HomeMy WebLinkAbout22882 RESOLUTION NO. 22882
A RESOLUTION OF THE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA DESIGNATING
THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1145 VIA COLUSA
("FRANK SINATRA RESIDENCE") AS A HISTORIC SITE,
CLASS 1 — HSPB 77.
WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the
designation of historic sites; and
WHEREAS, the current property owners, Tom and Marianne O'Connell, filed an
application for Historic Site Designation; and
WHEREAS, on January 11, 2011, the Historic Site Preservation Board
conducted a public hearing in accordance with applicable law to consider designation of
the Hugh Stephens Residence as a historic site; and
WHEREAS, on February 8, 2011, the HSPB adopted Resolution #77 to
recommend to City Council designation of the property located at 1145 Via Colusa
("Frank Sinatra Residence") as a Historic Site, Class 1; and
WHEREAS, notice of a public hearing of the City Council of the City of Palm
Springs to consider designation of the property located at 1145 Via Colusa ("Frank Sinatra
Residence") as a Historic Site, Class 1 was issued in accordance with applicable law; and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2011 the City Council conducted a public hearing in
accordance with applicable law to consider designation of the property located at 1145 Via
Colusa ("Frank Sinatra Residence") as a Historic Site, Class 1; and
WHEREAS, the designation of the property located at 1145 Via Colusa ("Frank
Sinatra Residence") as a Historic Site, Class 1 shall further the purpose and intent of
Chapter 8.05 and promotes the sensitive preservation of said site, and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
the designation of a historic site is categorically exempt from environmental review
pursuant to Section 15331 for the preservation of historical resources; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence
in connection with the designation, including but not limited to the staff report, application
and historical research, all written and oral testimony presented and notes the following:
1. In 1947, Frank Sinatra commissioned architect E. Stewart Williams to design a
single family dwelling at 1145 Via Colusa, and the building, including guest room
was completed in the same year; and
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2. The defining characteristics of this home include:
• Several features of E. Stewart Williams' architectural style, including the use
of natural materials, strong horizontal and vertical building forms, low-pitched
shed roofs, egg-crate trellis and orientation toward mountain views, and
• Its original owner and occupant for five years, Frank Sinatra, is recognized as
one of the top entertainers in 20th century America; and
3. The structure's design was the product of the firm of Williams, Williams and
Williams, which practiced in Palm Springs from 1946 to 1952; E. Stewart
Williams is the designer of record and is associated with many mid-century
modern buildings in the Palm Springs area, and was among the most prolific
local architects during the advance of mid-century modern desert architecture,
practicing from 1946 to 1990.
THE CITY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY RESOLVE:
SECTION 1. Pursuant to CEQA, the City Council finds that the designation of the property
at 1145 Via Colusa as a Class 1 historic site is categorically exempt from environmental
review pursuant to Section 15331 whereby this designation is for the preservation of a
historical resource.
SECTION 2. Pursuant to Section 8.05.020 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code, the City
Council does hereby make the following findings regarding the property at 1145 Via
Colusa ("Frank Sinatra Residence") to support designation as a Class One historic site:
A. The property is associated with lives of persons who made meaningful
contribution to national, state or local history, because singer / entertainer Frank
Sinatra occupied the dwelling for five years during an important time in his life
and career. He established his family here and made the transition from pop idol
to internationally-recognized singer and actor, while facing several difficult
personal and professional challenges. While occupying the property, Frank
Sinatra hosted his own television show for two years, married and separated
from actress Ava Gardner, and began his second recording and acting career
which led him to become one of the most popular entertainers in the 20th
century. Following his sale and departure from the house, Frank Sinatra
continued to impact the community and region. He supported the Desert
Hospital (now Desert Regional Medical Center) raising funds for the Martin
Anthony Sinatra Educational Center and the Sinatra Tower; he raised money for
the Desert Art Museum, Temple Isaiah and St. Francis of Assisi and St Louis
Catholic churches in the valley; and with his wife Barbara, founded the Barbara
Sinatra Children's Center at Eisenhower Medical Center. He founded the Frank
Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament to benefit Desert Charities, and
donated to numerous local other institutions and individuals. His status as the
"Chairman of the Board" from the early 1960's drew the "Rat Pack" and other
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entertainers to the area, extending Palm Springs' reputation as Hollywood's
playground into the jet age.
B. The property reflects or exemplifies a particular period of the national, state or
local history, because the dwelling was designed in 1947 by the firm of Williams,
Williams & Williams, AIA, with E. Stewart Williams in charge of design. The
house is considered a prime, largely intact example of the modernist architecture
for which Palm Springs is widely known. The application asserts that the
property may be viewed as an important component of the historic trend that has
come to define Palm Springs' image as a center of important mid-century
architecture, a historic trend that exemplifies a particular period of the national,
state or local history.
C. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method
of construction, because the building possesses distinctive characteristics that
make up the many qualities of the mid-century modern style, such as overall
horizontality, flat roofs, expansive amounts of glass, and the use of inexpensive,
machine produced materials, masonry, etc.
D. The property presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect
whose individual genius influenced his age, because the building's architect, E.
Stewart Williams, is among the earliest practitioners of Modernism in the desert;
his career spanned over forty years, and his work includes a full range of
buildings includes homes, commercial buildings, banks, churches, schools, civic
buildings, museums and recreational facilities. The Sinatra residence was one
of E. Stewart Williams' first commissions and remains a signature representation
of Williams' career at its beginning; it was Williams' first completed structure and
illustrated his sense of proportion, massing and refinement in an emerging
modern vernacular.
SECTION 3. Based upon the foregoing, the City Council does hereby designate as a
Class 1 Historic Site the property at 1145 Via Colusa ("Frank Sinatra Residence"), 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, 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. No
RSPB review shall be required for new detached non-habitable structures or
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modifications to landscaping, except for the removal of the two Mexican Fan
Palms that provide the original name of the property, "Twin Palms".
3. All requirements of the Palm Springs Zoning Code shall be met.
4. That the City Clerk submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for
recordation within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution.
5. Any alterations or modifications to the exterior approved prior to the designation
of this site by the City Council shall be deemed acceptable.
ADOPTED THIS 16T" DAY OF MARCH, 2011.
David H. Ready, nager
ATTEST:
ames Thompson, City Clerk
CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
I, JAMES THOMPSON, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that
Resolution No. 22882 is a full, true and correct copy, and was dul� adopted at a regular
meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on the 16 day of March, 2011,
by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmember Foat, Councilmember Hutcheson, Mayor Pro Tern
Weigel, and Mayor Pougnet.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: Councilmember Mills.
ABSTAIN: None.
ames Thompson, City Clerk
City of Palm Springs, California /'�`