified because it can be many months before an ordinance amendment is approved by the City Council. There are 53 properties in the Survey that are identified as being significant which defines them being eligible for local or higher designation - 19 of those are private residences. Currently there is no review process at all for or of the 19 residences - there is a gap right now with those properties and the process. AGENDA ITEM #5: PALM SPRINGS PRESERVATION FOUNDATION - VICE CHAIR SIDNEY WILLIAMS. Vice Chair Sidney Williams reported the opening of the Modernism Show February 17 - 25 that will include a week-long series of events at the Museum, Albert Frey 1 & 2, the Historical Society ending on Feb. 25 with the symposium on Albert Frey. AGENDA ITEM #6: PALM SPRINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY - MEMBER JIM HAYTON Nothing to report. Page 6 of 6 AGENDA ITEM #7: PALM SPRINGS MODERN COMMITTEE - MEMBER JOHN WILLIAMS Nothing to report. AGENDA ITEM #8: ARCHITECTURAL & DESIGN COUNCIL-P.S. ART MUSEUM - MEMBER JIM ISERMANN Board Member Sidney Williams reported in behalf of Member Isermann that the last lecture was Rick Joy, an architect from Tucson, Arizona, who is making national headlines. The next lecture will be in conjunction with the Jack Lenor Larsen exhibition on January 28. The lecture will be on “designing the good life”. He is a world renown fabric designer and weaver. AGENDA ITEM #9: ON-GOING PROJECTS UPDATES - STAFF & SUB-COMMITTEES (A) - Visitors Center Amphitheater - Case No. 5.0942. Staff reported on the most recent construction activity. Chairman Hayton and Board Member Isermann (sub-committee members) met the public works field crew and staff at the site for a walk-thru and basically made some decisions as to placement of trees regarding heights and shapes to be sure the roofline of the building was preserved. There was discussion about the Score lines of the Amphitheater matching the Score lines on the roof. The field crew looked at this and to match the Score lines exactly would be very difficult because of the large size required for the concrete pieces. It will match in terms of pattern, but the pieces will be smaller. It was noted that the entry walkway into the Amphitheater did not line up so small adjustments were recommended. Board concerns: This was a purpose-built project. It was originally built as a gas station, it’s still referred to as a gas station, and now it is used as a visitors center. Sensitive to the re-use, application, and ensuring the building is maintained, that the tenant will survive and be successful, etc., but the landscaping suggested was a “done deal” and is inappropriate to the original use -- a gas station. Landscaping was to complement the architecture and it is important to keep one sight- line of the roof in tact without obstruction – that has not happened. The entire property will be surrounded by bougainvillea that may or may not be maintained at the low height suggested because different areas will receive variances in sunlight and water. When bougainvillea is kept “hedged” it does not bloom. Sorry this structure can’t carry some of its “gas stationness” forward. Staff reported that the temporary sign will remain for the immediate future. The bids received for the permanent signage were so far beyond budget that this is being reviewed again. BOARD AND STAFF REPORTS: Board Member Sidney Williams reported that she had been in contact with the regional manager of Washington Mutual Bank. She and Board Member Jade Nelson and Pete Murphy from the bank will meet in January to discuss the shade structure at the bank and will report back to the Board. Board Member Scott asked about the other items that were to be kept open on the Agendas. Staff will put all those projects back on as “on-going” items whether or not there will be updates at future meetings. They will be kept on agenda until the Board instructs staff to remove. STAFF REPORTS AND UPDATES: NONE There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:49 a.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be January 10, 2006 in the Large Conference Room at City Hall. Respectfully submitted, Loretta Moffett, Recording Secretary