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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 1 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 2 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 3 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 CI 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 5 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 7 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 9 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 Q7 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 10 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 11 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 M 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 13 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. 14 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 . . MASHA JO S MOUT IE City ttorne 15 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