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Home My WebLink About24222 RESOLUTION NO. 24222 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING 401 WEST MERITO PLACE A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, HSPB 106 APN 505-294-006, ZONE R-1-A. THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS: A. Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts. B. On December 21, 2017, Alex Soleimani, representing the Soleimani 2011 Irrevocable Trust submitted an application for approval to demolish the structures at 401 West Merito Place (Case 3.4001 MAA). C. On January 10 2017, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) considered the demolition application and voted to stay the demolition and to initiate study to determine any possible historic significance of the site. D. On January 24, 2017, members of the HSPB visited the site, accompanied by City staff to familiarize themselves with the conditions therein. E. On February 28, 2017, at the request of the City, Architectural Resources Group (°ARG") prepared a Historic Resource Report dated February 28, 2017 ('report") documenting their research, study and findings of the subject site. An addenda to the report was prepared on April 4, 2017, F. On March 14, 2017, a noticed public hearing to consider Case HSPB #106 was held by the HSPB in accordance with applicable law. G. 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, and voted to recommend that the City Council designate 401 West Merito Place as a Class 1 Historic Site. H. On May 17, 2017, a noticed public hearing to consider Case HSPB #106 was held by the City Council in accordance with applicable law. I. The City Council carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, included, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony presented. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES: SECTION 1. 401 WEST MERITO PLACE MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A HISTORIC SITE. The subject parcel is eligible for consideration as a historic site Resolution No. 24222 Page 2 because it meets the definition of a historic site as established in Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC) Section 8.05.020 (`Definitions') as follows: (a) Historic Site. An historic site is any real property such as: a building; a structure, including but not limited to archways, tiled areas and similar architectural elements; an archaeological excavation or object that is unique or significant because of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship or aesthetic effect. The addenda to the ARG report dated April 4, 2017 assesses the subject site against this statement. It concludes that the home meets this definition as being "unique or significant because of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship or aesthetic effect." CRITERION 3: That reflects or exemplifies a particular period of the national, state or local history; or Beginning on page 23, the report describes the significance of the home and the Merito Vista tract in which it is located relative to the period of the 1920's. During the 20's and 30's, Palm Springs grew rapidly, attracting many wealthy families who built large luxurious estate-like homes designed by notable architects in the latest and popular "revival styles". The Merito Vista tract by design, -- was different. The developers of the Merito Vista tract advertised "small estates" accessible to would- be buyers of lesser means than the "men of large means who pioneered this treasured spot." As the report denotes, a 1926 advertisement declared the tract's "privileges have been made available to those who do not necessarily care to erect pretentious homes here." 401 Merito Place was one of the earliest homes built in the Merito Vista tract and is a rare surviving example of the sort of "unpretentious", modest-sized home on a small estate -- envisioned by the tract's developers. Since most of the Merito Vista tract did not develop with new homes until many years later— much of it not until after World War ll, the early vision of small unpretentious homes for buyers of more modest means was soon forgotten, as homebuilding trends moved toward ever larger and more elaborately- styled homes. 401 Merito Place also is reflective of the period of the 1920's in that it is designed in a "revival" architectural style. During the 1920's picturesque "revival" style architecture was extremely popular throughout the United States. Additionally, 401 Merito Place is particularly unique for Palm Springs in that it employed a simplified "Tudor Revival" or "English Tudor Cottage" architectural style. During this Resolution No. 24222 Page 3 period, Tudor Revival and English Tudor Cottage style homes were commonly found in the east and Midwest regions of the U.S., which may explain why the Robinsons, who relocated from Grand Rapids, Michigan, chose this particular style for their Palm Springs home. Thus, home exemplifies the period of the 1920's when revival style architecture was prevalent. It reflects the vision of the Merito Vista tract developers; that the tract would attract buyers whose homes be constructed in a "modest and unpretentious manner". It is also a rare, and possibly the only surviving example in Palm Springs of a home designed a simplified English Tudor or English Tudor Cottage style of architecture.' For these reasons, the report concluded that the subject site meets the definition of a historic site under Criterion 3. SECTION 2. DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS AND NON- CONTRIBUTING FEATURES: The physical character-defining historic features of this site include the following: 1. The residential structure with the following features and finishes: • The steeply pitched roof with wood shake shingles. • The hand-troweled exterior stucco over hollow clay tile walls. • The multi-pane wood casement windows; 2. The rock perimeter wall along a portion of the east property line.2 The non-contributing features include the following: 1. The site landscaping and hardscape, (including pool deck, etc); 2. The carport, trellises and other additions on the south and west sides of the original structure. 3. The front door and exterior lights. 4. The additions to the structure constructed in the 1980's. SECTION 3. FINDINGS: Pursuant to PSMC 8.05.160 ("Findings and Decisions — Resolution'), the City Council must make findings in support of the historic site designation as follows: `If the city council shall find that the purposes of this chapter are furthered From review of the Citywide historic resource survey from 2004 and the most recent draft survey, no other English Tudor Cottage style structures have been identified in Palm Springs. 'The wall is characteristic of property boundary walls erected by early pioneers and settlers to demark their landholding. Constructed of locallyfound rocks and rubble laid up by hand with mortar in a rustic manner, it was a fairly common and affordable way to demarcate ones land. Very few of these early walls survive. A few can be found in the Tennis Club neighborhood but are not protected. For this reason, it is included in the defining characteristics for this site. Resolution No. 24222 Page 4 by designation of property as an historic site or district, such findings shall be stated in a resolution designating such property within such historic site or district." The purpose of the Historic Preservation Chapter of the Palm Springs Municipal Code is outlined in PSMC Section 8.05.010 as follows: "This chapter is adopted pursuant to the authority of (California) Government Code Section 37361 for the purpose of preserving areas and specific buildings of the city which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political, architectural and archaeological history. This chapter is intended to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote the use of specific buildings for the education and welfare of the citizens." Class 1 historic designation of 401 West Merito Place would further the purpose of the historic preservation ordinance because it meets the definition of a historic site defined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.020 and reflects elements of its cultural, social economic political architectural and archaeological history as follows: "An historic site is any real property such as: a building; a structure, including but not limited to archways, tiled areas and similar architectural elements; an archaeological excavation or object that is unique or significant because of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship or aesthetic effect and:" The addenda to the ARG report dated April 4, 2017 assesses the subject site against this statement. It concludes that the home meets this definition as being "unique or significant because of its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship or aesthetic effect." Criterion 3: That reflects or exemplifies a particular period of the national, state or local history; 401 West Merito Place is a rare surviving example of a modestly-scaled revival style home of the type that the developers of the Merito Vista tract envisioned in 1925. Architecturally, it reflects the period of the 1920's when revival style architecture was popular throughout the United States. Further, its simplified or "vernacular" form of Tudor Revival (or English Tudor Cottage) reflects a period in Palm Springs when modestly-scaled homes were not typically designed by trained professional architects, but rather by the local builders or the settlers themselves, bringing to the remote desert a layperson's interpretation of architectural styles that may have been familiar to those individuals who were relocating to Palm Springs from cities and towns "back east". Resolution No. 24222 Page 5 Based on this finding, the designation of 401 West Merito Place as a Class 1 historic site furthers the purpose of the Historic Preservation ordinance. SECTION 4. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT: The City Council finds that the Class 1 historic site 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. Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates 401 West Merito Place (APN 505-294-006) as Class 1 Historic Site (Case HSPB #105) subject to the following conditions: 1. The property owner shall permit the City to place a historic marker of the City's choosing at the site. The marker shall be placed in a location visible from the public right-of-way. The owner shall maintain the marker in the location installed and pay for the replacement cost if the plaque is lost, stolen, damaged or otherwise removed from the property. 2. All future modifications of the existing structures, as well as any new buildings shall require HSPB review pursuant Municipal Code Ordinance 8.05.180. 3. All requirements of the Palm Springs Zoning Code shall be met. 4. The City Clerk submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution. ADOPTED THIS 171h DAY OF MAY, 2017. David H. Ready, Esq. ATTEST: City Manager M�ti b ll� •11 Kathleen D. Hart, MMC Interim City Clerk Resolution No. 24222 Page 6 CERTIFICATION STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS ) I, KATHLEEN D. HART, Interim City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. 24222 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 May 17, 2017, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmembers Kors, Mills, Roberts, Mayor Pro Tern Foat, and Mayor Moon NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None RECUSED: None l/ '_l - . �— �'"� Kathleen D. Hart, MMC Interim City Clerk