HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-02 - HSPB _155_RESO_Signed - Hick's ResidenceRESOLUTION NO. HSPB #155
A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION
BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
“THE ALVAH AND TERESA HICKS RESIDENCE” LOCATED
AT 701 NORTH PATENCIO ROAD, A CLASS 2 HISTORIC
SITE, (HSPB #155), APN #505-291-005.
THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD (“HSPB”) 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, Tom Ellicott and Kevin Palmer filed an application with the City
pursuant to Article III, Section 8.05.070 (Procedure and Criteria for Designation of Historic
Resources) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code requesting historic resources
designation for the “Alvah and Teresa Hicks Residence” located at 701 North Patencio
Road. The application included a historic resources report (“the report”).
C. WHEREAS, on March 22nd, March 27th, and March 28th, 2024, members of the
Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed
historic resource, accompanied by City staff; and
D. WHEREAS, on April 2, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic
Site Preservation Board (“HSPB”) to consider Case HSPB #155 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.
THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
RESOLVES:
SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “1”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.
Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the
HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following
criteria:
1. 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:
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April 2 2024
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic
significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
The report outlines the evidence of various changes made to the home since 1936, which
include additions to areas of primary importance, but the property tells the planning and
development history of Palm Springs as it relates to residential subdivisions and its
integration into the community. The home also maintains its association with Alvah Hicks
and Charles Crane, who are both figures of importance, and exemplifies the Spanish
Colonial style of architecture from that period. The period of significance is 1926-1939.
(Criterion i) 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 ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who
made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
Alvah Hicks was the builder and first owner of 701 N. Patencio Road. He was a builder,
developer, founder of the Palm Springs Water Company and civic leader who served the
city as one of the first council members. His contributions were pivotal to the development
of residential housing in Palm Springs as outlined in the historic resources report. Not
only did he build the physical structures, his involvement in the water company and public
office contributed to the growth of Palm Springs. Charles Crane lived in the house from
1936-1939. He was an American businessman, ambassador and diplomat for the United
States. Locally, his contributions to date farming had a lasting impact on the Coachella
Valley. Both Hicks and Crane made significant contributions on a local, state or national
level in the United States; therefore, HSPB finds Criterion ii is met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of
national, state or local history;
The home was completed as a speculative home in 1926 during the time “Between the
Wars (1919-1941)” and was recognized as one of the first homes to be constructed in the
Old Las Palmas neighborhood. The Merito Vista residential subdivision was developed in
1925 and the homes in this subdivision were largely Spanish Colonial Revival or Ranch
style homes. In the case of 701 N. Patencio Road, the original one-story home had
modest proportions, simple massing, and a covered front porch. Conventional materials
such as stucco and clay tiles were used to construct the home. Spanish and
Mediterranean Revival styles were representative of the period, and the additions that
were added in the 1930s kept with this expression of architecture. A majority of the
additions demonstrate compatible proportions and use of materials; however, the
changes made to the front façade obscures the simple forms and details of the original
home. Overall, the site meets Criterion iii because it reflects the time period of
significance, but the unsympathetic alterations to the front elevation prevent the home
from being an exceptional representation of Palm Springs in the period between the wars.
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April 2 2024
(Criterion iv) 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. As a speculative home, the construction methods
needed to be conventional and time efficient. HSPB finds this project does not qualify for
this criterion.
(Criterion v) 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 builder of the original home was Alvah Hicks. He moved to Palm Springs in 1913 and
used his skills as a carpenter to build homes and develop residential subdivisions. He
quickly acquired a reputation for high quality workmanship, and despite his lack of formal
training, he was able to accurately produce architectural details that emulated the desired
styles of the period. His skills and resources afforded him the opportunity to be involved
in many building projects for individuals such as Nellie Coffman and Thomas O’Donnell.
His contributions to the development of Palm Springs and the influence he had on local
history qualifies him as local builder of significance, thus HSPB finds Criterion v is met.
(Criterion vi) 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 vii) 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.
“The Alvah and Teresa Hicks Residence” is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as
follows:
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April 2 2024
Location.
The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity
of location.
Design.
The original layout of the 1926 home was a u-shaped floor plan with a shed roof leaning
on the center porch containing the double doors entrance. Alterations and modifications
were made in 1936 to include an observation tower to the north, a detached garage north
of the tower, and an addition to the south wing of the existing home that altered the original
roofline. All additions to the home use the same architectural language and style, and
most of the additions made to the property after the 1930s are located towards the rear
of the property, except for the new entry feature. The covered entry has a roof pitch that
extends perpendicular to the original roofline and alters the original porch feature. This
addition of mass to the front façade results in a significant visual and material impact to
the integrity of the original design. It also appears that the original porch may have been
altered at some point in time. The front elevation is considered a primary façade, and any
proposed changes should be sympathetic to the historic mass, scale and proportions of
the building. HSPB finds the more recent alterations made to the primary façade of the
home overshadows the modest expression of the original design.
Setting.
The single-family home remains in a low-density residential subdivision and the areas of
concentrated open space on the property are maintained. The curving and rounded
streets are still intact, and the home appears to have a similar spatial distancing from the
main road as it did historically. As for the site placement of the home on the property, the
report notes that the location of the existing mesquite tree was taken into consideration.
The multi-trunk Mesquite tree thrives on the site and has become an integral part of the
site design. The overall integrity of the setting as it relates to the lot and the lot relative to
the rest of the subdivision remains intact.
Materials.
The exterior materials of the building consist mainly of stucco, clay tiles, wood framed
fenestration, and wooden rafters that extend to create deep overhangs. Changes have
been made to the exterior of the home including wholesale replacement of the roof tiles.
Additionally, new materials have been added to the property such as the brick pathways,
patios, and wooden pergolas. Where new features have been added, the exterior
materials appear to be consistent with the rest of the home. Excluding the replacement
s-tiles on the roof, the exterior materials appear to match closely with what would have
been used previously; thus integrity of material is met.
Workmanship.
Conventional construction methods were used to build the home and the existing details
appear cohesive and demonstrate a level of high-quality workmanship. HSPB finds the
integrity of workmanship is met.
Feeling.
The property remains a single-family home and continues to use the materials that best
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reflect the Spanish Colonial Revival style of architecture; however, the enhanced entry
feature adds prominence to the front door which was not typical. The subdued nature of
the entrance has been lost and the modern interpretation of the entrance has become the
strong focal point of the front facade. The integrity of feeling is not met.
Association.
The property is associated with the builder Alvah Hicks who was a well-known builder
and respected community member. He built many significant buildings in the early days
of Palm Springs and is locally recognized as a significant figure. He is directly associated
with this property because he built and lived in the home with his family before it was sold.
Additionally, the home was the residence of Charles Crane who was a known diplomat
and ambassador for the United States. 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.
Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:
• Overall site design
• U-shaped floor plan with interior courtyard
• Unadorned stucco exterior walls
• The shed-roof massing to the north of the front doors
• Covered front porch with tile roof overhang
• Wooden multi-light casement windows
• Wooden French doors
• Exposed wood rafter tail details
• Terra-cotta clay tile roof
• Rooftop observation tower
• Mature multi-trunk Mesquite tree as part of the site design
Non-contributing elements:
• Modified front porch and new entry feature on the primary façade of the house
• 1970s expansion to the primary bedroom on the south wing of the home and 1980s
addition to west elevation of the detached garage structure
• Perimeter masonry walls, gates, and planters around the property
• Swimming pool and associated equipment, added in the 1970s
• Outdoor water features, wooden pergolas, and exterior shades
• Brick pavers in patio areas and pathways
• S-tile terra cotta roof tiles
