SR-402-008 (15)
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Santa Monieaoo
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: June 27, 2006
Agenda Item: .1 -:T
To:
Mayor and City Council
From:
Andy Agle, Planning & Community Development
Subject:
Certification of the Statement of Official Action for Appeals 06APP-031
and 06APP-033 of the Landmarks Commission's approval of Certificate of
Appropriateness 06-002 and Modification of Pedestrian-Oriented Design
Requirements contained in SMMC 9.04.10.02.440 for the rehabilitation
and adaptive reuse of the property at 415 Pacific Coast Highway as a
public, beach-oriented recreation facility.
Recommended Action
It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached Statement of Official
Action for Appeals 06APP-031 and 06APP-033 of the Landmarks Commission's
approval of Certificate of Appropriateness 06CA-002 and modification of pedestrian-
oriented design requirements contained in SMMC 9.04.10.02.440 for the rehabilitation
and adaptive reuse of the property at 415 Pacific Coast Highway (Palisades Beach
Road) as a public, beach-oriented recreation facility.
Discussion
This staff report transmits for City Council certification the Statement of Official Action
for Appeals 06APP-031 and 06APP-033. After holding a public hearing, the City
Council denied Appeals 06APP-031 and 06APP-033 and approved Certificate of
Appropriateness 06CA-002 and the requested modification to pedestrian-oriented
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design requirements. The City Council's decision was based upon the findings
contained in the attached Statement of Official Action.
Prior to acting on these appeals on May 25, 2006, the Council first considered appeals
of the Planning Commission's certification of the Final EI R for the project, adoption of a
Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring Program, and
approval of the necessary permits required for the project. After holding a public
hearing, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR); made
the necessary CEQA findings; adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations and
Mitigation Monitoring Program; approved the necessary permits for the project; and
denied Appeals 06APP-030 and 06APP-032. A separate Statement of Official Action
has been prepared which details Council's action on these matters.
BudqetlFinanciallmpact
The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budget or fiscal impact.
Prepared by: Roxanne Tanemori, Associate Planner
Approv
n y Agle
Director, Planning & 0
Development
2
e
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL
City of
Santa lllonica'"
STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL ACTION
PROJECT
CASE NUMBER:
06APP-031 and 06APP-033
LOCATION:
415 Pacific Coast Highway
APPLICANT:
City of Santa Monica - Community & Cultural Services
Department
APPELLANT:
Palisades Beach Road Property Owners' Association;
Jonathan Ornstein
PROPERTY OWNER: State of California - Department of Parks and Recreation
CASE PLANNER:
Roxanne Tanemori, Associate Planner
REQUEST:
Appeals 06APP-031 and 06APP-033 of the Landmarks
Commission's approval of Certificate of Appropriateness
06CA-002 and modification to pedestrian-oriented design
requirements contained in SMMC 9.04.10.02.440 for the
rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the property at 415
Pacific Coast Highway as a public, beach-oriented
recreation facility.
CEQA STATUS:
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for
the project in accordance with Section 15087 of the CEQA
Guidelines. On May 25, 2006, the City Council adopted a
resolution certifying the Final Environmental Impact for the
415 Pacific Coast Highway Project as amended by
recommended modifications contained in the supplemental
staff report distributed on May 25, 2006. In addition, the
City Council adopted a resolution making the necessary
findings to approve the 415 Pacific Coast Highway Project
and adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations and
Mitigation Monitoring Program.
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CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Mav 25, 2006
Date.
x
Approved based on th e following findings and subject to the
conditions below:
Denied based on the following findings:
Other.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF ACTION: May 25,2006
EXPIRATION DATE OF ANY PERMIT GRANTED: May 25, 2007
LENGTH OF ANY POSSIBLE EXTENSION OF EXPIRATION DATES:
Any request for an extension of the expiration date must be received in the City
Planning Division prior to expiration of this permit.
One six (6) month extension may be permitted.
Each and all of the findings and determinations are based on the competent and
substantial evidence, both oral and written, contained in the entire record relating to the
Project. All summaries of information contained herein or in the findings are based on
the substantial evidence in the record. The absence of any particular fact from any
such summary is not an indication that a particular finding is not based in part on that
fact.
FINDINGS
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FINDINGS (SMMC 9.36.140)
1. As conditioned, the proposed rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the former
1920s Marion Davies Estate at 415 Pacific Coast Highway as a beach-oriented,
public recreational and meeting facility with space for limited cultural and social
event programming. The proposed project includes rehabilitation of the remaining
significant features of the original Marion Davies Estate, and new construction on
site. The proposed project complies with the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties in that the proposed scope of
work and treatment of the site is consistent with the Standard's definition of
rehabilitation defined as the act or process of making possible a compatible use
for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those
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portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values.
As conditioned, and in accordance with adopted project mitigation measures, the
proposed project will preserve a maximum amount of historic building material
and will not detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect character-defining
features of the Landmark North House and historic swimming pool in that
protection, repair, or replacement in-kind if other treatments are not feasible, has
been proposed for all original, character-defining features of the property.
Exterior features include but are not limited to the double-hung wood sash
windows; clapboard siding; portico and columns; molded cornice along the
roofline; dormers; decorative recessed wood paneling under first-story windows;
and exterior doors and surrounds. Interior features include a large fireplace and
marble mantel; extensive wood paneling, decorative wainscot and built-in
cabinets on the first floor; decorative, custom-made ceramic tile in restrooms on
the second floor; and other similar features.
The historic Julia Morgan designed swimming pool and pool deck cis also a
remaining feature of the original Marion Davies Estate. This historic swimming
pool and surrounding, marble coping and marble inlay paving will be rehabilitated
in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, thus allowing the
historic integrity of these elements to be protected while enabling them to safely
serve as a public recreation amenity. In addition, in accordance with project
Mitigation Measure HR-1 (a), a Materials Conservation Consultant will direct the
rehabilitation of the historic Julia Morgan pool and pool deck. The proposed
scope of work will include protection and repair of the existing decorative pool
tiles, marble coping, and paving. Photographs of several pool tiles are contained
in Attachment C. In-kind replacement will be necessary of any existing tiles or
paving that are damaged beyond repair. A small section of the original paving
located beyond the pool deck area will also be salvaged and used to replace any
severely damaged or missing pieces of the diamond-shaped, green marble inlay
border.
As modified by project conditions and in accordance with adopted project
mitigation measures, the proposed project will comply with the Standards for
Rehabilitation in that key historic spatial relationships that characterized the
original Marion Davies Estate will be maintained and interpreted. For example,
the siting of the proposed Garden Terrace has been designed to recall and
maintain a key spatial relationship that characterized the Marion Davies Estate
where tennis courts were originally located between the North House and the
estate mansion. In addition, the proposed Pool House reflects the important
historic spatial relationship between the original estate mansion and swimming
pool that was a key, character-defining feature of the Marion Davies Estate.
In accordance with the Standards for Rehabilitation, the proposed new
construction on site has been designed to be reversible and to cause minimal
impact on the historic fabric of the site. Each building expresses a modern design
and form that is compatible with, yet differentiated from, the extant historic North
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House and swimming pool. Furthermore the Pool House, Event House and Entry
Pavilion have been designed in such a manner that if removed in the future, the
essential form and integrity of the hi storic property and its environment will be
unimpaired. As conditioned and in accordance with project mitigation measures,
the proposed new construction has been designed to be compatible, yet
differentiated from the existing historic fabric on site and proposed public open
spaces have also been designed to complement both the historic elements of the
site and the proposed new facilities. The new construction on site has been
proposed in manner that does not obscure significant features on site. For
example, the scale and location of the Event House has been designed to allow
the Landmark North House to be highlighted as a significant element on site. The
palette of materials for the new construction has been chosen to reinforce the
modern architectural style of each building, to reference the historic context of
the site, as well as address the functional requirements of a public recreation
facility on the beach.
The proposed demolition of the existing recreation courts and the Locker Building
constructed will not adversely affect any significant features on site and will not
detrimentally change, destroy or adversely affect any exterior feature of the
Landmark or Landmark Parcel. The Locker Building was constructed in 1948 for
subsequent private beach club use and therefore does not contribute to the site's
Period of Historic Significance. The Locker Building and recreation courts were
not identified in the Landmark Designation approved by the Landmarks
Commission on July 15, 1980 as individually significant features of the site or as
items of special interest. Removal of these features from the site will serve to
further clarify the site's period of significance, which has been identified as the
years from 1927 to 1946 when the property was directly associated with actress
Marion Davies,. and facilitate the rehabilitation of the site for public use.
Furthermore, proposed Pool House, which features locker and changing rooms,
and a community room, will serve as functional replacement for the existing
Locker Building and will allow' for the creation of more open space and
recreation areas on site.
Finally, the proposed 7'-4" perimeter fence has been designed to reflect a rhythm
similar to the original estate wood fence and wood pilasters, in terms of its height,
scale and general character. The proposed fence has been designed to be
compatible with the contemporary architecture of the new construction on site.
The fence design incorporates concrete piers that are similar in form to the
vertical pre-cast concrete columns proposed on the Pool House. The proposed
fence has also been designed to address the programmatic needs of the site.
Specifically, the section of the fence (excluding the portions in front of both
parking lots) will be re-constructed with durable concrete masonry to help
mitigate sound impacts on the site from Pacific Coast Highway, and to help
address site security issues by controlling access to the site. A Memorandum of
Agreement has been entered into between the City, the State Office of Historic
Preservation and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation regarding
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removal of the original fence and its replacement. The agreement requires that a
new fence be approved in consultation with the State Historic Preservation
Officer. The currently-proposed fence has been reviewed by the State Historic
Preservation Officer and will be constructed in accordance with this
Memorandum of Agreement.
Based on the foregoing, the proposed project, as modified by project conditions
and mitigation measures, is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
MODIFICATION OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED DESIGN (SMMC 9.04.10.02.440)
1. The strict application of the provisions of this Chapter would result in practical
difficulties or unnecessary hardships inconsistent with the general purpose and
intent of this Chapter or that there are exceptional circumstances or conditions
applicable to the proposed development that do not apply generally to other
developments covered by this Chapter, in that the proposed site design is
oriented so that the primary elevations of new buildings are west-facing and all
activity areas are oriented similarly, which is consistent with the project site
location on the west side of Pacific Coast Highway with the Palisades Bluffs and
the Highway to the east, and the Santa Monica Beach and ocean immediately
west of the property. At this location, the beach-facing, west side of the parcel
functions as the site's front yard or pedestrian-oriented area. The portion of the
site fronting Pacific Coast Highway functions primarily as the rear yard and the
building fagades along Pacific Coast Highway are secondary elevations. This is a
result of the site's unique ocean front location and the high noise levels
generated from PCH. The pedestrian-oriented design requirements specify that a
minimum of 50% of the building fagade to a height of eight feet must be visually
transparent into the building or provide a minimum depth of three feet for window
merchandise display, and may not have more than twenty feet of continuous
linear street-level frontage that is opaque. The strict application of this provision
would create a practical difficulty for the applicant since the street level frontage
of the Event House and Pool House serves as the rear of the buildings (side
elevation of the Entry PaVilion). In this instance, providing less than 20 linear feet
of an opaque elevation, and also providing visually transparent material for 50%
of the building fagades to 8'-0" along PCH would not serve to attenuate noise,
would not be practical for these building fagades that serve as rear elevations
positioned behind a 7'-4" perimeter fence, and would not be appropriate for the
recreational use of the site.
2. That the granting of an exception would not adversely affect surrounding
properties or be detrimental to the district's pedestrian-oriented environment
because, both historically and today, pedestrian-oriented activities in this area
have primarily occurred on the west side of properties adjacent to the ocean,
beach and bike path, and not along PCH which is a highly traveled state
highway.
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CONDITIONS
1. This approval is for the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the property at 415
Pacific Coast Highway as shown on plans dated May 16, 2006, which are on file
in the City Planning Division, except as amended herein.
2. The applicant shall submit revised plans specifying the final color and material
selections for new construction on site for review and approval by the Landmarks
Commission in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness Application prior to
issuance of building permits for the project.
3. The applicant shall submit Landscaping Plans for review and approval by the
Landmarks Commission in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness
Application prior to issuance of building permits for the project.
4. The applicant shall submit a Lighti ng Plan for review and approval by the
Landmarks Commission in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness
Application prior to issuance of building permits for the project. The lighting plan
shall demonstrate that any exterior night lighting installed on the project site shall
be of low intensity, low glare design, and shall be hooded to direct light
downward onto the subject parcel and away from surrounding residential uses so
that there is no lighting spill-over onto adjacent parcels. In addition, such lighting
shall not blink, flash, or oscillate.
5. The applicant shall submit Signage Plans for review and approval by the
Landmarks Commission in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness
Application prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy. The proposed
Signage Plan shall demonstrate that proposed signage will be placed in a
manner that is compatible with and does not obstruct character-defining features
of the North House, swimming pool, or bulkhead.
6. This Certificate of Appropriateness shall be in full force and effect from and after
the date of the rendering of the decision by the City Council. Pursuant to
Landmarks Ordinance Section 9.36.170(h), this approval shall expire within one
year if the authorized work is not commenced. Should the applicant be unable to
comply with this restriction, an extension may be granted pursuant to Section
9.36.250 for an additional 180 days maximum. The applicant must request such
an extension prior to expiration of this permit. After that time, the applicant will
be required to return to the City Council for approval. In addition, this Certificate
of Appropriateness shall expire if the authorized work is suspended for a 180-day
period after being commenced.
7. All required Planning and Building Permit approvals shall be obtained.
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VOTE
Ayes: Bloom, Genser, McKeown, O'Connor, Shriver and Holbrook
Nays: None
Abstain:
Absent: Katz
NOTICE
If this is a final decision not subject to further appeal under the City of Santa Monica
Comprehensive and. Zoning Ordinance, the time within which judicial review of this
decision must be sought is governed by Code of Civil Procedures Section 1094.6, which
provision has been adopted by the City pursuant to Municipal Code Section 1.16.010.
I hereby certify that this Statement of Official Action accurately reflects the final
determination of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica.
~d\ ~q=~
MARIA M. STEWA T, City Clerk
"\-t2--0 Co
Date
AcknowledQement by Permit Holder
I agree to the above conditions of approval and acknowledge that failure to comply with
any and all conditions shall constitute grounds for potential revocation of the permit
approval.
Signature
Date
Print name here
Drivers License Number
F:\CityPlanning\Share\COUNCIL\STOAS\2006\06APP-031 and 06APP-033 Council STOA (415 PCH).doc
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