SR 04-25-2017 3I
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : April 2 5, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.I
1 of 2
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director , City Planning
Subject: Statement of Official Action Upholding the Appeal of the Landmarks
Commission’s Denial of a Landmark Designation Application for the Property
Located at 2600 Wilshire Bouleva rd
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached Statement of Official
Action upholding Appeal 17ENT -0019 and designat ing the commercial building and
parcel located at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard as a City Landmark.
Executive Summary
This staff report transmits for City Council approval the Statement of Official Action for
Appeal 17ENT -0019. A t its March 28, 2017 meeting , the City Council upheld the appeal
and designated the former Home Savings building and parcel located at 2600 Wilshire
Boulevard as a City Landmark.
Background
On December 9, 2013, the Landmarks Co mmission designated the former Home
Savings building as a Ci ty Landmark and the site as a Landmark Parcel. This decision
was subsequently appealed by the propert y owner. On November 1, 2016, the City
Council considered the appeal and voted to uphold it , in part as to certain procedural
ma tters, and remanded the pending Landmark designation application back to the
Landmarks Commission. The City Council’s decision in November 2016 did not result in
a substantive disapproval of the application as the Council did not consider whether the
property met the criteria for designation.
On February 13, 2017, the Landmarks Commission voted to technically deny the
designation of the former Home Savings building and parcel as a City Landmark and
Landmark Parcel. This decision was subsequently appealed by the Santa Monica
Conservancy. The substance of the appeal was considered by the City Council on
March 28, 2017 where the Co uncil voted 6 -1 to designate the former Home Savings
building and parcel as a City Landmark and Landmark Parcel.
Discussion
On March 28, 2017, the City Council conducted a public hearing to consider an appeal
of the Landmarks Commission ’s February 13, 201 7 technical denial of the former Home
Savings building as a City Landmark and parcel as a Landmark Parcel . Council voted
2 of 2
6 -1 to uphold the appeal and designate the commercial building and parcel at 2600
Wilshire Boulevard as a City Landmark and Landmark P arcel , respectively.
The City Council’s action was based upon findings in support of five of the six Landmark
Designation criteria (#1, 2, 4, 5, and 6), which are contained in the attached Statement
of Official Action . The Statement of Official Action is now presented for Council’s
adoption.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action as a result of the recommended
action.
Prepared By: Scott Albright, Senior Planner
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Statement of Official Action (17ENT -0019) (2600 Wilshire Boulevard - Former
Home Savings)
1
City of Santa Monica
City Planning Division
CITY COUNCIL
STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL ACTION
PROJECT
CASE NUMBER: 17ENT -0019
LOCATION: 2600 Wilshire Boulevard
APPLICANT: City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commission
APPELLANT: Santa Monica Conservancy
PROPERTY OWNER: Wilshire 26, LLC
CASE PLANNER: Scott Albright, AICP, Senior Planner
REQUEST: Appeal of the Landmarks Commission Technical Denial of
the Designation of the Former Home Savings B uilding
Located at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard as a City Landmark.
CEQA STATUS: The project is exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines
Section 15061(b)(3). Section 15061(b)(3) provides that
CEQA only applies to those projects that have the potent ial
for causing a significant effect on the environment. Since
the proposed action would result in the retention of the
existing structure and would not change the existing
environmental baseline, there is no potential that the
project would cause a signi ficant effect on the environme nt.
CITY COUNCIL ACTION
March 28, 2017
Date
City Council Statement of Official Action
17ENT -0019 (2600 Wilshire Boulevard)
2
X
Appeal upheld. The Landmarks Commission decision
to deny the designation of the subject building as a City
Landmark is overturned, and the subject building and
parcel are designat ed as a City Landmark based upon
the designation criteria indicated below .
Appeal denied. The Landmarks Commission decision
denying Landmark designation of the subj ect building
as a City Landmark is upheld.
Other.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF ACTION: March 28, 2017
The City Council, having held a public hearing on March 28, 2017 , here by grants the
appeal and designates the former Home Savings building at 2600 Wilshire Boulevard
as a City Landmark , and the real property known as 2600 Wilshire Boulevard (Tract
8437, Lots 1, 2 , and 3, Assessor ’s Parcel Number 4267 -007 -001) as a Landmark
Parcel based on the findings and determinations below.
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 property . 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 a nd determinations for Designation of th e Landmark Structure a nd Parcel
Per SMMC 9.5 6.100(a)
(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic,
political or architectural history of the City.
The property symbolizes a period of Santa Monica’s postwar architectural history.
Specifically, the property is an example of postwar bank architecture and is one of
only two examples of a Home Savings and Loan Association branch office with a
modified V -shaped, projecting -wing building plan designed by artist Millard Sheets in
collabor ation with architect S. David Underwood. The building was constructed in a
period of rapid expansion and growth for the Home Savings and Loan Association.
The monumental massing, formal symmetrical façade arrangements, high quality
materials and integrat ed artwork, including one of the largest mosaic murals
commissioned by Home Savings, is representative of the Home Savings building
program that resulted in some of the most iconic and recognizable buildings in
Southern California. Although there have bee n some minor alterations, the integrity
City Council Statement of Official Action
17ENT -0019 (2600 Wilshire Boulevard)
3
of the structure remains high in terms of location, design, setting, workmanship,
feeling, and association. Further, the character -defining features on the building
exterior and site remain intact including:
• Plaza paved in exposed -aggregate concrete
• Circular, tiered planter with bronze sculpture
• Wide, raised terrace with a battered masonry wall, integral raised planters, and
wide concrete steps
• Two -story volume and symmetrical composition
• V -shaped plan
• Complex massing consisting of a tall, high volume central pavilion with a
hexagonal plan, flanked by lower two -story volume wings with rectangular
plans
• Flat roofs with low parapets
• Exterior walls clad in travertine slabs
• Continuous friezes of text ured ceramic tile, bordered by travertine fillets
• Clusters of fixed, metal -framed, vertical strip windows with wide travertine
mullions
• Large stained -glass window on the east façade
• Floor -to -ceiling, fixed glass panels with metal frames at primary e ntrance
• Mosaic tile mural directly above the primary entrance
• Secondary entrance from the parking lot with a p air of fully -glazed metal doors
with sidelights, and concrete steps with battered masonry cheek walls
• Wall -mounted bronze sculpture
Althou gh the Home Savings branches built during the postwar era had similar qualities
to maintain design continuity, the Santa Monica location is distinguished by the
orientation of the building to the street corner and the works of art that reference the
local Santa Monica beach culture.
(2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value.
The property includes examples of artwork which are unique to the Santa Monica
location and are distinguished by their size and arrangement on the projecting -wing
building plan. The most prominent work is the 40 -foot wide mosaic mural on the
primary façade depicting local themes including swimming, yachting, fishing, and
beach games. The themes established in the mosaic influence d the remainder of the
artwork on the property including a plaza fountain topped by a bronze sculpture of a
family at play in the surf. Another bronze sculpture of a child with dolphin s decorates
the east -facing façade along with a stained -glass window th at was intended to give a
kaleidoscope of beach activity depicting swimming, beach games, and figures with
animals located on the south elevation. The size of the mosaic mural represents a
departure from the Millard Sheets’ traditional aesthetic of smaller vignettes across a
City Council Statement of Official Action
17ENT -0019 (2600 Wilshire Boulevard)
4
field of darker material. As such, the property has aesthetic and artistic value because
not only is the mural an unusual example of large -scale artwork within the Home
Savings building program, but the projecting -wing building plan wa s also atypical and
is a distinctive feature of the property. While other branch buildings were characterized
by building wings that usually project from the secondary façade creating elongated
rectangular plans, the Santa Monica branch incorporates the fa miliar Home Savings
design elements integrated with a modified V -plan and plaza that makes the subject
property noteworthy, and as such, it also possesses artistic and aesthetic value.
(4) It embodies distinguishing 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
historical type valuable to such a study.
The Santa Monica Home Savings Building is an excellent local example of the postwar
building program set forth by the Home Savings and Loan Association. During the
1950s to 1970s, Home Savings embarked on an ambitious building program that
started with the completion of the 1956 branc h office in Beverly Hills. Public reaction
was so positive that instead of expansion through acquisition, Howard Ahmanson,
founder of Home Savings and Loan Association, decided expansion would occur
through construction of new branch offices in high -deman d areas. The building
designs came to represent Home Savings’ corporate identity with continuity in its
readily -identifiable monumental form, cladding, fenestration, and location -specific
artwork. The Santa Monica branch is unique in terms of its high vol ume central
pavilion with projecting wings resulting in a distinctive, modified v -shaped plan. The
Santa Monica Home Saving s b uilding is one of only two known examples of this type
(the other was constructed in Anaheim) and is therefore the only example o f its kind
in Los Angeles County.
(5) It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable
builder, designer or architect.
The building was designed by Millard Sheets, who was a prominent Southern
California artist, in coll aboration with architect S. David Underwood. Sheets’ use of
integrated artwork in his commercial building designs attracted the attention of Howard
Ahmanson who commissioned him to design a series of branch offices for Home
Savings. The branch offices of the Home Savings and Loan Association represented
the introduction of integrated artwork into the commercial aesthetic with links to local
culture through references to location -specific themes and motifs. The monumental
massing, formal symmetrical façade arrangements, high quality materials and
integrated artwork came to define Home Savings’ corporate identity making the
branch offices instantly recognizable. Over his nearly thirty -year involvement with
Home Savings, Sheets worked on over forty branch lo cations in California including
new construction, renovations, and the installation of artwork in temporary locations.
City Council Statement of Official Action
17ENT -0019 (2600 Wilshire Boulevard)
5
(6) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and
familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
The Santa Monica branch of the Home Savings and Loan Association is readily -
identifiable by its monumental form and aesthetic, and situated on the parcel with its
primary volume and entrance oriented at a 45 -degree angle to a prominent corner
street (west primary façade). Compared to other Home Savings branch offices, the
Santa Monica branch office is unusual and noteworthy for its orientation and building
plan. Furthermore, with its distinctive and prominent artwork and assoc iations with the
corporate identity of the Home Savings and Loan Association, the building is an
established and familiar visual feature at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard
and 26th Street.
VOTE
Ayes: Davis, Himmelrich, O’Day, McKeown, Vaz quez, Mayor Winterer
Nays: O’Connor
Abstain : None
Absent: None
NOTICE
If this is a final decision not subject to further appeal under the City of Santa Monica
Comprehensive Land Use and Zoning Ordinance, the time within which judicial review of
this dec ision must be sought is governed by Code of Civil Procedure 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
det ermination of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Denise Anderson -Warren, City Clerk Date