SR-01-10-1990-8A
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CA:RMM:11575a/hpc
City Council Meeting 1-9-90
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Santa Monica, Californla
STAFF REPORT
TO:
Mayor and city council
FROM:
City Attorney
SUBJECT:
Ordinance Establishing a 45 Day Moratorium on the
Filing of New Applications for Development on
Parcels Currently occupied By Pre-1940 structures
that Fall within Specified Categories of
Architectural Style Pending Completion of the Santa
Monica Historical Resources Inventory and Revision of
the Landmarks Ordinance and Declaring the Presence of
an Emergency
On December 5/ 1989, the City council directed the city
Attorney to draft an ordinance imposing a citywide moratorium on
the filing of new applications for projects on sites occupied by
pre-1940
bungalow courts,
courtyard buildings,
California
bungalows,
and
other
similar
categories
of
historically
significant
buildings
pending
revision
of
the
Landmarks
Ordinance, completion of the Historical Resources Inventory, and
revision of other ordinances as necessary.
In response to this
direction, the accompanying ordinance has been prepared and is
presented to the city Council for its consideration.
The accompanying ordinance imposes a 45 day moratorium.
staff has identified the significant architectural styles built
in the City between 1890 and 1940 and has included all of them in
categories of architectural styles to be temporarily protected.
Photographs
of
buildings
exemplifying
the
categories
of
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JAN 9 199u
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architectural styles described in the proposed ordinance are
separately bound and attached to this Staff Report. Some of the
buildings within those categories may not be architecturally
significant in and of themselves and therefore are not worthy of
preservation over the long term. However, they have been
included for purposes of the initial 45 day ordinance so as to
protect all possibly significant buildings that fall within the
specified architecturally significant styles.
During the 45 day period, staff will seek further input
from the Landmarks Commission and will consult others with
expertise in architectural history in order to further refine the
descriptions of architectural styles to which an extended
moratorium should apply. Completion of the historic survey is
expected to take nine to twelve months, thus the City Council
will have to hold a public hearing to consider extension of this
moratorium for such period at its February 13, 1990 meeting.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. This section sets forth the findings
necessitating adoption of the ordinance.
section 2. This section establishes a moratorium on the
filing of applications for City permits for parcels on which
ebuildings constructed prior to 1940 which fall within one of the
architectural styles described in the Ordinance. Those
architectural styles include: (1) victorian; (2) Turn of the
century/American Foursquare; (3) Craftsman; (4) Bungalow; (5)
Period Revival; (6) Mission Revival; (7) Pueblo Revival; (8)
Spanish Colonial Revival; (9) Monterey Revival; (10) American
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Colonial Revival; (11) Tudor Revival;
streamline Moderne; (14) International
(12) Art Deco;
Style/Modern;
(13)
(15)
Bungalow Court/Courtyard Housing.
Section 3. This section provides an exemption from the
Ordinance in three situations: (l) for rehabilitation or
enlargement of an existing structure so long as the architectural
character is not undermined; (2) where a permit application was
deemed complete on or before December 5, 1989; and (3) where a
development permit was granted for the site on or before December
5, 1989.
Section 4. This section establishes a procedure for
determining the applicability of this Ordinance. A determination
on the applicability of the ordinance must be made by the
Planning Division within fifteen days of filing of a demolition
permit application involving a pre-1940 structure. An appeal may
be filed by either an applicant or a member of the Landmarks
Commission within ten days of the staf:f determination. The
Landmarks Commission must make a decision on an appeal within
forty-five days.
Section 5. This section limits the moratorium to
forty-five days. In order to extend the moratorium, a noticed
public hearing must be held prior to expiration of the forty-five
days.
Sections 6 and 7. These sections contain standard language
that appears in all emergency ordinances.
Sections 8 and 9. These sections contain standard language
that appears in all ordinances.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully recommended that the accompanying
ordinance be introduced and adopted.
PREPARED BY:
Robert M. Myers, City Attorney
Laurie Lieberman, Deputy City Attorney
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CA:RMM:11575/hpc
city Council Meeting 1-9-89
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER
(City council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA IMPOSING A MORATORIUM ON
THE FILING OF NEW APPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT ON
PARCELS CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY PRE-1940 STRUCTURES THAT
FALL WITHIN SPECIFIED CATEGORIES OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLE PENDING
COMPLETION OF THE SANTA MONICA HISTORICAL RESOURCES INVENTORY
AND REVISION OF THE LANDMARKS ORDINANCE AND DECLARING THE
PRESENCE OF AN EMERGENCY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Findings and Purpose. The City council finds
and declares:
(a) In 1982, the City prepared a preliminary survey of
historical
resources
that
identified
2,775
potentially
significant structures.
A total of 660 sites were fully
researched and documented in 1983. In 1985, an additional 1200
sites were reviewed. Of these, a total of 165 sites were fully
researched and documented. The city has not yet researched and
documented the remaining one-third of the City that was
originally identified as potentially significant.
(b) Since the adoption of Ordinance Number 1370 (CCS)
(the IIDemol1't1'on ordl'nance") on May 13 1986 the Landmarks
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commission has reviewed 231 demolition applications involving
structures built prior to 1930, of which 216 of the applications
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involved buildings in residential zones and 15 applications
involved buildings in commercial zones. Although the Landmarks
Commission did not commence the landmark designation process in
connection with any of the structures reviewed, members of the
Landmarks Commission have expressed the view that some of these
buildings were potentially of historic significance. The
Commission, however, lacked both the information necessary to
make the requisite assessment of historic significance and the
authority to so designate due to the narrowness of the criteria
and process established by the Landmarks Ordinance.
(c) The Landmarks Ordinance does not currently contain a
mechanism for designation of a "thematic district" which would
could consist of a district with structures of cultural and
historical significance located on non-contiguous parcels
throughout the city. In addition, the criteria for landmark
designation established by the Landmarks Ordinance are overly
restrictive and do not adequately provide for the preservation of
historic buildings which contribute to the character of the city.
(d) The City has a number of architecturally significant
historic buildings which either do not meet the stringent
criteria for landmarks designation under current Landmarks
Ordinance standards or as to which the Landmarks Commission lacks
adequate information to determine whether the building is a
landmark due to the incompleteness of the historic survey.
(e) Due to increased economic pressure, new development
is causing the demolition of a number of these architecturally
significant historic buildings.
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(f) There is continuing and increasing community concern
that an increasing number of applications will continue to be
filed for new development projects on parcels currently occupied
by pre-1940 historic buildings.
(g) It is in the public interest that historic buildings
and districts not be altered or demolished prior to completion of
the Historic Resources Inventory and adoption of revisions to the
Landmarks Ordinance which adequately protect and preserve the
historic and cultural resources in the city.
SECTION 2. Moratorium.
(a) Subject to the exemptions set forth in Section 3 of
this Ordinance, a moratorium is hereby placed on the acceptance
for processing of any applications for approval of tentative
tract maps, tentative parcel maps, administrative approvals,
development review permits, conditional use permits, or any other
City permits for the erection, construction, demolition, moving,
conversion of, and excavation and grading for, any parcel in the
city on which an existing building or structure which was
constructed prior to 1940 exists and which falls within one or
more of the categories of architectural style set forth below:
(1) victorian.
a. Description: A picturesque style
characterized by an irregular roof silhouette that could include
corner or bay towers, multiple gables, and dormers.
b. Years. Pre-1900.
c. Key Elements: Steeply pitched roofs;
contrasting textures in siding, particularly patterned shingles;
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bay windows; tall, narrow proportions; architectural details such
as turned columns, ball and spindle work, brackets, and
bargeboards.
d.
Example:
Gussie Moran House located at
1323 Ocean Avenue.
(2) Turn of the Century/American Foursquare.
a. Description: A frequently used residential
style derived from the American Colonial Revival characterized by
a square elevation, hipped roofs and dormers, and classical
detailing.
b. Years: circa 1895-1905.
c. Key Elements: Hipped roofs; porches across
all or part of the first floor; columns or other suggestions of
Classical details; shingle or clapboard siding, or a cOmbination;
leaded glass transoms on front windows.
d. Example: Heritage Square Museum located at
2612 Main street.
(3) Craftsman.
a. Description: A residential style
characterized by a horizontal appearance, widespreading eaves,
natural materials, an emphasis on handcraftmanship, and extensive
use of windows to merge the interior with the natural landscape.
b. Years: Circa 1895-1920.
c. Key Elements: Low pitched roofs with
overlapping gable ends and overhanging eaves; exposed rafters,
braces, and beams; natural materials, including dark wood
shingles contrasted with brick or stone porch walls, piers and
prominent chimneys.
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d. Examples: John and Anna George House
located at 2424 4th street and Henry Weaver House located at 142
Adelaide Drive.
(4) Bunqalow.
a. Description: The California bungalow
emerged out of the English arts and crafts movements via the
Craftsman movement, but soon established its own identity as a
small, simple, and functional housing type. Bungalow
archi tecture frequently utilized many revival styles, including
Colonial, Classical, Spanish, and Tudor. (Key elements of these
styles are outlined below under Period Revival.)
b. Years: circa 1890-1940.
c. Key Elements: Single story or one and
one-half stories; overhanging eaves; low pitched roofs with
exposed rafters and brackets: wood frame or shingled exterior;
front porches or enclosed sun porches; slightly raised
foundations.
d. Example: Homes located at 606 Alta Avenue
and 222 Palisades Avenue.
(5) Period Revival.
a. Description: Revival architecture has
dominated much of Southern California residential architecture,
particularly during the 1920s and 1930s after the Craftsman
movement lost popularity. The styles which most often exemplify
Revival architecture are described more particularly in
subsections (a) (6) through (a) (11) of this section 2.
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(6) Mission Revival.
a. Description: A style characterized by
simple forms, such as round arches supported by piers, projecting
eaves, and curvilinear gable ends.
b. Years: Circa 1890-1912.
c. Key Elements: Low pitched tile roofs;
white, plain stucco walls; arched openings; scalloped, parapeted
gable ends; arcades; recessed upper level balconies.
d. Example: Home located at 517 Palisades
Avenue.
(7) Pueblo Revival.
a. Description:
Southwest characterized by cubic
simulating adobe, flat roofs with
rafters, and buttressed corners.
b. Years: Circa 1900-1930.
c. Key Elements: Thick adobe appearing walls;
flat roofs, invisible behind parapets; rows of projecting vigas
(rafters); small windows; brick used for terraces and porches.
d. Example: Home located at 710 Adelaide
Drive and home located at 521 12th Street.
(8) Spanish Colonial Revival.
a. Description: An outgrowth of Mission
Revival, this style is characterized by ornate decorative work
highlighting arches, doorways, or columns, and low pitched roofs.
b. Years: Circa 1915-1940.
c. Key Elements: Low pitched red tile roofs;
plain stucco walls; arched windows and doorways j balconies of
A style unique to the
masses with soft edges
projecting roof beams or
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wood, stucco, and wrought iron; decorative iron grilles; glazed
and unglazed tile; courtyards with pools or fountains.
d. Example: Home located at 240 Alta Avenue
and home located at 2021 La Mesa Drive.
(9) Monterey Revival.
a. Description: Used primarily for
residential architectures, this style fuses elements of Spanish
and American Colonial Revival architecture.
b. Years: circa 1928-1940.
c. Key Elements: Low pitched gable roof; wood
balcony across the second floor; stick railings and plain posts
along the balconies; double hung windows with shutters; stucco or
vertical wood siding.
d. Example:
Drive and 1926 La Mesa Drive.
(10) American Colonial Revival.
Homes located at 222 Adelaide
a. Description: This style is characterized
by elements abstracted from classical architecture, such as
orders, columns, pediments, and moldings.
b. Years: Circa 1900-1940.
c. Key Elements: Hipped or gabled roofs often
with dormer windows; porticoed entrance; front door flanked by
sidelights and topped by a fanlight; symmetrical massing;
classical columns; wood frame exterior; shutters.
d.
Example:
Home located at 226 Georgina
Drive.
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(11) Tudor Revival.
a. Description:
identified primarily by a steeply
half-timbering.
A picturesque
pitched roof line
style
and
b. Years: circa 1900-1940.
c. Key Elements: Sharply pitched roofs;
stucco or brick walls or a combination; half-timbering; diamond
paned windows.
d. Example: Home located at 2009 La Mesa
Drive and home located at 2024 La Mesa Drive.
(12) Art Deco.
a. Description: Characterized by linear forms
and a vertical emphasis, this architecture features stylized
decorations, geometric shapes, and stepped facades.
b. Years: circa 1925-1940.
c. Key Elements: Z ig zag and chevron
patterns; sunbursts and figural designs; stepped facades and
central towers; shiny, metallic materials; fluted pilasters.
d. Example: Crocker Bank Tower located at
Santa Monica Boulevard and Third street Promenade.
(13) Streamline Moderne.
a. Description: Inspired by the design of the
machine age, this architecture emphasized smooth, aerodynamic
forms.
b. Years: Circa 1920-1941.
c. Key Elements: Curved corners and windows;
pipe railings; horizontal window bands and canopies; glass
blocks; porthole windows.
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d. Examples: Shangri-La located at 1301 Ocean
Avenue, Medical Office Building located at 2125 Arizona Avenue,
the Voss Apartments located at 947-953 11th street, and
apartments located at 2310 33rd street.
(14) International Style/Modern.
a. Description: Characterized by an absence
of ornamentation, this style utilizes geometric forms, flat
roofs, windows set flush with the wall, and eaves that are either
boxed and covered with the same material as the exterior walls or
eliminated all together.
b. Years: 1935-1942.
c. Key Elements: Flat roofs; horizontal
emphasis; extensive of glass in bands of windows; flush, plain
surfaces; high tech materials such as glass, steel, and aluminum;
generally free of historical references and applied
ornamentation.
d. Example: Horatio West Court located at 140
Hollister Avenue.
(15) Bunqalow Courts/Courtyard Housinq.
a. Description: Designed in any of the
above-described styles, bungalow courts and courtyard housing
developments were the dominant high density housing type in
Southern California during the first part of the 20th Century.
Courtyards can be arranged in a variety of formations, however,
typically the dwellings are sited around a central court and have
direct access to the open space area.
b. Years: 1910 to the present.
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c. Key Elements: Common open space area; a
variety of configurations, including "L" shaped, "U" shaped,
single bar, and double bar; parking garages located either at the
rear of the building or beneath the courtyard.
d. Example: Courts located at 211 Alta
Avenue, 126 Palisades Avenue, 420 Palisades Avenue, and 423-29
Ocean Avenue.
(b) Subject to the exemptions set forth in section 3 of
this Ordinance, the Planning Commission, City Council, or city
staff shall disapprove all applications filed after December 5,
1989, for approval of tentative tract maps, tentative parcel
maps, administrative approvals, development review permits,
conditional use permits, or any other City permits for the
erection, construction, demolition, moving, conversion of, and
excavation and grading for any parcel in the City on which a
building or structure which was constructed prior to 1940 exists
and which falls within one or more of the categories set forth in
subsection (a) of this Section.
SECTION 3. Exemptions. The following applications are
exempt from the provisions of Section 2 of this ordinance:
(a) Applications for approval of permits involving the
rehabilitation or enlargement of existing buildings or
structures, provided such rehabilitation or enlargement does not
alter the architectural character of the existing structure.
(b) Applications for projects deemed complete on or
before December 5, 1989. An application shall be deemed complete
for purposes of this Ordinance wi thin fifteen (15) days for
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subdivision maps and parcel maps, and thirty (30) days for all
other
permits,
after
the
Planning
Division
receives
a
substantially complete application together with all information,
reports, drawings, plans, filing fees, and any other materials
and documents required by the appropriate application forms
supplied by the city. If, within the specified time period, the
Planning Division fails to advise the applicant in writing that
his or her application is incomplete and to specify all
additional information required to complete that application, the
application
shall
automatically
be
deemed
complete.
An
application
is
IIsubstantially
complete II
if
the
missing
information is supplied within two (2) working days of the City's
request.
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(c) Applications for approval of ancillary permits
involving the erection, construction, enlargement, demolition, or
moving of, and excavation and grading for, projects which have
been granted development permits by the Planning Commission or
Planning Division prior to December 5, 1989.
SECTION 4. Procedure for Determininq Applicability of this
Ordinance.
In connection with any permit application involving
the demolition of a building or structure constructed prior to
1940, the following procedure shall apply to determine the
applicability of this Ordinance:
(a) Any application for demolition of a pre-1940 building
shall be accompanied by photographs of all elevations of existing
buildings or structures.
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(b) The Planning Division shall make a written
determination regarding whether the existing buildings or
structures on the parcel proposed to be demolished fall within
one or more of the categories of architectural style set forth in
Section 2 above within fifteen (15) days. The written
determination on such an application shall be mailed to the
applicant and to members of the Landmarks Commission and shall be
posted in the Planning Division office.
(c) Any applicant, member of the Landmarks Commission, or
member of the public may file an appeal of the Planning Division
determination to the Landmarks Commission within ten (10)
consecutive calendar days of the date on which the determination
was made. The Planning Division determination shall become final
if the ten (10) day period lapses and no appeal has been filed.
(d) The Landmarks commission shall consider an appeal of
a Planning Division determination and shall determine the
applicability of this Ordinance within forty-five (45) days of
submission of an appeal. The decision of the Landmarks
Commission shall be final and not subject to further appeal.
(e) Upon a final determination by the Planning Division,
or by the the Landmarks Commission on appeal that this Ordinance
is inapplicable, the City shall accept for processing any
applications for approval of tentative tract maps, tentative
parcel maps, administrative approvals, development review
permits, conditional use permits, or any other city permits for
the erection, construction, demolition, moving, conversion of,
and excavation and grading for, the subject parcel provided that
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the filing of such application is consistent with other local
ordinances.
SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall be of no further force and
effect 45 days from its adoption, unless prior to that date,
after a public hearing, noticed pursuant to Section 9131.5 of the
Santa Monica Municipal Code, the city Council, by majority vote,
extends the interim ordinance as provided by Section 9120.6 of
the Santa Monica Municipal Code.
SECTION 6. This ordinance is declared to be an urgency
measure adopted pursuant to the provisions of Section 9120.6 of
the Santa Monica Municipal Code and Section 615 of the Santa
Monica City Charter. It is necessary for preserving the public
peace, health and safety, and the urgency for its adoption is set
forth in the findings above.
SECTION 7. 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, are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to affect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 8. 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 any 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
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declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether
any portion of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared
invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 9. 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 publ ished once in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective after 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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ROBERT M. MYERS
City Attorney
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