HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-04 - HSPB_157_RESO - Harriet Van HornRESOLUTION NO. HSPB #157
A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION
BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
THE "HARRIET VAN HORN RESIDENCE" LOCATED AT
1121 LINDA VISTA ROAD, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE,
(HSPB #157), APN #507-132-001.
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, The City of Palm Springs filed an application 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 "Harriet
Van Horn Residence" located at 1121 Linda Vista Road. The application included a
historic resources report ("the report").
C. WHEREAS, on January 31, 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 February 6, 2024, the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB)
reviewed an application proposing alterations to a Class 3 Site. At the meeting the HSPB
voted unanimously to impose a 120-day stay of alteration, and direct staff to initiate an
application for possible historic resource designation of the site; and
E. WHEREAS, on June 4, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic
Site Preservation Board ("HSPB") to consider Case HSPB #157 was held in accordance
with applicable law; and
F. 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:
Resolution No. HSPB #157 —"Harriet Van Horn Residence"
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June 4, 2024
Criteria for the Designation of Class 9 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 W) 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 II in Palm Springs.
Not only is the 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 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;
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. HSPB finds that criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion iii) 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 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
Resolution No. HSPB #157 —"Harriet Van Horn Residence"
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June 4, 2024
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 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;
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 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 "Harriet Van Horn Residence" is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as follows:
Location.
The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity
of location.
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
Resolution No. HSPB #157 — "Harriet Van Horn Residence"
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June 4, 2024
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.
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 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.
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 facade 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.
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.
HSPB finds the integrity of workmanship is met.
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.
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.
Resolution No. HSPB #157 — "Harriet Van Horn Residence"
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June 4, 2024
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
• 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
• 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,
Resolution No. HSPB #157 — "Harriet Van Horn Residence"
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June 4, 2024
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 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 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 within 90 days of the effective date of the Council's resolution.
Based upon the foregoing, the Historic Site Preservation Board recommends that the City
Council designate the "Harriet Van Horn Residence" located at 1121 Linda Vista Road, a
Class 1 Historic Resource (HSPB #157).
ADOPTED THIS FOURTH DAY OF JUNE 2024.
AYES:
Hough, Nelson, Hansen, Rosenow, Bachman, Herr, Moruzzi.
NOES:
None.
ABSENT:
None.
ABSTAIN:
None.
ATTEST:
l 2Q
Christopher Hadwin
Director of Planning Services
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA