SR 08-13-2019 7A
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 13, 2019
Agenda Item: 7.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, City Planning
Subject: Appeal 19ENT-0260, an appeal of the disapproval of Historic District 18ENT -
0356, an application for a proposed Historic District on 4th Street consisting of
certain properties located within the 2500 block of 4th Street including 2506 -
2516, 2518, 2524, 2525, and 2528 4th Street, and 317 -321 Ocean Park
Boulevard and Introduction and first reading of an Ordinance amending the
Santa Monica Municipal Code adding Section 9.56.330 for potential
designation of the 4th Street Corner Historic District. (Item continued from the
July 23, 2019 City Council Meeting)
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Uphold Appeal 19ENT-0260 based on the findings provided in the attached
Statement of Official Action; and
2. Introduce for first reading the attached Ordinance amending the Santa Monica
Municipal Code to add Section 9.56.330 designating the proposed 4th Street
Corner Historic District based on the findings provided in the Ordinance.
Executive Summary
On July 23, 2019, the City Council held a public hearing to consider Appeal 19ENT -
0260, an appeal of the disapproval of Historic District 18ENT-0356, an application for a
proposed Historic District on 4th Street consisting of certain properties located within the
2500 block of 4th Street including 2506-2516, 2518, 2524, 2525, and 2528 4th Street,
and 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard. City Council continued the item to the August 13,
2019 City Council meeting and directed City staff to prepare an Ordinance amending
the Santa Monica Municipal Code to add Section 9.56.330 designating of the 4th Street
Corner Historic District. This Ordinance is attached for Council consideration
(Attachment A). In addition, a Statement of Official Action upholding the appeal is also
attached (Attachment B).
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
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There is no immediate financial impact or budget action as a result of the recommended
action.
Prepared By: Steve Mizokami, Senior Planner
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. 4th Street Historic District Designation Ordinance (first reading) 08.13.19
B. Statement of Official Action 18ENT-0356 (4th Street Historic District)
C. Written Comments
D. PowerPoint Presentation
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City Council Meeting: August 13, 2019 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA ADDING SECTION 9.56.330 TO THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL
CODE DESIGNATING THE 4TH STREET CORNER 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 embodied and
reflected in such improvements and areas; foster civic and community pride; protect and
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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 o f
the General Plan (“LUCE”); and
WHEREAS, on November 20, 2018, the Santa Monica Conservancy filed an
Historic District application for properties located within the 2500 block of 4th Street and
situated on the corner of 4th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, including 2506-2516,
2518, 2524, 2525, and 2528 4th Street, and 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard; and
WHEREAS, on January 17, 2019, in accordance with Santa Monica Municipal
Code (“SMMC”) section 9.56.130(B), 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 May 13 and June 10, 2019, in accordance with SMMC Section
9.56.130(F), the City’s Landmarks Commission conducted duly-noticed public hearings
on the Historic District application; and
WHEREAS, the Landmarks Commission failed to act on a recommendation to the
City Council on the Historic District application after two motions failed to receive the
required number votes in favor of or against recommending that the City Council approve
the Historic District application; and
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WHEREAS, on June 27, 2019, the Historic District Application was deemed
disapproved in accordance with SMMC Section 9.56.130(I); and
WHEREAS, on July 8, 2018, the Santa Monica Conservancy filed a timely appeal
of the deemed disapproval in accordance with SMMC Section 9.56.180(A)(6); and
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 July 23 and August 13, 2019, the City Council conducted duly
noticed public hearings on the appeal and the Historic District application.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 9.56.330 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal
Code to read as follows:
9.56.330 The 4th Street Corner Historic District
A. The City Council has reviewed and considered the Historic District
application for the area (the “4th Street Corner Historic District” or “District”) and
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has reviewed and considered the record of proceedings before the Landmarks
Commission.
B. The City Council finds and declares that:
1. The 4th Street Corner Historic District exemplifies, symbolizes, or
manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural
history of the City. The District is a diverse grouping of buildings spanning the
first third of the twentieth century and manifests the patterns of residential
development that shaped the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica in the
early decades of the twentieth century. Constructed in two of the earliest
subdivisions in Ocean Park, the District exemplifies early twentieth century
residential development in the area, with its variety of architectural styles and
modest scale. All of the properties within the District retain substantial elements
of historic integrity. The District also exemplifies the economic history of the
City, when new transportation infrastructure in Ocean Park created the
framework for residential development. In 1875, when the Town of Santa
Monica was established, Ocean Park was the Lucas Ranch. Early settlement
of Ocean Park was concentrated at the western end close to the beach. The
Lucas family homestead was a grand mansion on what is now Hotchkiss Park
at 4th and Strand Street. This block of Fourth Street extended all the way to Hill
Street, as Central Avenue (which was later renamed Ocean Park Boulevard)
terminated east of 4th Street. Until a major roadway improvement was
launched by the City in 1917, 4th Street was a very long block with sparse
development. Then Central Avenue/Ocean Park Boulevard was opened up
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through 4th Street and extended to the beach. The new thoroughfare reaching
from Los Angeles through the heart of Ocean Park to the ocean was a catalyst.
Residential development in the 4th Street Corner District began immediately,
with most of the homes dating from 1917-1925. The Period of Significance for
the 4th Street Corner District is 1904 -1936. The 1904 house at 2506 4th Street
was the first in this then-sparsely settled neighborhood, followed by a cluster of
residential structures built from 1917 to 1925. The last house in the District
dates from 1936 and represents a new step forward in residential development
as a multi-family residence in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It replaced a
small 1905 single-family residence that was adjacent to the original 1904
structure on the block. This group of early residential properties has remained
intact to the present day, despite major infrastructure changes that occurred
beginning in the late 1960s, with Redevelopment Agency projects intended to
remove what was considered blight. 4th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard were
widened, and the intersection of 4th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard was
reconfigured to create an underpass for a larger Ocean Park Boulevard.
Despite these major alterations of the urban streetscape, this cluster of historic
properties remained intact and unaltered, manifesting the original residential
character of early Ocean Park.
2. The 4th Street Corner Historic District 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
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such a study. The architectural features of the residences within the District are
valuable to a study of the early period of residential architectural history in
Ocean Park. A variety of architectural styles are represented that portray the
architectural evolution of the period, and different residential property types.
Moreover, the District maintains a high level of original architectural integrity.
Generally, the character-defining features of the District include modestly
sized, one and two story residential buildings in a variety of architectural styles
popular in the early twentieth century. The earliest residence in the District is a
late Victorian/Neoclassical hipped roof cottage at 2506 Fourth Street,
constructed in 1904. This architectural style was prevalent in the first decade
of the 20th century, but has become increasingly rare. Its character-defining
features consist of wood cladding of both shingles and clapboard, a steeply -
pitched hipped roof with flared bracketed eaves, wood sash double -hung
windows with plain surrounds and projecting sills, recessed partial-width porch
with Corinthian columns; central dormer with leaded -glass window and
decorative scrollwork. The original wraparound porch was partially enclosed
between 1909 and 1918. The next architectural phase reveals the emergence
of diverse architectural styles: Craf tsman, American Colonial Revival and
Mediterranean Revival. This development is manifested in two clusters,
Craftsman and American Colonial Revival in the bungalow court adjacent to
the original 1904 Victorian/Neoclassical cottage on the west side of 4th Street,
and Craftsman and Mediterranean Revival adjacent to the corner of 4th Street
and Ocean Park Boulevard. There are three modest Craftsman bungalows at
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317, 319 and 321 Ocean Park Boulevard (c.1920), and a pair of Craftsman
bungalows at 2514 and 2516 4th Street (1921). Character-defining
architectural features of the Craftsman bungalows include: simple rectangular
massing; wood cladding of clapboard or shingles; low-pitched front-facing
gable roof with extended eaves and exposed rafter tails; front porch with gable
supported by wood posts; wood sash casement or double -hung windows with
plain surrounds and projecting sills. The four-unit, two-story structure at 2510
4th Street is a unique hybrid reflecting American Colonial Revival, Monterey
Revival and Tudor Revival in a one-of-a-kind eclectic design. Constructed in
1925, it is valuable for a study of architectural trends in the 1920s. The
bungalow court also includes two American Colonial Revival bungalows
constructed in 1925 located at 2508 and 2512 4th Street. Character-defining
features are wood clapboard exterior cladding, divided-light wood sash
casement windows with plain surrounds and projecting sills; side gable roof
with tight eaves; asymmetrical composition. Three Mediterranean Revival-style
residences located at 2524, 2525 and 2528 4th Street form a distinct subgroup
that is worthy of further study. Based upon the stucco cladding and terra cotta
roof tiles, these residences relate to Mission Revival precedents combined with
Craftsman windows and doors. Character-defining architectural features are:
horizontal orientation, smooth plaster exterior wall cladding, flat roof with
stepped parapet, wood sash windows of Craftsman design (tripartite or crossed
muntins), shed roofs with terra cotta barrel tiles supported by wood brackets.
Leaded glass windows and ornate window design are also found. The Spanish
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Colonial Revival triplex located at 2518 4th Street, constructed in 1936, is a
designated Structure of Merit. This architectural style was the successor to the
earlier adjacent Mediterranean Revival residences Character-defining features
include: asymmetrical composition, complex massing; smooth stucco exte rior
wall cladding; low pitched roofs with terra cotta barrel tiles; wood sash double -
hung windows with plain surrounds and projecting sills; curving exterior
staircase. In the rear of this triplex is an accessory two-story structure with
ground floor garages and residential units above. It is stucco clad with a low-
pitched side gable roof and clay barrel tiles.
3. The 4th Street Corner Historic District has a unique location, singular
physical characteristic, or is an established visual feature of a neigh borhood,
community, or the City. The 4th Street Corner District is an established and
familiar visual feature of the Ocean Park neighborhood. This highly intact group
of historic residences has a unique location at the summit of a hill, giving the
district a strong visual and physical presence. The visibility of this intersection
was enhanced when reconfigured in the 1960s to create a vehicular bridge and
underpass for Ocean Park Boulevard. Despite these roadway reconfigurations,
the district has maintained its integrity as a cohesive group of historic
residences. As a group of residential properties uninterrupted by non-
contributing properties located at the crest of a hill, the highly visible integrity
and cohesion of the district is a singular physical characteristic.
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4. The 4th Street Corner 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.
The District is a highly unified and cohesive grouping of residential structures
located in the Ocean Park neighborhood, at the north side of the intersection
Ocean Park Boulevard and Fourth Street. As a group of residential properties
uninterrupted by non-contributing properties, the District is unified by physical
development and architectural quality. The buildings represent modest
examples of a variety of architectural styles popular in the early 20th century
and reflect the development of Ocean Park during such time. The period of
significance begins in 1904 with the first residence in the District at 2506 4th
Street and ends with the 1936 Spanish Colonial Revival triplex at 2518 4th
Street. Most structures in the district are Craftsman bungalows and
Mediterranean Revival architecture and were constructed between 1917 and
1925 following the westward extension of Central Avenue (now Ocean Park
Boulevard) toward the beach. Most are one-story and of modest scale, oriented
towards the two streets that frame the District; a second group is oriented
around an open grass courtyard in a bungalow court configuration.
Architectural variety is manifest in the different architectural styles, which
portray a chronological sequence from late Victorian to mature Spanish
Colonial Revival. The residences retain a high level of original architectural
integrity, and, therefore, the District retains a sense of time and place.
10
5. The 4th Street Corner 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 4th Street Corner District provides a visible
representation of early twentieth century residential development in Ocean
Park, a period of growth in the neighborhood. The catalyst for early residential
development was new transportation infrastructure, the extension of Central
Avenue (later Ocean Park Boulevard) across 4th Street to the west in 1917.
The new roadway, Ocean Park Boulevard from 4th Street to the west, provided
access to the parcels which became the 4th Street Corner District. Thus the
area is united by a transportation mode and physical development. The period
of significance, 1904-1936 portrays different eras of settlement and growth,
from a late Victorian hipped roof cottage to a highly articulated example of
Spanish Colonial Revival in 1936. The District contains an unusual example of
a bungalow court, with homes of different architectural styles sited around an
open grass courtyard. Subsequent reconfiguration of the street infrastructure
of Fourth Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, due to Redevelopment Agency
activity in the late 1960s, did not result in compromise or loss of the integrity of
the District. The streetscape reflects those changes, but the homes remained
intact and cohesive.
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C. The 4th Street Corner Historic District consists of the properties
located within the 2500 block of 4th Street and situated on the corner of 4th Street
and Ocean Park Boulevard, including 2506-2516, 2518, 2524, 2525, and 2528 4th
Street, and 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard.
D. Structures that contribute to the character and integrity of the 4th
Street Corner Historic District shall be defined as the multi-unit residential
condominium complex located at 2506-2516 4th Street, the front residential triplex
structure and rear detached residence above garage structure located at 2518 4th
Street, the multi-unit residential structure located at 2524 4th Street, the single-unit
residences located at 2525 and 2528 4th Street, and the single-unit residences
located at 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard. Noncontributing buildings or structures
shall be defined as buildings or structures constructed that are not listed as
contributors.
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 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
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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 or the Landmarks Commission Secretary pursuant to authority
granted by the Landmarks Commission in accordance with 9.56.130(L), 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. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), this
Ordinance is exempt from CEQA as it can be seen with certainty that the Ordinance does
not have the potential to significantly impact the environment. This determination is made
based on the record as a whole, which includes, but is not limited to, evidence that the
designation of these properties as an Historic District pursuant to the City’s Landmarks
Ordinance will promote the retention and preservation of historic resources.
SECTION 3. 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 4. 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
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this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not
declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any port ion of the ordinance
would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 5. 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.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
LANE DILG
City Attorney
FINDINGS AND DETERMINATION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA IN THE MATTER OF
THE DESIGNATION OF THE 4TH STREET CORNER HISTORIC DISTRICT
_____________________________________________________________________
DESIGNATION OF PROPERTIES
LOCATED WITHIN THE 2500 BLOCK OF 4TH STREET
AS AN HISTORIC DISTRICT
18ENT-0356
SECTION I. On November 20, 2018, the Santa Monica Conservancy filed an Historic
District application for properties located within the 2500 block of 4th Street and situated
on the corner of 4th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, including 2506 -2516, 2518, 2524,
2525, and 2528 4th Street, and 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard. The City’s Landmarks
Commission, having held public hearings on May 13 and June 10, 2019, failed to act on
a recommendation to the City Council on the Historic District application after two motions
failed to receive the required number votes in favor of or against recommending that the
City Council approve the Historic District application. On June 27, 2019, the Historic
District Application was deemed disapproved in accordance with S anta Monica Municipal
Code Section 9.56.130(I). On July 8, 2018, the Santa Monica Conservancy filed a timely
appeal of the deemed disapproval. The City Council, on appeal, having held public
hearings on July 23 and August 13, 2019, hereby upholds the appeal based on the
following findings:
9.56.100(A)(1). It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social,
economic, political, or architectural history of the City.
The District is a diverse grouping of buildings spanning the first third of the twentieth
century and manifests the patterns of residential development that shaped the Ocean
Park neighborhood of Santa Monica in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Constructed in two of the earliest subdivisions in Ocean Park, the District exemplifies
early twentieth century residential development in the area, with its variety of architectural
styles and modest scale. All of the properties within the District retain substantial elements
of historic integrity.
The District also exemplifies the economic history of the City, when new transportation
infrastructure in Ocean Park created the framework for residential development. In 1875,
when the Town of Santa Monica was established, Ocean Park was the Lucas Ranch.
Early settlement of Ocean Park was concentrated at the western end close to the beach.
The Lucas family homestead was a grand mansion on what is now Hotchkiss Park at 4th
and Strand Street. This block of Fourth Street extended all the way to Hill Street, a s
Central Avenue (which was later renamed Ocean Park Boulevard) terminated east of 4th
Street. Until a major roadway improvement was launched by the City in 1917, 4th Street
was a very long block with sparse development. Then Central Avenue/Ocean Park
Boulevard was opened up through 4th Street and extended to the beach. The new
thoroughfare reaching from Los Angeles through the heart of Ocean Park to the ocean
was a catalyst. Residential development in the 4th Street Corner District began
immediately, with most of the homes dating from 1917-1925.
The Period of Significance for the 4th Street Corner District is 1904 -1936. The 1904
house at 2506 4th Street was the first in this then-sparsely settled neighborhood, followed
by a cluster of residential structures built from 1917 to 1925. The last house in the District
dates from 1936 and represents a new step forward in residential development as a multi-
family residence in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. It replaced a small 1905 single -
family residence that was adjacent to the original 1904 structure on the block.
This group of early residential properties has remained intact to the present day, despite
major infrastructure changes that occurred beginning in the late 1960s, with
Redevelopment Agency projects intended to remove what was considered blight. 4th
Street and Ocean Park Boulevard were widened, and the intersection of 4th Street and
Ocean Park Boulevard was reconfigured to create an underpass for a larger Ocean Park
Boulevard. Despite these major alterations of the urban streetscape, this cluster of historic
properties remained intact and unaltered, manifesting the original residential character of
early Ocean Park.
9.56.100(A)(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 architectural features of the residences within the District are valuable to a study of
the early period of residential architectural history in Ocean Park. A variety of architectural
styles are represented that portray the architectural evolution of the period, and different
residential property types. Moreover, the District maintains a high level of original
architectural integrity. Generally, the character-defining features of the District include
modestly sized, one and two story residential buildings in a variety of architectural s tyles
popular in the early twentieth century.
The earliest residence in the District is a late Victorian/Neoclassical hipped roof cottage
at 2506 Fourth Street, constructed in 1904. This architectural style was prevalent in the
first decade of the 20th century, but has become increasingly rare. Its character-defining
features consist of wood cladding of both shingles and clapboard, a steeply-pitched
hipped roof with flared bracketed eaves, wood sash double -hung windows with plain
surrounds and projecting sills, recessed partial-width porch with Corinthian columns;
central dormer with leaded-glass window and decorative scrollwork. The original
wraparound porch was partially enclosed between 1909 and 1918.
The next architectural phase reveals the emergence of diverse architectural styles:
Craftsman, American Colonial Revival and Mediterranean Revival. This development is
manifested in two clusters, Craftsman and American Colonial Revival in the bungalow
court adjacent to the original 1904 Victorian/Neoclassical cottage on the west side of 4th
Street, and Craftsman and Mediterranean Revival adjacent to the corner of 4th Street and
Ocean Park Boulevard.
There are three modest Craftsman bungalows at 317, 319 and 321 Ocean Park
Boulevard (c.1920), and a pair of Craftsman bungalows at 2514 and 2516 4 th Street
(1921). Character-defining architectural features of the Craftsman bungalows include:
simple rectangular massing; wood cladding of clapboard or shingles; low-pitched front-
facing gable roof with extended eaves and exposed rafter tails; front porch with gable
supported by wood posts; wood sash casement or double-hung windows with plain
surrounds and projecting sills.
The four-unit, two-story structure at 2510 4th Street is a unique hybrid reflecting American
Colonial Revival, Monterey Revival and Tudor Revival in a one -of-a-kind eclectic design.
Constructed in 1925, it is valuable for a study of architectural trends in the 1920s. The
bungalow court also includes two American Colonial Revival bungalows constr ucted in
1925 located at 2508 and 2512 4th Street. Character-defining features are wood
clapboard exterior cladding, divided-light wood sash casement windows with plain
surrounds and projecting sills; side gable roof with tight eaves; asymmetrical composit ion.
Three Mediterranean Revival-style residences located at 2524, 2525 and 2528 4th Street
form a distinct subgroup that is worthy of further study. Based upon the stucco cladding
and terra cotta roof tiles, these residences relate to Mission Revival precedents combined
with Craftsman windows and doors. Character-defining architectural features are:
horizontal orientation, smooth plaster exterior wall cladding, flat roof with stepped parapet,
wood sash windows of Craftsman design (tripartite or crossed m untins), shed roofs with
terra cotta barrel tiles supported by wood brackets. Leaded glass windows and ornate
window design are also found.
The Spanish Colonial Revival triplex located at 2518 4th Street, constructed in 1936, is a
designated Structure of Merit. This architectural style was the successor to the earlier
adjacent Mediterranean Revival residences Character-defining features include:
asymmetrical composition, complex massing; smooth stucco exterior wall cladding; low
pitched roofs with terra cotta barrel tiles; wood sash double -hung windows with plain
surrounds and projecting sills; curving exterior staircase. In the rear of this triplex is an
accessory two-story structure with ground floor garages and residential units above. It is
stucco clad with a low-pitched side gable roof and clay barrel tiles.
9.56.100(A)(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 District is an established and familiar visual feature of the Ocean Park neighborhood.
This highly intact group of historic residences has a unique location at the summit of a
hill, giving the district a strong visual and physical presence. The visibility of this
intersection was enhanced when reconfigured in the 1960s to create a vehicular bridge
and underpass for Ocean Park Boulevard. Despite these roadway reconfigurations, the
District has maintained its integrity as a cohesive group of historic residences. As a group
of residential properties uninterrupted by non-contributing properties located at the crest
of a hill, the highly visible integrity and cohesion of the district is a singular physical
characteristic.
9.56.100(B)(2). It 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.
The District is a highly unified and cohesive grouping of residential structures located in
the Ocean Park neighborhood, at the north side of the intersection Ocean Park Boulevard
and Fourth Street. As a group of residential properties uninterrupted by non-contributing
properties, the District is unified by physical development and architectural quality. The
buildings represent modest examples of a variety of architectural styles popular in the
early 20th century and reflect the development of Ocean Park during such time. The
period of significance begins in 1904 with the first residence in the District at 2506 4th
Street and ends with the 1936 Spanish Colonial Revival triplex at 2518 4th Street. Most
structures in the district are Craftsman bungalows and Mediterranean Revival architecture
and were constructed between 1917 and 1925 following the westward extension of
Central Avenue (now Ocean Park Boulevard) toward the beach. Most are one -story and
of modest scale, oriented towards the two streets that frame the district; a second group
is oriented around an open grass courtyard in a bungalow court configuration.
Architectural variety is manifest in the different architectural styles, which portray a
chronological sequence from late Victorian to mature Spanish Colonial Revival. The
residences retain a high level of original architectural integrity, and, therefore, the District
retains a sense of time and place.
9.56.100(B)(3). It 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 provides a visible representation of early twentieth century residential
development in Ocean Park, a period of growth in the neighborhood. The catalyst for
early residential development was new transportation infrastructure, the extension of
Central Avenue (later Ocean Park Boulevard) across 4th Street to the west in 1917. The
new roadway, Ocean Park Boulevard from 4th Street to the west, provided access to the
parcels which became the 4th Street Corner District. Thus the area is united by a
transportation mode and physical development. The period of significance, 1904 -1936
portrays different eras of settlement and growth, from a late Victorian hipped roof cottage
to a highly articulated example of Spanish Colonial Revival in 1936. The District contains
an unusual example of a bungalow court, with homes of different architectural styles sited
around an open grass courtyard. Subsequent reconfiguration of the street infrastructure
of Fourth Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, due to Redevelopment Agency activity in the
late 1960s, did not result in compromise or loss of the integrity of the District. The
streetscape reflects those changes, but the homes remained intact and cohesive.
9.56.100(B)(4). 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 District is an established and familiar visual feature of the Ocean Park neighborhood.
This highly intact group of historic residences has a unique location at the summit of a
hill, giving the district a strong visual and physical presence. The visibility of this
intersection was enhanced when reconfigured in the 1960s to create a vehicular bridge
and underpass for Ocean Park Boulevard. Despite these roadway reconfigurations, the
district has maintained its integrity as a cohesive group of historic residences. As a group
of residential properties uninterrupted by non-contributing properties located at the crest
of a hill, the highly visible integrity and cohesion of the district is a singular physical
characteristic.
SECTION II. Structures that contribute to the character and integrity of the 4th Street
Corner Historic District shall be defined as the multi-unit residential condominium complex
located at 2506-2516 4th Street, the front residential triplex structure and rear detached
residence above garage structure located at 2518 4th Street, the multi-unit residential
structure located at 2524 4th Street, the single-unit residences located at 2525 and 2528
4th Street, and the single-unit residences located at 317-321 Ocean Park Boulevard.
Noncontributing buildings or structures shall be defined as buildings or structures
constructed that are not listed as contributors.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
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.
If this is a final decision not subject to further appeal under the City of Santa Monica
Municipal Code, the time within which judicial review of this decision 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
determination of the City Council of the City of Santa Monica.
________________________________ _____________________________
Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk Date
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Arlene Hopkins <arlene.hopkins@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 9, 2019 1:46 PM
To:Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems
Cc:Steve Mizokami
Subject:3rd Request /Re: 2nd Request to Approve /Re: Request to Approve: 4th Street Historic District
Honorable Members of the City Council,
I write to request your vote to support the Historic District Designation for the 2500
Block of 4th Street.
As a founding member of the Santa Monica Conservancy, the urgent need to approve
the Historic District Designation for the 2500 block of 4th Street is clear.
Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Yours truly,
Arlene Hopkins
On Tue, Jul 16, 2019 at 9:49 AM Arlene Hopkins <arlene.hopkins@gmail.com> wrote:
Good day Honorable Members of the Santa Monica City Council,
On July 23 I urge that you please approve the Historic District Designation for the 2500
Block of 4th Street.
As a resident -- I have lived in this neighborhood for 35 years, and this block is integral
to the culture and context of this community.
As an architect and planner -- I very well understand the various arguments pro and
con of the historic designation. Fundamentally, this is a highly subjective issue, so it
would be wise to "to do harm" and, if necessary to "ere," to minimally do so.
As a former SM Planning Commissioner and as a licensed real estate salesperson -- I
understand the economic pressures applied by our own SM Planning Dept, and even our
SM Economic Development staff -- all of which result in disruption to community,
"gentrification" and worse.
Please protect our neighborhood by approving the 4th Street Historic District on 23
July.
Yours sincerely,
Arlene Hopkins
On Tue, Jun 4, 2019 at 12:17 PM Arlene Hopkins <arlene.hopkins@gmail.com> wrote:
Good day Honorable Members of the Santa Monica City Council,
Item 7-A
08/13/19
1 of 3 Item 7-A
08/13/19
2
I write to express my support for the proposed 4th Street Historic District.
I am a 3rd generation of the Santa Monica Bay area, and a 40 year resident of Santa
Monica. Further, as a founding member of the Santa Monica Conservancy, a local
history lover, an educator and an architect, I hold dear and very much value our
historic community buildings.
Our historic buildings maintain our local sense of community and historic continuity.
Thank you for your consideration of this proposal for the 4th Street Historic District.
Yours truly,
Arlene Hopkins
Item 7-A
08/13/19
2 of 3 Item 7-A
08/13/19
1
Vernice Hankins
From:David Auch <dwauch@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 11, 2019 10:37 PM
To:Ted Winterer; Terry O’Day; Council Mailbox
Cc:councilmtgitems; Steve Mizokami; Scott Flax
Subject:Beef with the new historic 4th Street District
I am disappointed that the council is moving forward with the new 4th Street historic district.
My Gosh ‐ the landmark commission couldn’t even support this! The properties are of questionable, arguable historic
merit.
I’m suspicious that this is social engineering, pitting one socio economic group against another. While I feel greatly for
the tenants who are there, the property owner bought this under one set of rules, and now you are changing the rules. I
feel like you may be doing this to preserve the below market rents of the tenants involved. While that could be an
admirable goal, you should be honest about what you are doing, and try to do it through appropriate means.
If you support low income housing, it should be through zoning code, long term planning, building low income units, and
encouraging property owners to develop new smaller units that are more affordable, etc. If you support renters, then
also make it more expensive for landlords to displace them through city laws. Heck ‐ I could see a tenant, under certain
circumstances, getting $100k to move out. This would better reflect the value to property owner and the cost of
relocation. That would really help the tenants and still provide an opportunity for owners. But what you are doing here
is wrong to me.
Or perhaps you just don’t want change. It is unfathomable to me that the city is doing this because of the architectural
merit of these properties. I’ve read the report, and lived next to these buildings for almost thirty years. Virtually any
home in the city could be similarly romanticized, but to raise these properties to the level of a historic district is just
wrong. Heck, you might as well make the entire city a historic district. Ocean Park is a unique community that I love and
have worked to make better, but unique does not mean archaic or rigid or just old for old sake. I love the craziness and
diversity, but it should not be unfair.
Sure, the buyers may have more money than other people, but that does not make them bad people or bad neighbors,
and they should not be treated unfairly as a result. Heck ‐ even the application asks if the property owners were involve
in the application. Only one properties owners was behind this effort.
Given the very questionable nature of the architecture, I would only support this effort if a supermajority or even
unanimity of the property owners wanted it. If not, I think this is wrong, and what you are doing here is unfair.
David Auch
2532 5th Street
Item 7-A
08/13/19
3 of 3 Item 7-A
08/13/19
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
4th Street Corner Historic District
2500 Block 4th Street -18ENT-0356
Appeal 19ENT-0260
July 23, 2019
CITY COUNCIL HEARING
City of Santa Monica Historic Preservation Program
(City Landmark, Structure of Merit, Historic District Designations)
§Landmarks and Historic District Ordinance (Adopted 1976)
Landmarks Commission:
-Protect the City’s cultural, social, economic, political, architectural history.
-Safeguard City’s historic, aesthetic, cultural heritage.
-Educate and Promote Historic Preservation.
§Historic Designations:
City Landmarks: 132 designated Landmarks
Structure of Merit: 13 designated residences
Historic Districts: 4 designated Historic Districts
-Third Street Neighborhood Historic District (1990)
-Bay Street Craftsman Cluster (2000)
-San Vicente Blvd Courtyard Apartments (2015)
-11th Street Bungalow Historic District (2019)
July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
CITY COUNCIL HEARING
§11/20/18: District Application Submitted
§01/17/19: Information/Community Meeting
§05/13/19: Landmarks Commission Meeting
§06/10/19: 2nd Landmarks Commission Mtg.
§07/08/19: Appeal Filed by SM Conservancy
§07/23/19: City Council Hearing (Appeal)
Timeline of Events
July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Potential 4th Street Corner Historic District
(2500 Block 4th Street –18ENT-0356)
1.2506-2516 4th Street
-2506 4th Street (Neoclassical)
-2508 4th Street (American Colonial Revival)
-2510 4th Street (American Colonial Revival)
-2512 4th Street (American Colonial Revival)
-2514 4th Street (Craftsman)
-2516 4th Street (Craftsman)
2. 2518 4th Street (Spanish Colonial Revival)
3. 2524 4th Street (Mediterranean Revival)
4.2525 4th Street (Mediterranean Revival)
5.2528 4th Street (Mediterranean Revival)
-317 Ocean Park Blvd (Craftsman)
-319 Ocean Park Blvd (Craftsman)
-321 Ocean Park Blvd (Craftsman)
*Listed on 2018 Updated HRI
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Proposed Historic District:
§5 Subject Properties: Contiguous Grouping
14 Buildings + 1 Accessory Structure
All 14 buildings would be considered
Contributors as intact + Conveying
Historic Significance from
Period of Significance (1904-1936)
§Districts: Majority of contributing properties
within a potential district + a District should
have sufficient historical integrity and
possess significance as a whole.
§Should be able to visually and physically
convey its sense of time, place, and
historical development from its period of
significance.
CITY COUNCIL HEARING
Context of Proposed District
July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
CITY COUNCIL HEARING
2506 4th Street (Neoclassical)2508 4th Street (Amer.Colonial)2510 4th Street (Amer.Colonial)2512 4th Street (Amer.Colonial)
2514 4th Street (Craftsman)
2506-2516 4th Street
July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
2516 4th Street (Craftsman)
CITY COUNCIL HEARING
2518 4th Street (Spanish Colonial)2524 4th Street (Mediterranean)
2525 4th Street (Mediterranean)
2528 4th Street (Mediterranean)
317 Ocean Park (Craftsman)
July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
321 Ocean Park (Craftsman)
319 Ocean Park (Craftsman)
Rear Building (Spanish Colonial)
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Historic Context:
§1910 -1915: Early single-family residences
constructed during Craftsman Period
§1920s-1930s: Development of the Block
-1920s: Revival-style buildings
-1930s: Colonial, Spanish, Tudor revival
styles
§Subject Block: Substantial redevelopment
beginning in the 1950s and 1960s: 2-story
multi-unit apartments
§Late 1960s:Ocean Park Blvd Regrading,
4th Street Overpass, Widening of 4th Street
§Infill development creates small clusters of
modest residences throughout Ocean Park
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Appellant Statement:
§Appellant does not agree that the District is
insufficient in size to qualify as a Historic
District, and that District size is not a
requirement established in the Landmark
designation criteria.
§Appellant states a precedent for the
formation of small historic districts:
-Bay Street Craftsman Historic District (2000)
-11 th Street Bungalow Historic District (2019)
§Appellant states their reasons of why the
properties uniquely represent a specific
period in the development of the Ocean
Park neighborhood was not given sufficient
consideration.
§Appellant states the streetscape changes in
the 1960s had no impact on the cohesion of
the District as a whole.
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Landmarks Commission Discussion:
Support of District:
§Sufficient concentration of properties that
represent the architectural styles during its
period of significance;
§Sufficient architectural integrity that
continues to convey the history of the area.
§Summary of Findings
Not in Support of District:
§Lack of cohesiveness and definable area,
does not consist of a sufficient
concentration of properties.
§Architectural styles do not appear unified
to rise to level of significance as a district.
§Based on Staff Recommended Findings
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Historic District Findings:
§Criterion 1: small grouping of residences as a whole does not appear to significantly convey
the architectural and historic development history of Ocean Park.
§Criterion 2 & 4: Architecturally, the subject buildings are typical examples of their
architectural styles and do not embody distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable
to a study.
§Criterion 3: No evidence to indicate any former owners or occupants of the subject
properties were associated with any important historical events.
§Criterion 5: Research indicates that the properties are not associated with notable
builders/designers/architects
§Criterion 6: District not located within a unique location or share a singular physical
characteristic
§Criterion B(2): Does not appear as a definable area unified aesthetically through its
architectural style to contribute to each other cohesively as a district.
§Criterion B(3): Grouping of these residences as a whole does not appear to uniquely or
significantly convey the historic development pattern of the Ocean Park area that occurred
during the first quarter of the twentieth century.
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
Council Focus:
Consider Appeal Statement,
Landmarks Commission Arguments
And
Staff ’s Recommendation that the
Proposed District Appears Ineligible
for Designation
CITY COUNCIL HEARING July 23, 2019
4th Street Historic District
18ENT-0356
CITY COUNCIL HEARING January 22, 2019
11 th Street Historic District
18ENT-0166
Historic District Designation Criteria
A geographic area or a noncontiguous grouping of thematically related properties may be designated a
Historic District if the City Council finds that such area meets one of the following criteria pursuant to Santa
Monica Municipal Code 9.56.100(B):
1.It exemplifies, sym bolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or
architectural history of the City.
2.It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy i nterest or value.
3.It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state or national histor y.
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.
5.It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer
or architect.
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.
7.It 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.
8.It 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.
9.It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual
feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
CITY COUNCIL HEARING January 22, 2019
11 th Street Historic District
18ENT-0166
§Criterion 1: compromised historical integrity of many of its resources, no geographically
definable area possessing a distinct concentration of bungalow properties.
§Criterion 2 & 4: Architecturally, the subject bungalows are typical examples of their
architectural styles and do not embody distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable
to a study.
§Criterion 3: No evidence to indicate any former owners or occupants of the subject
properties were associated with any important historical events.
§Criterion 5: Research indicates that neither Waldo Cowan or Joseph Rowe were notable or
master builders in the City.
§Criterion 6: Properties within the study area va ry in building types, setbacks, scale and
massing forms, and levels of historical integrity (lack of cohesiveness and uniformity.
§Criterion B(2): Does not visually manifest as a cohesive, unified entity of the early
residential development patterns of the Santa Monica that occurred in the area during the
first quarter of the twentieth century.
§Criterion B(3): Proposed District includes varied residential development pattern lacking
unity, cohesiveness, and a distinct concentration of resources.