Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 2014-10RESOLUTION NO. 2014-10 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT APPROVING LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR 44-870 CABRILLO AVE, AS A LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK . CASE NO. CRPC 13-03 WHEREAS, on October 29, 2013, the Cultural Resource Preservation Committee conducted a public hearing to consider initiation of Landmark Designation for property located at 44-870 Cabrillo Ave, Assessor's Parcel No. 625-083-001, as a historic landmark pursuant to Section 29.40 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee has considered all of the evidence submitted into the administrative record which includes, but not limited to: 1. Agenda reports were prepared by the Department of Building and Safety. 2. Staff presentation at the meeting held on October 29, 2013 before the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee. 3. The City of Palm Desert, Cultural Resources Ordinance No. 1168, and all other applicable regulations and codes. 4. Public comments, both written and oral, received and/or submitted at or prior to the meeting, supporting and/or opposing the applicant's request. 5. Testimony and/or comments from the applicant and its representatives submitted to the City in both written and oral form at or prior to the meeting. 6. All related documents received and/or submitted at or prior to the meeting. WHEREAS, based on the forgoing evidence, the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee finds that: 1. A request for Landmark Designation for 44-870 Cabrillo Ave, was made on July 10, 2013 to designate as an historical landmark. 2. Notice of the October 29, 2013, Cultural Resources Preservation Committee meeting was posted in the Desert Sun and at City Hall. 3. Notice of the October 29, 2013 Cultural Resources Preservation Committee was provided to the affected property owner as shown on the latest Riverside County assessment role. Owner was notified by telephone and by first class mail. 4. Notice of the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee meeting included the notice requirements set forth in Califomia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). WHEREAS, based on the Cultural Resources Ordinance 1168, the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee concludes the following: 1. Palm Deserts' character and history are reflected in its cultural, historical, and architectural heritage, and 2. Palm Deserts' historical foundations should be preserved as living parts of the community life and development in order to foster an understanding of the City's past so that future generations may have a genuine opportunity to appreciate, enjoy, and understand Palm Deserts' heritage, and 3. The Cultural Resources Preservation Committee has reviewed this site and determined it to be historically significant and could contribute to the economic and cultural revival of the City. Resolution No. 2014-10 Page 2 of 3 WHEREAS, in view of all the evidence and based on the forgoing designation criterion, the Cultural Resources Preservation Committee concludes as follows: The residence at 44-870 Cabrillo Avenue is significant as it was designed by seminal California architect Rudolph M. Schindler, and retains the integrity of his design. It is further significant for its contribution as an early home built during the transition of Palm Village from predominantly agriculture to early tourism. The residence is eligible for designation as a city landmark in accordance with the following criteria: C. Embodies distinctive characteristics, or is one of the few remaining examples of a style, type, period or method of construction or possesses high artistic value; or D. Represents the work of a master builder, designer or architect; or resource that has yielded or has the potential to yield important information in history or prehistory; or F. Reflects distinctive examples of community planning or significant development patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, agriculture, or transportation. Trained in Austria, architect Rudolph M. Schindler was working in Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago office while Wright went to Japan from 1917-1922 for the building of several projects including the Imperial Hotel. Wright had Schindler come to California in 1920 to oversee the construction of Wright's Hollyhock House for Aline Barnsdall in Los Angeles. Upon its completion Schindler decided to stay in California and set up his own practice. Schindler's first project was his own home on King's Road, started in 1921. With tilt up concrete slabs, redwood beams and extensive use of glazing, the plan was initially denied a building permit for the radical design. Schindler continued his use of concrete in the Lovell beach house, built in 1926, and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the course of his career Schindler's design and use of material evolved. He sought to design and build homes for $3.50 to $4.00 a square foot by using inexpensive material like plywood for walls. He came to describe his style of architecture as "space architecture" which focused on the design of interior spaces. Schindler's first project in the Coachella Valley was in 1922 for Paul Popenoe. The home, no longer is existence, was built in Coachella and is thought to be the first modern structure in the valley. From 1946-48 Schindler built the home for Maryon Toole in what was then known as Palm Village. He apologized to her for the delays in construction due to the seasonality of the labor in the desert. The home was built in the later years of Schindler's career, f'�ct < <�f Resolution No. 2014-10 Page3of3 which ended prematurely with his death in 1953 at the age of 65. In The Architecture of R. M. Schindler, Michael Darling of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles said "The richness of the Toole house shows an architect in full command of his medium, orchestrating a range of architectural concerns toward a fully integrated whole." At the time of construction of the Toole house, Palm Village (the area north of Highway 111) was undergoing a transformation from an area dedicated to agriculture to a post war destination where people could luxuriate in the sun poolside and take in all the early desert had to offer. Concurrently development was just beginning in the bare desert on the south side of Highway 111 for the same reasons. In 1951 the two communities of Palm Village and Palm Desert united and took the name of Palm Desert. The home pre -dates city incorporation by 25 years. Little is known of Maryon Toole, but during World War II she served in the Women's Army Corp. She was also the postmistress for Indian Wells, operating out of the El Dorado Date Gardens on Highway 111. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT DOES HEREBY DESIGNATE 44-870 CABRILLO AVE, AS A LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. CASE NO. CRPC 13-03 PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California at its regular meeting held this 13th day ofFebruary2014, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: BENSON, NARNIK, SPIEGEL, WEBER, and TANNER NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE ATTEST: 4'y r� VAN G. TANNER, MAYOR RAC ELLE D. KLASSEN, ITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA f';:ig(-, 3 of 3