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Home My WebLink About22196 - RESOLUTIONS - 4/2/2008 RESOLUTION NO. 22196 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA DESIGNATING THE BUILDING AT 499 SOUTH PALM CANYON DRIVE, `THE COACHELLA VALLEY SAVINGS BANK / WASHINGTON MUTUAL BUILDING' A CLASS ONE HISTORIC SITE. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites; and WHEREAS, on December 12, 2006, the Historic Site Preservation Board initiated an application for historic site designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive; and WHEREAS, notice of a public hearing of the Historic Site Preservation Board of the City of Palm Springs to consider designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive as a Class 1 historic site was issued in accordance with applicable law; and WHEREAS, on August 21, 2007, the Historic Site Preservation Board conducted a public hearing in accordance with applicable law to consider designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive as a Class 1 historic site; and WHEREAS, at said hearing, the HSPB adopted Resolution #53 to recommend to City Council designation of the building at 499 South Palm Canyon Drive as a Class 1 historic site; and WHEREAS, notice of a public hearing of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs to consider designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive, as a Class 1 historic site was issued in accordance with applicable law; and WHEREAS, on April 2, 2008 the City Council conducted a public hearing in accordance with applicable law to consider designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive as a Class 1 historic site; and WHEREAS, the designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive shall further the purpose and intent of Chapter 8.05; and WHEREAS, the designation of 499 South Palm Canyon Drive 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 Resolution No. 22196 Page 2 and historical research, all written and oral testimony presented and notes the following: 1. In 1960, the Coachella Valley Savings Bank commissioned architect E. Stewart Williams to design a branch bank at 499 South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. 2. The defining historic characteristics of this building are its mid-century modern architecture. The building stands as a very good example of revolutionary thinking in commercial banking of its time, in which the typical heavy, temple-like traditional style of banks was cast aside in favor of unconventional and dramatic new concepts in architecture. THE CITY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY RESOLVE: SECTION 1: Pursuant to CEQA, the City Council finds that the designation of the building at 499 South Palm Canyon Drive 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 Nos. 3-5, The City Council does hereby make the following findings; 3. The Coachella Valley Savings Bank / Washington Mutual reflects or exemplifies a particular period of the national, state or local history; The Coachella Valley Savings Bank / Washington Mutual Building is an excellent example of mid-century modern architecture in applied to a commercial bank building. It embodies the optimism and faith in technology and the future that was prevalent in the country during the period following World War ll. It is a bank building with the formality and elements of a classical temple-like structure (with an equally spaced colonnade of columns, a monumental scale and proportions) so often used for banking institutions, however it is carried out in a thoroughly modern design, without the usual formal detailing, heavy ornamentation or classical column styles. It is an important member of a collection of buildings in this vicinity that developed in the fifties and sixties as Palm Springs "financial district'; including the Santa Fe Federal Savings Bank, City National Bank (Bank of America), Coachella Savings & Loan (Prudential), Union Bank of California, Guaranty Bank, and Wells Fargo. This collection of financial institutions are all located on or near Palm Canyon Drive which was, at the time, the hub of commercial activity in the Coachella Valley. Each bank sought to capture customers by creating a significant presence by using outstanding architecture. This notion of 'advertising through architecture' is evident in this collection of buildings, including the Coachella Valley Savings Bank/Washington Mutual Building. Resolution No. 22196 Page 3 4. The Coachella Valley Savings Bank / Washington Mutual Building embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction; The building presents an excellent example of the principals of modern architecture because: a) It makes use of a rigorously defined dimensional module around which all aspects of the building are scaled. b) It is reflective of its own time, not a copy of earlier styles or cultures. c) It is devoid of applied decoration or ornamentation. d) It makes sophisticated use of technologically new materials (anodized aluminum curtain-wall panels, pre-cast concrete) e) The columns and the walls are disengaged from each other, allowing the wall plane to `continue past' in an uninterrupted manner from the structural columns. f) It reflects the optimism in the future that was prevalent at the time, noting the possibility of modern architecture, materials and technology to provide solutions to the complexities of contemporary life. g) The defining characteristics or elements include: 1) The long, uninterrupted roof canopy along the east and south facades, 2) The linear, uninterrupted cantilevered concrete base or `floating' floor slab, 3) The free-standing inverted parabolic pre-cast concrete columns which narrow at the top, 4) The long continuous expanse strip of windows on the north and south elevations, 5) The pure box-like volume of the building 6) The moat-like water feature 7) The wide gentle-rising stairs on the main fagade 5. The Coachella Valley Savings Bank / Washington Mutual Building presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age; or that possesses high artistic value; The Coachella Valley Savings Bank I Washington Mutual Building was designed by E Stewart Williams, a local architect of national prominence. Williams was a master architect, and is recognized for greatness in his field. Upon his death, an editorial in "The Desert Sun" stated: "If any single man can be cited for giving Palm Springs its place in architectural history, it's E. Stewart Williams." Williams' Coachella Valley Savings Bank Building possesses high artistic value as expressed in its design, proportions, details and engineering. The building is among the finest examples of E. Stewart Williams' mastery as an architect and designer. Resolution No. 22196 Page 4 SECTION 3: Based upon the foregoing, the City Council does hereby designate the Coachella Valley Savings Bank / Washington Mutual Building, at 499 South Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California as a Class 1 Historic Site subject to the following conditions; 1. The property owner shall permit the City to demark the building as a historic site with a marker of the City's choosing. The historic 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 marker is lost, stolen, or otherwise removed from the property. 2. All future exterior modifications including but not limited to building, site, landscaping, lighting, walls, and fences shall require Architectural Approval pursuant to Section 94.04.00 of the Palm Springs Zoning Ordinance and Historic Site Preservation Board review pursuant Municipal Code Ordinance 8.05.180. 3. No permit for the alteration of the exterior, including signage and any and all of the defining elements and characteristics shall be issued without prior approval, pursuant to the provisions of the Palm Springs Zoning Code, 4. That the City Clerk submits the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution. 5. All existing or previously approved alterations shall be considered acceptable. 6. The parking garage is included in the Class 1 designation. ADOPTED THIS 2ND DAY OF APRIL, 2008. David H. Ready, City Manager ATTEST: mes Thompson, City Clerk Resolution No.22196 Page 5 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. 22196 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 April 2, 2008, by the following vote: AYES: Councilmember Hutcheson, Councilmember Mills, Councilmember Weigel, Mayor Pro Tern Foat, and Mayor Pougnet. NOES: None. ABSENT: None. ABSTAIN: None. es Thompson, City Clerk ity of Palm Springs, California