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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 1B_1356TamariskRoad_HDEMO2025-0004 HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD STAFF REPORT DATE: June 3, 2025 CONSENT CALENDAR SUBJECT: A REQUEST BY WAYNE PROPERTIES LLC TO DEMOLISH A CLASS 4 SITE LOCATED AT 1356 TAMARISK ROAD AND ASSOCIATED REVIEW FOR POTENTIAL RE-DESIGNATION OF A CLASS 4 SITE TO A CLASS 1 OR 2 HISTORIC RESOURCE (APN #507-255-007) (SY). FROM: Department of Planning Services SUMMARY The applicant wishes to demolish the existing structure on the 0.30 acre parcel addressed 1356 Tamarisk Road in the Movie Coloney East neighborhood. This home was constructed in 1959 but not listed on the Class 3 list of eligible sites for potential historic designation. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.130 (Demolition or Alteration to Class 3 and 4 sites), the HSPB will consider whether the site possesses sufficient historic significance to warrant possible re-designation to Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource and in doing so may issue a stay on demolition or alteration on the buildings. The owner is not seeking historic designation of the site. RECOMMENDATION: That the HSPB take no action based on the findings. The owner would then proceed with standard building permit procedures. BACKGROUND AND SETTING: The one-story home constructed in 1959 remained under the ownership of the first family until 2018. The home has a non-descript appearance and utilizes conventional building materials with no unique quality. Original slump-stone details and the decorative garage door design was removed, and a concrete block wall was built along the front of the home. The home is in a residential setting with no notable landscape features contributing to the site design. Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: June 3, 2025 HDEMO 2025-0004 – Demolition of Class 4 Site – 1356 Tamarisk Road Page 2 of 6 AERIAL VIEW OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL. FRONT (SOUTH) ELEVATION OF EXISTING BUILDING. Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc… May, 2025 Site inspection by HSPB accompanied by City Staff. Ownership Status January, 2025 Purchase by the current owner. Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: June 3, 2025 HDEMO 2025-0004 – Demolition of Class 4 Site – 1356 Tamarisk Road Page 3 of 6 ANALYSIS: Staff analysis is based on the application material and the site visit conducted in May of 2025. The property fits within the following period: Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969) Theme: Post-World War II Single-family Residential Development (1945-1969) Postwar Residential Architecture: Mid-century Modern Sub-theme: Single-family Residential Development (1945-1969) Registration Requirements to be eligible under this theme, a property must: • date from the period of significance; and • represent an excellent example of an architectural style or method of construction; or be associated with a significant architect or designer; and • display most of the character-defining features of the property type or style; and • retain the essential aspects of historic integrity. The home has been vacant since January of 2024 and building permits to remodel the existing home were issued in March of that same year. The interior of the home has been reduced to the studs and exterior fenestration on the street-facing elevation have been replaced but the remodel remains unfinished. Demolishing Class 3 or Class 4 sites require review by the HSPB in accordance with the Municipal Code Section 8.05.130. Criteria and Findings for Possible Re-designation of a Class 4 Building. If the HSPB finds that the site warrants possible re-designation, it may direct and authorize the processing of an application to re-designate the site as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource, which will then be considered by the HSPB and the City Council as provided in Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code. Any demolition/alteration permit shall be automatically stayed for a period of up to one-hundred twenty (120) days pending a re- designation decision. In making its review, the HSPB must make the following findings: 1. That the Class 3 or Class 4 building possesses exceptional historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance to warrant redesignation as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource in accordance with the criteria set forth in Section 8.05.070 above; and 2. That the Class 3 or Class 4 building retains sufficient historical integrity relative to its original configuration, architectural features, or character. If the HSPB cannot affirmatively make these findings, then it shall take no action and refer the permit to the Director of Planning who shall thereafter approve the application for submittal to the Building Department for appropriate building permits. Staff analyzed the site relative to the criteria in 8.05.070 as follows: Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: June 3, 2025 HDEMO 2025-0004 – Demolition of Class 4 Site – 1356 Tamarisk Road Page 4 of 6 a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below: Completed during the post-World War II period when there was an increased demand for housing, some sites embodied the period and survived with excellent integrity. To determine if the site should be reclassified, further evaluation of the following criteria is necessary: (i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; or Based on the information provided in this application, no events of significance are associated with the site, therefore, this criterion is not met. (ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; or Supporting research identified Herbert Elbert as the first owner and it remained in the family until 2018. The individuals associated with the home do not qualify under this criterion. Criterion ii is not met. (iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history; or The home at 1356 Tamarisk Road is a simple ranch-style home with minimal character- defining architectural features that represent its period of construction, nor does it reflect national, state of local history in a manner that is exemplary. Criterion iii is not met. (iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction; or No distinctive method of construction was used or identified; thus, the site does not qualify under Criterion iv. (v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age, or that possesses high artistic value; or Based on the completed research, the existing home is not associated with any master builder or architect and does not exhibit high artistic value. This criterion is not met. (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 Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: June 3, 2025 HDEMO 2025-0004 – Demolition of Class 4 Site – 1356 Tamarisk Road Page 5 of 6 The property does not qualify under Criterion vi because the site does not qualify for district designation and there is only once structure on this parcel. (vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory. There is no known information relative to the pre-historic period for this property. Evaluation of Historic Integrity. Historic Integrity is evaluated based on seven qualities: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association in accordance with guidelines of the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s National Register Bulletin titled: “How to apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” as revised from time to time. Staff evaluated the property’s integrity as follows: Location. The home is in its original location and has not been moved or reconstructed. Design. The home has a low-slung gable roof with openings that bring minimal light air into the space. Described as a ranch-style home, the design is conventional rather than innovative, and interesting features like the stump stone planters and original garage door motifs and patterns have been removed. Additions to the north side of the home are compatible in scape and material but not high-quality workmanship. The design of the home appears to be ordinary, at best, and all interesting features have been modified or removed. Design integrity is not maintained. Setting. The residential home is surrounded by other homes of comparable scale and remains consistent with the neighborhood pattern of development. Materials. The building is wood framed construction with stucco walls, asphalt roof shingles and windows and doors that have been partially replaced. While some original siding material may be extent along the rear walls, the exterior materials are a combination of old and new materials. Workmanship. Conventional construction methods and materials were used to construct the building. No exceptional workmanship is detected. Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: June 3, 2025 HDEMO 2025-0004 – Demolition of Class 4 Site – 1356 Tamarisk Road Page 6 of 6 Feeling. The site retains its overall feeling for a modest single-family home with ample yard space to the front and rear of the residence. The site feels consistent with residential development. Association. The home is not the best representation of the era in which it was constructed due to its quality of design and overall integrity. It is not associated with significant persons or designers. The integrity by association is not evident. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The possible action of the HSPB to initiate a re-designation application and to place a stay of demolition/alteration on the property is not subject to review under 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 Section 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Chapter 3. If no action is taken by the HSPB, the applicant will follow ministerial procedures that do not require CEQA review. CONCLUSION: Based on the submitted application material, staff finds that the site does not meet the necessary criteria to be reclassified as a Class 1 or Class 2 site historic site, thus recommends the HSPB take no action pursuant to Section 8.05.130.C.4.d.ii. PREPARED BY: Sarah Yoon, Associate Planner/Historic Preservation Officer REVIEWED BY: Anthony Riederer, Assistant Director of Planning Services REVIEWED BY: Christopher Hadwin, Director of Planning Services Attachments: A. Vicinity Map B. Application and related material ATTACHMENT A Department of Planning Services Vicinity Map CITY OF PALM SPRINGS 1356 Tamarisk Road ATTACHMENT B LOT 4(EXISTING RESIDENCE)CONC.DRIVEWAYGATEGATEGATEGATEHEDGEHEDGEGATEWALKWAYCONC.BLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLBLOCKWALLEDGE OFPAVEMENTBLOCKWALLELECTRICMETER @ WALL1 INCH STEEL GAS PIPE, STUBOUT, COMING OUT OF GROUNDTWO, 1 INCH PVC'S STANDING 1INCH OUT OF GROUND(473.54 TC)SITE BENCHMARKPLANTERPAVERSPAVERS30'PL TO CLTC TO CL5.00'5.00'P.U.E.P.U.E.(S 0°10'41" W107.75'(N 0°10'25" E107.96'{S 89°58'00" E 120.00'RECORDED & MEASURED}{N 89°56'00" E120.00'RECORDED & MEASURED}{S 0°11'00" W107.78'MEASURED)RECORDED}{N 0°11'00" E107.99'MEASURED)RECORDED}(475.24 FF)(473.44 EP)(473.85 TC)(473.38 FL)(473.81 TOX)(473.31 FL)(473.74 TOX)(473.25 FL)(473.74 TC)(473.22 FL)(473.64 TC)(473.14 FL)(473.58 TOX)(473.12 FL)(473.52 TOX)(473.07 FL)(474.92 FS)(474.96 FS)(475.16 FS)(475.21 FS)(475.13 FS)(475.05 FS)(474.92 FS)(474.85 FS)(474.88 FS)(474.97 FS)(475.13 FS)(475.19 FS)(478.2 TW)(474.41 FS)(474.71 FS)(474.95 FS)(474.90 FS)(474.29 FS)(474.28 FS)(474.97 FS)(474.67 FS)(474.34 FS)(474.45 FS)(473.16 FS)(473.16 FS)(480.64 TW)(474.36 FS)(474.37 FS)(480.67 TW)(474.46 FS)(478.1 TW)(474.1 EG)(480.62 TW)(478.2 TW)(478.1 TW)(480.66 TW)(478.1 TW)(480.7 TW)(478.1 TW)(480.7 TW)(481.01 TW)(480.7 TW)(481.00 TW)(477.1 TW)(475.18 FS)(477.5 TW)(475.0 EG)(477.4 TW)(477.1 TW)(475.1 EG)(481.0 TW)(481.28 TW)(481.0 TW)(481.20 TW)(480.4 TW)(480.4 TW)(475.04 FS)(474.89 FS)(474.74 FS)(474.89 FS)(474.74 FS)(474.54 FS)(475.02 FS)(478.1 TW)(478.6 TW)(480.3 TW)(480.3 TW)(481.5 TW)(480.5 TW)(481.5 TW)(481.5 TW)(481.5 TW)(475.4 EG)(475.3 EG)(475.2 EG)(474.9 EG)(474.6 EG)(474.9 EG)(474.7 EG)(474.6 EG)(475.4 EG)(475.4 EG)(475.4 EG)(475.5 EG)(475.3 EG)(475.5 EG)(475.5 EG)(475.3 EG)(476.8 EG)(475.4 EG)(475.2 EG)(476.5 EG)(474.9 EG)(474.9 EG)(474.6 EG)(474.9 EG)(473.9 EG)(474.2 EG)(473.6 EG)(473.9 EG)(473.3 EG)(473.3 EG)(474.4 EG)(474.7 EG)(474.7 EG)(474.9 EG)(474.5 EG)(475.0 EG)(475)(476)(476)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(475)(474)(474)(474)(474)(474)(474)(474)IPPWMWMIMBGMEDEMO HOUSE ALONG WITH SLAB AND DRIEWAYS AND ALL INTERIOR PROPERTY WALLSProject #:TITLE:SHEET:MARK DANIELS 1111 N. Palm Canyon Dr. #C Palm Springs, CA 92262info@mwdarch.com760-600-8240ISSUEDATEARCHITECTPROGRESS SET -NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION4/28/2025 12:14:35 PMA1.00DEMO PLANTRES RAYOS25011365 TAMARISK RDPALM SPRINGS, CA 9226228 APR 2025 HISTORIC RESOURCES REPORT 1356 TAMARISK ROAD, PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 PREPARED BY STEVEN KEYLON APRIL 23, 2025 Property Address 1356 TAMARISK RD PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 Assessment No. (PIN) 507255007 APN (GeoCode) 507255007 Property Type Single Family Dwelling TAG 011-023 PALM SPRINGS Acreage 0.30 Doing Business As Business Use Legal Description LOT 4 MB 018/074 DESERT SANDS Lot 4 SubdivisionName DESERT SANDS LotType Lot RecMapType Map Book MapPlatB 018 MapPlatP 074 Because it was built before 1978, 1356 Tamarisk Road is currently a Class 4 Historic Site. It was not identified as Class 3 - potentially eligible in the Citywide Historic Resource Inventory (last date revised: October 25, 2023). The house has not previously been evaluated to determine whether it would qualify as a Class 1 or 2 Historic Resource. Based on my analysis of the site’s history and current state, it would not be eligible as a Class 1 or Class 2 Historic Resource. 1356 Tamarisk in 2008. The home still had its original aluminum casement windows , decorative shutters, slumpstone piers, and planters. The concrete block wall had not been built in front. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: 1356 TAMARISK ROAD, PALM SPRINGS, CA 92262 Property Overview This property is a single-family residence located in the Desert Sands tract of Palm Springs. Built in 1959, the home occupies a 0.3-acre lot and features 1,627 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is bounded by a concrete block wall along Tamarisk Road, including driveway and pedestrian gate openings. Exterior Features The home presents as a one-story ranch-style residence with minimal ornamentation. The front yard is notably austere, lacking trees, shrubbery, or grass. A curved concrete walkway connects the pedestrian gate to the front entrance. The home's exterior is finished with stucco walls and topped with a composition shingle roof. 2011: The aluminum windows and shutters remain, as does the original garage door with diamond decorations. A new concrete block wall has been added. Front Façade The front façade is characterized by its primarily flat stucco surface. Moving from left to right: Garage: Features a garage door that was originally a flat plywood design with diamond pattern decoration (now modified). Windows: The façade originally included several aluminum-framed casement windows with decorative wooden shutters. All the windows have been replaced, and the shutters since removed around 2018: • Two matching-sized windows on the left side of the front door, servicing the bedroom areas. • One smaller aluminum casement window for the bathroom. • One larger window at the living room to the right of the front door, also with decorative shutters. Front Door: An original wood-veneered flat panel door with decorative Schlage escutcheon. 2019: The way the house basically appears today, with new windows, slumpstone detail removed or stuccoed over, and a new plain garage door. Historical Modifications: Originally, the façade featured a series of slumpstone piers with slumpstone planting beds below. These architectural elements were altered around 2018, with the piers being stuccoed over and the planting beds removed entirely. Rear Exterior The rear yard is enclosed by concrete block walls and lacks landscaping or a swimming pool. The rear façade consists of: Main Wall: A long, flat stucco expanse with one shallow bay window protrusion that retains its original aluminum-framed casement window. Openings: An original aluminum sliding glass door, a rear door, and a window. Later Addition: A long plywood overhang supported by wooden posts covers this expanse. Western Extension: The western portion appears to have been extended approximately five feet. This section features mixed cladding—half stucco and half T1-11 plywood paneling. It includes a window, a hinged door, a sliding glass door, and a large plywood panel covering an opening. Interior The interior of the house has been gutted down to the studs. Architectural Character The house represents a basic interpretation of the ranch-style without distinctive architectural detailing. The structure's original modest character has been further diminished through various modifications over time. The property's current condition is poor, exhibiting signs of abandonment and neglect. The ranch-style architecture, typically characterized by its single-story profile, low-pitched roof, and horizontal emphasis, is executed here in its most fundamental form without the refinements or details that would elevate it architecturally. Modificati ons have further eroded any period character the home might have originally possessed. 2022 REAL ESTATE LISTING PHOTOS: Drone photos taken of the front of the house from above. The interior of the house has been gutted down to the studs. Gutted interior hallway. APRIL 22, 2025 PHOTOS: The gate for the driveway on Tamarisk. Views from Tamarisk of the concrete block wall in front of the house. Two views of the primary façade facing Tamarisk. Two views of the section of the primary façade showing the bedroom windows, which are later replacements. Note the original slumpstone piers have been stuccoed over, and the slumpstone planter bed removed. The front door and replaced living room window. Curved sidewalk from pedestrian gate along Tamarisk to front door of house. The east façade in the side yard. The rear façade, with original aluminum sliding glass door, and aluminum-framed casement window. The rest of the door and window openings are later replacements. The deep overhang is also a later addition. Views of the rear façade and back yard. Views of the bumped-out addition behind the garage area. No permits exist for this work. BACKGROUND / HISTORIC CONTEXT The relatively short history of Palm Springs can be organized into several distinct periods, as defined by the Historic Resources Group’s Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings. These include the following: • Native American Settlement to 1969 • Early Development (1884-1918) • Palm Springs between the Wars (1919-1941) • Palm Springs During World War II (1939-1945) • Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969) It is within the context of the period “Post-World War II Palm Springs” that 1356 Tamarisk Road will be evaluated. The following context statement is edited from Historic Resource Group’s Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings: Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969): This context explores the post-World War II boom and related development that left Palm Springs with what many consider the most extensive and finest concentration of mid -20th century Modern architecture in the United States. Hollywood film stars and Eastern industrialists were joined in the postwar decades by ever-increasing numbers of tourists. The growing prosperity of the postwar years and the rise of the car culture created a leisured, mobile middle class that sought, in Palm Springs, the “good life” that had previously been available only to the wealthy. This surge of visitors and seasonal residents—by 1951 the city’s winter population swelled to almost 30,000 from a permanent population of 7,660—coincided with the peak of Modernism’s popularity. The population growth accelerated in the 1950s, bringing a demand for civic necessities such as schools, libraries, museums, a city hall and police headquarters, offices, stores, and housing. Palm Springs' growth as a tourist destination brought a demand for inns, resorts, and tourist attractions. Tourism also introduced a demand for affordable second homes for a growing middle class; the construction and financing methods for building such mass-produced housing tracts were already developing in suburban areas of larger cities, including nearby Los Angeles, and found a ready market in Palm Springs. Though Palm Springs was a smaller municipality, this economic climate provided many opportunities for locally-based architects, as well as several Los Angeles architects, to explore and develop a wide range of architectural types and ideas, sometimes influenced by sophisticated global design trends. These conditions and the architects' talents lead to the development of an exceptional group of Modern buildings which later came to be identified as “Palm Springs Modernism” or “The Palm Springs School.” The desert climate and casual lifestyle all but demanded unconventional design, and clients were more accepting of, even sought out, a more adventurous style in the resort atmosphere of Palm Springs than they would have in their primary residences. In the two decades after the war, Palm Springs was transformed with new commercial and institutional buildings, custom homes, and a large number of housing tracts. On page 430 of Historic Resource Group’s “City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings,” the Ranch-style is described: RANCH The Ranch-style emerged from the 1930s designs of Southern California architects and designers such as Cliff May who merged modernist ideas with traditional elements of the working ranches of the American West and in particular, the rustic adobe houses of California’s Spanish- and Mexican-era ranchos. Early Ranch-style houses feature board-and-batten exterior cladding and low-pitch gable roofs with wood shakes. The Ranch house accommodated America’s adoption of the automobile as the primary means of transportation with a two-car garage that was a prominent architectural feature on the front of the house, and a sprawling layout on a large lot. In 1930s Palm Springs the Ranch house took on the simpler, more rustic style of traditional southwestern adobe, hacienda, and wood vernacular types that was believed to be better suited to the desert climate and casual lifestyle. These tended to be informal one-story houses finished in plaster, brick, or board-and-batten siding, with irregular or rambling plans, low-pitched tile or wood shake roofs, wide verandas, wood or steel windows, and minimal ornamentation. The Ranch-style house proved popular both before and after the war, combining as it did modernist ideas of open interior space with traditional imagery of working ranches and Spanish ranchos. Many such residences can be found in pre-war residential tracts such as Las Palmas Estates, including 365 Camino Norte and 523 Camino Sur, both constructed in 1936. The Ranch house became increasingly popular in the post-World War II era. The architectural style embodied the mid-20th century ideal of “California living.” It was more conservative than other Modern residential architecture of the period, often using decorative elements based on historical forms and capitalizing on the national fascination with the “Old West.” The underlying philosophy of the Ranch house was informality, outdoor living, gracious entertaining, and natural materials, making it ideally suited to Palm Springs. A common Ranch variation in Palm Springs was the Modern Ranch, which was influenced by Mid-century Modernism. Modern Ranches emphasized horizontal planes and included Modern instead of traditional stylistic details. Character-defining features included low-pitched hipped or flat roofs, prominent rectangular chimneys, recessed entryways, and wood or concrete block privacy screens. Other stylistic elements resulted in Asian variations. Character-defining features include: • One-story • Sprawling L- or U-shaped plan, often with radiating wings • Low, horizontal massing with wide street façade • Low-pitched hipped or gable roof with open overhanging eaves and wood shakes • Plaster, wood lap, or board-and-batten siding, often with brick or stone accents • Divided light wood sash windows (picture, double-hung sash, diamond-pane) • Wide, covered front porch with wood posts. • Attached garage, sometimes linked with open-sided breezeway. • Details such as wood shutters, attic vents in gable ends, dovecotes, extended gables, or scalloped barge boards • Modern Ranch sub-type may feature flat or low-pitched hipped roof with composition shingle or gravel roofing; metal framed windows; wood or concrete block privacy screens. EVALUATION OF 1356 TAMARISK ROAD: Criteria for the Designation of a Class 1 Historic Resource: Pursuant to the Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC) Section 8.05.070(C,1): A site, structure, building, or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource or a Contributing Resource in a proposed historic district by the Palm Springs City Council, provided both of the following findings are met. Refer to the US Department of the Interior National Register Bulletin “How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” of potentially historic resources for further information. FINDING 1: The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below: CRITERION 1 – Significant Events - The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community. 1356 Tamarisk has not been associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or economy. Therefore, 1356 Tamarisk does not qualify under Criterion 1. CRITERION 2 – Significant Persons - The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history: 1356 Tamarisk is not associated with any persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history, and therefore does not qualify under Criterion 2. ARCHITECTURE (Criteria 3 – 6) CRITERION 3 - The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history: The home at 1356 Tamarisk, completed in 1959, does exhibit a few stylistic markers which place it within the historical context of Palm Springs’ “Post-World War II Palm Springs” period. However, it is a very basic ranch house, which does not rise to the level of architecturally significant. Also, no significant designer, architect, or builder associated with its design could be found. Nor was it owned by any important people during its history. Therefore, 1356 Tamarisk does not appear to qualify as a Class 1 or 2 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 3. CRITERION 4 - The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction: Being a ranch-style home, Criterion 4 would be the most likely criterion where 1356 Tamarisk might possibly qualify. It does exhibit some ranch-style features. However, it is not an attractive or iconic example of a Mid-century Ranch-style home. No significant architect, designer, or builder was identified which would help support that opinion. It does not rise to the level of a resource that would embody this type of design. Therefore, 1356 Tamarisk does not qualify for listing as a Class 1 or Class 2 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 4. CRITERION 5: (That (a): represents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age; or (b): that possesses high artistic value). 5a: Work of a Master: A master is a figure of generally recognized greatness in a field, a known craftsman of consummate skill. The property must express a particular phase in the development of the master's career, an aspect of his work, or a particular idea or theme in his craft. The house at 1356 Tamarisk was not identified as the work of any known architect or architectural designer. 5b: Properties possessing high artistic values: High artistic values may be expressed in many ways, including areas as diverse as community design or planning, engineering, and sculpture. The home at 1356 is a simple Mid-century Ranch home. No evidence has appeared that would show that it was a significant designer whose work would rise to possess high artistic value. Whatever modest decorative features it once had have since been denuded, leaving a very bland stucco box. Because of this, 1356 Tamarisk does not qualify for listing as a Class 1 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 5. Criterion 6: (That represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction). This Criterion was created to address the resources contained within a potential historic district. As such, it does not apply to this nomination. Hence, the residence does not qualify under Criterion 6. ARCHAEOLOGY Criterion 7: (That has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to the national, state or local history or prehistory.) 1356 Tamarisk is not likely to yield information important to the national, state or local history or prehistory. Hence, the residence does not qualify under Criterion 7. SUMMARY: This evaluation finds 1356 Tamarisk is ineligible for listing as a Palm Springs Historic Resource under 8.05.070 (C,1,a) paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the local ordinance’s seven criteria. Building Permits Date Owner Permit Type Description of Work 7-20-11 Tessa Craft Building Build approx. 140 LF of 4’ block wall at front property line. General contractor also doing flatwork and siding repair 11-5-13 Donald Dunham Building 22 panel photovoltaic system 4-22-14 Donald Dunham Building Permit to replace Packaged unit on roof, to be screened per city standard. 12-2-14 Donald Dunham Building 22 PV Panel, Solar System Array, new 200A service panel 10-3-16 Donald Dunham Building Tear off roof and replace damaged plywood. Re-roof with asphalt shingles 9-17-18 Nive Kaul Building Install 6' high block wall, using City detail. approx 192 LF. 11-29-18 Nive Kaul Building Main panel upgrade 200 amp, 225 bus 1-24-24 Ty Knutson Building Vacant Building Registration 3-13-24 Ty Knutson Building Remodel 1,627 Sq. ft. and add 2,485 Sq. ft. to create to existing to create a 5 bdrm 5.5 bathroom house with attached relocated 2 car garage 400 Sq Ft. Kitchen, dining, lounge, laundry. INFORMATION ON FIRST OWNERS (1959-2018) The house at 1356 Tamarisk remained in the same family from the time it was first sold in 1959, until 2018. Herbert Smith Elbert was born on September 16, 1890, in Chicago, Illinois, to Alice S. Smith and John P. Elbert. His maternal grandfather, Charles A. Smith, was a millionaire and part owner of Smith, Barnes, & Strohber piano manufacturers in Chicago, sugge sting Herbert came from a family with significant means. Tragedy struck in 1898 when Herbert's father, John P. Elbert, drowned while fishing on Wolf Lake in New York. Following this loss, Herbert's mother Alice remarried to wealthy doctor Emil J. Schwandt. As a young man, Herbert appears to have lived somewhat recklessly. At age 21, he married Stella Beckwith in Chicago on November 27, 1911. However, the marriage was short-lived, with Stella divorcing him just a year later in 1912. Court records indicate she cited his "escapades with chorus girls" as grounds for divorce and claimed he had squandered nearly all of the $15,000 inheritance from his father, leaving only $500. By 1915, Herbert was working as a night clerk at the Lyons Hotel in Chicago. That same year, he became embroiled in a scandal involving a burlesque actress named Anna Lamree, who was found unconscious in her hotel room with paralysis on her left side, likely from a blow to the head. Though Herbert was charged with assault in connection with the incident, he was released on bond. He claimed he had accompanied a waiter named McCrea to Lamree's room. It was later determined that Lamree had suffered a stroke, a nd Herbert was proved innocent. Herbert served in World War I from 1917-1919 with Company G, 353rd Infantry, American Expeditionary Forces. During this period, he married Ruby Opal Hardesty on April 23, 1918, in Chicago. . According to census records, in the 1920s, Herbert followed in his grandfather's footsteps as a "piano maker" in Chicago. This was presumably at Smith, Barnes, & Strohber. He and Ruby experienced the heartbreak of losing their only child, a daughter who died at birth in 1922. After retiring in 1932, Herbert and Ruby began wintering in Los Angeles. In 1936, they purchased a large lot on Castilian Drive in Hollywood. They completed a significant Spanish Colonial Revival home there in 1937, which was featured with photographs in the Los Angeles Times. By 1939, the Elberts had begun visiting Palm Springs regularly. Ruby appears to have been an active golfer. As early as 1939, she participated in the Fourth Palm Springs Women's Golf Tournament at the O'Donnell Golf Club and continued to be reported at various O'Donnell events through 1961.In 1959, they purchased a newly built home at 1356 Tamarisk in Palm Springs. Herbert died in Palm Springs in 1961 at the age of 71. Ruby Elbert’s niece shown at the Elbert’s Hollywood home in a 1941 newspaper clipping. She would later inherit 1356 Tamarisk. After Herbert's death in 1961, Ruby continued to own and use their Palm Springs home until her death there in 1976. After Ruby died, the house passed to her niece Mildred Opal Legg, who lived there until she Died a few months later, in October 1976. It then passed to her son Daniel H. Craft (1931-2001), and then to his daughter Teresa Craft-Dunham (1953-2016), and her husband Donald. After Teresa died in 2016, the house was sold in 2018 to Nive Kaul. The Elbert’s new Spanish Colonial Revival home in Hollywood was featured in the “Los Angeles Times” in 1937. 2022 REAL ESTATE LISTING PHOTOS: Drone photos taken of the front of the house from above. The interior of the house has been gutted down to the studs. Gutted interior hallway. APRIL 22, 2025 PHOTOS: The gate for the driveway on Tamarisk. Views from Tamarisk of the concrete block wall in front of the house. Two views of the primary façade facing Tamarisk. Two views of the section of the primary façade showing the bedroom windows, which are later replacements. Note the original slumpstone piers have been stuccoed over, and the slumpstone planter bed removed. The front door and replaced living room window. Curved sidewalk from pedestrian gate along Tamarisk to front door of house. The east façade in the side yard. The rear façade, with original aluminum sliding glass door, and aluminum-framed casement window. The rest of the door and window openings are later replacements. The deep overhang is also a later addition. Views of the rear façade and back yard. Views of the bumped-out addition behind the garage area. No permits exist for this work. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS – PUBLIC INTEGRITY DISCLOSURE APPLICANT DISCLOSURE FORM Page 1 of 2 (Revised 05/16/19) PUBLIC INTEGRITY DISCLOSURE APPLICANT DISCLOSURE FORM 1. Name of Entity 2. Address of Entity (Principle Place of Business) 3. Local or California Address (if different than #2) 4. State where Entity is Registered with Secretary of State If other than California, is the Entity also registered in California?  Yes  No 5. Type of Entity  Corporation  Limited Liability Company  Partnership  Trust  Other (please specify) 6. Officers, Directors, Members, Managers, Trustees, Other Fiduciaries (please specify) Note: If any response is not a natural person, please identify all officers, directors, members, managers and other fiduciaries for the member, manager, trust or other entity _________________________________________________  Officer  Director  Member  Manager [name]  General Partner  Limited Partner  Other ____________________________________ _________________________________________________  Officer  Director  Member  Manager [name]  General Partner  Limited Partner  Other ____________________________________ _________________________________________________  Officer  Director  Member  Manager [name]  General Partner  Limited Partner  Other ____________________________________ CITY OF PALM SPRINGS – PUBLIC INTEGRITY DISCLOSURE APPLICANT DISCLOSURE FORM Page 1 of 2 (Revised 05/16/19) 7. Owners/Investors with a 5% beneficial interest in the Applicant Entity or a related entity EXAMPLE JANE DOE [name of owner/investor] 50%, ABC COMPANY, Inc. [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] A. [name of owner/investor] [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] B. [name of owner/investor] [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] C. [name of owner/investor] [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] D. [name of owner/investor] [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] E. [name of owner/investor] [percentage of beneficial interest in entity and name of entity] I DECLARE UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT THE FOREGOING IS TRUE AND CORRECT. Signature of Disclosing Party, Printed Name, Title Date PENALTIES Falsification of information or failure to report information required to be reported may subject you to administrative action by the City.