Initial Study Mitigated Negative Declaration Palm Avenue Complete Multimodal Corridor Project — Imperial Beach City Council, September 2, 2026 (part 6 of 17)

*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 19, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 720-30 Highway 75 lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed circa 1962, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number of commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. The subject property has been occupied by numerous businesses over the years, including Andreoli’s Pizza, Luigi’s, Pete’s Pastries and Donut Shop, La Panaderia Cinco de Mayo, Yoga with Shawna, and Pan Am Tae Kwon Do Academy, none of which appear to have been innovative within their industries or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 720-30 Highway 75 lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with the businesses that occupied the subject property throughout its history: Andy Andreoli, George Morgan, Robert Luisi, Roy Paul Shields, Gerald and Virginia Fritch, Leopoldo Lopez, Jr. and Eduardo Rodriguez, Bert Fuller, Duwane and Dorothy Chaffee, E. Roloff, and Brenda L. Morgan. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2. 720-30 Highway 75 does not rise to the standard necessary to be found eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3.

The building is Mid-Century Modern with International style elements including box construction, usage of modern materials, and repetitive fenestration, but it is neither a remarkable nor distinctive example of the style. There are many similar buildings along Highway 75 which have similar construction and were also built during the post-World War II era. Archival research was unable to determine the architect or builder, so there is no evidence that the property represents the work of a master. Therefore, the property is not eligible for listing under Criterion C/3. 720-30 Highway 75 does not appear significant under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4 as a source, or likely source, of important historical information, nor does it appear likely to yield important information about historic construction methods, materials, or technologies. Therefore, the property is not eligible for listing under Criterion D/4.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 19, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Integrity Considerations
Because the subject property lacks sufficient significance to meet any of the criteria for listing in the NRHP or CRHR, an integrity analysis was considered immaterial. To be eligible for listing in either register, a resource must first meet one or more of the significance criteria outlined above before a determination can be made as to whether the resource retains its historic character and can convey its significance. In the case of the subject property, the evaluation found that it lacked the necessary significance to warrant further analysis of its physical and historic integrity.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR under all listing criteria due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

ARG (Architectural Resources Group). 2016. City of Arcadia: Citywide Historic Context Statement. Prepared by ARG for the City of Arcadia, Development Services, Planning Division. January 11, 2016. https://www.arcadiaca.gov/Shape%20Arcadia/Development%20Services/historic%20preservation/Arc dia%20HCS_11-16_FINAL.pdf.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1973. "Notice to Creditors of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista StarNews (Chula Vista, CA), 36. April 19, 1973.

CVSN. 1978. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 787224." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 46. June 1, 1978.

CVSN. 1982. "Pete’s Pastries and Donut Shop." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 46. July 29, 1982.

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75 *Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 19, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

IBSN (Imperial Beach Star News). 1962a. "New Pizza House to Open Soon." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 5. March 1, 1962.

IBSN. 1962b. "February Building Reaches $217,000." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 6. March 8, 1962.

IBSN. 1962c. "Even Mickey Mouse Got a Write-In Vote." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 5. April 19, 1962.

IBSN. 1970a. "Restaurant operator maced by police." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 1. March 12, 1970.

IBSN. 1970b. "Beach Cycle Center." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 3. June 18, 1970.

IBSN. 1972a. "Mini-cycle stolen." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 4. April 13, 1972.

IBSN. 1972b. Council Box Score." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 10. June 11, 1972.

IBSN. 1980. "Police Blotter.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 12. January 13, 1980.

IBSN. 1981. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 8106382." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 51. April 16, 1981.

Manning, Matthew J. 2009. “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving a Unique Cultural Resources.” University of Georgia, Master of Historic Preservation Thesis. https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/manning_matthew_j_200908_mhp.pdf McAlister, Virginia. 2015. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

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75 *Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 19, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Moruzzi, Peter. 2013. “National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: The Case Study House Program: 1945-1966,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/54215cf5- 9b1b-45af-875d-d8b965494d0d.

NETR (Nationwide Environmental Title Research, LLC). 2025a. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1953, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003. 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

NETR (Nationwide Environmental Title Research, LLC). 2025b. Historic Topographic Maps of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1904, 1908, 1911, 1915, 1920, 1928, 1932, 1941, 1943, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1977, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
TSN (The Star News). 1992. "Notice of Dissolution of Partnership and Continuance of Business." Newspapers.com:

The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 24. June 24, 1992.

TSN. 1994. "Notice of Dissolution of Partnership and Continuance of Business." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 16. March 12, 1994.

UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

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*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none.") Dudek. 2025. Palm Avenue Complete Multimodal Corridor Project, Imperial Beach, California. Prepared for CR ASSOCIATES. *Attachments: ☐ NONE ☒Location Map ☒Continuation Sheet ☒Building, Structure, and Object Record ☐Archaeological Record ☐District Record ☐Linear Feature Record ☐Milling Station Record ☐Rock Art Record ☐Artifact Record ☐Photograph Record ☐Sketch Map ☐Other (List):

DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 4
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 932-38 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone 11, 489339 mE / 3605194 mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-212-32-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a single-story commercial building with four storefronts sited on Palm Avenue between 9th Street and Emory Street. The building is clad in stucco and grouted loose rock. The roof is flat with a gabled parapet on the primary (south) elevation. Another parapet clad in the grouted loose rock is present on the east elevation (Photo 1). The primary elevation has four storefront entrances, each with a six-panel wooden door and a metal-frame picture window. The entrance for 932 Palm Avenue is covered by a metal security door. See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building Choose an item. Choose an item. *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking north, IMG_0591
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
c.1964 (NETR 2025a)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Addis A. McGrew Revocable Trust
1211 Helix Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91911
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 932-38 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: See Property History
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Commercial
B4. Present Use: Commercial
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern with International style elements *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The property was constructed circa 1964. Circa 1978 the two storefronts on the east side of the building were added, which is now its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a).
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
932-38 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 932-38 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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*Map Name: Imperial Beach, CA *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 1996 (2002 ed.) DPR 523J * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial

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Significance (cont.)
Historic Context
Imperial Beach developed its early infrastructure throughout the 1940s with newly paved streets, streetlights, and the completion of a new community center on 19th Street (Adams 1976: 71; Daugherty 1994). Numerous civic groups were formed in the 1940s to aid community development, such as the Imperial Beach Civic Group (1945), Sanitary District (1949), and Imperial Beach Fireman’s Auxiliary (1949), among others. By 1949, the South Bay area’s population reached approximately 9,600. Housing, as shown in a 1953 aerial, was composed of several subdivisions north and south of Palm Avenue, in and near the coastal area—most of which were single-story Ranch and Minimal Traditional style tract homes. North and south of Palm Avenue, between 9th and 13th streets, housing remained scattered with some undeveloped residential lots throughout. Similarly, in 1953, several housing subdivisions were north of Imperial Beach Boulevard near the coast, as well as some scattered residences north and south of the boulevard further inland (NETR 2025a). An aerial ten years later shows that nearly all vacant lots north and south of Palm Avenue were infilled and much of the vacant land was also developed north and south of Imperial Beach Boulevard (UCSB 2025). To service the growing population, commercial development took flight in Imperial Beach in the late 1940s through early 1950s (Adams 1976:72,75,87).

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm CityImperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

By 1955, numerous businesses were established in Imperial Beach and particularly along Palm Avenue. By July 18, 1956, Imperial Beach incorporated as San Diego County’s tenth city, ranging four-and-a-half square miles. Cecil H.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976: 143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

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Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 23, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
In the 1980s through early 2000s, commercial and auto-focused development, such as gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, continued to develop along the major arterials such as Palm Avenue (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). Today, the City of Imperial Beach continues to be a tourist beach destination with approximately 400,000 visitors per year, and a population of 27,434 as of 2019 (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

Many commercial buildings along Palm Avenue were utilitarian in design, and often automobile-focused such as service stations. Small commercial establishments, including restaurants and cafes, also peppered lots near the coast along First Street, and along Palm Avenue near 2nd and 3rd streets. In circa 1963, the SR 75 portion along Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach was widened by another two lanes between 7th and 13th streets, making it a sixlane highway with three lanes in each direction (UCSB 2025; NETR 2025b). In the 1980s through 1990s, development along Palm Avenue in the project area was primary auto-focused with gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, among other uses, which were mainly built as simple box buildings (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). In the 2000s, building typologies continued to center around the automobile in addition to apartment buildings, credit unions, the Imperial Beach Health Center, and grocery stores (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). By circa 2012, the Miracle Shopping District was demolished (NETR 2025a). In circa 2019, Caltrans relinquished ownership of SR75 along Palm Avenue to the City of Imperial Beach. It continues to serve as the City’s main entrance and acts as a major commercial and mixed-use arterial roadway (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

International Style (1950-1975)
The International Style came to the United States in the 1930s after gaining popularity in Germany, Holland and France through architects such as Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The style soon spread to the United States in the 1930s, due in part to Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson’s 1932 book titled The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 for the New York Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition. In their book, Hitchcock and Johnson introduced the term International and identified the three principles as architecture as volume, regularity, and avoiding the application of ornament. These three principals have been the baseline for American International Style architects such as Richard Neutra and Philip Johnson. The style became very popular in the mid-20th century in almost all forms of architecture, using precise and universal materials and techniques that allowed the style to be used anywhere in the world. The most common application was as the corporate office, creating walls of glass with sharp angles located in the downtown areas of many cities.

This dependency on the metal frame resulted in windows being hung in repeating patterns with brought another level of order to these already stripped-down buildings. Mies’s design’s specifically focused on perfection through mathematics, generating rectangular curtail wall designs displaying strong roots in the philosophy of the Bauhaus.

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Commercial space in cities traditionally revolved around the pedestrian as well as the architectural forms that originated in the urban core, including storefronts placed along the front of the property lines along both sides of the street. This spatial order was not easily jettisoned in American cities and towns during the early post-World War II era. With the rise in automobile ownership, however, vehicular congestion caused by on-street parking had become a recognized problem in urban areas across the country. The automobile forced urban planners, architects, and developers to think about architecture in an entirely new way. Initially, planners sought to alleviate the congestion in towns by increasing commercial setbacks to allow for a small parking area in front of the building. They also preferred building designs with a one-story form, a unified façade with a minimal amount of architectural ornamentation, and a separate service area at the rear of the building. By the early 1950s, the widespread acceptance of the front parking area in commercial districts led to the spread of the strip mall typology in the suburbs, where land was more readily available for this type of commercial development (Manning 2009: 12-15, 20, 27).

The following character-defining features of the strip mall typology are based on criteria gathered from publications such as the Architectural Record, Architectural Forum, Architect and Engineer, and the 1948, 1954, and 1968 editions of the Community Builders Handbook prepared by the Community Builders’ Council of the Urban Land Institute as presented in Matthew J. Manning’s thesis, “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource” (Manning 2009: 39).

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Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 23, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
• Primary parking between the building and the street
• Minimum 3 to 1 ratio of parking area to building area • Simple front façade oriented toward the parking area
• Separate rear service access
• Storefront entrances directly accessible from the parking area • Straight line of stores tied together by a covered sidewalk along the storefronts (canopy, awning, arcade, etc.)
• Spaces for multiple tenants with partition walls between stores • Flexible interior space customizable by tenants
• Individual exterior signage for each storefront
• Signage visible from passing vehicles
Property History
Archival research identified the original tenant of 932 Palm Avenue as Edna Hansen who ran a flower shop (1962 – 1965). Herb and Dorothy Davies ran Imperial Beach Florist from 1965 to circa 1973. No tenant was identified between 1973 and 1978, at which time Russell Whitman and Farmer’s Insurance Group occupied the subject property until circa 1986. South County Insurance was the tenant in 1988, but research did not identify other tenants after this time. 932 Palm Avenue is currently vacant (IBSN 1962: 1; CVSN 1965: 28; IBSN 1973: 4; CVSN 1978a: 8; Imperial Beach Reminder 1978: 8; IBSN 1986: 6; CVSN 1988: 7). 934 Palm Avenue was occupied from 1974 to 1979 by attorneys Milton and Douglas McGrew. From 1982 to 1993, attorneys Milton McGrew and William Krause occupied the storefront. Research did not identify another tenant until Kenny Nguyen Family Barber Shop in 2004. The current tenant is a psychic (IBSN 1974: 47; CVSN 1979: 21; CVSN 1982: 41; TSN 1993: 19; TSN 2004: 23).
936 Palm Avenue was occupied from 1962 to circa 1976 by Freight Outlet, followed by Duane McDonald Realty beginning in 1976 to circa 1978. Ships Service Furniture also used this address from 1976 until 1978. Currently, the occupant is Derek Jones Insurance Services (CVSN 1962: 14; IBSN 1976a: 5; IBSN 1976b: 23; IBR 1976: 16). 938 Palm Avenue was occupied from 1976 to circa 1989 by California First Bank, which became Union Bank from 1989 until circa 1991. Research was unable to identify a tenant from 1991 to 2007. From 2008 to present, the occupant has been a nail salon operated by Tran Mang (IBSN 1976c: 20; IBSN 1988: 19; TSN 1989: 16; TSN 2008:
21).

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 932-38 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed circa 1948, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to

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Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 23, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number of commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. The subject property was occupied by numerous businesses over the years, including a flower shop, insurance offices, attorney offices, a barber shop, a furniture store, banks, and a nail salon, none of which appear to have been innovative within their industries or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 932-38 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with the businesses that occupied the subject property throughout its history: Edna Hansen, Herb and Dorothy Davies, Russell Whitman, Milton and Douglas McGrew, William Krause, Kenny Nguyen, and Tran Mang.

Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2. 932-38 Palm Avenue does not rise to the standard necessary to be found eligible under NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3.

The building is Modern with International style elements including box construction, usage of modern materials, and repetitive fenestration, but it is neither a remarkable nor distinctive example of the style. There are many similar buildings along Highway 75 which have similar construction and were also built during the post-World War II era.

Archival research was unable to determine the architect or builder, so there is no evidence that the property represents the work of a master. Therefore, the property is not eligible for listing under Criterion C/3.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria D/4, the subject property is not significant as a source, or likely source, of important historical information, nor does it appear likely to yield important information about historic construction methods, materials, or technologies. This technology is well understood through contemporary trade journals and scientific monographs. As such, the property lacks significance under NRHP Criterion D and CRHR Criterion 4.

Integrity Considerations
Because the subject property lacks sufficient significance to meet any of the criteria for listing in the NRHP or CRHR, an integrity analysis was considered immaterial. To be eligible for listing in either register, a resource must first meet one or more of the significance criteria outlined above before a determination can be made as to whether the resource retains its historic character and can convey its significance. In the case of the subject property, the evaluation found that it lacked the necessary significance to warrant further analysis of its physical and historic integrity.

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Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 23, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024 CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1962. "Home Appliances Sales & Service." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 14. October 7, 1962.

CVSN. 1965. "Holiday Greetings." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 28. December 23, 1965.

CVSN. 1978. "Small Claims.” Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 8. June 18, 1978.

CVSN. 1979. "Milton McGrew and Douglas A. McGrew." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA),

21. June 10, 1979.

CVSN. 1982. "Milton McGrew and William M. Krause." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA),

41. January 31, 1982.

CVSN. 1988. "13 Years of Service." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 7. June 26, 1988.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountain View, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 23, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
IBR (Imperial Beach Reminder). 1976. "Rentals." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA),

16. June 16, 1976.

IBR. 1978. "Happy New Year!" Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA), 8. December 27, 1978.

IBSN (Imperial Beach Star News). 1962. "New Candidates Push For ‘Clean, Well-Run City’." Newspapers.com:

Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 1. February 8, 1962.

IBSN. 1973. "Sweet Surprise Her." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 4. May 6, 1973.

IBSN. 1974. " Milton and Douglas A. McGrew." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA),

47. November 14, 1974.

IBSN. 1976a. "Notice of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 20. April 25, 1976.

IBSN. 1976b. "Household Furniture." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 23.

September 5, 1976.

IBSN. 1976c. "Small Claims." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 5. October 3, 1976.

IBSN. 1986. “Now’s The Time!" Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 6. November 9, 1986.

IBSN. 1988. “Notice to Creditors of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 19. March 27, 1988.

Manning, Matthew J. 2009. “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving a Unique Cultural Resources.” University of Georgia, Master of Historic Preservation Thesis. https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/manning_matthew_j_200908_mhp.pdf McAlester, V.S. 2018. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. New York City, New York: Alfred A Knopf.

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
NETR (Nationwide Environmental Title Research, LLC). 2025b. Historic Topographic Maps of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1904, 1908, 1911, 1915, 1920, 1928, 1932, 1941, 1943, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1977, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ SFPD (San Francisco Planning Department). 2010. San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design: 1935-1970 Historic Context Statement. The City of San Francisco Planning Department. San Francisco, California.

South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
TSN (The Star News). 1989. "Notice of Bulk Transfer.” Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 16.

July 1, 1989.

TSN. 1993. "Legal Notice." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 19. December 1, 1993.

TSN. 2004. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 2004-040801." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 23. December 17, 2004.

TSN. 2008. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 2008-011609." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 21. April 18, 2008.

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 5
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 940-42 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-212-35-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a single-story commercial building located on the corner of Palm Avenue and Emory Street. The flatroof building is rectangular in plan and clad in stucco and concrete masonry. The roofline on the primary (south) elevation has an extended parapet, while the east elevation has a stepped roofline (Photo 1). Fenestration includes three entrances on the primary elevation, each with a wooden door inset with a glass panel and transom. The third entrance has a fabric awning attached to the doorframe. A wood-frame picture window is located on the western side of the primary entrances (Photo 2). The east elevation contains two wood-framed picture windows topped with canvas awnings, a sliding glass door, a service bay covered with a metal roll-up door, and a wood-frame sliding window (Photo 3). See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building Choose an item. Choose an item. *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking north, IMG_0586
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
1948 (Coronado Eagle and Journal
1948: 6)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Robinson Family Trust
239 Orange Avenue #3
Coronado, CA 92118
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 940-42 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: The Fine Auto Store
B2. Common Name: The Fine Auto Store
B3. Original Use: Bar
B4. Present Use: Automobile sales
*B5. Architectural Style: Mid-Century Modern with International style elements *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The property was constructed circa 1948. Aerial photographs show the building with the same footprint which is now its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a). Observed alterations include replacement frames on doors and windows. *B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
940-42 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 940-42 Palm Avenue.

See Continuation Sheet
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Description (cont.)
The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-212-35-00. The subject property is in overall good condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

In the 1980s through early 2000s, commercial and auto-focused development, such as gas stations, fast food

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Mid-Century Modern Architecture (1940 – 1975)
Mid-Century Modern style (1940-1975) is reflective of International and Bauhaus styles popular in Europe in the early twentieth century. Early Modernists, including Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Frank Lloyd Wright brought many elements of these design aesthetics and material experimentation to Southern California in the 1920s.

The development of the Mid-Century Modern style in the United States was largely fostered by World War II. Prominent European practitioners of the International and Bauhaus styles, namely architects Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, fled to the United States during World War II. The United States became a manufacturing and industrial leader. Materials and aesthetics evolved to reflect modern innovations that dominated design and construction following the war.

Mid-Century Modern design was embraced intellectually as a departure from the past, but it was economically appealing for its ability to be mass-produced with standardized, affordable, and replicable designs that could accommodate many programmatic needs and site requirements. There was a need for a style that could meet the demand for mass construction of many property types – from residences to schools to offices – and convey the modern sensibility of an era that valued a departure from the past; middle-class growth; economic efficiency; and new material technology. The designs rarely incorporate applied ornamentation or references to historical styles. As a result, many industrial buildings in the style are often “decorated boxes,” plain buildings with applied ornament to suit the era and appear more modern without reflecting the activity inside the building. Commercial buildings of this style incorporated new elements such as sleek Modern signage, aluminum awnings, and canopies, deeply recessed and or angled vestibules, floor-to-ceiling window walls, integrated planters, and projecting vertical elements. Many property types exhibit the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style; however, not all Mid-Century Modern designs rise to the level of significant examples of the architectural style. Practitioners of the style were focused on the most cutting-edge materials and techniques. The Mid-Century Modern style was widely adopted in the building

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
boom that followed World War II, particularly in the newly sprawling developments radiating from Southern California’s major urban centers including San Diego and Imperial Beach (ARG 2016: 98; Gebhard and Winter 2003; Morgan 2004; Moruzzi 2013: E6).

Character-defining features of the Mid-Century Modern style for commercial properties include:
• One- to two stories in height
• Low, boxy, horizontal proportions
• Simple geometric forms with a lack of exterior decoration • Commonly asymmetrical
• Flat roofed without coping at roofline; flat roofs hidden behind parapets or cantilevered canopies • Expressed post-and-beam construction in wood or steel • Exterior wall materials include stucco, brick, or concrete • Mass-produced materials
• Simple windows (metal or wood) flush-mounted and clerestory • Industrially plain doors
• Floor to ceiling window walls
• Extensive use of sheltered exterior corridors, with flat or slightly sloped roofs supported by posts, piers, or pipe columns
• Modern signage
• Deeply recessed and or angled vestibules
• Integrated planters
• Projecting vertical elements
International Style (1950-1975)
The International Style came to the United States in the 1930s after gaining popularity in Germany, Holland and France through architects such as Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The style soon spread to the United States in the 1930s, due in part to Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson’s 1932 book titled The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 for the New York Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition. In their book, Hitchcock and Johnson introduced the term International and identified the three principles as architecture as volume, regularity, and avoiding the application of ornament. These three principals have been the baseline for American International Style architects such as Richard Neutra and Philip Johnson. The style became very popular in the mid-20th century in almost all forms of architecture, using precise and universal materials and techniques that allowed the style to be used anywhere in the world. The most common application was as the corporate office, creating walls of glass with sharp angles located in the downtown areas of many cities.

The main difference between International Style buildings and their predecessors was their lack of exterior support of solid masonry. They often depended on a metal interior skeleton and utilized the curtain wall to clad walls in glass. This dependency on the metal frame resulted in windows being hung in repeating patterns with brought another level of order to these already stripped-down buildings. Mies’s design’s specifically focused on perfection through mathematics, generating rectangular curtail wall designs displaying strong roots in the philosophy of the

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 24, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Bauhaus. This movement incorporated simple and precise designs and incorporated mass-produced materials such as concrete, steel, and glass paired with functionality in design (SFPD 2010; McAlester 2018: 617-621).

Character-defining features of the International style for commercial properties include:
• Vertical box
• Often set on “pilotis” or stilts, giving the appearance of floating • Windows and wall surfaces are on the same plane, providing the look of a taut skin • Tinted and/or mirrored glass
• Repeating pattern of fenestration
• The seamless façade often appears sleek and slippery
• Flat roof structure
• Little decoration or ornamentation
• Open interior spaces
• Smooth wall surfaces, usually clad with stucco
• Large concrete expanses
• Use of modern materials such as metal windows, concrete, and steel • Flush-mounted metal windows
Property History
Archival research revealed that 940 Palm Avenue was occupied by The Bunny Inn Café (later “The Bunny Inn Bar”) from 1948 to 1979 and a bar called Little Bonanza from 1983 to 2015. Owners of the Bunny Inn included Electa Tancred (1945 – 1947), Julian V. Figueroa and Margaret Marilda Schoeneman (1947 – 1949), Delphina V. Tellez (1949 – unknown), Richard and Vera Ball (1971), Doc Page (1971 – 1976), Elizabeth Baugh and Jeanne Boutin (1976 – 1977), David Morgan (1977), and Larry C. Bell (1977 – circa 1983). Little Bonanza owners included Donna L. Moses (circa 1983 – 1987), David and Herminia Wenzek (circa 2003 – 2006), and Elliot Richard Donald (2006 – unknown). The property is currently vacant (CVSN 1977: 17; CVSN 1977: 20; CVSN 1989: 16; IBR 1976: 8; IBSN 1971: 23; IBSN 1983: 3; NCSN 1947: 7; TCVS 1945a: 8; TCVS 1945b: 16; TCVS 1948a: 8; TCVS 1948b: 15; TCVS 1949: 8; TSN 2003: 25; TSN 2006: 26).
942 Palm Avenue has been occupied by a series of car lots from 1956 to the present day, including Arthur Motors (1956 – 1962), Bill McGrath Used Cars (1962 – 1963), Imperial Beach Fuller Ford Outlet (1963 – circa 1977), L.A.

Auto Exchange (1977 – circa 1981), Allen Motor Car Company (1981 – 1982), Prestige Motor Cars (1982 – circa 1986), Beach Motor Cars (1986 – circa 2000), and Imperial Beach Motor Cars (2000 to unknown) (CVSN 1956: 23; CVSN 1963: 3; CVSN 1981: 25; CVSN 1982: 23; CVSN 1986: 19; IBSN 1962: 4; IBSN 1977: 12; TSN 2000: 21).

Significance Statement
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 940-42 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed in 1948, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
1955 and to six lanes circa 1963. Many businesses that opened along this major thoroughfare catered to Imperial Beach locals, as well as passing motorists. By 1955, for example, major commercial buildings on Palm Avenue included the Clothesline Department Store, as well as the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property was constructed during the important local trend of post-war commercial development, it has been occupied by a series of bars and car sales lots, none of which appear to have been innovative within their industries or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 940-42 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with the businesses that occupied the subject property throughout its history: Bill McGrath, Electa Tancred, Julian V. Figueroa, Margaret Marilda Schoeneman, Delphina V. Tellez, Richard and Vera Ball, Doc Page, Elizabeth Baugh, Jeanne Boutin, David Morgan, Larry C. Bell, Donna L. Moses, David and Herminia Wenzek, and Elliot Richard Donald. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that the individuals who operated or owned these businesses were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 940-42 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern or International styles, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research did not identify an architect or builder for the property, and it appears unlikely to be the work of a master architect or builder.

The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of an early 1950s commercial building exhibiting influences of the Mid-Century Modern style (e.g., its horizontal emphasis, one-story height, flat roof, and general asymmetry). Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Mid-Century Modern style was commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 24, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Integrity Considerations
Because the subject property lacks sufficient significance to meet any of the criteria for listing in the NRHP or CRHR, an integrity analysis was considered immaterial. To be eligible for listing in either register, a resource must first meet one or more of the significance criteria outlined above before a determination can be made as to whether the resource retains its historic character and can convey its significance. In the case of the subject property, the evaluation found that it lacked the necessary significance to warrant further analysis of its physical and historic integrity.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan.

Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024. Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/GeneralPlan-LCP-Updated-2024 CVSN (Chula Vista Star News) 1956. "Arthur Motors." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 23.

May 24, 1956.

CVSN. 1963. "Baldy." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 3. July 11, 1963.

CVSN. 1977a. "Business Transfers." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 17. February 3, 1977.

CVSN. 1977b. "Business Transfers." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 20. August 4, 1977.

CVSN. 1981. "Allen Motor Car Co." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 25. June 4, 1981.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 24, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
CVSN. 1982. "Small Claims." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 23. May 16, 1982.

CVSN. 1986. "Con men sell victim worthless rings." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 19.

July 10, 1986.

CVSN. 1989. "Business Transfers." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 16. February 12, 1989.

Coronado Eagle and Journal, Volume XXXVI, Number 48, 26 November 1948 — Page 6 Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

IBR (Imperial Beach Reminder). 1976. "A Wish for Good Luck.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA), 8. September 22, 1976.

IBSN (Imperial Beach Star News). 1962. “Bill McGrath Used Cars.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 4. February 22, 1962.

IBSN. 1971. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 71-8574.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 23. August 1, 1971.

IBSN. 1977. "Stolen Vehicle.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 12. July 10, 1977.

IBSN. 1983. "Bomb Hoax." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 3. December 11, 1983.

NCSN (National City Star News). 1947. "Public Notice." Newspapers.com: National City Star News (National City, CA), 7. July 11, 1947.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 24, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
TCVS (The Chula Vista Star) 1945a. "Notice of Intention to Engage in the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 8. October 19, 1945.

TCVS. 1945b. "Bunny Inn Cafe." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 16. October 26, 1945.

TCVS. 1948a. "Too Late to Classify." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 8. October 15, 1948.

TCVS. 1948b. "Mr. and Mrs. Julian V. Figueroa." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 15.

November 5, 1948.

TCVS. 1949. "Notice of Intention to Sell." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 8. May 6, 1949.

TSN (The Star News) 2000. "1992 Chevrolet Corvette." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 21.

September 22, 2000.

TSN. 2003. "Fictitious Business Name Statement, File No. 2003-013465." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 25. May 2, 2003.

TSN. 2006. "Notice of Application to Sell Alcoholic Beverages." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA),

26. January 20, 2006.

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 6
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 950 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-221-20-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a single-story, rectangular-plan commercial building on the northeast corner of Palm Avenue and Emory Street. The building is clad in concrete masonry topped with a flat roof with a low parapet. The primary (south) elevation faces Palm Avenue as the primary entrance, containing a storefront made up of large metal-frame fixed windows and a metal-frame, double glass door. Signage reading “Firestone Complete Auto Care” is mounted near the roofline on the south and west elevations. (Photo 1). The west elevation features four roll-up metal service bay doors, which are evenly spaced between masonry columns. There is a slight roof overhanging above the service bay doors. The east elevation is plain with no ornamentation or fenestration (Photo 2). See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking northeast, IMG_0573
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
1960 (ParcelQuest 2025)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Darnell III Trust
237 E Avenue
Coronado, CA 92118
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 950 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: See property history
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Car dealership
B4. Present Use: Automotive Service/Retail
*B5. Architectural Style: Mid-Century Modern with International style elements *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The subject property was built in 1960 (PQ 2025).

Aerial photographs do not appear to show any change in the building’s footprint from 1960 to its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a).
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
950 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 950 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek
*Date of Evaluation: June 26, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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Description (cont.)
The subject property possesses some characteristics of the International style such as a repeated fenestration pattern, a flat roof, sparse decorative elements and ornamentation, and use of metal for windows and doors (McAlester 2015). The parcel also contains a paved parking lot accessible from Emory Street and Palm Avenue. No landscaping is present. The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-221-20-00.

The subject property is in overall good condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

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143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

Mid-Century Modern Architecture (1945 – 1970)
Mid-Century Modern style (1940-1975) is reflective of International and Bauhaus styles popular in Europe in the early twentieth century. Early Modernists, including Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Frank Lloyd Wright brought many elements of these design aesthetics and material experimentation to Southern California in the 1920s. The development of the Mid-Century Modern style in the United States was largely fostered by World War II.

Prominent European practitioners of the International and Bauhaus styles, namely architects Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, fled to the United States during World War II. The United States became a manufacturing and industrial leader. Materials and aesthetics evolved to reflect modern innovations that dominated design and construction following the war.

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elements. Many property types exhibit the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style; however, not all MidCentury Modern designs rise to the level of significant examples of the architectural style. Practitioners of the style were focused on the most cutting-edge materials and techniques. The Mid-Century Modern style was widely adopted in the building boom that followed World War II, particularly in the newly sprawling developments radiating from Southern California’s major urban centers including San Diego and Imperial Beach (ARG 2016: 98; Gebhard and Winter 2003; Morgan 2004; Moruzzi 2013: E6).

Character-defining features of the Mid-Century Modern style for commercial properties include:
• One- to two stories in height
• Low, boxy, horizontal proportions
• Simple geometric forms with a lack of exterior decoration • Commonly asymmetrical
• Flat roofed without coping at roofline; flat roofs hidden behind parapets or cantilevered canopies • Expressed post-and-beam construction in wood or steel • Exterior wall materials include stucco, brick, or concrete • Mass-produced materials
International Style (1950 – 1975)
The International Style came to the United States in the 1930s after gaining popularity in Germany, Holland and France through architects such as Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The style soon spread to the United States in the 1930s, due in part to Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson’s 1932 book titled The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 for the New York Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition. In their book, Hitchcock and Johnson introduced the term International and identified the three principles as architecture as volume, regularity, and avoiding the application of ornament. These three principals have been the baseline for American International Style architects such as Richard Neutra and Philip Johnson. The style became very popular in the mid-20th century in almost all forms of architecture, using precise and universal materials and techniques that allowed the style to be used anywhere in the world. The most common application was as the corporate office, creating walls of glass with sharp angles located in the downtown areas of many cities.

This movement incorporated simple and precise designs and incorporated mass-produced materials such as concrete, steel, and glass paired with functionality in design (SFPD 2010; McAlester 2018: 617-621). • Character-defining features of the International style for commercial properties include:
• Vertical box
• Often set on “pilotis” or stilts, giving the appearance of floating • Windows and wall surfaces are on the same plane, providing the look of a taut skin

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• Tinted and/or mirrored glass
• Repeating pattern of fenestration
• The seamless façade often appears sleek and slippery
• Flat roof structure
• Little decoration or ornamentation
• Open interior spaces
• Smooth wall surfaces, usually clad with stucco
• Large concrete expanses
• Use of modern materials such as metal windows, concrete, and steel • Flush-mounted metal windows
Property History
Archival research revealed that the property was operated as a Chevrolet dealership by “Robertson and Darnell” from 1960 – 1961, at which time it became Jon Duringer Chevrolet Company (BCP 1960: 5; CVSN 1961: 11). Research did not find an owner between 1962 and 1976. The property operated as a Goodyear Service Store from 1976 until circa 1995. 950 Palm Avenue was listed as a business called “Express Tires” in 1996 and now currently operates as Firestone Total Auto Care (IBSN 1976: 10; IBSN 1983: 38; NCT 1996: 22).

Significance Statement
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 950 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed in 1960, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. The property has been operated as a car dealership and an automotive supply store during its history. However, neither business appear to have been innovative within their industries generally or within Imperial Beach specifically. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 950 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 25, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
associated with the ownership or occupancy of the subject property, including individuals named Robertson, Darnell, and Jon Duringer. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history, nor did the property have any significant association with either the Goodyear or Firestone corporations. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 950 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research did not identify an architect or builder for the property, and it appears unlikely to be the work of a master architect or builder.

The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of a post-war commercial building exhibiting influences of the International style (e.g., vertical box construction, repeating pattern of fenestration, and flat roof structure). Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Mid-Century Modern style was commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 25, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

BCP (Bay Cities Press). 1960. “Wagon Unveiled.” Newspapers.com: Bay Cities Press (Imperial Beach, CA), 5.

October 6, 1960.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024 CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1961. "Brake Adjustment." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 11. March 12, 1961.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

IBSN (Imperial Beach Star-News). 1976. “Small Claims." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 10. September 26, 1976.

IBSN. 1983. "Goodyear Tire Center." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 38. June 26, 1983.

McAlester, V.S. 2018. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. New York City, New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 25, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
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Moruzzi, Peter. 2013. “National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: The Case Study House Program: 1945-1966,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/54215cf5- 9b1b-45af-875d-d8b965494d0d.

NCT (North County Times). 1996. “Express Tires.” Newspapers.com: North County Times (Oceanside, CA), 22.

December 16, 1996.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ SFPD (San Francisco Planning Department). 2010. San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design:
1935-1970 Historic Context Statement. The City of San Francisco Planning Department. San Francisco, California.

South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

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Photographs (cont.)
Photo 2. View of subject property primary (south) and east elevations, facing northwest.

Source: IMG_0560, Dudek 2025

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 7
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 986 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone, mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-221-12-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a single-story commercial building that is “L” shaped in plan and clad in concrete masonry and corrugated metal (Photo 1). The eastern section of the building is topped with a flat roof and an extended parapet on the primary (south) elevation. Fenestration on this section includes a single-panel door with metal security bars flanked by two wood-framed picture windows on the primary elevation, along with two wood-framed sliding glass windows on the west elevation (Photo 2). See Continuation Sheet.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking northeast, IMG_0604
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:  Historic
c.1953 (eastern) and c.1959 (western)
(ParcelQuest 2025)
*P7. Owner and Address:

International Commercial & Leasing
Services LLC
5075 Surf Shoal Point
San Diego, CA 92154
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 986 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: See property history
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Warehouse
B4. Present Use: Vacant (Contractor until 2023)
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern with International style elements *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The eastern section of the property was constructed circa 1953, while the western section was built circa 1959. Aerial photographs show the building with the same footprint after 1959, which is now its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a). Observed alterations include replacement of doors and windows, as well as the addition of a metal fence on the west elevation. *B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
986 Palm Avenue does not meet the criteria for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 986 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek
*Date of Evaluation: June 26, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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*Map Name: Imperial Beach, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 1996 (2002 ed.) DPR 523J * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
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LOCATION MAP Trinomial

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Description (cont.)
The western section of the property is topped with a medium pitched, side-gabled roof clad in corrugated metal with a deep overhang supported by metal beams. The primary entrance is located on the southern elevation with fenestration including metal-framed glass double-doors and metal-framed picture windows at even intervals (Photo 3). The west elevation of this section contains a metal roll-up door with a row of windows above. A low wooden fence and metal hurricane fence protrude from the southwest corner of the building, partially separating the small, paved parking lot from the paved driveway along the west side of the parcel (Photo 4).

The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-221-12-00. The subject property is in overall fair condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first

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occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

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style incorporated new elements such as sleek Modern signage, aluminum awnings, and canopies, deeply recessed and or angled vestibules, floor-to-ceiling window walls, integrated planters, and projecting vertical elements. Many property types exhibit the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style; however, not all Mid-Century Modern designs rise to the level of significant examples of the architectural style. Practitioners of the style were focused on the most cutting-edge materials and techniques. The Mid-Century Modern style was widely adopted in the building boom that followed World War II, particularly in the newly sprawling developments radiating from Southern California’s major urban centers including San Diego and Imperial Beach (ARG 2016: 98; Gebhard and Winter 2003; Morgan 2004; Moruzzi 2013: E6).

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The main difference between International Style buildings and their predecessors was their lack of exterior support of solid masonry. They often depended on a metal interior skeleton and utilized the curtain wall to clad walls in glass.

Ship’s Service Furniture, who also operated a store at 1003 Palm Avenue nearby, was the tenant from circa 1971 until circa 1988. Vern Harris was the owner of both stores during this period. Research revealed that Ship’s had a fire in 1980 that was extinguished by two passing Good Samaritans. Another furniture store, Everyday Furniture, occupied the property from circa 1988 until circa 2014. The property is currently vacant with the most recent tenant being Chris Eader (CVSN 1956: 6; CVSN 1960: 27; CVSN 1976: 35; IBSN 1971: 2; IBSN 1976: 18; IBSN 1980: 1; IBSN 1988: 9; Google Maps 2025).

Significance Statement
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 986 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed between c.1953 and 1959, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm

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Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. The subject property was occupied by a handful of businesses over the years, including a furniture and appliance outlet, a storage warehouse, and a contractor’s office, none of which appear to have been innovative within their industries or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 986 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with the ownership or occupancy of the subject property, including Vern Harris and Chris Eader. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 986 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Modern style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research did not identify an architect or builder for the property, and it appears unlikely to be the work of a master architect or builder. The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of a 1950s commercial building exhibiting influences of the Modern style (e.g., its horizontal emphasis, one-story height, general asymmetry, and use of newer materials). Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Modern and International styles were commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. The property is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

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Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan.

Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024. Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/GeneralPlan-LCP-Updated-2024 CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1956. "Coronado Warehouse & Supply." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 6. February 16, 1956.

CVSN. 1960. "Classifieds." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 27. January 28, 1960.

CVSN. 1976. "Ships Service Furniture." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 35. April 1, 1976.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

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IBSN (Imperial Beach Star-News). 1971. “Burglar bags 6 TVs." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 2. January 28, 1971.

IBSN. 1976. “Ready for Christmas." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 18.

December 16, 1976.

IBSN. 1980. “Passing pair fights fire, saves store." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 1. July 31, 1980.

IBSN. 1988. “Super Savings." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 9. March 10, 1988.

McAlester, V.S. 2018. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. New York City, New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

Moruzzi, Peter. 2013. “National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: The Case Study House Program: 1945-1966,” National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/54215cf5- 9b1b-45af-875d-d8b965494d0d.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ SFPD (San Francisco Planning Department). 2010. San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design:
1935-1970 Historic Context Statement. The City of San Francisco Planning Department. San Francisco, California.

South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf

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UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

Photographs (cont.)
Photo 2. View of eastern section (c. 1953) and paved parking lot, facing northeast.

Source: IMG_0561, Dudek 2025

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Source: IMG_0564, Dudek 2025

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Photo 4. View of west elevation and fences along parking lot, facing northeast Source: IMG_0572, Dudek 2025

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DPR 523A *Required Information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 8; 992-96 Palm Avenue
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 670-72 10th Street City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone, mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-221-11-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a single-story commercial building, rectangular in plan, with stucco cladding and topped with a lowpitched side-gabled roof. The roof is clad in clay barrel tiles with tenant signage affixed to the eaves, along with a rectangular metal sign protruding above the roofline on the south elevation. The east elevation has two primary entrances:
a set of glass double doors (996 Palm Avenue) on the southeast corner of the property and a single-pane glass door (670 10th Street) facing 10th Street (Photo 1). Fenestration includes two metal-framed sliding windows and two painted metal doors. The property abuts 665 10th Street on the east elevation (Photo 2). See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking west, IMG_0541
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
c.1950 (TCVS 1950: 6)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Gary Trieschman Living Trust
442 Daisy Avenue
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP (Dudek)
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type:

Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 670-72 10th Street DPR 523B *Required Information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: See property history
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Commercial
B4. Present Use: Commercial
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The subject property was built in circa 1950 (TCVS 1950: 6). Aerial photographs do not appear to show any change in the building’s footprint from 1953 to its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a).
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
670-72 10th Street does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 670-72 10th Street. See Continuation Sheet.

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Description (cont.)
The south elevation fenestration includes four metal-framed picture windows and a set of metal-framed glass double doors (Photo 3; 992 Palm Avenue). No landscaping or ornamentation is present on the building except a painted mural on the east elevation. The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-221-11-00. The subject property is in overall good condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

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In the 1980s through early 2000s, commercial and auto-focused development, such as gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, continued to develop along the major arterials such as Palm Avenue (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). Today, the City of Imperial Beach continues to be a tourist beach destination with approximately 400,000 visitors per year, and a population of 27,434 as of 2019 (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

Mid-Century Modern design was embraced intellectually as a departure from the past, but it was economically appealing for its ability to be mass-produced with standardized, affordable, and replicable designs that could accommodate many programmatic needs and site requirements. There was a need for a style that could meet the demand for mass construction of many property types – from residences to schools to offices – and convey the modern sensibility of an era that valued a departure from the past; middle-class growth; economic efficiency; and new material technology. The designs rarely incorporate applied ornamentation or references to historical styles. As a result, many industrial buildings in the style are often “decorated boxes,” plain buildings with applied ornament to suit the era and appear more modern without reflecting the activity inside the building. Commercial buildings of this style incorporated new elements such as sleek Modern signage, aluminum awnings, and canopies, deeply recessed and or angled vestibules, floor-to-ceiling window walls, integrated planters, and projecting vertical elements. Many property types exhibit the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style; however, not all MidCentury Modern designs rise to the level of significant examples of the architectural style. Practitioners of the style

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were focused on the most cutting-edge materials and techniques. The Mid-Century Modern style was widely adopted in the building boom that followed World War II, particularly in the newly sprawling developments radiating from Southern California’s major urban centers including San Diego and Imperial Beach (ARG 2016: 98; Gebhard and Winter 2003; Morgan 2004; Moruzzi 2013: E6).

Research showed the 672 10th Street was first recorded as Scannell’s Sporting Goods store owned by Walter and Betty Scannell, who transferred ownership to Vandyl and Norma Stecher in 1957. Newspaper ads for Steve Tasso’s Hair Fashions (1960), Imperial Beach Janitorial Supply (1968), Office Machines (1978), and Sand Castle Realty (1983) were all located, but research did not reveal how long each was a tenant (BCP 1960a: 3; CVSN 1957: 19; IBSN 1968: 10; IBSN 1978: 5; IBSN 1983: 48).
992 Palm Avenue was originally operated as Midway Inn by a Mrs. Williamson in 1950. Newspaper records show that Maxine Nicholson applied for a beverage license in 1951 and subsequently sold the business to Thomas and Anna Taylor in 1952. Ethel and Warren Enoch were the owners of the Midway Inn from 1954 until circa 1965. A newspaper article describes Warren Enoch shooting a would-be robber in the leg in 1963. Eugene DiPietro is the next recorded owner in 1965. Research found that he sold the bar to Ralph Waldo Armstrong that same year. The

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business name was changed to “High Chaparral” by owners Robert and Kathryn McKee in 1967. Subsequent owners of High Chaparral include David and Patricia Dubert (1976), Anthony P. Yankulov (1976 – 1980), Coral Jean Finley and Doris Florentine (1980 – 1984), Joyce M. Chamber (1984 – 1988), and Kitty Lee (1988). The storefront is presently occupied by the Salty Frog Bar (TCVS 1950: 6; TCVS 1951a: 5; TCVS 1951b: 16; TCVS 1954: 16; CVSN 1963: 4; CVSN 1972: 22; CVSN 1980: 42; CVSN 1988: 14; IBSN 1965a: 3; IBSN 1965b: 4; IBSN 1976a: 46; IBSN 1976b: 22; IBSN 1984: 36; IBSN 1988: 16).

Archival research showed that 996 Palm Avenue was originally the Imperial Typewriter Company from 1960 to circa 1972. From 1972 to 1978, the property was known as Joe and Jan’s Furniture Mart and owned by Anthony P.

Yankulov. Cox Bait and Tackle, owned by Juan Munox and Mark Cox, was the tenant from 1978 until circa 2011. The storefront is presently occupied by GL Accounting (BCP 1960b: 2; CVSN 1972: 22; IBR 1978a: 10; IBR 1978b: 6; Google Maps 2025).

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 670-72 10th Street lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed in circa 1950, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. The property has been operated as several businesses during its history including a bar, a bait and tackle supply store, a typewriter repair shop, and a realtor office. However, none of these business appear to have been innovative within their industries generally or within Imperial Beach specifically. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 670-72 10th Street lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with the ownership or occupancy of the subject property, including Walter and Betty Scannell, Vandyl and Norma Stecher, Steve Tasso, Maxine Nicholson, Thomas and Anna Taylor, Ethel and Warren Enoch, Eugene DiPietro, Ralph Waldo Armstrong, Robert and Kathryn McKee, David Dubert and Patricia Dubert, Anthony P. Yankulov, Coral Jean Finley and Doris Florentine, Juan Munoz, and Mark Cox. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible

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Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 670-72 10th Street does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research did not identify an architect or builder for the property, and it appears unlikely to be the work of a master architect or builder.

The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of a post-war commercial building. Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Mid-Century Modern style was commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

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BCP (Bay Cities Press). 1960a. “Summer Special.” Newspapers.com: Bay Cities Press (Imperial Beach, CA), 3. June 30, 1960.

BCP. 1960b. “Imperial Typewriter Company.” Newspapers.com: Bay Cities Press (Imperial Beach, CA), 2.

September 8, 1960.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024 CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1957. "Store Sold." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 19.

September 19, 1957.

CVSN. 1963. "Burglar Sentenced to 1 to 15 Years." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 4.

February 10, 1963.

CVSN. 1967. "Certificate for Transacting Business Under a Fictitious Name.” Newspapers.com: Chula Vista StarNews (Chula Vista, CA), 13. October 29, 1967.

CVSN. 1972. "Joe and Jan’s Furn." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 22. May 7, 1972.

CVSN. 1980. "Notice of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 42. June 19, 1980.

CVSN. 1988. “Public Notices." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 14. March 20, 1988.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

IBR (Imperial Beach Reminder). 1978a. "Now Open." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA), 10. September 6, 1978.

IBR. 1978b. "Fisherman’s Best Friend." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA), 6.

October 11, 1978.

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IBSN (Imperial Beach Star-News). 1965a. "Notice of Intention to Engage in the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 3. April 22, 1965.

IBSN. 1965b. "Notice of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 4. April 29, 1965.

IBSN. 1968. "Grand Opening." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 10. May 9, 1968.

IBSN. 1976a. "Public Notices.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 46. December 2, 1976.

IBSN. 1976b. "Fictitious Business Name Statement." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 22. December 30, 1976.

IBSN. 1978. "Sick Typewriter?" Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 5. June 15, 1978.

IBSN. 1983. "Welcome to the 3rd Annual Sandcastle Competition." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 48. July 14, 1983.

IBSN. 1984. "Public Notices." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 36. March 8, 1984.

IBSN. 1988. "Notice of Bulk Transfer." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 16.

February 18, 1988.

McAlester, V.S. 2018. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture. New York City, New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

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1955, 1960, 1962, 1977, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
TCVS (The Chula Vista Star). 1950. "Business opportunity." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 6. January 20, 1950.

TCVS. 1951a. "Notice of Intention to Engage in the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 5. February 1, 1951.

TCVS. 1954. "Notice of Intention to Sell." Newspapers.com: The Chula Vista Star (Chula Vista, CA), 16. February 25, 1954.

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Photographs (cont.)
Photo 2. View of east elevation and sidewalk along 10th Street, facing north Source: IMG_0544, Dudek 2025

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Photo 3. View of south elevation and sidewalk along Palm Avenue, facing northwest Source: IMG_0545, Dudek 2025

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The subject property at 1058-64 Palm Avenue is a one-story commercial building with four tenant spaces constructed in 1957. It has a flat roof with projecting tile-clad parapet, concrete foundation, and is clad in stucco with a partial band of brick cladding with built-in brick planters at the base of the building's primary (south) elevation (Photos 1 and 2).

Fenestration includes metal frame picture windows on the south elevation and metal frame clerestory windows on the east and west elevations. There are four doors on the south elevation, one for each business, that consist of metal frame full-lite double doors with metal frame transom windows above. A concrete parking lot is located outside the front (south) elevation, accessible via a vehicular entrance on 10th Street to the west. There is a built-in stucco-clad angled blade sign at the eastern side of the building. The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-222-25-00.

The subject property is in overall good condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
View looking northeast, IMG_0620
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
1957 (San Diego County Assessor’s
Office)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Atchley Trust
P.O. Box 1027
Imperial Beach, CA 91933
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1058-64 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: Leadingham Realty; Green Massage; Jackson Wills, Attorney; Keystone Escrow B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Commercial
B4. Present Use: Commercial
*B5. Architectural Style: Elements of Mid-Century Modern *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The subject property was constructed in 1957 (San Diego County Assessor’s Office). Observed alterations include: metal window frame and door replacements; partial removal of brick cladding on base of south elevation.
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1058-64 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1058-64 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Flanegin, MA
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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*Map Name: Imperial Beach, CA *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 1996 (2002 ed.) DPR 523J * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Significance (cont.)
Historic Context
Imperial Beach developed its early infrastructure throughout the 1940s with newly paved streets, streetlights, and the completion of a new community center on 19th Street (Adams 1976: 71; Daugherty 1994). Numerous civic groups were formed in the 1940s to aid community development, such as the Imperial Beach Civic Group (1945), Sanitary District (1949), and Imperial Beach Fireman’s Auxiliary (1949), among others. By 1949, the South Bay area’s population reached approximately 9,600. Housing, as shown in a 1953 aerial, was composed of several subdivisions north and south of Palm Avenue, in and near the coastal area—most of which were single-story Ranch and Minimal Traditional style tract homes. North and south of Palm Avenue, between 9th and 13th streets, housing remained scattered with some undeveloped residential lots throughout. Similarly, in 1953, several housing subdivisions were north of Imperial Beach Boulevard near the coast, as well as some scattered residences north and south of the boulevard further inland (NETR 2025a). An aerial ten years later shows that nearly all vacant lots north and south of Palm Avenue were infilled and much of the vacant land was also developed north and south of Imperial Beach Boulevard (UCSB 2025). To service the growing population, commercial development took flight in Imperial Beach in the late 1940s through early 1950s (Adams 1976:72,75,87).

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Many commercial buildings along Palm Avenue were utilitarian in design, and often automobile-focused such as service stations. Small commercial establishments, including restaurants and cafes, also peppered lots near the coast along First Street, and along Palm Avenue near 2nd and 3rd streets. In circa 1963, the SR 75 portion along Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach was widened by another two lanes between 7th and 13th streets, making it a sixlane highway with three lanes in each direction (UCSB 2025; NETR 2025b). In the 1980s through 1990s, development along Palm Avenue in the project area was primary auto-focused with gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, among other uses, which were mainly built as simple box buildings (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). In the 2000s, building typologies continued to center around the automobile in addition to apartment buildings, credit unions, the Imperial Beach Health Center, and grocery stores (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). By circa 2012, the Miracle Shopping District was demolished (NETR 2025a). In circa 2019, Caltrans relinquished ownership of SR75 along Palm Avenue to the City of Imperial Beach. It continues to serve as the City’s main entrance and acts as a major commercial and mixed-use arterial roadway (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

Relevant Architectural Style: Mid-Century Modern (1940-1975) Mid-Century Modern style (1940-1975) is reflective of International and Bauhaus styles popular in Europe in the early twentieth century. Early Modernists, including Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, and Frank Lloyd Wright brought many elements of these design aesthetics and material experimentation to Southern California in the 1920s. The development of the Mid-Century Modern style in the United States was largely fostered by World War II.

Prominent European practitioners of the International and Bauhaus styles, namely architects Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, fled to the United States during World War II. Following the conclusion of the war in 1945, the United States became a manufacturing and industrial leader. Materials and aesthetics evolved to reflect modern innovations that dominated design and construction following the war.

The Mid-Century Modern style was widely adopted in the building boom that followed World War II, particularly in the newly sprawling developments radiating from Southern California’s major urban centers including San Diego and Imperial Beach (ARG 2016: 98; Gebhard and Winter 2003; Morgan 2004; Moruzzi 2013: E6).

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
• Mass-produced materials
• Simple windows (metal or wood) flush-mounted and clerestory • Industrially plain doors
• Floor to ceiling window walls
• Extensive use of sheltered exterior corridors, with flat or slightly sloped roofs supported by posts, piers, or pipe columns
• Modern signage
• Deeply recessed and or angled vestibules
• Integrated planters
• Projecting vertical elements
Strip Mall
The so-called strip mall first emerged as a distinct and identifiable commercial property type during the late 1940s.

They also preferred building designs with a one-story form, a unified façade with a minimal amount of architectural ornamentation, and a separate service area at the rear of the building. By the early 1950s, the widespread acceptance of the front parking area in commercial districts led to the spread of the strip mall typology in the suburbs, where land was more readily available for this type of commercial development (Manning 2009: 12-15, 20, 27).

Evaluating and Preserving A Unique Cultural Resource” (Manning 2009: 39).

Character-defining/associative features of strip malls include:
• Single ownership or control
• Designed and built as a planned unit
• Single story
• Building set back from the public street or right-of-way • Primary parking between the building and the street
• Minimum 3 to 1 ratio of parking area to building area • Simple front façade oriented toward the parking area

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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
• Separate rear service access
• Storefront entrances directly accessible from the parking area • Straight line of stores tied together by a covered sidewalk along the storefronts (canopy, awning, arcade) • Spaces for multiple tenants with partition walls between stores • Flexible interior space customizable by tenants
• Individual exterior signage for each storefront
• Signage visible from passing vehicles
Property History
Since its construction in 1957, the subject property has been a commercial building. From at least 1958 to at least 1962, the proeprty was occupied by Jackson Wills, an attorney. At this time, Wills served as the head of the South Bay District Chamber of Commerce (IBSN 1962: 1; NCSN 1958: 25). Research did not identify information on subsequent occupants until 1990, when the property was occupied by Keystone Escrow Inc., which was founded and managed by Elizabeth Miranda who had 15 years of experience working at financial institutions such as Palomar Financial, Safeco Title Insurance Company, and the Bank or Coronado prior to opening her business at the subject proeprty (TSN 1990a: 8; TSN 1990b: 7). Presently, three of the building’s commercial spaces are occupied by Leadingham Realty; the other is occupied by Green Massage.

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 1058-64 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed in 1957, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street. Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend. Numerous businesses have operated from the subject property, including an attorney’s office, an escrow service, and a real estate firm. None of these businesses appear to have been innovative within their industries generally or within Imperial Beach specifically. The subject property is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

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*Recorded by: Claire Flanegin, MA, Dudek *Date: June 26, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
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DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 1058-64 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified two individuals assocaited with businesses that operated at the subject proeprty: Jackson Wills (circa 1958-1962), an attorney who served as the head the South Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Elizabeth Miranda (1990), an escrow professional with 15 years experience in the San Diego area. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 1058-64 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Modern style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research did not identify an architect or builder for the property, and it appears unlikely to be the work of a master architect or builder. The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of a late-1950s strip mall exhibiting some influences of the MidCentury Modern style (e.g., its horizontal emphasis, one-story height, stucco cladding, and built-in blade sign). Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Mid-Century Modern style was commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s, and the subject proeprty is not a distinctive example of the style. The subject property also retains character-defining features of the strip mall typology, including its single-story height and parking located between the building and the street; however, it is a common and indistinctive example of its type. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
any historical resource surveys
References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

Imperial Beach Star News (IBSN). 1962. "Judge Rules Against Mundt in Libel Suit." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 1. October 11, 1962.

Manning, Matthew J. 2009. “The Death and Life of Great American Strip Malls: Evaluating and Preserving a Unique Cultural Resources.” University of Georgia, Master of Historic Preservation Thesis. https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/manning_matthew_j_200908_mhp.pdf Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

NCSN (National City Star News). 1958. "Halferty, Wills named to Attend Fiesta Luncheon." Newspapers.com:

National City Star News (National City, CA), 25. June 5, 1958.

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
NETR (Nationwide Environmental Title Research, LLC). 2025a. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1953, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003. 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2022. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

TSN (The Star News). 1990a. "Advertisement - Keystone Escrow." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 8. May 12, 1990.

TSN. 1990b. "Advertisement - Keystone Escrow Announces Opening of New Office in Imperial Beach." Newspapers.com: The Star News (Chula Vista, CA), 7. June 27, 1990.

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 10
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 1100 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone, mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-162-17-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The commercial property at 1100 Palm Avenue was constructed in 1975 (Photo 1). The building is rectangular in plan with a side gable roof sheathed in composition shingles. The exterior walls are clad in brick veneer. Surrounding the building is an asphalt surface street parking lot, which provides vehicle access from the west and south. The building is accessed from the south and east by concrete ramps and stairs with metal handrails. The primary (south) elevation displays a full-width second story balcony with a wood handrail, supported by thin squared wood columns. The rear (north) elevation displays a cantilevered full-width second story balcony with a wood handrail, and large projecting wood beams above and below. An interior brick chimney is located at the western end of the roofline. See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1, View
looking northwest, primary (south) and
east elevations, IMG_0488
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
 Historic 1975 (Imperial Beach Star
News 1975: 13)
*P7. Owner and Address:

JPMorgan Chase Bank
P.O. Box 35605
Dallas, TX 75235
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded: June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1100 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: Home Federal Savings and Loan
B2. Common Name: Chase Bank
B3. Original Use: Commercial - Banking
B4. Present Use: Commercial - Banking
*B5. Architectural Style: Neo-Mediterranean
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The subject property was constructed in 1975 (IBSN 1975: 13). Observed alterations include re-roofing and replacement entry doors (dates unknown). *B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Frank L. Hope & Associates b. Builder: Golden Construction Company *B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1100 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1100 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Nicole Frank, MSHP, Dudek
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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Description (cont.)
Fenestration includes fixed simulated pane vinyl windows, vinyl casement windows, wood French doors, a composition wood entry door, and two pairs of metal storefront doors with fixed sidelights. The second story’s fenestration displays wood shutters. The first story’s windows display wood shutters and wood panels below. The first story’s doors display a decorative wood surround with pilasters. Observed alterations include re-roofing and replacement entry doors (dates unknown). Elements of the Neo-Mediterranean architectural style include broad, dominant second-story balcony, low-pitched gable roof, door and window surrounds, simple balcony posts, and heavy beams. The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-162-17-00. The subject property is in overall good condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

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began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

Property History
The subject property was constructed in 1975 as the Imperial Beach office of the bank, Home Federal Savings and Loan of San Diego. The 8,265 square foot office building was designed by Frank L. Hope and Associates and built by Golden Construction company. The property was valued at $500,00 and designed in a “red brick colonial-Monterey style of architecture, characteristic of Home Federal offices throughout the state” (IBSN 1975: 13). The property included eight teller windows, six accountant desks, a vault with 8,000 safe deposit boxes, and exterior drive-up and walk-up windows (IBSN 1975: 13). The property’s builder, Golden Construction Co. was established by builder Robert M. Golden’s father in 1927. Robert M. Golden later became the president and later chairman of the company.

Between 1927 and its purchase by Centex Corp. of Dallas in 1982, the company constructed multiple San Diego landmarks including the Civic Center in the downtown Community Concourse, the Mission Valley Center shopping mall, the Imperial Bank Tower, and the West Terminal at Lindbergh Field (Lee 1991). The property’s architectural firm, Frank L. Hope and Associates, was established by San Diego based architect Frank Lewis Hope Jr. (1901-1994) in 1928. Hope worked with San Diego architects Charles B. Hope (PE), Donald A. Crosby, Jerry M. Thornton, and James B. Hill, and designed many commercial, educational, religious, civic, and residential buildings in the San Diego area. Some of the firm’s more well-known commissions included HRB 803 Frank L. Hope Jr. House, Dana Junior High School (1941), Chuck B. Hope Residence (ca. 1962), Headquarters for the Travelodge Corporation (1962), Home Federal Savings and Loan Association building at 707 Broadway, San Diego (1963), The Immaculata Chapel, USD Campus (1964), Cabrillo National Monument Visitors Center (1966), Coronado

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Hospital (1972), and Seaport Village in San Diego (Modern San Diego 2025; PACD 2025; HRB 2011: 17). The bank operated as Home Federal Savings and Loan of San Diego until 1992 when it became Great Western Bank (1992- 1994), Washington Mutual Bank (2001-2008), and Chase Bank which is the current tenant of the building and has been since 2008.

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 1100 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed in 1975, following a decades-long pattern of commercial development along Palm Avenue that intensified following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. While post-war commercial development along Palm Avenue is an important local trend, construction along Palm Avenue had slowed by the end of the 1970s. As such, the subject property post-dates the significant period of post-World War II development in Imperial Beach and instead represents the general, more sporadic extension of commercial development along Palm Avenue that has continued to the present day. It is a branch of Chase Bank, formerly Home Federal Savings and Loan, and does not appear to have been innovative within the industry of commercial banking generally or within Imperial Beach specifically. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 1100 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. The property has operated as a financial institution under various names including Home Federal Savings and Loan, Great Western Bank, Washington Mutual Bank, and Chase Bank; however, research did not identify any particular individuals associated with the ownership or operation of the subject property. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 1100 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of any architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. Research identified Frank L. Hope & Associates as the architect and Golden Construction Company as the architect and builder of the subject property.

While Frank L. Hope & Associates are considered prolific and master’s within San Diego, there’s no indication that the subject property expresses a significant design from this phase in their career. Rather the property is a small, undistinguished commercial bank within the firm’s larger body of work. In comparing it to other property’s designed by the firm in the 1960s including Chuck B. Hope Residence (ca. 1962), Headquarters for the Travelodge Corporation (1962), and the Home Federal Savings and Loan Association building at 707 Broadway, San Diego (1963) the subject property does not rise to the level of being distinguished. The building at 1100 Palm Avenue was constructed by M.H.

Golden Construction Co. of San Diego. Between 1927 and its purchase by Centex Corp. of Dallas in 1982, the construction company constructed multiple San Diego landmarks including the Civic Center in the downtown Community Concourse, the Mission Valley Center shopping mall, the Imperial Bank Tower, and the West Terminal at Lindbergh Field. In comparing the subject property to the other properties constructed by M.H. Golden Construction

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Co. in San Diego, it fails to rise to the level of being distinctive or one of their best examples from this phase of their work. Rather it was one of many small-scale commercial properties constructed by the company during the 1960s.

The subject property displays several character defining features of the Neo-Mediterranean architectural style including broad, dominant second-story balconies, a low-pitched gable roof, door and window surrounds, simple balcony posts, and heavy beams. Neoeclectic properties were popular by the mid-1960s after the dominance of the post-World War II Modern styles. They utilized traditional architectural shapes and detailing and rapidly spread in popularity during the 1970s (McAlester 1998: 487). The subject property is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States. The property’s exact design can be seen throughout San Diego including in the neighboring city of Coronado at 1000 Orange Avenue, which is not designated as a local landmark. The subject property’s design is commonplace within the San Diego region and cannot be considered distinctive. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C or CRHR Criterion 3.

Summary of Evaluation Findings
The subject property was evaluated in consideration of NRHP and CRHR criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the evaluation, the subject property is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP or CRHR due to a lack of significant associations and architectural merit. The subject property is not currently designated or listed under any national, state, or local landmark programs, nor has it been previously identified as eligible for local designation by any historical resource surveys.

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla, MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

HRB (Historical Resources Board). 2011. Biographies of Established Masters. Prepared by Jennifer Feeley, MCP Tricia Olsen, MCP Ricki Siegel Ginger Weatherford, MPS, Historical Resources Board Staff . www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/201109biographies.pdf.

Imperial Beach Star-News. 1975. “IB Boy’s Club Cashes in on Bank Opening.” Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach StarNews (Imperial Beach, California). April 3, 1975. Pg. 13.

Lee, Peggy Y. 1991. “Noted Builder Robert M. Golden Is Dead at 70.” Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California).

September 10, 1991. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-10-me-2313-story.html.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee. 1998. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York City, New York: Alfred A Knopf.

Modern San Diego. 2025. “Frank Lewis Hope Jr.” Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.modernsandiego.com/people/frank-hope.

PCAD (Pacific Coast Architecture Database). 2025. “Hope, Frank L., and Associates, Architects (Partnership).” Accessed July 3, 2025. https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/firm/1902/.

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla, MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: 11
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; SW ¼ of SW ¼ of Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 1100 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-170-07-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a two-story, four-unit multi-family residence with a rectangular footprint topped with a low-pitched irregular hipped roof clad in composite shingles with exposed wood rafters and a slight overhang. The stucco-clad building’s fenestration consists of non-original, vinyl-frame slider windows on all elevations and two, non-original vinyl fixed-frame picture windows on the second story of the primary (south) elevation. A wood staircase on the east elevation leads to a wood deck on the south elevation’s second floor, which is supported by wood poles and bracing and covered by a roof overhang supported by five wood pillars. See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP3. Multiple Family Property *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: (View,
date, accession #) Photo 1, Primary
(south) elevation, view looking
north, IMG_0477
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
1953 (San Diego County Assessor’s
Office)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Santana-Braudaway Separate
Property Trust
PO Box 968
Imperial Beach, CA 91933
*P8. Recorded by: (Name,
affiliation, address)
Claire Cancilla, MSHP (Dudek)
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1130 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: N/A
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Multi-family residence
B4. Present Use: Multi-family residence
*B5. Architectural Style: N/A
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) Built in 1953, according to County Assessor records. Observed alterations: replacement vinyl frame-windows; replacement doors; re-roofing; deck addition on primary south elevation
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1130 Palm Avenue does not meet the criteria for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1130 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Andrea Dumovich Heywood
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Description (cont.)
The property is setback from its lot, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence, and is accessible via an unnamed alley that leads to a vehicular entrance at the northwest of the subject property’s parcel. The property parcel is surrounded by a gravel and dirt front (south), rear (north), and side (east) yard, which is also used for parking. It is in overall good condition.

Significance (cont.)
Historic Context
During Imperial Beach’s early development, housing was mostly located to the north and west. Imperial Beach developed its early infrastructure throughout the 1940s with newly paved streets, streetlights, and the completion of a new community center on 19th Street (Adams 1976: 71; Daugherty 1994). Numerous civic groups were formed in the 1940s to aid community development, such as the Imperial Beach Civic Group (1945), Sanitary District (1949), and Imperial Beach Fireman’s Auxiliary (1949), among others. By 1949, the South Bay area’s population reached approximately 9,600. Housing, as shown in a 1953 aerial, was composed of several subdivisions north and south of Palm Avenue, in and near the coastal area—most of which were single-story Ranch and Minimal Traditional style tract homes. North and south of Palm Avenue, between 9th and 13th streets, housing remained scattered with some undeveloped residential lots throughout. Similarly, in 1953, several housing subdivisions were north of Imperial Beach Boulevard near the coast, as well as some scattered residences north and south of the boulevard further inland (NETR 2025a). An aerial ten years later shows that nearly all vacant lots north and south of Palm Avenue were infilled and much of the vacant land was also developed north and south of Imperial Beach Boulevard (UCSB 2025).

To service the growing population, commercial development took flight in Imperial Beach in the late 1940s through early 1950s (Adams 1976:72,75,87).

Property History
Since its construction in 1953, 1130 Palm Avenue has been a multi-family residence. The only identified owner or occupant of the subject property is Clarence Iverson (1959); however, research did not identify substantial information on Iverson (National City Star-News 1959: 24). Research did not identify an original architect, builder, contractor, or engineer associated with the construction of the subject property.

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 1130 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The residential building was constructed in 1953, during a post-World War II population boom in Imperial Beach and California at large that resulted in rapid residential development, including several housing subdivisions north of Imperial Beach Boulevard that were constructed the same year as the subject property. While post-World War II residential growth was an important trend regionally and in California, this property did not play a significant role in this trend. It was one of many constructed during this period of growth and did not influence this trend. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended

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Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 1130 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified one occupant of the subject property, Clarence Iverson, who lived at the property in 1959; however, research did not uncover information that would indicate that Iverson was important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the subject property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B and CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the residential building at 1138 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of any particular Modern architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of a 1950s fourplex. With its boxy, horizontal proportions, simple geometric form, and a lack of exterior decoration, the subject building displays some of the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style aesthetic, but it does not represent a fully developed articulation of the style. It is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are more intact examples of the Mid-Century Modern style in Imperial Beach. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C or CRHR Criterion 3.

References (cont.)

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

National City Star-News. 1959. "Completes Training." Newspapers.com: National City Star-News (National City, California), 24. May 28, 1959.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

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DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 12
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; SW ¼ of SE ¼ of Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 1138 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-170-06-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a one-story, square-plan commercial office building clad in vertical wood panels and topped with a low-pitched shed roof with extended overhang and exposed wood rafters (Photographs 1 and 2). The primary entrance is located on the south elevation and features a divided half-lite wood door accessed via two rounded concrete stairs with metal handrail. Fenestration includes a large fixed wood frame picture window on the south elevation and single, nonoriginal vinyl-frame slider windows on the south, west, and north elevations (the east elevation was not visible from the public right-of-way). The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-170-06. The subject property is in overall good condition. See Continuation Sheet *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: (View,
date, accession #) Photo 1, Primary
(south) elevation, View looking
northwest, IMG_0464
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
c. 1953 (NETR 2025a)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Hutchins Family Trust
1796 Wolviston Way
San Diego, CA 92154
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1138 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: Cave Realty; Hutchins/Wilson Realty
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Real estate office
B4. Present Use: Real estate office
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern with elements of the Mid-Century Modern style *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) Built in c. 1953 (NETR 2025a). Alterations include replacement vinyl-frame slider windows on the south and east elevations (observed); addition on the west elevation circa 1978 (NETR 2025a)
*B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1138 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1138 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Description (cont.)
There is a small one-story square volume addition on the west elevation that appears to have been added circa 1978 per aerial photographs; it has a flat roof with extended overhang (Photograph 3). There is also a wood porch with wood stairs and a secondary entrance located at the rear (north) elevation. Three signs, two of which are located at street-level and one of which is constructed of concrete and stucco and has two faces reading "Real Estate” and "Hutchins Braudaway Realty". Landscaping consists of mature trees and shrubs primarily located at the south elevation. The building is in good condition.

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

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CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

In the 1980s through early 2000s, commercial and auto-focused development, such as gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, continued to develop along the major arterials such as Palm Avenue (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). Today, the City of Imperial Beach continues to be a tourist beach destination with approximately 400,000 visitors per year, and a population of 27,434 as of 2019 (City of Imperial Beach 2019). Many commercial buildings along Palm Avenue were utilitarian in design, and often automobile-focused such as service stations. Small commercial establishments, including restaurants and cafes, also peppered lots near the coast along First Street, and along Palm Avenue near 2nd and 3rd streets.

In circa 1963, the SR 75 portion along Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach was widened by another two lanes between 7th and 13th streets, making it a six-lane highway with three lanes in each direction (UCSB 2025; NETR 2025b). In the 1980s through 1990s, development along Palm Avenue in the project area was primary auto-focused with gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, among other uses, which were mainly built as simple box buildings (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). In the 2000s, building typologies continued to center around the automobile in addition to apartment buildings, credit unions, the Imperial Beach Health Center, and grocery stores (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). By circa 2012, the Miracle Shopping District was demolished (NETR 2025a). In circa 2019, Caltrans relinquished ownership of SR75 along Palm Avenue to the City of Imperial Beach. It continues to serve as the City’s main entrance and acts as a major commercial and mixed-use arterial roadway (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

Prominent European practitioners of the International and Bauhaus styles, namely architects Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, fled to the United States during World War II. Following the conclusion of the war in 1945, the United States became a manufacturing and industrial leader. Materials and aesthetics evolved to reflect modern innovations that dominated design and construction following the war.

Character-defining features of the Mid-Century Modern style for commercial properties include:
• One- to two stories in height

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
• Low, boxy, horizontal proportions
• Simple geometric forms with a lack of exterior decoration • Commonly asymmetrical
• Flat roofed without coping at roofline; flat roofs hidden behind parapets or cantilevered canopies • Expressed post-and-beam construction in wood or steel • Exterior wall materials include stucco, brick, or concrete • Mass-produced materials
• Simple windows (metal or wood) flush-mounted and clerestory • Industrially plain doors
• Floor to ceiling window walls
• Extensive use of sheltered exterior corridors, with flat or slightly sloped roofs supported by posts, piers, or pipe columns
• Modern signage
• Deeply recessed and or angled vestibules
• Integrated planters
• Projecting vertical elements
Property History
Since its construction circa 1953, the subject property has been a real estate office. The earliest identified occupant of the subject property was Cave Realty, which operated from the subject proeprty from 1958 to circa 1973. Cave Realty was founded by Julia Ann Cave, a realtor who lived in Bonita, California and was accepted by the National City-Chula Vista Board of Realtors in 1957 (Chula Vista Star-News 1958: 17; IBSN 1970: 32; Chula Vista Star-News 1973: 35)
In 1976, the property was occupied by Hutchins/Wilson Realty, a predecessor to the company that presently occupies the property, Hutchins Braudaway. Hutchins/Wilson was run by Joe Hutchins and the company sold houses in Imperial Beach, as well as surrounding communities such as Chula Vista. Joe was elected president of the Imperial Beach Chamber of Commerce in 1976. Joe’s wife Pat Hutchins later joined the firm, likely in the 1990s or early 2000s. Pat Hutchins had a long career in banking serving as president and chief executive officer of People's Bank of Chula Vista in 1985, and previously working at Security Pacific, California First National Bank, and Balboa Bank. Reportedly, Hutchins was the first woman in San Diego County to be named president of bank. In 2004, George Braudaway, who had worked as a contractor for more than 20 years, joined the firm. He became partner in 2016, at which point the firm was renamed Hutchins Braudaway (Imperial Beach Reminder 1976: 13; Newman 1976: 15; IBSN 1989; Hutchins Braudaway Realty 2025).

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 1138 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed circa 1978, following a decades-long pattern of commercial development along Palm Avenue that intensified following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. While post-war commercial development along Palm Avenue is an important local

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
trend, construction along Palm Avenue had slowed by the end of the 1970s. As such, the subject property postdates the significant period of post-World War II development in Imperial Beach and instead represents the general, more sporadic extension of commercial development along Palm Avenue that has continued to the present day. The subject property has been occupied by various real estate businesses since its construction, none of which appear to have been innovative within the industry or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation. Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 1138 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. The property was occupied by Cave Realty and its founder Julia Ann Cave in 1973. The property was then occupied by Hutchins/Wilson, which was founded by Joe Hutchins. Later, Pat Hutchins, Joe’s wife, joined the firm. Pat Hutchins had a decades-long career in banking prior to joining the real estate firm and was reportedly the first female bank president in San Diego County. While this is a significant accomplishment, it is unrelated to the real estate business that operated from the subject property. In 2004, George Braudaway joined the firm. Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 1138 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of any particular Modern architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of an early 1950s commercial building. With its boxy, horizontal proportions, simple geometric form, and lack of exterior decoration, the subject building displays some of the characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern style aesthetic, but it does not represent a fully developed articulation of the style. Research did not identify an architect or builder of the proeprty. Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C or CRHR Criterion 3.

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References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

Chula Vista Star-News. 1958. "Classified - For Security, buy a Home Through a Realtor." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News, 17. April 10, 1958.

Chula Vista Star-News. 1973. "Advertisement - It's Your Future." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News, 35.

January 21, 1973.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

Hutchins Braudaway Realty. 2025. "About Us." Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.hutchinsbraudaway.com/about-us.

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*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
IBSN (Imperial Beach Star-News). 1970. "Our Way of Helping." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 32. June 7, 1970.

IBSN. 1985. "Hutchins President of People's Bank." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 8. March 7, 1985.

IBSN. 1989. "Police Blotter." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 5. April 5, 1989 Imperial Beach Reminder. 1976. "Classified - Rentals No Fee to Tenants." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Reminder (Imperial Beach, CA), 13. August 4, 1976
Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

Newman, Terry. 1976. "New C-C Head wants City to get Moving." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star-News (Imperial Beach, CA), 15. July 29, 1976.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
The Star-News, 1957. "Seven New Members Accepted by NC-CV Board of Realtors." Newspapers.com: The StarNews (Chula Vista, CA), 6. November 3, 1957.

Photographs (cont.)

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Source: Dudek 2025

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Page 1 of 10 ends

DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 13
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; SW ¼ of SE ¼ of Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 1144-48 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-170-05-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is a one-story commercial building sited on the corner of Palm Avenue and Florida Street that exhibits elements of the Mid Century Modern style (Photo 1 and 2). The building is clad in stucco and topped with a flat roof with extended overhang. Fenestration consists of aluminum-frame picture windows on the south and east elevations and vinyl fixed frame and single-hung windows on the rear (north) elevation. Two primary entrances are located on the south elevation, one of which is covered by security bars. Secondary entrances are located on the rear (north) elevation and consist of three metal doors evenly spaced and covered with metal security bars. There is a built-in flared vertical sign oriented toward Palm Avenue on the south elevation and a concrete parking lot located at the rear (north) of the property, which is accessible via Florida Street. The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-170-05-00. The subject property is in overall good condition.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: (View,
date, accession #) Photo 1, Primary
(south) elevation from Palm
Avenue, view to the north
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
1952 (Chula-Vista Star 1952: 13)
*P7. Owner and Address:

CS Johnson 2007 Trust
2162 Leon Avenue
San Diego, CA 92154
*P8. Recorded by: (Name,
affiliation, address)
Claire Cancilla, MSHP
Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

Page 2 of 10 ends

*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1144-48 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: All-Phase Drywall/Hutchins Braudaway Realty; Simpson Realty; Imperial Beach Employment Agency; Michael De Frates Insurance Agency
B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Commercial
B4. Present Use: Commercial – drywall and realty
*B5. Architectural Style: Mid-Century Modern
*B6.Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The property was constructed in 1952 (ChulaVista Star 1952: 13). Aerial photographs indicate no major additions or changes to the property’s footprint (NETR 2025a).

Observed alterations include: re-stucco; replacement window frames; and replacement doors. *B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: O.L. Parker
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1144-48 Palm Avenue does not meet the criteria for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1144-48 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Claire Cancilla, MSHP
*Date of Evaluation: June 15, 2025
(This space reserved for official comments.)

Page 3 of 10 ends

*Map Name Imperial Beach, CA *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 1996 (2002 ed.) DPR 523J * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial

Page 4 of 10 ends

Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Significance (cont.)
Historic Context
Imperial Beach developed its early infrastructure throughout the 1940s with newly paved streets, streetlights, and the completion of a new community center on 19th Street (Adams 1976: 71; Daugherty 1994). Numerous civic groups were formed in the 1940s to aid community development, such as the Imperial Beach Civic Group (1945), Sanitary District (1949), and Imperial Beach Fireman’s Auxiliary (1949), among others. By 1949, the South Bay area’s population reached approximately 9,600. Housing, as shown in a 1953 aerial, was composed of several subdivisions north and south of Palm Avenue, in and near the coastal area—most of which were single-story Ranch and Minimal Traditional style tract homes. North and south of Palm Avenue, between 9th and 13th streets, housing remained scattered with some undeveloped residential lots throughout. Similarly, in 1953, several housing subdivisions were north of Imperial Beach Boulevard near the coast, as well as some scattered residences north and south of the boulevard further inland (NETR 2025a). An aerial ten years later shows that nearly all vacant lots north and south of Palm Avenue were infilled and much of the vacant land was also developed north and south of Imperial Beach Boulevard (UCSB 2025). To service the growing population, commercial development took flight in Imperial Beach in the late 1940s through early 1950s (Adams 1976:72,75,87).

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

Gunthrop served as the City’s first mayor, with Miles Bowler as vice-mayor (Adams 1976: 105). City Hall first occupied a fire station building at 166 Palm Avenue in the late 1950s. However, by March 22, 1963, construction began on the new Civic Center (City of Imperial Beach 2024; Daugherty 1994). In 1972, A 15-acre park across from City Hall at 840 Coronado Avenue opened as Marina Vista Park (later renamed Veterans Park) (Adams 1976:
143). By 1976, Imperial Beach boasted a population of 22,100 (Adams 1976: 148).

Page 5 of 10 ends

Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Many commercial buildings along Palm Avenue were utilitarian in design, and often automobile-focused such as service stations. Small commercial establishments, including restaurants and cafes, also peppered lots near the coast along First Street, and along Palm Avenue near 2nd and 3rd streets. In circa 1963, the SR 75 portion along Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach was widened by another two lanes between 7th and 13th streets, making it a sixlane highway with three lanes in each direction (UCSB 2025; NETR 2025b). In the 1980s through 1990s, development along Palm Avenue in the project area was primary auto-focused with gas stations, fast food restaurants, strip malls, and auto centers, among other uses, which were mainly built as simple box buildings (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). In the 2000s, building typologies continued to center around the automobile in addition to apartment buildings, credit unions, the Imperial Beach Health Center, and grocery stores (Google 2025; ParcelQuest 2025). By circa 2012, the Miracle Shopping District was demolished (NETR 2025a). In circa 2019, Caltrans relinquished ownership of SR75 along Palm Avenue to the City of Imperial Beach. It continues to serve as the City’s main entrance and acts as a major commercial and mixed-use arterial roadway (City of Imperial Beach 2019).

Prominent European practitioners of the International and Bauhaus styles, namely architects Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, fled to the United States during World War II. Following the conclusion of the war in 1945, the United States became a manufacturing and industrial leader. Materials and aesthetics evolved to reflect modern innovations that dominated design and construction following the war.

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Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
• Mass-produced materials
• Simple windows (metal or wood) flush-mounted and clerestory • Industrially plain doors
• Floor to ceiling window walls
• Extensive use of sheltered exterior corridors, with flat or slightly sloped roofs supported by posts, piers, or pipe columns
• Modern signage
• Deeply recessed and or angled vestibules
• Integrated planters
• Projecting vertical elements
Property History
The subject property was constructed circa 1952 and housed Simpson Realty, a real estate firm established by Ann Simpson. The building also housed O.L. Parker, a contractor, and Stanley Asher, an insurance agent. According to a newspaper article in the Chula Vista Star-News, the building was constructed by Parker; however, research did not identify substantial biographical or professional information on Parker. At the time of the building’s construction, Ann Simpson had been a practicing realtor for nine years (CVSN 1952: 13).

The Imperial Beach Employment Agency, which was associated with Catherine Craft and Delbert D. Whitworth, occupied the property beginning in circa 1958 through circa 1964. Additional occupants included the Michael De Frates Insurance Agency (circa 1963 – circa 1965); D&L Lock and Key Service (1983); Bille Jean’s Hairstyling (circa 2008-2017); Complete Locksmith & Key Service (circa 2008-2014); Metro PCS (circa 2014-2022); and AllPhase Drywall (circa 2017 – present) (CVSN 1958: 17; CVSN 1963: 4; CVSN 1964: 25. IBSN 1965: 6; IBSN 1984:
27; IBSN 1984: 27; Google 2025).

Statement of Significance
Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria A/1, the property at 1144-1148 Palm Avenue lacks a direct and important association with any event significant in local, state, or national history. The commercial property was constructed circa 1952, during a period of increased population growth and corresponding commercial expansion in Imperial Beach broadly and on Palm Avenue specifically following World War II’s conclusion in 1945. Palm Avenue was expanded to four lanes in 1955 and to six lanes circa 1963 and many businesses opened along this major thoroughfare to cater to locals and passing motorists. By 1955, for example, commercial development on Palm Avenue included the Miracle Shopping District (demolished) that was located between 9th and Delaware Street.

Palm Avenue’s large number commercial businesses ranged from beauty salons and barber shops to car dealerships, motels, hotels, and restaurants. By the 1960s, Palm Avenue was firmly established as a commercial center in Imperial Beach. While the subject property is associated with the pattern of post-World War II commercial development along Palm Avenue, an important local trend, the subject property was one of many commercial buildings constructed in the post-World War II years and did not play a significant role in this trend and did not influence this trend.

The subject property was occupied by numerous businesses over the year, including an employment agency,

Page 7 of 10 ends

Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
insurance agency, lock and key services, and a hair salon, none of which appear to have been innovative within their industries or within Imperial Beach. It is also not known to be directly associated with any events that have made a significant contribution to the history of Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California, or the nation.

Research also did not identify a significant historical event that occurred on the property. Therefore, the subject property does not meet NRHP Criterion A or CRHR Criterion 1 and is recommended not eligible.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criteria B/2, the property at 1144-1148 Palm Avenue lacks a significant association with the productive life of any person important in local, state, or national history. Research identified several individuals associated with businesses that occupied the subject property through its history: Ann Simpson, O.L.

Parker, and Stanley Asher (1952) of Simpson Realty and Catherine Craft and Delbert D. Whitworth of Imperial Beach Employment Agency (circa 1958-1964). Research did not uncover information that would indicate that these individuals were important to the past or made significant contributions to history. Due to a lack of identified significant associations with any persons important in our past, the property is recommended not eligible under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2.

Under NRHP and CRHR Criterion C/3, the commercial building at 1144-1148 Palm Avenue does not fully embody the distinctive characteristics of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style, nor is it known to represent the work of a master, possess high artistic value, or be a component of a potential or existing historic district. The building was reportedly constructed by O.L. Parker, who also operated a contracting business from the subject property.

Research did not identify substantial information on Parker. The subject property is a modest and architecturally undistinguished example of an early 1950s commercial building exhibiting influences of the Mid-Century Modern style (e.g., its boxy, horizontal proportions; picture windows; and simple geometric form with a lack of exterior decoration). Due to its easily replicable components and economic efficiency, the Mid-Century Modern style was commonly applied to commercial buildings throughout California in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a ubiquitous example of its type and there are many similar examples in Imperial Beach, California, and the United States.

Overall, the property lacks sufficient design and construction value to meet NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, or County Register Criterion 3.

Integrity Considerations
Because 1144-1148 Palm Avenue lacks sufficient significance to meet any of the criteria for listing in the NRHP or CRHR, an integrity analysis was considered immaterial. To be eligible for listing in either register, a resource must first meet one or more of the significance criteria outlined above before a determination can be made as to whether the resource retains its historic character and can convey its significance. In the case of the subject property, the evaluation found that it lacked the necessary significance to warrant further analysis of its physical and historic integrity.

Page 8 of 10 ends

References (cont.)
Adams, Freda Compton Elliot. 1976. A History of Imperial Beach. Accessed in-person at the San Diego County Library – Imperial Beach Branch, June 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2019. City of Imperial Beach General Plan/Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan. Accessed online on June 12, 2025.

City of Imperial Beach. 2024. General Plan & Local Coastal Plan. Adopted October 19, 1994. Updated June 2024.

Accessed June 5, 2025. https://imperialbeachca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2388/General-Plan-LCPUpdated-2024.

CVSN (Chula Vista Star-News). 1952. "Simpson Realty Plans Move to New Quarters." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 13. February 28, 1952.

CVSN. 1958. "Classified - Employment Agencies, Imperial Beach Employment Agency." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA),17. March 6, 1958.

CVSN. 1963. "Advertisement - Fires Can be Prevented." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA),

4. October 6, 1963.

CVSN. 1964. "Classified - Employment Agencies, Imperial Beach Employment Agency." Newspapers.com: Chula Vista Star-News (Chula Vista, CA), 25. April 30, 1964.

Daugherty, Patrick. 1994. “A Little History on Imperial Beach.” San Diego Reader. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1994/dec/08/little-history-imperial-beach/.

Gebhard, D., and R. Winter. 2003. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishing.

Page 9 of 10 ends

Avenue
*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Google. 2025. “Imperial Beach [aerial image].” Google Imagery. Mountainview, California: Google Imagery.

Accessed June 3, 2025.

IBSN (Imperial Beach Star News). 1963. "Legal Notices - Notice of Intention to Chattel Mortgage." Newspapers.com:

Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 6. October 24, 1963.

IBSN. 1965. "Michael de Frates Insurance Agency." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 6. February 11, 1965.

IBSN. 1984. "Advertisement - Happy New Year to All." Newspapers.com: Imperial Beach Star News (Imperial Beach, CA), 27. December 30, 1984.

Morgan, W. 2004. The Abrams Guide to American House Styles. New York City, New York: Harry N Abrams Inc.

ParcelQuest. 2025. Property Data Information. Accessed June 3, 2025. https://www.parcelquest.com/ South Bay Historical Society Bulletin. 2016. Historic Sites of Imperial Beach. Issue Number 12. April. http://sunnycv.com/history/bulletin/12.pdf
UC Santa Barbara. 2025. Historic Aerial Photographs of the Imperial Beach Project Area, Imperial Beach, CA, dating from 1963. Accessed June 4, 2025. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/.

Photographs (cont.)

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Source: Dudek 2025

Page 1 of 10 ends

DPR 523A *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
P1. Other Identifier: Map ID 14
*P2. Location: ☐ Not for Publication ☒ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad Imperial Beach, Calif. Date 2018 T 18S; R 2W; SW ¼ of SW ¼ of Sec 20; San Bernardino B.M. c. Address 1158 Palm Avenue City Imperial Beach Zip 91932 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone mE mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APN 626-230-05-00
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property is sited at the northeastern corner of Florida Street and Palm Avenue and consists of a one-story, irregular plan automated car wash/store/office building at the southwestern corner of the parcel, and a one-story rectangular plan covered four-car drive-thru vacuum station at the northeastern corner of the parcel (Photograph 1). The stucco clad buildings are topped with a flat roof and a metal projecting parapet with minimally overhanging eaves supported by metal posts. A fully glazed set of main entry doors on the southwest corner of the office building provide access to the building. A covered drive-through automated carwash lines the south elevation of the building. See Continuation Sheet. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 Story Commercial Building *P4. Resources Present: ☒Building ☐ Structure ☐ Object ☐ Site ☐ District ☐ Element of District ☐ Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: Photo 1,
West elevation and primary (south)
elevation, view looking northeast,
IMG_0453
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources:
 Historic  Prehistoric  Both
c. 1978 (NETR 2025a)
*P7. Owner and Address:

Bobo LLC
3035 Calle Allejandro
Jamul, CA 91935
*P8. Recorded by:

Claire Cancilla, MSHP (Dudek)
605 Third Street
Encinitas, CA 92024
*P9. Date Recorded:

June 5, 2025
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P5a. Photograph 1

Page 2 of 10 ends

*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 1158 Palm Avenue DPR 523B *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: Crystal Clear Car Wash; Imperial Beach Car Wash; All American Car Wash B2. Common Name: N/A
B3. Original Use: Car Wash
B4. Present Use: Car Wash
*B5. Architectural Style: None
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) The property was constructed circa 1978 (NETR 2024a). Circa 2002, the store/office was added at the northwestern corner of the carwash, and the footprint of the automated car wash building was expanded to its present-day configuration (NETR 2025a). *B7. Moved? ☒No ☐Yes ☐Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: N/A
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme N/A Area: N/A
Period of Significance N/A Property Type N/A Applicable Criteria N/A (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
1158 Palm Avenue does not meet any of the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The property was evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and Section 15064.5 (a)(2)-(3) of the CEQA Guidelines using the criteria outlined in Section 5024.1 of the California Public Resources Code. The property is not considered a historic property for the purposes of Section 106 or a historical resource under CEQA. As such, this evaluation assigns a 6Z California Historical Resources Status Code to 1158 Palm Avenue. See Continuation Sheet.

Page 3 of 10 ends

Page 4 of 10 ends

*Recorded by: Claire Cancilla MSHP, Dudek *Date: June 5, 2025 ☒ Continuation ☐ Update DPR 523L * Required information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Description (cont.)
Fenestration on the office building includes metal-sash fixed windows, vinyl-slash sliding windows, fully glazed doors, and glass block windows. The covered four-car drive-thru vacuum station contains four vehicle lanes separated by concrete posts. A concrete driveway along Floride Street leads east to the asphalt parking lot surrounding the buildings (Photograph 2). Landscaping along the southern perimeter of the parcel includes planters with shrubs and trees. The subject property is in overall good condition; however, it was heavily altered in 2002 to its present configuration (NETR 2025a). The historic property boundary is limited to the legal parcel boundary of APN 626-230- 05-00
Significance (cont.)
Historic Context
I Imperial Beach developed its early infrastructure throughout the 1940s with newly paved streets, streetlights, and the completion of a new community center on 19th Street (Adams 1976: 71; Daugherty 1994). Numerous civic groups were formed in the 1940s to aid community development, such as the Imperial Beach Civic Group (1945), Sanitary District (1949), and Imperial Beach Fireman’s Auxiliary (1949), among others. By 1949, the South Bay area’s population reached approximately 9,600. Housing, as shown in a 1953 aerial, was composed of several subdivisions north and south of Palm Avenue, in and near the coastal area—most of which were single-story Ranch and Minimal Traditional style tract homes. North and south of Palm Avenue, between 9th and 13th streets, housing remained scattered with some undeveloped residential lots throughout. Similarly, in 1953, several housing subdivisions were north of Imperial Beach Boulevard near the coast, as well as some scattered residences north and south of the boulevard further inland (NETR 2025a). An aerial ten years later shows that nearly all vacant lots north and south of Palm Avenue were infilled and much of the vacant land was also developed north and south of Imperial Beach Boulevard (UCSB 2025). To service the growing population, commercial development took flight in Imperial Beach in the late 1940s through early 1950s (Adams 1976:72,75,87).

Notable post-World War II commercial development includes the 1948 Miracle Shopping District on the south side of Palm Avenue (demolished circa 2012), between Delaware and 9th streets, constructed by family builders Andrew, Mary, and Clem E. Norcross, along with Mr. and Mrs. John Frier. The Miracle Shopping District served as Imperial Beach’s first strip mall where shoppers could find a cluster of stores in one location. Also in 1948, the Norcross family built the town’s first civilian theater at 9th Street and Palm Avenue, which was later extended to Delaware Street (Adams 1976: 87-88). In 1950, The Clothesline department store, located in Palm City, opened its second location at 1003 Palm Avenue in Imperial Beach. According to local historian Freda Compton Elliott Adams, it was “the largest and most modern store of any erected in the Palm Avenue Shopping area or anywhere in the Palm City-Imperial Beach area at that time” (Adams 1976: 90). The Clothesline operated its Palm Avenue location until it closed in 1964.

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Imperial Beach City CouncilSeptember 2, 2026

Imperial Beach City Council
September 2, 2026