O1994
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City Council Meeting 12-05-00
Santa Momca, Callforma
ORDINANCE NUMBER 1994 (eCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
ADDING SECTION 936300 TO THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE TO
DESIGNATE AS AN HISTORIC DISTRICT THE PROPERTIES LOCATED AT
137, 141, 145, AND 147 BAY STREET
WHEREAS, on July 24, 2000, two Santa Monica residents filed a Landmarks
application for the propertIes located at 137, 141, 145, and 147 Bay Street ("the Bay
Craftsman Cluster"), and
WHEREAS, the Director of Planning conducted a prel1mmary evaluation of the
proposed designation and recommended to the Landmarks CommissIon that the
application ments formal consIderation and that because the bUlldmgs are located on
multiple parcels, the application should be considered as an application for a hIstoric
diStriCt,
WHEREAS, on August 14,2000, the Landmarks Commission unanimously voted
that the Hlstonc District application merited formal consideration, and
WHEREAS, the Landmarks Commission conducted a public hearing on the Historic
District applIcatIon on September 11, 2000, and recommended desIgnation of these
properties as a Historic Dlstnct to the City Council, and
WHEREAS, the City Council received the recommendation of the Landmarks
Commission on October 26, 2000, and
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WHEREAS, on November 28,2000, the City Council conducted a public hearing on
the Historic District application,
NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES ORDAI N AS FOLLOWS
SECTION 1 Section 9 36 300 IS added to the Santa MOnica Municipal Code to
read as follows
SECTION 936300 The Bay Craftsman Cluster
Historic District.
(a) The City Council has reViewed and considered
the Historic District Application for the four bUildings located at
137, 141, 145, and 147 Bay Street (hereinafter ''The Bay Street
Cluster"), and has reViewed and conSidered the
recommendation on the application transmitted from the
Landmarks CommisSion
(b) The City Council finds and declares that
(1) The Bay Street Cluster exemplify, symbolize, and
manifest elements of the cultural, SOCial, economiC, political, or
architectural history of the City In that
(A) The Bay Street Cluster are mtact representations of
Craftsman architecture style Craftsman architecture was
developed In Southern California, and thiS prototype complex
provides an early, Intact example ofthls style of architecture In
the two-story, multi-family format These structures exemplify
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classIc Craftsman characteristics such as low-pitched
overhanging roofs with wide eaves, extended rafters, tripartite
windows, and sleeping porches
(B) The location of the Bay Street Cluster adjacent to
the old Pacific Electric railway line IS Significant from a cultural
and social perspective as It provides a link to the City's original
development of Ocean Park, and partIcularly Main Street as a
new commercial area Neilson Way was originally the PaCific
Electnc nght-of-way known as the "Trolley way," and became a
vehicular street In the 1930s When the PaCific ElectriC street
railway was linked between Los Angeles and Ocean Park In
1896, summer vacationers and weekend fun seekers were
able to travel from the city to the coast In only 40 minutes
ThIS new transportation mode spurred growth In the area as It
drew more VISitorS and crowds Hotels and rooming houses
sprang up to accommodate the weekend onslaught Beach
cottages, or small houses that were Simply constructed, were
bUilt both speculatively for the tOUrist trade, and by indiVidual
families for occasional use
(C) By the close of the 19108, a substantial portIOn of
Ocean Park had been Improved The 1920s and 1930s gave
rise to a near-complete bUlldout of the area ThiS pattern of
development has contmued In the post World War II era, With
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the result that Ocean Park IS charactenzed by a multI-layered
hlstoncallegacy In terms of the ages, styles, and bUilding types
It contains The Bay Cluster exemplifies tYPical Ocean Park
development dunng the earliest portion of the twentieth
century
(2) The Bay Street Cluster has aesthetic or artistiC
Interest or value, or other noteworthy Interest or value In that
(A) These bUildings retain a high mtegrlty of deSign,
materials, workmanship, and settmg The Craftsman
architectural style IS characterized by rustic-textured bUilding
materials, board roof overhangs with exposed rafter tails atthe
eaves, and extensive pergolas and trellises over porches
(B) The two-story Craftsman fourplexes at the corner of
Bay Street and NeIlson Way (137 and 141 Bay Street) feature
front-gabled apartments that are Oriented end-to-end
Articulated bargeboards, or boards attached to the proJectmg
end of the gable roof, outline the shingled bUIldings HOrizontal
slat vents are also located In the gable ends A smaller gable,
Similarly pitched and detailed, covers an entry on the first floor
of the southern elevation Tripartite wmdows are VISible on the
lower story along the SIde elevations and above the entry
gable on the south elevation A contmuous wood-railed
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balcony IS attached to the west elevation where a series of
glazed doors, double-hung sash windows, and tnpartlte
openings also appear
(C) The two bUildings at 145 and 147 Bay Street are
also Intact examples of a Craftsman fourplex Each of the
bUildings IS two stories, capped by a front, low-pitched gable
roof Three gables face forward (south), one over each
projecting bay at the ends of the bUilding, and one over the
bUilding's center bay Extended bargeboards and exposed
beams and rafters characterize the Craftsman roof-styling
Three doors are located In the recessed central bay Tripartite
Windows filter bands of square light across the top and nearly
fill the Side bays on both stones, and wrap the corners onto the
Side elevations Otherthan the SIding material which appears
to Simulate brick, the fourplex remains substantially unaltered
(3) The Bay Street Cluster embodIes dlstmgUlshlng
architectural characteristics 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
an archItectural deSIgn, detail, or hlstoncal type to such a study
In that the early Craftsman deSign and high degree of Integrity
remaining In these structures makes these bUlldmgs a rare
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example of the Craftsman period and style The bUildings eXist
as an Intact representative of circa 1910 Craftsman
architecture which had Its genesIs In Southern California As
more fully deSCribed In subdivISions (1) and (2) above of this
subsection (b), these 1910 bUildings retain most of their
Original components With the exception of what appears to be
some sImulated brickwork Siding
(4) The Bay Street Cluster has a unique location, a
Singular phYSical characterrstlc, or IS an established and
familiar Visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the
City In that these bUildings have a unique location on the north
Side of Bay Street between Neilson Way and Main Street
They eXist as a mostly Intact block face In a neighborhood that
IS highly fragmented In terms of age and bUilding styles As
most other bUlldmgs of thiS era have been replaced, the
bUildings have become an established Visual feature of the
neighborhood that represents turn of the century Ocean Park
(5) The Bay Street Cluster 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 These
bUildings are located on the north Side of Bay Street between
Neilson Way and Bay Street Neilson Way was orrglnally the
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PacifiC Electric right-of-way known as the "Trolley way" It
became a vehicular street In the 1930s The tracks, which
connected Santa MOnica to the rest of the region, were a major
stimulus for the development of the City and the Ocean Park
area In addition to Its proximity to transportation, these
structures were close to both the beach and the retail area on
Main Street ThiS remains a desirable location to thiS day
(c) Pursuant to Santa MOnica MUnicipal Code Sections
936 130 and 936 140, 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
bUlldmg or structure within the HistOriC District that can occur
without prior approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness, any
such work must obtaIn approval of a Certificate of
Appropriateness or Certificate of Economic Hardship by the
Landmarks Commission
SECTION 2 Any provIsion of the Santa MOnica MUniCIpal Code or appendices
thereto mconslstent 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
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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 ofthe ordinance
would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional
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 wlthm 15 days after ItS adoption This Ordmance shall become effective 30
days from ItS adoption
APPROVED AS TO FORM
/Ji( t~l.. ~Ud /l1(,4~1
MARSHA JO~~OUTRtE'
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 5th day of December, 2000.
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State of California )
County of Los Angeles) ss
City of Santa MOnica )
I, Mana M Stewart, City Clerk of the City of Santa MOnica, do hereby certIfy that the
foregoing Ordinance No 1994 (eCS) had It'S introduction on November 28,2000, and
was adopted at the Santa MOnica City Council meeting held on December 5, 2000, by
the follOWing vote
Ayes CounCil members Holbrook, Rosenstein, McKeown, FeinsteIn, Bloom,
Mayor Genser
Noes CounCil members None
Abstain Council members None
Absent CounCil members Mayor Pro Tern O'Connor
ATTEST'
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Mana M Stewart, City ~erk