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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