O2507City Council Meeting: January 12, 2016 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA ADDING SECTION 9.56.310 TO THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL
CODE DESIGNATING THE SAN VICENTE BOULEVARD COURTYARD
APARTMENTS HISTORIC DISTRICT
WHEREAS, historic preservation is a defining community value for the City of
Santa Monica (the "City"); and
WHEREAS, the value reflects the community's consensus that the City's unique
identity and character springs from its long and rich history; and
WHEREAS, the community's present and future welfare depend, in part, upon
understanding the City's history and evolution as a unique community; and
WHEREAS, retention and preservation of historic resources also promotes the
public health, safety and welfare by revitalizing neighborhoods and business districts,
enhancing the City's economy, improving local aesthetics, and enriching the City's
culture and aesthetic standing; and
WHEREAS, the City's Landmark Ordinance was first adopted in 1976 to: protect
improvements and areas that represent elements of the City's cultural, social,
economic, political and architectural history; safeguard the City's heritage as it is
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embodied and reflected in such improvements and areas; foster civic and community
pride; protect and enhance aesthetics and attractions; and promote the education,
pleasure and welfare of City residents and visitors alike; and
WHEREAS, the City's ongoing commitment to historic preservation was
reaffirmed in 2002 when the City Council adopted the Historic Preservation Element of
the General Plan, and again in 2010 when the City adopted the Land Use and
Circulation Element of the General Plan ("LUCE"); and
WHEREAS, the City has repeatedly conducted citywide historic resource surveys
as part of its ongoing historic preservation efforts and as encouraged by both the
Historic Preservation Element and LUCE; and
WHEREAS, the grouping of courtyard housing along San Vicente Boulevard
generally located between Ocean Avenue and Seventh Street was identified in citywide
historic resource surveys conducted in 1983 and 1995 as a potential Historic District for
its significant concentration of courtyard apartment buildings constructed during the
1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s; and
WHEREAS, in 2009, the City obtained a preliminary assessment of the grouping
of courtyard apartments on San Vicente Boulevard in order to provide a more in-depth
study of the property type and explore alternative methods of designation as a Historic
District, such as a Neighborhood Conservation District; and
WHEREAS, the grouping was again recognized in the 2010 update to the City's
Historic Resources Inventory, which concluded many of the properties within the
grouping appeared to be contributors to a Historic District that appeared to eligible for
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local listing or designation, and further concluded that three properties located within the
grouping were locally significant individually; and
WHEREAS, as a result of such historic resource surveys and evaluations,
several of the grouping's buildings are listed in the California Historic Resources
Inventory; and
WHEREAS, on July 13, 2015, the Landmarks Commission unanimously voted to
file a Historic District application for the area bounded on the north by the alley between
San Vicente Boulevard and Adelaide Drive; on the south by the alley between San
Vicente Boulevard and Georgina Avenue, on the east by Seventh Street; and on the
west by First Court and Ocean Avenue; excepting therefrom the properties located at
301 Ocean Boulevard and 605, 621, 527 and 537 San Vicente Boulevard; and
WHEREAS, on September 9, 2015, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal
Code section 9.56.130(6), City Staff conducted a duly -noticed public meeting to discuss
the potential Historic District designation, including, but not limited to, the designation
process, the effect of designation on future property development, and the benefits of
designation, and
WHEREAS, on November 9, 2015, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal
Code section 9.56.130(F), the City's Landmarks Commission conducted a duly -noticed
public hearing on the Historic District application and voted unanimously to forward a
recommendation to the City Council to designate the area as the City's third Historic
District; and
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WHEREAS, in order to preserve the historic character and integrity of the District,
and to promote consistency in the review process, until such time as an ordinance is
adopted that specifies the nature of any alteration, restoration, construction, removal,
relocation, or demolition of or to a building or structure within the District that can occur
without prior approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness, the City desires to require
that: any such work require a Certificate of Appropriateness or Certificate of Economic
Hardship from the Landmarks Commission; any such work be exempt from Architectural
Review Board review, provided that a Certificate of Appropriateness is obtained; and all
fees for Certificates of Appropriateness be waived; and
WHEREAS, on December 15, 2015, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal
Code section 9.56.130(1), the City Council received the recommendation of the
Landmarks Commission and conducted a public hearing on the Historic District
application.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 9.56.310 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal
Code to read as follows:
9.56.310 The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District
A. The City Council has reviewed and considered the Historic District
application for the area bounded on the north by the alley between
San Vicente Boulevard and Adelaide Drive; on the south by the
alley between San Vicente Boulevard and Georgina Avenue; on the
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east by Seventh Street; and on the west by First Court and Ocean
Avenue; excepting therefrom the properties located at 301 Ocean
Boulevard and 605, 621, 527 and 537 San Vicente Boulevard (the
"San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic District" or
"District") and has reviewed and considered the recommendation
on the Historic District application transmitted from the Landmarks
Commission.
B. The City Council finds and declares that:
1. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the
cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of
the City in that it reflects a major pattern of multi -family
housing in the City, is an excellent and distinctive
concentration of courtyard apartments, and reflects the
development of housing along San Vicente Boulevard.
Courtyard apartments are a multi -family housing type that
emerged in the 1920s and were a popular form of multi-
family housing in Santa Monica and throughout Southern
California through the 1950s. Responding to the temperate
climate of the region and the growing popularity of multi-
family living among middle- and upper -middle income
residents in the years preceding and following World War Il,
courtyard apartments are an important regional dwelling type
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in the architectural history of Southern California. Although
courtyard apartments are relatively common in the larger
area of Southern California, it is rare to find a geographic
concentration such as that which exists in the District within
the boundaries of the City of Santa Monica. Therefore, the
District is significant as exemplifying patterns of multi -family
housing in Santa Monica and trends in regional dwelling
types, in particular the courtyard apartment.
2. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District embodies distinguishing architectural styles valuable
to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the
use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique
or rare example of the work or product of a notable builder,
designer or architect in that the District comprises an
excellent collection of 1930s to 1950s courtyard apartments
in Santa Monica and is a rare contiguous concentration of
courtyard housing in Santa Monica. As demands for high
density, multi -family housing have continued to grow in
Santa Monica, intact groupings of smaller scale, multi -family
properties have become increasingly rare in the City.
Courtyard apartments in the District are low -scale courtyard
apartment buildings, with open plans partially or fully
surrounding exterior landscaped courtyards with unique
specimen trees and features. Notable architects who have
worked in the District include Carl Maston and Edith
Northman. Consistency of scale, plan and layout
distinguishes the District from other residential
neighborhoods in Santa Monica. The buildings are
constructed in a variety of architectural styles, including
Streamline Moderne, American Colonial Revival, Minimal
Traditional, and Mid -Century Modern. The architectural
styles and related character -defining features found in the
District are described as follows:
a. Streamline Moderne emerged in the 1930s and is
often considered to be a later subtype of the Ari Deco
style. Whereas Art Deco architecture is typically
brightly colored and richly decorated, Streamline
Moderne is sparse, unornamented and
monochromatic. The Streamline Moderne style
offered a modern aesthetic and streamlined
appearance appropriate to the motor age and
automobile culture in Southern California. Common
character -defining features of the Streamline Moderne
style found in this District include: smooth stucco
cladding; curved surfaces, such as rounded corners
and/or bays; a flat roof, often with banded coping at
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the parapet; projecting bands accenting the fapade
between stories and emphasizing horizontality;
minimal use of applied ornament; and multi -paned
steel casement windows.
b. American Colonial Revival experienced a resurgence
in popularity in the 1920s and continued to be applied
to both single- and multi -family properties in Santa
Monica and throughout the greater Los Angeles area
through the 1950s. American Colonial Revival
elements are applied to several Minimal Traditional -
style buildings in the District as well. Common
character -defining features of the American Colonial
Revival style found in this District include: front or
side gabled roofs; wood clapboard siding, sometimes
applied in combination with stucco cladding; double -
hung wood sash windows, at times with divided lights;
shutters at windows; pediments over entryways; and
columns or pilasters at entries (either as porch
supports or surrounding doorways).
C. Minimal Traditional emerged in the late 1930s and
was popular through the mid-1950s. Minimal
Traditional buildings often reflect the form of Period
Revival buildings, but lack the ornament and
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decorative detailing of the Period Revival style.
Common character -defining features of the Minimal
Traditional style found in this District include: low-
pitched hipped roofs, typically with narrow eaves;
smooth stucco cladding, often used in combination
with clapboard, brick or stone veneer; minimal applied
ornament; steel casement windows; and stripped
down decorative features such as shutters or
pilasters.
d. Mid -Century Modern emerged after World War II and
was influenced by an early and influential tradition of
Modernism in Southern California, which found
precedents in Europe's International Style. Modern
architecture in the postwar era was widely applied to
all property types, including residential, commercial,
and institutional, many of which were designed by
some of Southern California's most influential
architects. In general, Mid -Century Modernism
rejected previous architectural traditions and
historicist styles, instead embracing new, innovative
materials and technologies and prioritizing function
over form. Common character -defining features of
Mid -Century Modern architecture found in this District
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include: stucco cladding at times used in combination
with other textural elements, such as brick or concrete
block; low-pitched or flat roofs, often with wide,
cantilevered overhang; horizontal elements such as
fascias that cap the front edge of the flat roofs or
parapets; aluminum -frame windows grouped within
horizontal frames; oversized decorative elements or
decorative face -mounted light fixtures; and prominent
graphic signage at front facade, often displaying
apartment name and address.
Thus, the District contains buildings that embody the
distinguishing characteristics of the courtyard apartment
dwelling type; in addition, it is a rare contiguous concentration of
the property type in Santa Monica.
3. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic,
or is an established and familiar visual feature of a
neighborhood, community or the City in that multi -family
courtyard apartments with distinctive signage reflecting original
building names comprise the majority of the District,
distinguishing it from adjacent neighborhoods, which are almost
exclusively single-family residential in composition. Additionally,
the District's setting is distinctive due to its location on San
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Vicente Boulevard, a major corridor that originally had streetcar
tracks running down its center from 1900 to 1940, and is now
occupied by a 50 -foot wide median featuring regularly spaced
coral trees. Due to its distinctive location along San Vicente
Boulevard and its unique multi -family residential composition in
northwest Santa Monica, the District is an established and
familiar visual feature in the City.
4. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District is a noncontiguous grouping of thematically related
properties or a definable. area possessing a concentration of
historic, scenic or thematic sites, which contribute to each other
and are unified aesthetically by plan, physical development or
architectural quality in that the District contains a significant
concentration of courtyard apartments, a popular multi -family
housing type in Southern California from the 1920s to the
1950s. Though a few courtyard apartments within the District
were constructed prior to World War 11, the majority were built in
response to Santa Monica's postwar housing demands. All
courtyard apartments within the District have L-, O-, 1-, C-, or U-
shaped plans that partially or fully surround a landscaped
courtyard. Since most courtyard apartments within the District
were constructed after World War 11, popular 1940s -1950s
architectural styles, including Streamline Moderne, American
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Colonial Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Mid -Century Modern,
are prominent in the District. Thus, the district is composed of a
concentration of similar multi -family property subtypes that are
united aesthetically by their plans, scale, appearance, and
architectural styles.
5. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic
District reflects significant geographical patterns, including those
associated with different eras of settlement and growth,
particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of park
or community planning. The District was originally subdivided as
part of the Palisades Tract in 1905. Initial development of the
district paralleled the development of the surrounding area, as a
number of large single-family residences lined this stretch of
San Vicente Boulevard by 1918. However, by the 1920s, small
apartment houses, bungalow courts, and courtyard apartments
began filling empty lots between single-family dwellings, and by
1937, the District was zoned for multi -family residential
development. Development of the District increased
substantially during Santa Monica's population boom after
World War Il. By the late 1950s, two- and three-story courtyard
apartment complexes had filled empty lots and replaced smaller
multi -family dwellings and single-family houses. The District
reflects multi -family residential development patterns, and in
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particular, the popularity of courtyard apartment housing in
Santa Monica during the postwar era.
C. The San Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic District
consists of the area bounded on the north by the alley between San
Vicente Boulevard and Adelaide Drive; on the south by the alley
between San Vicente Boulevard and Georgina Avenue; on the east by
Seventh Street; and on the west by First Court and Ocean Avenue;
excepting therefrom the properties located at 301 Ocean Boulevard
and 605, 621, 527 and 537 San Vicente Boulevard.
D. Structures that contribute to the character and integrity of the San
Vicente Boulevard Courtyard Apartments Historic District shall be
defined as apartment buildings constructed between 1937 and 1956
with an overall layout or plan that includes a landscaped open space
courtyard and representative of the Streamline Moderne, American
Colonial Revival, Minimal Traditional or Mid -Century Modern
architectural styles; noncontributing buildings, structures or sites shall
be defined as buildings or structures constructed after 1956, that are
not of the courtyard apartment type, and vacant lots.
E. Pursuant to Sections 9.56.130 and 9.56.140 of this Code, until such
time as an ordinance is adopted that specifies the nature of any
alteration, restoration, construction, removal, relocation, or demolition
of or to a building or structure within the District that can occur without
prior approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness, any such work must
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obtain approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness or Certificate of
Economic Hardship by the Landmarks Commission.
F. Until such time as an ordinance is adopted that specifies the nature of
any alteration, restoration, construction, removal, relocation, or
demolition to a building or structure within the District that can occur
without prior approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness, all work to
buildings, structures or sites located within the District is exempt from
review by the Architectural Review Board, provided that a Certificate of
Appropriateness is obtained from the Landmarks Commission, and all
Certificate of Appropriateness fees for any alteration, restoration, or
construction, in whole or in part, to a building, structure or site located
within the Historic District are waived.
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this
Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would
have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause,
or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion
of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
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SECTION 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage
of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the
official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVE® AS TO FORM:
-I ew shlx
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MASHA JO S MOUT IE
City ttorne
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Approved and adopted this 12th day of January, 2016.
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss.
City of Santa Monica )
I, Denise Anderson -Warren, Acting City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do
hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 2507 (CCS) had its introduction
on December 15, 2015, and was adopted at the Santa Monica City Council
meeting held on January 12, 2016, by the following vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Davis, Himmelrich, McKeown, O'Connor, O'Day
Mayor Pro Tem Winterer, Mayor Vazquez
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Absent: Councilmembers: None
A summary of Ordinance No. 2507 (CCS) was duly published pursuant to
California Government Code Section 40806.
ATTEST:
Denise Anderson -Warren, Acting City Clerk