A brief biography of Olof Dahlstrand is included in the Carmel Historic Context Statement (page 175):
Olof Dahlstrand (1916-2014) – Born in Wisconsin, Olof Dahlstrand graduated with a degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1939. After designing buildings for the defense industry during World War II, he relocated to the San Francisco Bay area where he designed seven buildings in the Wrightian Organic idiom for individual clients.
He established his architectural practice in Carmel in 1960, designing residences, schools and commercial buildings, including the 1966 Carmel Valley Shopping Center and the Wells Fargo Savings Bank (1964), extant on Dolores Street in Carmel and an example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic architectural style. Dahlstrand was an active participant in Carmel’s community, having served on both the planning commission and city council. He retired in 1984, but he continued to do renderings for other architects in the latter part of his career.”
Dahlstrand’s archival documents are located at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. The associated biography published online states:
During a nine-year period between 1950 and 1958, seven clients who wanted sitespecific, custom-designed, homes came to Dahlstrand. These “Usonian” residences are built on sites that range from flat parcels, to steep hillsides, to cliff sides on the San Francisco Bay. In the early 1960s, he established his own practice in the Monterey Bay area, and continued to work on residences, commercial centers, and educational facilities located throughout Northern California. His significant projects included the 1966 Carmel Valley Shopping Center and the UC Santa Cruz Faculty Housing begun in 1974. Dahlstrand retired in 1984, but has continued to do renderings for other architects. Olof Dahlstrand earned his degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1939. He worked briefly in Wisconsin, and then moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 1948. He worked as an associate for Fred and Lois Langhorst, and was included in a show at the San Francisco Museum of Art. The trio’s sketches, renderings, photographs, and drawings were a sensation. When the Langhorsts moved to Europe in 1950, Dahlstrand became responsible for the practice. Later, he worked in the San Francisco offices of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and produced renderings for a number of other architects including John Carl Warnecke. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, Dahlstrand’s work exhibits elements and ideals emphasized by the strong horizontal and vertical elements of the Prairie style. His work also reflects Wright’s “organic architecture” and its ideas that a building (and its appearance) should follow forms that are in harmony with its natural environment; that the materials used on the exterior should be sympathetic to the building’s locale, thereby relating the building to its setting; and that use should be made of low-pitched overhanging roofs to provide protection from the sun in the summer and to provide some weather protection in the winter. In addition, maximum use should be made of natural day lighting.
Dahlstrand’s 1966 Carmel Valley Shopping Center was recently evaluated by the County of Monterey as a potential historic resource. Though some argued for the shopping center’s significance as a 1960s Dahlstrand design, the Monterey Herald reported, “Barbara Lambrecht, the principal of Pasadena-based Modern Resources and ATTACHMENT 7
a published author and expert on restoration of historic architectural design, told supervisors that Dahlstrand’s work does not meet the standard of a master architect.” The Monterey County Board of Supervisors ultimately rejected its historic designation in June 2022.
Within Carmel-by-the-Sea City limits, Dahlstrand is credited with the design of the Carmel Plaza (c.1960), the Wells Fargo Bank (1965), the Crocker Bank (1971) converted to the Harrison Memorial Library Park Branch in 1989, and the Nielsen Brothers Market (1980). No Dahlstrand-designed buildings are listed on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources. The former Crocker Bank was evaluated by the City in 2025; because the building does not retain integrity, it was deemed ineligible for listing on the Inventory. The remaining Dahlstrand buildings within the City have not yet been evaluated.
CMC Section 17.32.040 & National Register Criteria Consideration G CMC Section 17.32.040.C, specifies that eligible resources should be a minimum of 50 years of age. CMC Section 17.32.040.H, offers further clarification, specifying, A resource less than 50 years old may be eligible if it is of exceptional importance to the City, State, or nation based on its unusually strong contribution to history, architecture, engineering or culture, or because it is an integral part of an historic district. Staff does not find the subject property to rise to the necessary level of exceptional importance to merit listing prior to 50 years of age. However, when the 1977 “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” does reach 50 years of age, on October 21, 2027, it would be eligible for listing on the Carmel Inventory under California Register Criterion 3 as a good local example of the Organic style designed by significant local architect Olof Dahlstrand.
Federal standards for listing on the National Register of Historic Places are similar in that 50 years is usually necessary to develop a historical perspective. The National Register Bulletin, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, states that properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register; however, such properties would qualify if they meet National Register Criteria Consideration G: A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.
Archival drawings and renderings of the “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” signed by Olof Dahlstrand are dated 1976, and the Carmel Planning Commission approved the project on March 13, 1976. However, the project was not completed until 1977. The digitized property file includes a reference (page 853) specifying October 21, 1977, as the project completion date. A conflicting reference (page 151) cites 1978 (no month or day specified). The Monterey County Assessor lists 1978 as the construction date. Based on the information available, it can safely be said the project was not completed in 1976 and thus has not yet reached 50 years of age.
Ms. Lamprecht asserts that, “As a property studied and recognized as an important work of design by master architect Olof Dahlstrand that has brought architectural distinction to the city of Carmel-the-Sea since its completion in 1977, Reimers’ ATTACHMENT 7
Stonehouse Terrace meets Criteria Consideration G: Properties That Have Achieved Significance Within the Last Fifty Years.” Additional supporting evidence was not provided in the Nomination Form. In Carmel-by-the-Sea, no property has been listed on the Carmel Inventory prior to 50 years of age. When the Northern California Savings and Loan Building (the present-day Seventh & Dolores restaurant) was evaluated prior to 50 years, the Historic Resources Board voted to add the property to the Inventory.
However, the Board’s decision was appealed to the Council, and in 2020, the City Council made the determination that the property – constructed in 1972 – did not yet qualify for the Carmel Inventory and issued a "Determination of Ineligibility" with a custom expiration date of October 26, 2022 to align with the 50-year threshold. Staff supports a similar approach for “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” and recommends the HRB issue a Determination of Ineligibility with a custom expiration date of October 21, 2027.
Carmel-by-the-Sea National Register-Listed Properties
The DPR 523 Form for “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” does not assess potential eligibility for listing on the National Register, as that was outside the scope of work. A potential future listing on the Carmel Inventory (upon reaching 50 years of age) appears most appropriate, however, a National Register Nomination is pending review by the SHRC. At this time, only four properties within Carmel-by-the-Sea City limits are listed on the National Register of Historic Resources:
• Carmel Mission / Mission San Carlos de Borromeo del Rio Carmelo – listed in 1983
• Outlands in the 80 Acres / Paul Flanders Mansion – listed in 1989 • Sunset Center / Sunset School – listed in 1998
• Mrs. Clinton Walker House / Cabin-on-the-Rocks / Walker House – listed in 2016 The Robinson Jeffers House / Tor House, listed on the National Register in 1975, is located just outside City limits. The nomination forms for the local National Registerlisted properties are attached for reference (Attachment 5).
While the documentation of National Register-listed properties is more extensive than the DPR 523 Forms utilized for local listings, it should be noted that (perhaps nonintuitively) listing a property on the National Register is primarily honorary in nature and does not secure any "extra" protections against alteration or even demolition that are not already secured by the City’s historic preservation ordinance.
Environmental Review: Issuing a Determination of Ineligibility for listing on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources is “not a project” as defined in Public Resources Code section 21065 and section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines. The action does not grant any permits or entitlements approving a project that would result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENT 7
Public Correspondence: Staff received three public correspondence submissions prior to publication of the staff report on April 17, 2026 (Attachment 6). The public correspondence will be addressed during the hearing on April 20, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution No. 2026-001-HRB
2. National Register of Historic Places Nomination
3. Stonehouse Terrace DPR 523A and B
4. Determination of Ineligibility
5. Carmel National Register-listed Properties
6. Public Correspondence_combined
ATTACHMENT 7
CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Monday, April 20, 2026
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL - TOUR
The following Board Members were present for the tour: Erik Dyar, Kathryn Gualtieri, and Bobbie Voris
The following Board Members were absent: Jordan Chroman
TOUR OF INSPECTION
The Board/Commission will meet and convene the public hearing at the first location listed below on the Tour of Inspection. The public is welcome to join the tour. The tour is intended only to give the Board/Commission an opportunity to view project sites scheduled for a public hearing later that day. No deliberations on the merits of projects will take place during the Tour of Inspection. Following completion of the tour, the Board/Commission will recess and return to the Council Chambers to reconvene the public hearing at 4:00 p.m., or as soon thereafter as possible.
A. DS 26068 (Salehi): Southwest corner of Santa Rita Street and 1st Avenue
B. DR 25269 (Carl Cherry Foundation): Northwest corner of Guadalupe Street and 4th Avenue
C. HE 26090 (Stonehouse Terrace): San Carlos Street 2 southwest of 7th Avenue
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL - CHAMBERS
The following Board Members were present: Erik Dyar, Kathryn Gualtieri, and Bobbie Voris
The following Board Members were absent: Jordan Chroman
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PUBLIC APPEARANCES
Members of the public are entitled to speak on matters of municipal concern not on the agenda during Public Appearances. Each person's comments shall be limited to 3 minutes, or as otherwise established by the Chair. While stating your name is optional, it helps to identify speakers in the meeting minutes. Under the Brown Act, public comment for matters on the agenda must relate to that agenda item, and public comments for matters not on the agenda ATTACHMENT 8
must relate to the subject matter jurisdiction of this legislative body. Remote or in-person participants who do not comply with the requirements of the Brown Act will be muted.
The following members of the public addressed the Board: None
CONSENT AGENDA
Items on the consent agenda are routine in nature and do not require discussion or independent action. Members of the Commission or the public may ask that any items be considered individually for purposes of Board/Commission discussion and/ or for public comment. Unless that is done, one motion may be used to adopt all recommended actions. 1) December 15, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes
2) Consider the 2024-2025 Certified Local Government Annual Report prepared by Staff for submission to the California Office of Historic Preservation
Item 2: Consider the 2024-2025 Certified Annual Report prepared by Staff for submission to the California Office of Historic Preservation was pulled for discussion.
It was moved by Board Member Gualtieri and seconded by Board Member Voris to approve Item 1: December 15, 2025 Regular Meeting Minutes.
The motion passed by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Board Member(s): Dyar, Gualtieri, Voris
NOES: Board Member(s): None
ABSTAINED: Board Member(s): None
ABSENT: Board Member(s): Chroman
Speakers:
Katherine Wallace, AICP, Associate Planner
It was moved by Board Member Voris and seconded by Board Member Gualtieri to approve Item 2: Consider the 2024-2025 Certified Annual Report prepared by Staff for submission to the California Office of Historic Preservation.
The motion passed by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Board Member(s): Dyar, Gualtieri, Voris
NOES: Board Member(s): None
ABSTAINED: Board Member(s): None
ABSENT: Board Member(s): Chroman
PUBLIC HEARINGS
3) HE 26090 (Stonehouse Terrace): Consideration of a property ownersponsored National Register of Historic Places Nomination and a CityATTACHMENT 8
initiated Determination of Ineligibility for listing on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources for the "Reimers' Stonehouse Terrace" located at San Carlos Street 2 southwest of 7th Avenue in the Service Commercial (SC) District. APN: 010-145-018-000
Speakers:
Katherine Wallace, AICP, Associate Planner
Kristi Reimers, Property Owner
Public Comment:
Ian Martin
Cindy Lloyd
Kent Seavey
Polly Osborne
Jason Retterer
Charles Najarian
Victoria Beach
It was moved by Board Member Dyar and seconded by Board Member Gualtieri to recommend listing the “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” on the National Register of Historic Places and to support the National Register Nomination prepared by Ms. Barbara Lamprecht. The “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” is located at San Carlos Street 2 southwest of 7th Avenue in the Service Commercial (SC) District. APN 010-145-018-000.
The motion passed by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Board Member(s): Dyar, Gualtieri, Voris
NOES: Board Member(s): None
ABSTAINED: Board Member(s): None
ABSENT: Board Member(s): Chroman
4) DS 26068 (Salehi): Consideration of a Determination of Consistency with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for a new garage door proposed under DS 26068 (Salehi), revised from a previous approval under DS 24115 (Salehi), for the historic “Mary Haven House” located at the southwest corner of Santa Rita Street and 1st Avenue in the SingleFamily Residential (R-1) District. APN: 010-027-001-000 Speakers:
Katherine Wallace, AICP, Associate Planner
Public Comment:
Cindy Lloyd
It was moved by Board Member Voris and seconded by Board Member Gualtieri to approve a resolution issuing a determination of consistency with the ATTACHMENT 8
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Standards) for a new garage door proposed under Design Study 26068 (Salehi), revised from a previous approval under Design Study 24115 (Salehi), for the historic “Mary Haven House” located at the southwest corner of Santa Rita Street and 1st Avenue in the Single-family Residential (R-1) District. APN: 010- 027-001-000
The motion passed by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Board Member(s): Dyar, Gualtieri, Voris
NOES: Board Member(s): None
ABSTAINED: Board Member(s): None
ABSENT: Board Member(s): Chroman
5) DR 25269 (Carl Cherry Foundation): Consideration of a Determination of Consistency with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for a new 775-square-foot art studio proposed under DR 25269 (Carl Cherry Foundation), revised from a previous approval under DR 23278 (Carl Cherry Foundation), at the historic “Carl Cherry Center for the Arts” located at the northwest corner of Guadalupe Street and 4th Avenue in the Single-Family Residential (R-1) District. APN: 010-024-013-000 Speakers:
Katherine Wallace, AICP, Associate Planner
Polly Osborne, Studio Schicketanz, Applicant
Ron Baxter, Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Property Owner Public Comment:
Cindy Lloyd
Todd Fujinaga
Polly Osborne
It was moved by Board Member Gualtieri and seconded by Board Member Voris to approve a resolution issuing a determination of consistency with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties for a new 775-square-foot art studio approved under Design Review 23278 (Carl Cherry Foundation) and revised under Design Review 25269 (Carl Cherry Foundation) at the historic “Carl Cherry Center for the Arts” located at the northwest corner of Guadalupe Street and 4th Avenue in the in Single-family Residential (R-1) District. APN: 010-024-013-000
The motion passed by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Board Member(s): Dyar, Gualtieri, Voris
NOES: Board Member(s): None
ABSTAINED: Board Member(s): None
ABSENT: Board Member(s): Chroman
ATTACHMENT 8
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Katherine Wallace, Associate Planner, gave a report and answered questions of the Board:
• Objective Design and Development Standards: There is a meeting scheduled for next week to discuss the Objective Design Standards project. • Updates on Historic Preservation: Both the California Preservation Foundation and the Office of Historic Preservation send updates on historic preservation for those interested in subscribing.
BOARD MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Vice Chair Dyar informed the Board of the Carmel Heritage Homes Tour scheduled for Saturday, July 18th. This year's theme is "Designing Women". Tickets will be available at carmelheritage.org and AIA.org.
Board Member Gualtieri requested information on the historic artifacts of the Francis Whitaker studio as the former Forge in the Forest property is undergoing renovations.
Associate Planner Katherine Wallace informed the Board that the Carmel Heritage Society is in talks with the developer on a potential new home for the forge. Board Member Gualiteri also said that the decedents of MJ Murphy are considering funding a plaque on the Carmel Library to recognize his contribution. Associate Planner Wallace advised that the plaque could be included with the Board's review of the Library project later this year.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
6) Next Regular Meeting: May 18, 2026
ADJOURNMENT
6:03 PM
APPROVED: ATTEST:
______________________________
Jordan Chroman, Chair
______________________________
Shelby Gorman, Board Clerk
ATTACHMENT 8
April 29, 2026
Julianne Polanco
State Historic Preservation Officer
Office of Historic Preservation
1725 23rd Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA, 95816-7100
Via email: [email protected]; [email protected] Re: City of Carmel-by-the-Sea – Comments on the Nomination of “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” to the National Register of Historic Places
Dear Ms. Polanco:
In March, 2026, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea (City) received a letter from the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) regarding a review and comment period for the “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” National Register of Historic Places Nomination, scheduled for review by the State Historical Resources Commission on May 7, 2026.
This letter provides a response to the request for comments from staff and from the City Historic Resources Board (HRB).
1) Staff Comments:
The “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” property located at San Carlos Street 2 southwest of 7th Avenue has not yet reached 50 years of age and does not appear to be of exceptional importance to the City, State, or nation based on input from the City’s contracted professional historian. However, when the property does reach 50 years of age, on October 21, 2027, it appears eligible for listing on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources under Criterion C (Architecture), as a good example of the Organic style designed by significant local architect Olof Dahlstrand. Staff comments (Attachment A, “April 20, 2026 HRB Staff Report”) are supported by the findings of a City-contracted qualified professional, Ms. Margaret Clovis (Attachment B, “DPR 523 Form prepared by Ms. Clovis”).
2) Historic Resources Board Comments:
The HRB considered the “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” National Register Nomination and the City staff-prepared draft “Determination of Ineligibility for listing on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources” during the Board’s Regular Meeting on April 20, 2026. The ATTACHMENT 9
Board did not issue the Determination of Ineligibility for listing on the Carmel Inventory, nor did the Board take action to list the property on the Carmel Inventory, though Board Members expressed support for adding it at a future date.
The three members of the Board in attendance unanimously supported the National Register Nomination; a motion was passed recommending listing on the National Register and supporting the Nomination prepared by Barbara Lamprecht. Prior to the motion, Board Members provided comments in support of the Nomination, summarized as follows:
Olof Dahlstrand, a master architect and prominent civic leader who served on the Carmel Planning Commission and City Council, created an outstanding, forward-thinking, adaptive re-use design for the Reimers, a longtime Carmel family since the 1920s, by integrating old and new to combine retail, office and living space around a central landscaped courtyard – a typology specific to Carmel.
Per Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code Sections 17.54.010.B and 17.54.040.C, the action taken by the Historic Resources Board on April 20, 2026, is final unless an appeal is filed with City Council prior to the close of the appeal period on May 4, 2026. Should an appeal be filed within the appeal period, the City’s position on the National Register Nomination will not be determined until the City Council acts on the appeal, which cannot happen until June 2nd at the earliest. The City has received notice that an appeal application is forthcoming. In the event an appeal is received, the SHRC may wish to continue consideration of this item from May 7, 2026, to the following quarterly meeting in August 2026, to allow the City consideration process to be completed. The City will follow up no later than May 5, 2026, to advise the SHRC whether there has been an appeal to the City Council on the HRB action taken on April 20, 2026.
Should you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected] or (831) 620-2032.
Sincerely,
Katherine Wallace, AICP
Associate Planner
Cc: Anna Ginette, AICP, Community Planning and Building Director, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Brandon Swanson, City Administrator, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Marnie Waffle, AICP, Principal Planner, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea [email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: April 20, 2026 HRB Staff Report
Attachment B: DPR 523 Form prepared by Ms. Clovis
ATTACHMENT 9
ATTACHMENT 10
ATTACHMENT 10
ATTACHMENT 10
ATTACHMENT 10
ATTACHMENT 10
ATTACHMENT 10
April 30, 2026
Julianne Polanco
State Historic Preservation Officer
Office of Historic Preservation
1725 23rd Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA, 95816-7100
Via email: [email protected]; [email protected] Re: City of Carmel-by-the-Sea – Comments on the Nomination of “Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace” to the National Register of Historic Places – Follow-Up Letter Dear Ms. Polanco:
This letter serves to notify the Office of Historic Preservation and the State Historical Resources Commission that the action taken by the Carmel-by-the-Sea Historic Resources Board on April 20, 2026 (below), was appealed on April 30, 2026.
The three members of the Historic Resources Board in attendance unanimously supported the Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace National Register Nomination; a motion was passed recommending listing on the National Register and supporting the Nomination prepared by Barbara Lamprecht. Prior to the motion, Board Members provided comments in support of the Nomination, summarized as follows: Olof Dahlstrand, a master architect and prominent civic leader who served on the Carmel Planning Commission and City Council, created an outstanding, forward-thinking, adaptive re-use design for the Reimers, a longtime Carmel family since the 1920s, by integrating old and new to combine retail, office and living space around a central landscaped courtyard – a typology specific to Carmel.
Because the action has been appealed, the City’s position on the National Register Nomination will not be determined until the City Council acts on the appeal, which cannot happen until June 2nd at the earliest. The State may wish to continue consideration of this item from May 7, 2026, to the following quarterly meeting in August 2026, to allow the City consideration process to be completed.
If the May 7, 2026 State Historical Resources Commission hearing is continued, the City would appreciate being advised of the continuance.
Separately, please find enclosed all public correspondence submitted to the City prior to the April 20, 2026 Historic Resources Board meeting. The public comments are offered in addition to the Staff Report and City-prepared DPR 523 Form provided on April 29, 2026. The April 20, 2026 Historic ATTACHMENT 11
Resources Board meeting agenda be accessed online here, and the meeting recording may be accessed online here.
Should you have any questions, please contact me at [email protected] or (831) 620-2032.
Sincerely,
Katherine Wallace, AICP
Associate Planner
Cc: Anna Ginette, AICP, Community Planning and Building Director, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Brandon Swanson, City Administrator, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea Marnie Waffle, AICP, Principal Planner, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea [email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace Public Correspondence ATTACHMENT 11
State of California Natural Resources Agency Gavin Newsom, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer
1725 23rd Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95816-7100
Telephone: (916) 445-7000 FAX: (916) 445-7053
[email protected] www.ohp.parks.ca.gov
Armando Quintero, Director
May 4, 2026
In reply refer to: NRHP_2026_Reimers’_Stoneh_0011
VIA EMAIL
Katherine Wallace, AICP, Associate Planner
Community Planning and Building Department
City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
Post Office Box CC
Carmel-by-the-Sea, Ca 93921
Subject: Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace
Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey County, California
Dear Ms. Wallace:
I am in receipt of your letter dated April 30, 2026 informing that the April 20, 2026 deliberations of the Carmel-by-the-Sea (City)’s Historic Resources Board have been appealed such that the City does not currently have a position regarding the above-referenced nomination.
The California State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) has recently learned that there are two owners of the above-mentioned property. In accordance with 36 CFR §60.6(c), the OHP must notify all property owners of its intent to bring a nomination to the State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) in advance of the scheduled meeting. Although Ms. Kristi Reimers was notified, Mr. Neils J. Reimers was not.
Therefore, the above-referenced nomination cannot be heard at the SHRC meeting on May 7, 2026. As it is within the ten-day notice timeline as required by the Bagley-Keene Act, the nomination will be pulled from the agenda at the beginning of the meeting later this week.
If you have questions, contact the Registration Unit at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Julianne Polanco
State Historic Preservation Officer
Cc: Kristi Reimers, Barbara Lamprecht
ATTACHMENT 12
1 | P a g e
May 21, 2026
To: Katherine Wallace, Associate Planner
From: Meg Clovis, Historian
RE: Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace: Deficiencies in National Register Nomination In February 2026, historian Barbara Lambrecht prepared a National Register nomination for the Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace on behalf of the owner, Kristi Reimers. The nomination concludes that the property is eligible under Criterion C (Architecture) as the work of master architect Olof Dahlstrand and further argues that it qualifies under Criterion G as a property less than fifty years old because it is exceptionally important.
This memorandum identifies three deficiencies that undermine that conclusion: 1) failure to meet analysis requirements to determine exceptional importance under Criteria Consideration G, 2) failure to identify the correct Period of Significance, and 3) lack of precedent in the City of Carmel to include in the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources properties less than fifty years old.
Background
On April 20, 2026, the Carmel-by-the-Sea Historic Resources Board (HRB) concluded that Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places despite not meeting the 50-year threshold; the property was built in 1977. The HRB summarized its reasoning as follows: Olof Dahlstrand, a master architect and prominent civic leader who served on the Carmel Planning Commission and City Council, created an outstanding, forwardthinking adaptive-reuse design for the Reimers, a long-time Carmel family since the 1920s, by integrating old and new to combine retail, office, and living space around a central landscaped courtyard—a typology specific to Carmel. The HRB found that Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace satisfied Criteria Consideration G for a property that achieved significance within the past fifty years because it is exceptionally important. The HRB identified 1977 as the Period of Significance, the year Stonehouse Terrace was constructed but also included the 1910 cottage because of the resource’s typology as a commercial complex organized around a landscaped courtyard. Finally, the HRB asserted that Carmel has precedent for including properties less than fifty years old in its Historic Resources Inventory.
Exceptional Significance
A review of the April 20, 2026, HRB meeting and the National Register nomination indicates that a sufficient case has not been made to exempt the property from the 50-year eligibility ATTACHMENT 13
2 | P a g e
requirement. The record does not demonstrate that the Stonehouse Terrace is exceptionally important.
Incomplete Historic Context
National Register Bulletin 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, and National Register Bulletin 22, Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties that Have Achieved Significance Within the Past Fifty Years, set out the steps for determining whether a property less than fifty years old is exceptionally important. The first step is to evaluate the property within an adequately developed historic context. Here, the HRB identified the resource as a commercial building associated with a landscaped courtyard, a property type distinctive to Carmel. Although Carmel’s Historic Context Statement refers to courtyard buildings, neither that context nor the National Register nomination fully develops the context for this property type.[1] Carmel contains at least 40 examples of this property type, some of which are already included in the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources. National Register Bulletin 22 states:
“In evaluating and justifying exceptional importance, it is especially critical to identify the properties in a geographical area that portray the same values or associations and determine those that best illustrate or represent the architectural, cultural, or historical values being considered.” National Register Bulletin 15 states,
“A property that has achieved significance within the past fifty years can be evaluated only when sufficient historical perspective exists to determine that the property is exceptionally important.
The necessary perspective can be provided by scholarly research and evaluation and must consider both the historic context and the property’s specific role in that context.” Without a clearly developed context, the exceptional importance of Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace cannot be evaluated.
Lack of Comparative Analysis
The second step in establishing exceptional importance is to compare the property to related properties of the same type. Carmel has more than 40 commercial properties with landscaped courtyards, yet the nomination does not compare Stonehouse Terrace to any of them. That omission is significant because National Register guidance requires identifying which properties best represent the defined historic context.
National Register Bulletin 15 states,
“In justifying exceptional importance, it is necessary to identify other properties within the geographical area that reflect the same significance or historical associations and to determine which properties best represent the historic context in question. Several properties in the area ATTACHMENT 13
3 | P a g e
could become eligible with the passage of time, but few will qualify now as exceptionally important.”
Without comparative analysis, the claim of exceptional importance cannot be substantiated.
Insufficient Supporting Documentation
National Register Bulletin 22 states that “the more recently a property has achieved significance, generally the more difficult it is to demonstrate exceptional importance. The case for exceptional importance is bolstered when there is a substantial amount of professional, documented materials on the resource and the resource type.”
Professional documentation on Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace is limited. The 1910 cottage and the 1977 Stonehouse Terrace were identified as separate resources in the 1990 cultural resource survey, but neither was evaluated for significance, and neither appeared in later surveys.
DOCOMOMO[2] records three of Olof Dahlstrand’s commercial buildings, including the Wells Fargo Bank in Carmel, but not Stonehouse Terrace. The property also does not appear in the California Office of Historic Preservation’s Built Environment Resource Directory, although other Carmel resources from the 1970s do. As a result, the National Register nomination appears to be the first in-depth study of the property.
This lack of documentation limits the ability to justify exceptional importance.
Master Architect Claim
The nomination’s claim that Olof Dahlstrand qualifies as a master architect is difficult to reconcile with prior evaluations by the same author. In a 2022 report on the Dahlstrand-designed Mid-Valley Shopping Center in Carmel Valley, Lambrecht wrote: “Mr. Dahlstrand is not a figure of generally recognized greatness in a field. His work was not published widely at the state or national levels, it did not have an impact on the architectural profession, and it did not influence its wider direction.” She also testified at the Board of Supervisors hearing on the shopping center’s historic designation that Dahlstrand did not meet the standard of a master architect. Four years later, however, the Stonehouse Terrace nomination states that Dahlstrand was unquestionably a master architect. That inconsistency raises concerns about the reliability of the analysis, and the master-architect designation therefore should not be relied on as a basis for eligibility.
Period of Significance
Period of Significance is defined as the length of time when a property was associated with important events, activities, or persons, or attained the characteristics which qualify it for the ATTACHMENT 13
4 | P a g e
National Register. For architecturally significant properties, the period of significance is the date of construction and/or the dates of any significant alterations and additions.1 Three periods of significance have been proposed for the Reimers Stonehouse Terrace complex.
The National Register nomination identifies two dates: 1910, the approximate construction date of the original cottage, and 1977, when the adjacent building and the landscaped courtyard connecting the two structures were constructed. The 1910 cottage, however, was significantly altered before 1977. As part of its incorporation into the Stonehouse Terrace complex, a lowerfloor storefront and an upper outdoor terrace were added to the front (east) elevation, further compromising the building’s integrity. Because the cottage had already lost integrity, including 1910 in the Period of Significance is not justified.
The DPR 523 A and B survey form, prepared by Meg Clovis, identifies 1977 as the Period of Significance because that is when the Olof Dahlstrand-designed Stonehouse Terrace building and landscaped courtyard were constructed. It does not include the 1910 cottage because the cottage had been significantly altered before 1977. Dahlstrand’s principal addition to the cottage (the storefront and second floor terrace) obscured the original front façade, which further undermined the building’s integrity. The stone veneer of this addition simply continued a design feature already introduced by the Reimers in the 1940s and does not reflect his expertise. The cottage therefore no longer retains sufficient integrity to be significant as an individual building nor does it reflect the work of Olof Dahlstrand.
After reviewing the National Register nomination, the HRB concluded that the Period of Significance was 1977 but nevertheless included the 1910 cottage within that period. The Board reasoned that the complex represents a Carmel-specific commercial building type and that the cottage, once incorporated into the larger complex, became part of an early example of adaptive reuse. As discussed above, however, Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace has not been sufficiently analyzed as a representative of this type, and its relative significance among Carmel’s courtyard commercial properties remains unknown. As a result, the rationale for including the cottage in the Period of Significance has not been adequately established.
Precedence for Designating Properties Less than Fifty-Years Old Carmel’s Local Coastal Program and Historic Preservation Ordinance, adopted in 2004, sets the standard for including resources less than 50 years old in the Historic Inventory. Under the ordinance, such a resource may qualify only if it is exceptionally important to the City, State, or Nation because of its unusually strong contribution to history, architecture, engineering, or culture, or because it is an integral part of a historic district (Carmel Municipal Code
17.32.040.H). Carmel has previously debated whether to include buildings under 50 years old in 1 National Register Bulletin 16. How to Complete the National Register Registration Form. National Park Service, 1997.
ATTACHMENT 13
5 | P a g e
the Inventory, and some properties were in fact added through the 2001 Cultural Resources Survey before the 2004 ordinance was adopted.2 Those earlier additions predated the ordinance’s requirement for a finding of exceptional importance for properties less than 50 years old. A cursory review of the DPR forms for those properties indicates that none were evaluated for exceptional importance, as the Historic Preservation Ordinance now requires.
Examples of properties that were surveyed in 2002 but were not fifty years old include the Esther M. Hill House (1964), the Howard Nieman House (1970), and the Mr. and Mrs. William Junk House (1965).
Conclusion
In summary, the National Register nomination for the Reimers’ Stonehouse Terrace does not follow the required steps for determining whether the property is exceptionally important. First, the historic context for the property type has not been fully developed. Second, the nomination does not compare the property to related resources, even though Carmel contains at least 40 examples of this type. Third, there is little professional documentation on the resource itself.
For these reasons, the record does not support a finding of exceptional importance, as required for properties less than 50 years old. Because the 1910 cottage is not a true reflection of Olof Dahlstrand’s own work, it cannot be included in the stated period of significance. 2 Although properties less than 50-years old may have been identified in 2001, they typically were not recorded with the County until 2005.
ATTACHMENT 13