Agenda packet, regular meeting, second session — Palm Springs City Council, July 25, 2024 (part 6 of 8)

ENV 5. Prior to issuance of a Grading Permit, the applicant shall obtain written approval to proceed with construction from the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer or Tribal Archaeologist. The applicant shall contact the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer or the Tribal Archaeologist at (760) 699-6800, to determine their requirements, if any, associated with grading or other construction. The applicant is advised to contact the Tribal Historic Preservation -Officer or Tribal Archaeologist as early as possible. If required, it is the responsibility of the applicant to coordination scheduling of Tribal monitors during grading or other construction, and to arrange payment of any required fees associated with Tribal monitoring.

ENV 6. California Fish & Game Fees Required. The project is required to pay a fish and game impact fee as defined in Section 711.4 of the California Fish and Game Code. This CFG impact fee plus an administrative fee for filing the action with the County Recorder shall be submitted by the applicant to the City in the form of a money order or a cashier's check payable to the Riverside County Clerk prior to the final City action on the project (either Planning Commission or City Council determination). This fee shall be submitted by the City to the County Clerk with the Notice of Determination.

Action on this application shall not be final until such fee is paid. The project may be eligible for exemption or refund of this fee by the California Department of Fish & Game. Applicants may apply for a refund by the CFG at www.dfg.ca.gov for more information.

ENV 7. Mitigation Monitoring. The mitigation measures of the environmental assessment shall apply. The applicant shall submit a signed agreement that the mitigation measures outlined as part of the mitigated negative declaration will be included in the .plans prior to Planning Commission consideration of the environmental a~sessment.

ENV 8. Long Term Soil Stabilization and Dust Control. Those portions of the site that are to be graded, cleared, and grubbed of natural vegetation for the installation of the solar panel structures shall be provided with a long-term soil stabilization program acceptable to the City of Palm Springs to control wind borne dust and particulates. This may be either an overlay of gravel at sizes of 3/4" or larger or other equivalent means as approved by the Dust Control Management Division of the City Public Works Department.

ENV 9. Cultural Resource Survey Required. Prior to any ground disturbing activity, including clearing and grubbing, installation of utilities, and/or any construction related excavation, an Archaeologist qualified according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines, shall be employed to survey the area for the presence of cultural resources identifiable on the ground surface. Copies of any cultural resource documentation (report and site records) generated in connection with this project shall be submitted to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

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Resolution No 24998 Page 14
ENV 10. Cultural Resource Site Monitoring. There is a possibility of buried cultural or Native American tribal resources on the site. A Native American Monitor shall I be present during all ground-disturbing activities.
a). A Native American Monitor(s) shall be present during all ground disturbing activities including clearing and grubbing, excavation, burial of utilities, planting of rooted plants, etc. Contact the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indian Cultural Office for additional information on the use and availability of Cultural Resource Monitors. Should buried cultural deposits be encountered, the Monitor shall contact the Director of Planning. After consultation the Director shall have the authority to halt destructive construction and shall notify a Qualified Archaeologist to further investigate the $ite. If necessary, the Qualified Archaeologist shall prepare a treatment plan for submission to the State Historic Prese,vation Officer and Agua Caliente Cultural Resource Coordinator for approval. b). Two copies of any cultural resource documentation generated in connection with this project, including reports of investigations, record search results and site records/updates shall be forwarded to the Tribal Planning, Building, and Engineering Department and one copy to the City Planning Department prior to final inspection.

PLANNING DEPARTMENT CONDITIONS
PLN 1. Approval of Case 5.1521 CZ (Change of Zone) shall be contingent upon the I approval of Case 5.1521 GPA (General Plan Amendment), Case 38049 TIM (Tentative Tract Map), and Case 7.1645 AMM (Administrative Minor Modification).

PLN 2. Approval of Case 38049 TTM (Tentative Tract Map) shall be contingent upon the approval of Case 5.1521 GPA (General Plan Amendment) and Case

5.1521 CZ (Change of Zone).

PLN 3. Approval of Case 5.1521 GPA/CZ and Case 38049 TTM shall be contingent upon the approval of Case 7.1645 AMM.

PLN 4. Construction of any residential unit shall meet minimum soundproofing requirements prescribed pursuant to Section 1092 and related sections of Title 25 of the California Administrative Code. Compliance shall be demonstrated to the $atisfaction of the Director of Building and Safety.

PLN 5. The street address numbering/lettering shall not exceed eight inches in height.

PLN 6. T~ntative Tract Maps shall be valid for a period of two (2) years. Extensions of time may be granted by the Planning Commission upon demonstration of good cause. I
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PLN 7. The project is subject to the City of Palm Springs Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. The applicant shall submit an application for Final Landscape Document Package to the Director of Planning for review and approval prior to the issuance of a building permit. Refer to Chapter 8.60 of the Municipal Code for specific requirements.

PLN 8. Prior to issuance of a grading permit, a Fugitive Dust and Erosion Control Plan shall be submitted and approved by the Building Official. Refer to Chapter 8.50 of the Municipal Co~e for specific requirements.

PLN 9. The grading pl~m shall show the disposition of all cut and fill materials. Limits of site disturbance shall be shown, and all disturbed areas shall be fully restored or landscaped.

PLN 10. Prior to the issuance of building permits, locations of all telephone and electrical boxes must be indicated on the building plans and must be · completely screened and located in the interior of the building. Electrical transformers must be located toward the interior of the project maintaining a sufficient distance from the frontage(s) of the project. Said transformer(s) must be adequately and decoratively screened.

PLN 11. The applicant shall provide written notice to all buyers of the adjacent land uses and noise impacts in a recordable form to be approved by the City Attorney at the City Attorney's reasonable discretion. In the event the CC&Rs are not required or proposed for the project, the requirement of the CC&Rs shall be removed from the required conditions or not be required.

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CONDITIONS
Before final acceptance of the project, all conditions listed below shall be completed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

STREETS
ENG 1.

ENG2.

Any improvements within the public right-of-way require a City of Palm Springs Encroachment Permit. All improvements are subject to inspection and a 24~to-48~hour inspection notification is required.

Submit street improvement plans prepared by a registered California civil engineer to the Engineering Services Department.

The plan(s) shall be approved by the City Engineer prior to issuance of any building permits.

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ALEJO ROAD
ENG3. ENG4.

ENG5.

ENG6. ENG7.

ENG8.

Construct a 6-inch curb and gutter, 32 feet north of centerline along the entire frontage, with a 25 feet radius curb return and spandrel at the northeast corner of the intersection of Alejo Road and Juanita Road and remove and replace the existing curb return and spandrel located at the northwest corner of Alejo Road and Commercial Road in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 200 and 206.

Remove and replace the existing 6 feet wide cross gutter at the intersection of Alejo Road and Juanita Road and the intersection of Alejo Road and Commercial Road with a flow line parallel with and located 32 feet north of the centerline of Alejo Raad in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 200 and 206.

Construct an 8 feet wide sidewalk behind the curb along the entire frontage in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 210.

Construct a Type A curb ramp meeting current California State Accessibility standards at the northeast corner of the intersection of Alejo Road and Juanita Road in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 212.

Remove and replace the existing curb ramp at the northwest corner of Alejo Road and Commercial Road and construct a Type A curb ramp meeting current California State Accessibility standard in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 212.

Construct pavement with a minimum pavement section of 3 inches asphalt concrete pavement over 4 inches crushed miscellaneous base with a minimum subgrade of 24 inches at 95% relative compaction, or equal, from edge of proposed gutter to:ctean sawcut edge of pavemenl along the entire frontage in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 110. (Additional pavement removal and replacement may be required upon review of existing pavement cross-sections, and to ensure grade breaks of the pavement cross-section do not occur within a travel lane.) If an alternative pavement section is proposed, the proposed pavement section shall be designed by a California registered Geotechnical Engineer using "R" values from the project site and submitted to the City Engineer for approval.

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ENG9.

ENG 10.

Remove and replace existing asphalt concrete pavement where required, in accordance with applicable City standards.

All broken or off grade street improvements along the project frontage shall be repaired or replaced.

COMMERCIAL ROAD
ENG 11.

ENG 12.

ENG 13.

ENG 14.

Upon development of lots 5 thru 8, the developer shall construct a driveway approach with access to Commercial Road in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 201-.

Construct a 5 feet wide sidewalk behind the curb along the entire frontage in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 210.

Construct a Type C curb ramp meeting current California State Accessibility standards on the south side of the existing driveway approach for APN#507-380·018 in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 214.

All broken or off grade street improvements along the project frontage shall be repaired or replaced.

JUANTA ROAD
ENG 15.

ENG 16.

ENG 17.

ENG 18.

Construct a 6-inch curb and gutter, 12 feet east of centerline along the entire frontage to join . existing improvements located at the north property line in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 200.

Upon development of lots 1 thru 4, the developer shall construct a driveway approach with access to Juanita Road in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 201
Construct an 8 feet wide meandering sidewalk behind the curb along the entire frontage in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 210.

Page 18 ends

ENG 19.

ENG 20.
pavement cross-sections, and to ensure grade breaks of the pavement cross-section do not occur within a travel lane.) If an alternative pavement section is proposed, the proposed pavement section shall be designed by a California registered Geotechnical Engineer using "R" values from the project site and submitted to the City Engineer for approval.

Remove and replace existing asphalt concrete pavement where required, in accordance with applicable City standards.

All broken or off grade street improvements along the project frontage shall b~ repaired or replaced.

SANITARY SEWER
ENG 21.

GRADING
ENG 22.

All sanitary facilities shall be connected to the public sewer system.

New laterals shall not ·be connected at manholes.

Submit a Rough Grading Plan prepared by a California registered civil engineer to the Engineering Services Department for review and approval.

A Fugitive Dust Control Plan shall be prepared by the applicant and/or its grading contractor and submitted to the Engineering Services Department for review and approval. The applicant and/or its grading contractor shall be required to comply with Chapter 8.50 of the ·City of Palm Springs Municipal Code and shall be required to utilize one or more "Coachella Valley Best Available Control Measures" as identified in the Coachella Valley Fugitive Dust Control Handbook for each fugitive dust source such that the applicable performance standards are met. The applicant's or its contractor's Fugitive Dust Control Plan shall be prepared by staff that has completed the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Coachella Valley Fugitive Dust Control Class. The applicant and/or its grading contractor shall provide the Engineering Services Department with current and valid Certificate(s) of Completion from AQMD for staff that have completed the required training. For information on attending a Fugitive Dust Control Class and information on the Coachella Valley Fugitive Dust Control Handbook and rela,ted "PM1 O" Dust Control issues, please contact AQMD at (909) 396-3752, or at http://www.AQMD.gov. A Fugitive Dust Control Plan, in conformance with the Coachella Valley Fugitive Dust Control Handbook, shall be submitted to and approved by the Engineering Services Department prior to approval of the Grading plan. The Grading Plan shall be approved by the City Engineer prior to issuance of grading permit.

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ENG 23.

ENG 24.

ENG 25.

ENG 26.

ENG 27.

ENG 28.
a. The first submittal of the Rough Grading Plan shall include the following information: a copy of final approved conformed copy of Conditions of Approyal; a copy of a final approyed conformed copy of the Site Plan; a copy of current Title Report; a copy of Soils Report.

Prior to approval of a Grading Plan (or issuance of a Grading Permit), the applicant shall obtain written approval to proceed with construction from the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer or Tribal Archaeologist ( a copy of the written approval must be . provided to the City) . The applicant shall contact the Tribal Hist_oric Preservation Officer or the Tribal Archaeologist at ACBCI[email protected] to d~t~rmine their requirements, if any, associated with grading or other construction. The applicant is advised to contact the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer or Tribal Archaeologist as early as possible. If required, it is the responsibility of the applicant to coordinate scheduling of Tribal monitors during grading or other construction, and to arrange payment of any required tees associated with Tribal monitoring.

In accordance with an approved PM-10 Dust Control Plan, temporary dust control perimeter fencing shall be installed. Fencing shall have screening that is tan in color; green screening will not be allowed. Temporary dus·t control perimeter fencing shall be installed after issuance of Grading Permit, and immediately prior to commencement of grading operations.

Temporary dust control perimeter fence screening shall be appropriately maintained, as required by the City Engineer. Cuts (vents) made into the perimeter fence screening shall not be allowed. Perimeter fencing shall be adequately anchored into the ground to resist wind loading.

Within 10 days of ceasing all construction activity and when construction activities are not scheduled to occur for at least 30 days, the disturbed areas on-site shall be permanently stabilized, in accordance with Palm Springs Municipal Code Section 8.50.022. Following stabilization of all disturbed areas, perimeter fencing shall be removed, as required by the City Engineer.

Prior to issuance of grading permit, the applicant shall provide verification to the City that the Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan (THCP) fee has been paid to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in accordance with the THCP.

Drainage swales shall be provided adjacent t_o all curbs and sidewa'lks to keep nuisance water from entering the public streets, roadways, or gutters.

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Resolution No 24998
Page20
ENG 29.
l=NG 30.

ENG 31.

ENG 32.

ENG 33.

A Notice of Intent (NOi) to comply with the California General Construction Stormwater Permit (Water Quality Order 2009-0009-DWQ as modified September 2, 2009)- is required for the proposed development via the California Regional Water Quality Control Board online SMARTS system.

A copy of the executed letter issuing a Waste Discharge Identification (WDID) number shall be provided to the City Engineer prior to issuance of a gr.ading or building permit.

This project requires preparation and implementation of a stormwater polluti~n prevention plan (SWPPP). As of September 4, 2012, all SWPPPs shall include a post-construction management plan (including Best Management Practices) in accordance with the current Construction General Permit. Where applicable, the approved final project-specific Water Quality Management Plan shall be incorporated by reference or attached to the SWPPP as the Post-Construction Management Plan. A copy of the up-to-date SWPPP shall be kept at the project site and be available for review upon request.

In accordance with City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, Section 8.50.022 (h), the applicant shall post with the City a cash bond of two thousand d0llars ($2,000.00) per disturbed acre (if there is disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more) at the time of issuance of grading permit for mitigation measures for erosion/blowsand relating to this property and development.

A Geotechnical/Soils Report prepared· -by a California registered Geotechnical Engineer shall be required for and incorporated as an integral part of the grading plan for the proposed development. A copy of the Geotechnical/Soils Report shall be submitted to the Engineering Services Department with the first submittal of a grading plan.

The applicant shall provide Grading Certification for all building (or structure) pads in conformance with the approved grading plan to the Engineering Services Department for review and approval.

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ENG 34.

DRAINAGE
ENG 35.

ENG 36.

GENERAL
ENG 37.

ENG 38.

ENG 39.

In cooperation with the C~lifornia Agricultural Commissioner and the California Department of Food and Agriculture Red Imported Fire Ant Project, applicants for grading permits involving a grading plan and involving the export of soil will be required to present a clearance document from a Department of Food and Agriculture representative in the form of an approved "Notification- of Intent To Move Soil From or Within Quarantined Areas of Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles Counties" (Revised - RIFA Form CA-1) prior to approval of the Grading Plan (if required). The California Department of Food and Agriculture office is located at 6819 East Gage Avenue, Commerce, Ca 90040 (Phone (760)782-3271, (562)505-6415), [email protected].

The applicant shall accept and convey all stormwater runoff across the property and conduct the runoff to an approved drainage system. On-site retention may be allowed on that portion of the property where historically, stormwater runoff is conveyed. The incremental increase of stormwater runoff due to development of the property shall be retained on-site to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.

The project is subject to flood control and drainage implementation fees.

The acreage drainage fee at the present time is $10,311.99 per acre in accordance with Resolution No. 15189. Fees sh.all be paid prior to issuance of a building permit.

Any utility trenches or other excavations within existing asphalt concrete pavement of off-site streets required by the proposed development shall be backfilled and repaired in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 115.

All proposed utility lines shall be installed underground.

The record property owner shall enter into a covenant agreeing to underground all of the existing overhead utilities required by the Municipal Code in the future upon request of the City of Palm Springs City Engineer at such time as deemed necessary. The covenant shall be executed and notarized by the property owner and submitted to the City Engineer prior to issuance of a grading permit. A current title report or a copy of a current tax bill and a copy of a vesting grant deed shall be provided to verify current property ownership. A covenant preparation fee in effect at the Item 1Z - Page 50
Resolution No 24998
Page22
ENG 40. ENG 41.

ENG 42. ENG 43. ENG 44.

MAP
ENG 45.
time that the covenant is submitted shall be paid by the applicant prior to issuance of any grading or building permits.

All existing utilities shall be shown on the improvement plans if required for the project. The existing and proposed service laterals shall be shown from the main line to the property line.

Upon approval of any improvement plan (if required) by the City Engineer, the improvement plan shall be provided to the City in digital format, consisting of a DWG (AutoCAD 2015 drawing file), DXF (AutoCA•-ASCII drawing exchange file), and PDF (Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or greater) formats.

Variation of the type and format of the digital data tq be submitted to the City may be authorized, upon prior approval by the City Engineer.

The original improvement plans prepared for the proposed development and approved by the City Engineer (if required) shall be documented with record drawing "as-built" information and returned to the Engineering Services Department prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy.

Any modifications or changes to approved improvement plans shall be submitted to the City Engineer for approval prior to construction.

Nothing shall be constructed or planted in the comer cut-off area of any intersection or driveway which does or will exceed the height required to maintain an appropriate sight distance per City of Palm Springs Zoning Code Section 93.02.00, D.

All proposed trees within the public right-of-way and within 10 feet of the public sidewalk and/or curb shall have City approved deep root barriers installed in accordance with City of Palm Springs Standard Drawing No. 904.

The developer shall apply for an annexation to the City of Palm Springs Community Facilities District established for public safety services and submit required applications, waivers, and consent forms to the annexation prior to approval of a final map. Payment of an annexation fee ($7,500) and shall be made at the time of the application. The annexation shall be completed by action of the city council in a public hearing, prior to processing a final map for approval.

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ENG 46. ENG 47.

TRAFFIC
ENG 48. ENG 49.

ENG ·so.

ENG 51.

A Final Map shall be prepared by a California registered Land Surveyor or qualified Civil Engineer and submitted to the Engineering Services Department for review and approval. A Title Report prepared for subdivision guarantee for the subject property, the traverse closures for the existing parcel and all lots created therefrom, and copies of record documents shall be submitted with the Final Map to the Engineering Services Department as part of the review of the Map.

The Final Map shall be approved by the City Council prior to issuance of building permits.

Acceptance of public improvements required of this development shall be completed by resolution of the City Council to release the faithful performance bond and acceptance of replacement maintenance bond to be held for one year. An inspection will be performed nine months after said acceptance as part of the notice of completion process, a notice of completion will be filed certifying the improvements are complete.

A minim!Jm of 48 inches of clearance for accessibility shall be provided on public sidewalks. Minimum clearance on public sidewalks shall be provided by either an additional dedication of a sidewalk easement if necessary and widening of the sidewalk, or by the relocation of any obstructions within the public sidewalk along the frontage of the subject property.

All damaged, destroy<3d, or modified pavement legends, traffic control devices, signing, striping, 'and streetlights, associated with the proposed development shall be replaced as required by the City Engineer prior'to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.

Submit traffic striping and signage plans for Alejo Road from Commercial Road to Juanita Road, prepared by a California registered civil engineer, for review and approval by the City Engineer. All required traffic striping and signage improvements shall be completed in conjunction with required street improvements, to the satisfaction of the City Engineer, and prior to release of any securities for the project.

Install traffic striping and signage improvements to match existing striping located on Alejo Road adjacent to the project. Submit traffic striping and signage plans to the City Engineer for review and approval.

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Resolution No 24998
Page24
ENG 52.

ENG 53.

Construction signing, lighting and barricading shall be provided during all phases of construction as required by City Standards or as directed by the City Engineer. As a minimum, all construction signing, lighting and barricading shall be in accordance with Part 6 "Temporary Traffic Control" of the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD), dated November 7, 2014, or subsequent editions in force at the time of construction. ·
This property is subject to the Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee which shall be paid prior to issuance of building permit.

FIRE DEPARTMENT CONDITIONS
FID 1.

FID 2.

FID 3.

FID4.

These Fire Department conditions may not provide all requirements.

Owner/developer is responsible for all applicable state and locally adopted fire codes. Detailed plans are still required for review. Conditions are subject to final plan check and review.

Fire Department Conditions were based on the 2019 California Fire Code as adopted by City of Palm Springs, Palm Springs Municipal Code, PSFD Appendix 'T' Development Requirements. This building will reqµire fire sprinklers.

Conditions of Approval - "Conditions of Approval" received from the Palm Springs Planning Department must be submitted with each plan set. Failure to submit will result in a delay of plan approval.

Plans and Permits (CF~ 105.1):

Permits and scaled drawings are required for this project. Plan reviews can take up to 20 working days. Submit a minimum of three (3) sets of drawings for reviei,,y. Upon approval, the Fire Prevention Bureau will retain one set.

Plans shall be submitted to: · · ·
. City of Palm Springs
Building and Safety Department
3200 E. Tahquitz Ctiinyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Counter Hours: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Monday - Thursday
A deposit for Plan Check and Inspection Fees is required at the time of Plan Submittal. These fees are established by Resolution of the Palm Springs City Council..

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Resolution No 24998 Page 25
FID 5.

FID 6.

FID 7. FID 8.

UL listed or FM approved for fire protection service and approved by the Fire Prevention Bureau prior to installation.

Plans shall include all necessary engineering features, including all hydraulic reference nodes, pipe lengths and pipe diameters as required by the appropriate codes and standards. Plans and supporting data, (calculations and manufacturers technical data sheets) including fire flow data, shall be submitted with each plan submittal. Complete and accurate legends for all symbols and abpreviations shall be provided on the plans.

Access During Construction (CFC 503): Access for firefighting equipment shall be provided to the immediate job site at the start of construction and maintained until all construction is complete. Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 24 feet and an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13'-6". Fire Department access roads shall have an all-weather driving surface and support a minimum weight of 73,000 lbs.

Required access (CFC 504.1): Exterior doors and openings required by this code, or the California Building Code shall be maintained readily acce~sible for emergency access by t~e fire department. ·An approved access walkway leading from fire apparatus access roads to' exterior openings shall be provided when required by the fire code official.

Residential Smoke Alarms Required: Shall be interconnected so that operation of any smoke alarm or fire sprinkler flow switch causes all smoke alarms within the dwelling & guest house to sound an_d activate the exterior horn/strobe
NFPA 13D Fire Sprinklers Required: An automatic fire sprinkler system is required. Only a C-16 licensed fire sprinkler contractor shall perform system design and installation. System to be designed and installed in accordance with NFPA standard 130, 2016 Editions, as modified by local ordinance.

END OF CONDITIONS
Attachment E
Item 1Z - Page 54
RESOLUTION NO. _____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING TRACT MAP
38049 AND AN ASSOCIATED SUBDIVISION

IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT WITH AG LAND

INVESTMENTS LLC, A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY
COMPANY, FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2700 E ALEJO
ROAD, IN SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 4 SOUTH, RANGE 4
EAST.

WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Palm Springs, at its meeting of February 23, 2022, recommended conditional approval of Tentative Tract Map 38049, subject to conditions; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, (hereinafter the “City”), at its meeting of March 24, 2022, approved Tentative Tract Map 38049 subject to the conditions set forth by the Planning Commission; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Palm Springs, at its meeting of March 27, 2024, recommended approval of the extension of time application received; and
WHEREAS, the City, at its meeting of April 25, 2024, approved the extension of time application; and
WHEREAS, the Subdivider has filed with the City a final map for Tentative Tract Map 38049, identified as Tract Map 38049, in accordance with Section 66458 of the California Government Code; and
WHEREAS, required Works of Improvements have not been completed by the Subdivider as of the filing of Tract Map 38049, and the Subdivider has requested that the City enter into a Subdivision Improvement Agreement with the Subdivider to secure the cost of public improvements in accordance with Section 66462 of the California Government Code.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. Tract Map 38049 is in substantial conformance with the approved Tentative Tract Map 38049.

SECTION 2. Tract Map 38049 is in conformance with the General Plan.

SECTION 3. Tract Map 38049 conforms to all requirements of the Subdivision Map Act of the State of California.

SECTION 4. Tract Map 38049 shall be accepted by the City Clerk, who shall Item 1Z - Page 55
Resolution No. _____

Page 2 ends

certify acceptance by signature on the map thereof.

SECTION 5. The City Council hereby approves a Subdivision Improvement Agreement for Tract Map 38049 with the Subdivider and accepts subdivision improvement securities in conformance with the requirements therein for public improvements.

SECTION 6. The City Manager is hereby authorized to execute the Subdivision Improvement Agreement with the Subdivider.

SECTION 7. The City Clerk shall cause to have recorded the Subdivision Improvement Agreement with the Riverside County Recorder.

SECTION 8. Tract Map 38049 is hereby approved for purposes therein defined.

ADOPTED THIS 25TH DAY OF JULY, 2024.

SCOTT C. STILES

CITY MANAGER, CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
ATTEST:

BRENDA PREE

CITY CLERK, CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Item 1Z - Page 56
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CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
I, Brenda Pree, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. ____ is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on July 25, 2024, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.

BRENDA PREE

CITY CLERK, CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Item 1Z - Page 57

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: JULY 25, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: ANNUAL LEVY OF ASSESSMENTS FOR VARIOUS STREET LIGHTING

AND PARKWAY MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS CITYWIDE FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2024-2025
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services Department
SUMMARY:

This annual item will complete proceedings required by law to continue the levy of existing annual special assessments in the City’s various Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts. A Public Hearing is required to solicit public comments on the City’s consideration to levy and collect special assessments for the subject fiscal year. In accordance with state law, resolutions adopting detailed reports for the districts were approved by the City Council at the meeting of June 27, 2024.

RECOMMENDATION:
1) Open the Public Hearing and take public testimony; and 2) Adopt Resolution No. _____, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE ENGINEER’S

REPORT AND ORDERING THE CONTINUED OPERATION AND

MAINTENANCE OF IMPROVEMENTS FOR STREET LIGHTING
MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 3, AND PARKWAY MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS NO. 6A, 6C, 7, 8, 9, AND 10 (ZONES 1 AND 2), AND LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 12, AND ORDERING THE LEVY AND

COLLECTION OF ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS RELATED THERETO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024/2025.”
STAFF ANALYSIS:

In accordance with the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California, the City is required to prepare Engineer’s Reports on the annual costs to operate and maintain improvements within the City’s various Street Lighting or Parkway Maintenance Districts, which include:

Item 2A - Page 1
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 -- Page 2
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

1. Street Lighting Maintenance District No. 3 consists of 75 residential parcels located in the “Crossley Tract,” south of 34th Avenue along Lawrence Street and Marguerite Street. District No. 3 was established in 1983 to provide funding for the installation, operation and maintenance of street lighting along Lawrence Street and Marguerite Street, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 3 Vicinity Map
Crossley Tract
Item 2A - Page 2
Legend
msite
c::J 500" Radius
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 3
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

2. Parkway Maintenance District No. 6A consists of 25 commercial and industrial properties located in the “Fairport Development,” between Chia Road and Tachevah Drive, west of Gene Autry Trail. District No. 6A was established in 1980 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the south side of Chia Road as shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 6A Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 4
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

3. Parkway Maintenance District No. 6C consists of 30 residential parcels located in the “Park Sonora Tract,” on the east side of El Cielo Road along Sonora Road, Loma Vista Circle and San Marin Circle. District No. 6C was established in 1980 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the east side of El Cielo Road along the frontage of the Park Sonora Tract, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 6C Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 5
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

4. Parkway Maintenance District No. 7 consists of 53 residential parcels located in the “Sunrise Norte Tract,” on the north side of San Rafael Drive west of Sunrise Way, located along Mountain Shadow Drive, Sand Spring Drive, Mica Drive, Garnet Road, and Twin Star Road. District No. 7 was established in 1990 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the north side of San Rafael Drive along the frontage of the Sunrise Norte Tract, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 7 Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 6
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

5. Parkway Maintenance District No. 8 consists of 62 residential parcels located in the “Vintage Palms Tract,” on the north side of San Rafael Drive and the east side of Avenida Caballeros. District No. 8 was established in 1990 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the north side of San Rafael Drive and the east side of Avenida Caballeros along the frontage of the Vintage Palms Tract, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 8 Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 7
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

6. Parkway Maintenance District No. 9 consists of 77 residential parcels located in the “Flora Vista Tract,” on the south side of Racquet Club Road, the west side of Sunrise Way, and the north side of Via Escuela. District No. 9 was established in 1997 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the west side of Sunrise Way along the frontage of the Flora Vista Tract, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 9 Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 8
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

7. Parkway Maintenance District No. 10, Zone 1, consists of 308 residential parcels located in the “Mountain Gate (Phase 1),” development on the east side of N. Palm Canyon Drive and north of Gateway Drive. District No. 10, Zone 1, was established in 2003 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the east side of N. Palm Canyon Drive, the north side of Gateway Drive, and drainage basins along East Gate Road, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 10 – Zone 1 Vicinity Map
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City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 -- Page 9
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

8. Parkway Maintenance District No. 10, Zone 2, consists of 196 residential parcels located in the “Mountain Gate (Phase 2),” development on the east side of N. Palm Canyon Drive. District No. 10, Zone 2, was established in 2005 to provide funding for the maintenance of parkway landscaping along the east side of N. Palm Canyon Drive, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 10 – Zone 2 Vicinity Map
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Item 2A - Page 9
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City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 -- Page 10
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts

9. Landscape Maintenance District No. 12 consists of 6 commercial parcels located in the “Smoke Tree Commons” shopping center on the south side of E. Palm Canyon Drive and west side of Barona Road. District No. 12 was established in 2008 to provide funding for the maintenance of median landscaping within E. Palm Canyon Drive between Cerritos Drive and Farrell Drive, shown in the Vicinity Map below:

District No. 12 Vicinity Map
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July 25, 2024 -- Page 11
Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts
On June 27, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolutions ordering the preparation of and giving preliminary approval of the Engineer’s Reports for the Districts and declaring its intention to conduct a Public Hearing on July 25, 2024, regarding the Districts and the levy and collection of special assessments related thereto. The Engineer’s Reports have been filed with the City Clerk and are available for public review. In accordance with the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California, it is necessary for the City Council to conduct a Public Hearing, take public testimony, and in the absence of a majority protest to the special assessments, the City Council can approve the levy and collection of special assessments for the various Special Districts for the subject fiscal year.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Approval of this action is the final annual step to continue levying special assessments in the City’s Street Lighting and Parkway Maintenance Districts. In accordance with the Engineer’s Reports prepared for each Maintenance District, on the basis that a majority protest is not presented at the Public Hearing the City Council can order the levying of special assessments to collect revenue to pay for expenditures incurred within each District, as identified in the following Table for the subject fiscal year:

Special District No. Levy Amount Qty of Parcels
Crossley Tract (3) $2,629.50 75
Fairport Development (6A) $5,154.00 19
6 Park Sonora Tract (6C) $12,367.80 30
Sunrise Norte (7) $23,746.12 53
Vintage Palms (8) $18,508.24 62
Flora Vista (9) $17,408.16 77
Mountain Gate Zone 1 (10-1) $66,471.28 292
16 Mountain Gate Zone 2 (10-2) $173,498.64 175
21 Smoke Tree Commons (12) $19,214.96 6
Total Levy $338,998.70 832
The proposed assessments for the subject Fiscal Year are lower or equal to the maximum assessment amounts previously approved by property owner petition or balloting, in accordance with the provisions of the California Constitution Article XIIID (Proposition 218).

REVIEWED BY:

City Engineer: Joel Montalvo
Deputy City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:

A. Resolution
Item 2A - Page 11
Attachment A
Item 2A - Page 12
RESOLUTION NO. _____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE
ENGINEER’S REPORT AND ORDERING THE

CONTINUED OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF

IMPROVEMENTS FOR STREET LIGHTING
MAINTENANCE DISTRICT NO. 3, AND PARKWAY
MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS NO. 6A, 6C, 7, 8, 9, AND 10
(ZONES 1 AND 2), AND LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
DISTRICT NO. 12, AND ORDERING THE LEVY AND

COLLECTION OF ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS RELATED
THERETO FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024/2025
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, (hereinafter the “City Council”), has by previous Resolution established Street Lighting Maintenance District No. 3 (“Crossley Tract”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 6A (“Fairport Development”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 6C (“Park Sonora Tract”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 7 (“Sunrise Norte Tract”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 8 (“Vintage Palms Tract”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 9 (“Flora Vista”), Parkway Maintenance District No. 10 (Zones 1 and 2) (“Mountain Gate”), and Landscape Maintenance District No. 12 (“Smoke Tree Commons”), (hereafter individually referred to as the “District”, or collectively referred to as the “Districts”), pursuant to the provisions of the Landscaping and Lighting Act of 1972, Part 2 of Division 15 of the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California, beginning with §22500 (hereafter referred to as the “Act”), that provides for the levy and collection of assessments by the City of Palm Springs to pay for the maintenance and services of improvements and all appurtenant facilities and operations related thereto; and WHEREAS, an Engineer’s Report for each District, (hereafter referred to as the “Report”), has been prepared and filed with the City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, (hereafter referred to as the “City Clerk”), and the Report identifies the levy of assessments commencing July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024 (hereafter referred to as the “Subject Fiscal Year”) in accordance with the Act; and the City Council did by previous Resolution preliminarily approve each Report; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has carefully examined and reviewed the Report as presented, and is satisfied with each and all of the items and documents as set forth therein, and finds that the levy has been spread in accordance with the special benefits received from the improvements, and the operation, maintenance and services to be performed, as set forth in the Report; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to levy and collect assessments against parcels of land within the Districts for the Subject Fiscal Year to pay the costs and expenses of the operation, maintenance, repair and servicing of improvements related thereto; and Item 2A - Page 13
Resolution No.

Page 2 ends

WHEREAS, the Report proposes the levy and collection of annual assessments less than or equal to the maximum assessment amounts previously approved by property owner petition or balloting, in accordance with the provisions of Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218); and
WHEREAS, the City Council has noticed and held a Public Hearing on July 25, 2024, regarding the Districts, and the proposed improvements and assessments for the Subject Fiscal Year, as described in the Report in accordance with the provisions of the Act and applicable provisions of Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218).

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1: The above recitals are all true and correct.

Section 2: Following notice duly given, on July 25, 2024, the City Council has held a full and fair Public Hearing to approve or amend the Report, the levy and collection of assessments related thereto, and has considered all oral and written statements, protests and communications made or filed by interested persons. The City Council has determined that the property owners have approved the assessments so presented in the Report in accordance with the requirements of Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218).

Section 3: Based upon its review (and amendments, as applicable) of the Report, a copy of which has been presented to the City Council and which has been filed with the City Clerk, the City Council hereby finds and determines that:
a) The land within each District will receive special benefit by the operation, maintenance, and servicing of certain improvements within the boundaries of such District. b) Each District includes all of the lands receiving such special benefit. c) The net amount to be assessed upon the lands within each District for the Subject Fiscal Year, is apportioned by a formula and method which fairly distributes the net amount among all eligible parcels in proportion to the special benefits to be received by each parcel from the improvements and services.
d) The assessment amounts described in the Report do not exceed the maximum assessments previously established in accordance with the provisions of Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218).

Section 4: The Report and assessments as presented to the City Council and on file in the Office of the City Clerk are hereby confirmed as filed.

Section 5: The City Council hereby orders the proposed improvements to be made, which improvements are generally described as the operation, administration, maintenance, and servicing of street lighting, or streetscape landscaping including parkways and medians as well as public landscaped areas, including turf, ground cover, plants, shrubs, trees, irrigation and Item 2A - Page 14
Resolution No.

Page 3 ends

drainage systems, landscape lighting improvements, and appurtenant facilities and expenses associated with the Districts. The Report describes any new improvements or substantial changes in existing improvements.

Section 6: The assessments as confirmed shall be submitted to the County Auditor of the County of Riverside (the “County Auditor”), and the County Auditor shall enter on the County Assessment Roll opposite each eligible parcel of land the amount of levy so apportioned by the formula and method outlined in the Report, and such levies shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as Riverside County taxes are collected pursuant to §22646 of the Act. After collection by Riverside County, the net amount of the levy shall be paid to the City Treasurer.

Section 7: The City Treasurer shall deposit all money representing assessments collected by Riverside County for each District, and such money shall be expended only for the operation, maintenance and servicing of the improvements as described in Section 5.

Section 8: The adoption of this Resolution constitutes the levy for the Subject Fiscal Year.

Section 9: The City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to file the levy with the County Auditor upon adoption of this Resolution.

ADOPTED THIS 25th day of July, 2024.

Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
ATTEST:

Brenda Pree, City Clerk
Item 2A - Page 15
Resolution No.

Page 4 ends

CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

Brenda Pree, City Clerk
Item 2A - Page 16

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: JULY 25, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION BY TODD HAYS FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THE “ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH (APN 507-124-011), CASE HSPB #156
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Department of Planning Services
SUMMARY:

The residence at 1150 N. Calle Rolph was constructed in 1946 as one of fifteen affordable homes in the Bel Vista tract development designed by architect Albert Frey. According to the historic resources report, this modest single-family home is considered a rare example of wartime housing from the post-World War II period in Palm Springs that was subsidized by the government. The property is on a 0.24-acre lot utilizing a floor plan design that originally had 3-bedrooms and 1-bathroom. The recently restored home is a utilitarian structure constructed with conventional building materials and a simple design aesthetic that was customized to the site. The property is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC).

The Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and staff evaluated the application in accordance with the historic designation ordinance and applicable state/federal regulations, and determined it qualifies as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic site.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.

2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution No. _____, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE “ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #156, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 507-124-011).”
Item 2B - Page 1
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 2
Historic Designation – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3
BACKGROUND AND SETTING:

The attached historic resources report, prepared by the homeowner Todd Hays (“the report”), and site visits with HSPB members are the basis of this staff report.

Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.

April, 2024 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.

May 7, 2024 HSPB considered the application for designation at a public hearing recommending Class 1 designation.

Ownership Status
June, 2022 Purchased by current owners.
1150 N. CALLE ROLPH, CURRENT CONDITION OF THE HOME IN 2024.

The historic designation request was initiated by the owner and the historic resources report supports the reclassification of the site as a Class 1 landmark. Staff and HSPB agree with the findings in the report and recommend Class 1 designation.

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS:

The analysis of the application relative to the criteria for the designation of historic resources is detailed in the attached HSPB resolution and staff report dated May 7, 2024.

In order to be designated a historic landmark, a resource must exhibit exceptional historic significance and meet one or more of the criteria listed in PSMC Section 8.05.070.C.1.a.

The Board made findings in support of Class 1 (Landmark) designation based on the following criteria:

Item 2B - Page 2
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 3
Historic Designation – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3
PSMC 8.05.070, (C,1,Part a). The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state, or local history; (Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
The Board also made findings pursuant to PSMC 8.05.070, (5,C,1,Part b); “Historic Integrity” that the Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3 possesses sufficient historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic site.

During the May 7, 2024 HSPB meeting, the Board strongly supported the owners request for Class 1 designation, finding it met all necessary criteria. The owner provided background information on the research and restoration of the home and no further public comment was provided.

CONCLUSION:

The Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3 meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criteria 2, 3 and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance. The property possesses a high level of historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (Landmark) site. The HSPB recommendation to the City Council reflects these findings which are outlined in the attached draft City Council resolution.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:

The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.

NOTIFICATION:

Pursuant to Section 94.09.00 (Public Hearing) of the Palm Springs Zoning Code, notice has been mailed to all property owners and residents within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property and notice was published in a newspaper of general circulation.

Item 2B - Page 3
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 4
Historic Designation – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3
FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

REVIEWED BY:

Department Director: Christopher Hadwin
Deputy City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:

A. Vicinity Map.

B. Draft Resolution.

C. Application, related background materials, photos.

D. HSPB resolution, staff report, minute excerpt.

Item 2B - Page 4

ATTACHMENT A
Item 2B - Page 5
Department of Planning Services
Vicinity Map

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
HSPB #156 – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3
1150 N. Calle Rolph
Item 2B - Page 6
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ATTACHMENT B
Item 2B - Page 7
RESOLUTION NO._____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE “ALBERT FREY BEL
VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, AS
A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #156,
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 507-124-011).

THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, the property owner, Todd Hays, initiated an application, Case HSPB #156, seeking historic site designation of the Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3 located at 1150 North Calle Rolph; and
C. WHEREAS, on April 25th and May 1st, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and D. WHEREAS, on May 7, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #156 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
E. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on Case HSPB #156, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council designate the Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3 a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and
F. WHEREAS, on July 25, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #156 was held in accordance with applicable law; and G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to the staff report and all written and oral testimony.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “A”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the City Council shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Item 2B - Page 8
Resolution No.____

Page 2 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The historic resources report explains the origins of the home as an affordable housing solution and its direct association with the architect Albert Frey. Little has changed to the site and exterior building finishes, down to the paint color, have been restored. This property is also an early example of the International Style in Palm Springs completed in 1946. (Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community;
No information was provided indicating any significant event was directly associated with this site. The site does not qualify under Criterion i.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols were the developers of the tract and first owners of this property. Both individuals played significant roles in the overall development and planning of Palm Springs. Culver Nichols was one of the original members of the committee formed to study the incorporation of the city in 1936 and the first president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1940. Sallie Stevens Nicols was the daughter of the pioneer Prescott T. Stevens who is considered one of the early founders of Palm Springs. They later donated the land where the Valley Station and the first tower are located. Sallie and Culver Nichols made meaningful contributions to the development of Palm Springs; therefore, City Council finds Criterion ii is met. (Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
This home was one of fifteen homes completed in the Bel Vista residential tract development of post-war housing. The home was completed during the “Post World-War II Period of Palm Springs” using practical methods of construction and materials. The architect incorporated his understanding of the International Style by using simple geometric forms and creating the appearance of a lightweight, utilitarian structure with thin roof overhangs and columns.

Conventional materials and finishes such as stucco were used to create a clean exterior finish and all frivolous ornamentation was stripped from the exterior. This tract development also reflects the City’s response to the demand for more affordable housing. Design expression was created through site placement and colors schemes, not through a customized floorplan. Exterior alterations were kept to a minimum and the exterior finishes were restored to the original design.

The restored home meets Criterion iii because it is an exceptional example of post-war housing in Palm Springs that reflects the time period of significance in its current condition. (Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method Item 2B - Page 9
Resolution No.____

Page 3 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024
(of construction). As an affordable housing development, the construction methods and materials were conventional and standard for the period. City Council finds this project does not qualify for this criterion.
(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
The original floorplan and site placement of the home was designed by the master architect Albert Frey. Recognized as one of the first American architects to work for Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Albert Frey’s work influenced the field of architecture and design in the United States. His knowledge of the modernist aesthetic and exposure to the International Style led him to work with other influential designers and architects such as A. Lawrence Kocher and Wallace K. Harrison. The Bel Vista tract reflects modernist design aesthetics using utilitarian building materials and construction methods. Frey’s influence on the field is seen throughout his built work in Palm Springs and his theoretical work through various publications and exhibits. Albert Frey is a master architect that continues to influence the field through his work, thus City Council finds Criterion v is met.
(Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi. (Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C,1,b). The site, structure, building, or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.

The report provides an evaluation of the site relative to the seven aspects or qualities of historic integrity, as recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. The seven aspects or qualities include location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The report concludes that the site retains a high degree of integrity and is further analyzed below:

1. Location:

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

Item 2B - Page 10
Resolution No.____

Page 4 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024

2. Design:

The original floorplan for the single-family home shows a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom design with an exterior block wall enclosing the laundry area. Building records show that an additional bathroom was added in 1972. It appears the home was constructed on a concrete slab with integral thresholds poured for each door. The functional layout of the plan resulted in a rectilinear building form with a flat roof. The overhangs cantilever over the front entrance and the rear porch but the carport overhang is supported by four thin wooden square beams. The plans show a block wall enclosure around the laundry room with either a curved or rectilinear configuration. In the case of this home, the rectilinear plan was constructed and remains intact. The fascia and trim details on the building’s exterior are thin and simple. The site placement of homes with a carport parallel to the road had a curved driveway. This was one of three homes in this development with a curved driveway as an original feature. All original openings remain, including the exterior door that is internalized as a result of the bathroom addition. The details of the windows and doors down to the rounded stucco finish remain in good condition. All restoration efforts reinforced the original design intent. Despite the small bathroom addition to the rear elevation, the overall design of the home is incredibly intact.

3. Setting:

The surrounding zoning remains residential, and the home maintains the same spatial configuration on the lot as originally planned. While the sizes of some of the homes in the development have been altered or enlarged over time, the overall integrity of setting reflects the original subdivision.

4. Materials:

The exterior materials of the building consist mainly of stucco, wood framed fenestration, and a flat roof. The exterior walls of the bathroom addition match the historic stucco finish, but the vinyl window remains in place to help identify the addition as new. The roof remains a flat surface but solar panels, air conditioning equipment and associated duct work were added. Changes to the original design were made to non-primary façades of the home and the primary facades accurately reflect the original materials; therefore, the overall integrity of materials is met.

5. Workmanship:

Conventional construction methods were used to build all of the homes in this tract. The attention given to finishing details reflect high-quality workmanship that is still visible today. Integrity of workmanship is met.

6. Feeling:

The home retains its simple and utilitarian feeling because the footprint of the building remains relatively intact, and the exterior finishes have been restored to reveal the subtle details of the original design.

Item 2B - Page 11
Resolution No.____

Page 5 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024

7. Association:

The property is associated with Albert Frey and the Modernist movement of design. The building’s high level of physical integrity makes it easy to identify the architect’s association with the design of the home. The integrity of association is met.

SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

The following is a list of character-defining features identified by the City Council:

Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:
• Site design and placement of the home on the lot
• Unadorned, painted stucco walls
• Slightly recessed wood casement windows and wood sill detail • Wood framed exterior doors with horizontal wood mullion that creates two asymmetric lites
• Rounded stucco detail around all exterior openings
• Flat roof and horizontal fascia and trim detail
• Carport feature and overhang supported by thin square wooden columns • Rectilinear block wall enclosure around laundry area
Non-contributing elements:
• HVAC condensing unit and ductwork on the roof
• Solar panels on the roof and associated electrical cabinet • Exterior water heater and associated lines
• 1972 bathroom addition to the southeast corner of the home and vinyl window • Outdoor swimming pool and pool equipment from 1992
• Corrugated metal fence
SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.

Item 2B - Page 12
Resolution No.____

Page 6 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024
SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO HISTORIC SITES:

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

4. The structure/site may not be modified, nor objects removed without following the procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.110 “Demolition or Alteration of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources – Certificate of Appropriateness”.

5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates the “Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3” located at 1150 N. Calle Rolph, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #156).

ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF JULY, 2024.

SCOTT STILES

CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
Item 2B - Page 13
Resolution No.____

Page 7 of 7 ends

July 25, 2024

CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS )
I, BRENDA PREE, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. ____ is a full, true, and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on _______________________, by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
Item 2B - Page 14

ATTACHMENT C
Item 2B - Page 15
Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3:
__________________
1150 N Calle Rolph
Palm Springs, CA 92262
________________________________________________________ Nomination Application
For City of Palm Springs
Class 1 Historic Site
__________________
Prepared By
Todd Hays
April 4, 2024 — final
Item 2B - Page 16
2 Table of Contents
_________________________________________________
Designation Criteria – House History page 3
Chain of Title page 3
Aerial photo of the site page 5
Historic Resource Designation Application Form page 6
Current Site Photos page 11
Historic Context Statement page 13
Statement of Significance page 15
Integrity Analysis page 19
Bibliography page 21
Appendices page 22
fig. 1 & 1A U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1738 fig. 2 Original building permit
fig. 3 Original CC&Rs
fig. 4 Architectural Record magazine, April 1931
fig. 5 & 6 Original tract drawings by Albert Frey
fig. 7 Daily Enterprise interview
fig. 8 Original floor plan of Bel Vista by Albert Frey
fig. 9 Interior photo by Gail Thompson with view to 1150 N Calle Rolph fig. 10 Early site photo of the tract by Julius Schulman fig. 11 Original plan drawings by Albert Frey
fig. 12 Nichols Real Estate Ad
fig. 13 Plot sketch showing added bath (1972) and pool (1992) fig. 14 Permit for bathroom added in 1972
Item 2B - Page 17
3 Designation Criteria – House History
__________________________________________________________ Master architect Albert Frey designed the single-family residence located at 1150 N Calle Rolph in the early 1940s as part of the 15-home Bel Vista tract. Based on a design he first created in 1934 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (fig.1 and 1A), the tract was not built until after the War largely due to cost issues.
1 Built on land owned by Sallie Stevens Nichols and
Culver Nichols, the building permit for the structure was pulled by Culver Nichols on August 23, 1945 (fig.2) and construction was completed in 1946. The Nichols, along with Frey, served as the developers of the subdivision. (fig. 3). Sallie Stevens Nichols owned this particular property until 1963.
1150 N Calle Rolph is one of only three homes in the 15-home Bel Vista tract currently in a restored, near-original condition. The remaining 12 homes have been significantly altered and are noncontributing, removing the possibility of a district nomination.

Chain of Title: Assessor’s data show ownership for 1150 N Calle Rolph as follows:

Date Owner(s)
1946 to October 1963 Sallie Steven Nichols
October 1963 to August 1972 Gerard P. and Freed L. Diaz August 1972 to November 1972 Ada Fothergill
November 1972 to June 1977 Pamela F. White
June 1977 to June 2022 Angela Ruth Dunbar (Davis) - Scott Davis added in 1993 June 2022 to Present Todd A. Hays
Culver Nichols and Sallie Stevens, courtesy Palm Springs Historical Society.

The home and tract represent the first International Style, early-modern subdivision built in the City of Palm Springs and one of the first in the State of California. It is also the City’s earliest example of post-war government sponsored affordable housing. It reflects the aesthetic of seminal modern designer Le Corbusier and his influence on Frey’s early work.

Bel Vista is the only completed and built housing tract designed by Albert Frey, realizing the theories about subdivisions and low-cost housing Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher first developed and wrote about in 1931. (fig.4) Frey’s name alone appears on all of the tract and house drawings’ title blocks. (fig.5 and 6)
1 Joseph Rosa, Albert Frey: Architect, (New York: Rizzoli, 1990), 74.

Item 2B - Page 18
4 From a national context, Bel Vista pre-dates the Country’s two most-recognized post-war modern housing tracts by four years: Hollin Hills outside of Washington D.C. and Arapaho Acres outside Denver, CO. Construction began on Hollin Hills and Arapaho Acres in 1949.2

1150 N Calle Rolph has not previously been evaluated for Class 1 Historic Site eligibility. The Bel Vista subdivision was featured in the April 1951 issue of Architect and Engineer magazine, a September, 1959 issue of Daily Enterprise newspaper featuring an interview with Albert Frey (fig. 7), in Joseph Rosa’s 1990 book, Albert Frey, Architect, in the City of Palm Springs 2016 Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, and was featured as a part of the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Albert Frey Symposium in 2024.

Two other homes in the Bel Vista tract — 1164 N Calle Rolph and 1520 E Tachevah — are Class 1 historic sites and 1520 E Tachevah is also on the National Register of Historic Places.

A summary of how the property meets the City of Palm Springs definitions of a historic site:

8.05.020 (a) paragraph 2, associated with persons who made meaningful contribution: Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols, two of Palm Springs’ most important early real estate developers, developed the home and subdivision along with Albert Frey. The Nichols later donated the land for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station designed by Albert Frey, Robson Chambers, John Porter Clark and Stewart Williams. 861 N Palm Canyon Drive. Courtesy Palm Springs Historical Society

8.05.020 (a) paragraph 3, exemplifies a particular period: The Bel Vista Residence is eligible as a Historic Site under the theme of early modern architecture as it possesses unique and significant characteristics and attributes. Its plain façade stripped of ornamentation, use of cantilevered design elements and open interior spaces are reflective of “International Style” modernism. The home also exemplifies the description defined in the 2004 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources Survey;
“Emphasizing geometric forms and textures, strong linear qualities, sparce ornamentation, outdoor living, and usually of a single story, the homes of this era are readily identifiable. From the 1940s through the 1960s, the residential architecture in the modernist idiom flourished and became integral to the character now strongly identified with Palm Springs.”3 2 James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell, “A Modern Model,” Old-House Journal, January, 2011, 62. 3 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources Survey; 2004.

Item 2B - Page 19
5 8.05.020 (a) paragraph 5, presents the work of a master architect: As the work of Albert Frey, it must be considered the work of a “master architect.” Frey is one of Palm Springs’ most noted architects and many of his works are listed on the National Register – including one of the homes in the Bel Vista tract.

In conclusion, 1150 N Calle Rolph retains nearly all of its original architectural integrity and represents numerous characteristics that make it an important and complementary part of the historic context of the Bel Vista tract and the Post-WWII, early-modern period of Palm Springs.

Of particular note, 1150 N Calle Rolph presents fundamental and distinct differences from the other two Class 1 homes in the Bel Vista tract:
- it is flipped and rotated on the lot differently from the other two Class 1 sites - of the original six with a squared exterior block laundry wall, this is the only one extant - its cantilevered carport is unaltered and positioned parallel to the street - one of only three homes designed with a curved driveway, this is the only one extant As such, the property is important to the overall understanding of Frey’s concept for Bel Vista and is eligible for listing as a Palm Springs Historic Site under 8.05.020 (a) paragraphs 2, 3 & 5 of the local ordinance’s seven criteria.

Aerial photo of the site. Source: Google Maps
Item 2B - Page 20
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6 Item 2B - Page 21

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Department of Planning Services
3200 Ea.t Tahqultz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 922$2
Phone 760 323 8245
Fax 760 322 8360
Hist0tlc Pt'eservallOn Officer 760 322 8364 )8786

HISTORIC RESOURCE DESIGNATION (HRD)
WHEN TO USE THIS APPLICATION:

Use thlS application if you are seeking historic designation for a property, parcel or historic drstrict.

For alterations to Cl••· 1, Cl••· 2, or contnbut,ng sites In a Historic District, USO the CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS appticabon. (C of A)
F0t atte-rat,ons or de.moktlon of Class 3, Cl.ass 4 o, non-conuibutlng sites in a Historic District use the MINOR ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATION (MAA).
(Contact tho Planning Department If you are unsu,e of the classification of your property.) WHO MAY APPLY·
Arly indMdua1 or organizatk>n may apply to the City fo, coosideration of a request for historic designation, however appficatk>ns must be signed and notarized by the owner(s) of ree0<d of the site, structure. budding °' o~ f0t which the designation is &aught. For Historic mstficts wri1ten s,gnatt,es from at last 51% of the property owners in the proposed di$ttict must be induded in the applic:a1ion,
PROCEDURE:
1 2
3 •
5 6
7 For proposed Nitonc: sites gr resources Refer to Pafm Springs Muniapal Code ('PSMC·) Section 8 05 070 fOt Pt«.du,.s and CrJltrkJ for tht 00$,Qllatlon of CUJs$ 1 and Class 2 HIStoric R9801.irc88. (www, pe!rnaprlngscatgov / QOvemmonl / depanment, I planning / munlclp•I code / tltle 8 I Hctlon 8.05 •Hi1tonc Pr.,.rv1t1on•)
For prop0MCI h•1torlc ~ Refer 10 Municapal Code Section 8 05 090 tor Proce~;ros 011d Crllorlo for O.slpnallon of HiStOrlc Ol.slncts (www palmaprlngsca gov I g0Ytmrnen1 / <1eparcmen11 / plannlng / muniapat code/ btll 8 I HCbOn 8 05 • Histo,ic Preservat,on•) ComJ>Mt• al parts of tM •POlicallon and Include relalect reports, malWng labett and back up lntormrn!on In IUppo,1 of lhe applicatlOl"I Otno1• "NA. for any l!nt Item thll II "not apptlcable", Prior to 1ubrnmal of CM apptlcation, contact the City's H1ttorfc Preservation Offic&r rHPO'') 10 ttvlew the applica1ion fot contormence encl completene11
Submit lhe comple'8d ltPC)llclltlon and related matCflatt 10 lhe Otpartment of Plonn!ng StMOl1 A Planning Otpartment case number Wlll be as1lgned to the lpt>lk:atlon A&,pllclllon• tor hi110tlc t..te I rnource 0t h.11toric d"ttict d .. ignatlon are evaluated by City 1tatf who will p,epa,. tl\9 application for oonslderatlon by the Clry'1 Hslonc S le Prestrvation Board {"HSPB") at a notieed pubic hearing Applicants should plan on 11u1nd1ng lhe he11lng Clly 1taff wlll tchedule Ille vl1l11 for members of the HSP8 to become taml lar wrth the 1Ue prior 10 the pubtlc healing. (f)(torior rev5ew only, 1n11tlorl are not auti;ect to HSPB review.)
Al the public hHMQ. the HSPB will evaluate lhe application end mike I reoommondotlon b City COunc.l eci.on The Clly COi.ineii wll con1kler the appflcatlon and the H$PB'1 10()0tl'Wnlnda!lon SI a seconc, nooced public heanng The applant 1-hOUld again ltlend lhDt hHrlng.

The final acclon ot the City Council to des,gnate wltl be recorded on the property title with the Coun1y Recorder'• office
"''
7 Item 2B - Page 22
FOR HISTORIC SITE I RESOURCE APPLICATIONS. SEE PART 1 BELOW.

FOR HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS. SEE PART 2 BELOW.

PART 1: REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR HISTORIC SITE / RESOURCE DESIGNATION APPLICATIONS (See PSMC 8.05.070fA.3l:

An applicatk>n for historic site I resouroe designation mu$t lnckJde the following Items. After preliminary review of the awilcatlon by the HPO, provide twelve (1 2) hard copies and 1 electronic con" on disk Of thumb drive of the followina materials unless otherwise noted:

CITY
APl'tlCA.NT ST""
"HECK -·-cK
1 1~ ginal Completed Application (1 coe:y) Ill 0
2 Owner Consent Letter w/ notarized sinnature. 11 conv1 181 0 3 Ownershio and address historv: ,~chain of title") (1 conv.l XI 0 4 A report that describes ho\v the proposed site(s), strudures, buildings or XI 0 objects are eligible and appropriate for designation under PSMC 8.05.070 for historic resources.
5 Photographs of the exterior of the proposed sites. structures, buildings or IXl 0 obiects.
6 Aerial ohoto of the site I resouree <from G/VV'lle Maos or equal). IX) 0 7 lnfo,matlon about tile archltect(s). deslgner(s), planner(s). and/0< developers IX) 0 of the orooosed sites, structures, buildinos or obiects, if known. 8 Date and method of construction of any structure, buiJding or object upon ttle IX) 0 proposed site or within the proposed district (provide copies of building ~rmlts ,vt,ere onsslblel.
9 A detailed assessment of the charaeter•definir\g feature$ of the site, IX) 0 structure. building°' obj&c1. (such as materials, arch.itectural details or landscace elements. architectural styJe:1 and other relevant descriptor'$..__etc.J 10 Evaluation of the site, structure, 00i1ding. or object relative to the Criteria and QO u Findings for Designation of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources. (PSMC

8.05.070 (Cl.'
11 Identify the source of the information provided in the application. such as 181 • building permit numbers, date and issue of publications, organizatkms or individuals
12 Sile Pl~n (8·1/2• x 11• or 11" x 1r) 181 0
13 Any olhet documentalion o, research as may be deemed necessary by the 11D 0 HPO to determine the qualifications of the site, structure, building or object for historic designation.
r 14 Public Hearing Labels, The ap~icant shall submit public hearing maiUl')9 181 0 lebels oursuant to Zonlna Code Section 94.09.00.
•Applicants are encouraged to review the City's Technical Assistance Bulletin titled MHow to Apply the Palm Springs Eltgibility Criteria for Historic Designation· available under ~Historic Re&0urces" of the Planning Home page of the City website (www.pamspringsc.gov) and the bulletin t,om the U.S.

Department of the Interior National Register Crite,ia for Evaluation~ (National Register Bulletin 15 (http·//wyN(.nps.govlhislorylnr/publicationsJbulletinstnrb151). •
I
8 Item 2B - Page 23
(10 be QOml)ktted by Planning staff')
Date:

Case No.

HSPB No.

Planner.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Oeparunent ol Planning SeMces

HISTORIC RESOURCE DESIGNATION (HRD)
TO THE APPLICANT:

Complete all palts of this application. Denote 'NA• for lines that are not applieat>le.

Submit the completed application with attachments 10 the Department of Planning Services at 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 Phone: 760-323-8245 Fax: 760·322-8380 This application is for a proposed (Check one) Qi H,stonc Sde I ReSOU(ce _ Historic District Applicant's Name: __ ,..., ;,:.;;._".,.'='------------------------ PtetM Print )Q Owner D le•see D A<JChonzed Agent D City D Other
Applicant's Addre-ss: ______ ,_,_
00_•_c~ ... ~""-"'----------------- NuMbe, al'ld S1, eet Nan'lt 0t P O. Bo• Patm Spf_.g, CA 9ZI02
..... ,,.

Telephone Nos: __ ~ ______ t,:m=.;>•='"'"'""='---------------- Retlctenoe c.1
E-Mail address· _____ c,,_=cc"=c°'=..,, c.c-=="""' =----------------- Note: Fo, H1st0<lc Dlatriet applleatlons On a separate page, provide • list aN 11tes I parcels within the proposed historic district boundaries with the loliow,ng lnlo<maLon provided for eac:11 parcel I APN,
Site Addreaa: 1150 N c.111 Aotph P.111n Sp-19, CA t2:2e2 APN 507-124-011 Zono. ___ Se..ion. ____ ~., Plan Land Use Oesig •. __c•c.• ___ _ Is the protect is located on the Agua Caliente Band of C"""'lla Indians Reservation? _ NO _ ___ _ (Refer 10 lhe Land Status Map under Tribal Resources on the Planning Oepan.ment home page.) Construellon Dato: "'" 0 Est,mated Iii AClua1 (denote source, I.e. t>ldg perm;ts) Architeet ___ .,_.,_n_,_,., ~________ .Builder. Sallie Sltven6-Ncnots, Abert ffev andOJlyf( NletlOfs Present Owner:-"'"""= ""= '-------------------------
Present Owner Address: 11!.0 N Ca11e~ P..,..Spi1ngt, CA922&2 9 Item 2B - Page 24
Ofiginal ONner ____ ~....,=· ~-~="~-=•~------------------- Other notab,e past owners: _ _ _ c._,,_.,_N_.,,_.,. ___________________ _ Other Historic Associations: _________________________ _ Common Name of Property •. _________________________ _
Historic Name of Property:_:e.:::1c:v;::;'="'----------------------- Attach to this apptication any information, photos, drawings, newspaper articles. reports. studies, or other materials to fully describe the characteristics or conditions that suppo,11 this application for hlslO<IC designation.

Alc:.hlteetural Style·....: ... =-"-="'•'----------- -----~--- (Refer to the Architectural Styles chapter of the Ci1ywide Hjstoric: Context Sta1emeflt, under Historic Resources on the Planning Home page (WWW patmspnngsea 99'."'l.

Period of Significance: Po,,1w.ar AG9denNI ArchtiKtl.lre (See the Citywide Historic Context Statement Document)
Please list any informational reference sources used to complete this application:
........ ~ ...

PSMC 8,,05.070 (C, 1 ): Criteria for the pesigrnition of Class 1 Hi!ltoric Resource,, A sile. sltucture, building o, ob~I may be deslgnaled as a Cl••• 1 historic rMource or a Conlrlbullng Resource 10 a proposed historic district by the Palm Springs City Council, provided both of the folloWlng findings are met.

Provide a written description of how the site qualifies as historic resoUJCe under one or m0fe ot the followng onterionFINOING 1: The ••te. llructure. bufldlng or object exhlbil9 exceplional hlllorlc significance and meets one or more of the cfitetla llsted below,
The resource la associated with events 1tu:n hove mGde o meonlngful conlfibutlon to the nation. 1tate or community 1
n The reoo,.c,, Is associated will1 the llvea of 1)6(10nl who made a meaningful c0<Wlbulion 10 nat;onel, state 0< focal history. iii. The retOU'ce ftflects orexemplifles a particular period of national, state or local history.

Iv. The resou,ce embodleg lhe d1llinctlve charocterillb of a type or conllniclion, • period of construction or a method of cons1ruction 2
v. The retCMJrce presents 1he work of a meste, buRder. designer, artist, or architect whose lnd!Vldual genius Influenced his age. or lhal poswases high artl•1lc value. v1. The resource tcp<esent.s a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating eppllcations for designation of historic districts, for parcels on whdl more than one entity exl$IS.
vii. The resource ha-s yielded 0< may be likety to yield information important to national, state or local h1.st0f)' or prehistory.
' NOTE. Unlike lhe National Reg1S-?er critena, The Ciiy's criterion doe5 not c;on5id,er "pattems of events·. For consideration of "pan.ems of events", use Crltenon ·1h•. refl&Cbng a par11eular period 2 Unlike 1he National Reg15ter criteria ·type, pe1IOc1 of method of con:structlon rel.ates to oonslfuctlon only' FO< det.gn inetne ot cnaracteM tlcs use Criterion ·1r (penod) or Criterion v (high artis1ic ve.tue) 5 016
10 Item 2B - Page 25
FINDING 2: The site, struclure, building or objeel retains most ff not all of the following aspee1s of Integrity, as established In the Secre1ary of 1he Interior's Standatds3 : Design. Materials,
Workmanship, Location, Setting, Feeling, Association.

PSMC 8.05.070 (C.2) Criteria for the Designation of Class 2 Historic Resources.

A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 2 historic resource. or a Contributing Resource to a proposed historic district by the Palm Springs City Council provided the site, structure, buUding or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the ctiteria listed in Finding 1 above. A Class 2 historic resource is not required to meet the findings for integrity as described in Finding 2 (above).

PSMC e.os.ogo (C) Criteria and Findings for Designation of Historic Oistrlct5.

In addition to the criteria listed in Finding 1, to be considered for designation as a Historic District, a defined area must:
a. Contain contributing resources on a majority of the sites within the proposed district which individually meet the criteria in F.ncting (1). The defined area may inclvde other structures, buildings, or archaeological sites which contribute generally to the overall distinctive character of the area and are related historically or visualty by plan or physical development {Identify ltst by address and APN number eaCh site / parcel that meets me criteria outhn&d In Finding 1 above and document how each meets the crlte<ia. b. Identify non-contnbuting properties or vacant parcets to the extent necessary to establish awopriate, logical °' convenient boundaries.
(ldentrfy list by address and APN number each site I paroel within the proposed historic district that is consklered noo-<:ontrlbutlng to the overall historic significance of the historic district.) Please attach any additional infOfmation related to the app(ication as necessary.

Questions: Contact the Palm Springs Planning Department at 760 323 8245. s Refer to the U.S Oepartmen1 of the Interior Buletin for How to Evaluate the lnlegnty of a Property t96TC>flX' ~10411f11C£ OE&IGNAllOH APPUCATIOM .... 10 2')k L Gd• 11 Western Elevation. Photo taken by Kelly Peak on April 7, 2023.

Southern Elevation. Photo taken by Kelly Peak on April 7, 2023.

Item 2B - Page 26
12 Eastern Elevation. Photo taken by Kelly Peak on April 7, 2023.

Northwest corner Elevation. Photo taken by Kelly Peak on April 7, 2023.

Item 2B - Page 27
13 Historic Context Statement
___________________________________________________________ Evaluating Albert Frey’s Bel Vista tract and its importance in his body of work must begin prior to the architect’s arrival in America. The buildings Frey worked on and the ideas he was exposed to while working in Europe after World War I would form the foundation for his ideas about housing when he came to America.4 Frey’s preoccupation with affordable housing is evident as early as 1928.5 His earliest design for an affordable housing unit came that same year with his Minimal Metal House.6 Many of the European pioneers of Modernism were deeply interested in creating inexpensive housing for working people, including Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius.
7 It is during Frey’s tenure at the offices of Le Corbusier, specifically in his work on Centrosoyuz in Moscow and Villa Savoye in France, where Frey’s interest in contrasting curved and rectilinear forms in architecture first appears.8 These theories and practice would continue taking shape following Frey’s arrival in the United States. In the April 1931 article for The Architectural Record titled, “Real Estate Subdivisions for Low-Cost Housing,” authored with A. Lawrence Kocher, Frey and Kocher explored the concept of varying the placement of an identical house plan within a development to reduce costs. The pair’s first realized example of low-cost housing is the Aluminaire House designed for the Allied Arts and Building Products Exhibition in 1931. Kocher and Frey's design concept for the Aluminaire House was to incorporate the aesthetic of European Modernism, 9 and it is
considered to be one of the earliest buildings in America to reflect the influence of European Modernism and is the first in the United States influenced by Le Corbusier.10 Although credited to A. Lawrence Kocher and Albert Frey, design for the Aluminaire House was largely the work of Albert Frey.11 Kocher allied himself with more proficient designers in the creation of several important buildings, as he was more of an ideas man than a designer.12 The early modern period in the Coachella Valley began with the area’s first modern building, Rudolph M. Schindler’s Paul and Betty Popenoe Cabin in 1922 (demolished). Lloyd Wright followed in 1925 with his Oasis Hotel in Palm Springs (mostly demolished). According to the City of Palm Springs 2016 Citywide Historic Context Statement, it was Pearl McCallum McManus and her husband Austin McManus, a realtor from Pasadena, who first proposed modern architecture for a residential subdivision. “In 1925, she approached Lloyd Wright, whom she had engaged to design the Oasis Hotel (1925) to design a “prototype house” for a subdivision that McManus, herself, described as ‘very modern’.” The homes were never built.

Prior to this period of modern design, there was a wide range of architectural styles throughout the residential neighborhoods of the Coachella Valley – from adobe and Mexican hacienda to ranch, craftsman and Prairie Style. While Palm Springs had proven itself fertile ground for innovative styles of residential architecture, it was only in the form of one-of-akind, single family homes. 4 Rosa, 13.
5 Ibid, 15.
6 Gloria Koenig, Frey, (Hong Kong: Taschen, 2008), 9.
7 Aluminaire House, Historic Structure Report, (New York: Higgins & Quasebarth, 1996), 14. 8 Allen Cunningham, do.como.mo Modern Movement Heritage, (London: Taylor & Francis, 1998), 137. 9 Higgins & Quasebarth, 15.
10 Higgins & Quasebarth, 13.
11 Cunningham, 137.
12 Higgins & Quasebarth, 11.

Item 2B - Page 28
14 The decade following Wright and Schindler’s first projects, the early modern movement continued in Palm Springs when Albert Frey and A. Lawrence Kocher built their KocherSamson building in 1934, followed closely by Frey and John Porter Clark’s Guthrie House in 1935 — featured in the Perdue University Housing Research Project entitled, “Portfolio of LowCost Houses.”13 Frey & Clark progressed the early modern period with their Halberg House (demolished) in 1936. Soon after, Millard Sheets designed his Ship of the Desert in 1936, Richard Neutra designed the Grace Lewis Miller House in 1937 and John Porter Clark ended a remarkable decade with his own house (still standing nearby to Calle Rolph) in 1939.

In 1939 Albert Frey authored “In Search of a Living Architecture;” wherein he further develops his ideas on how the natural environment influences the built environment, writing, “...curved and irregular contours create and welcome contrasts to the rectilinear practical house form.”14 He put these theories and his early modern design influences into practice in his designs for Frey House #1 in 1940 (dramatically altered) and the Sieroty Residence (still standing and an adaptation of the Halberg house) in 1941.

Modern design continued to flourish in Palm Springs after the War and the City’s economy began to prosper. Celebrities and wealthy business people discovered the desert oasis and stimulated the need for hotels, nightclubs and restaurants. Tourism — driven, in part, by Hollywood elite — transformed Palm Springs from a quiet village into a city. In 1946, Frey designed a home for noted industrial designer Raymond Lowey, Schindler designed the Toole House and Richard Neutra designed the Kaufmann House. E. Stewart Williams’ house for Frank Sinatra followed in 1947.

The City also became an economical destination for some of the nearly 13 million service men and women returning from the war.15 This influx of soldiers led to a post-war building boom that saw the need for schools, hospitals, a larger airport and other public projects.16 It was the war workers coming to Palm Springs after the War who enabled construction of Bel Vista. While some architect-designed contemporary houses were built after the war, the economical ranch house was more the norm.17 Construction of Bel Vista began with financial assistance from the Home Owners Loan Corporation18. Built of standard wood frame construction with wood lath and stucco, Bel Vista was originally designed specifically as war workers’ housing. Since the government subsidized the development’s construction, it had to follow specific design guidelines. Fifteen single-family homes were built using a single floor plan. (fig.8) Using the theories he wrote about more than a decade earlier, Frey achieved a variation in appearance from the street by rotating and flipping the plan on each lot, thereby allowing different sides to face the street. (fig. 5 and 6) Each house was given added individuality by altering the setbacks from the street. The plan features six two-light glass exterior doors – a dramatic departure from the norm at the time – in both private and communal spaces, thereby creating a heightened sense of indoor/outdoor living. The Bel Vista plan is very similar to Frey’s Farmhouse design for the United States Department of Agriculture (fig.1 & 2) in 1934; that design, like Bel Vista, sought to provide economical housing.19
13 Koenig, 13.
14 Albert Frey, In Search of a Living Architecture, 1939, 38. 15 James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell, “After the War,” Old-House Journal, March/April, 2004, 88. 16 Patrick McGrew, “The Hugh Stephens Residence,” HSPB Nomination, February, 2010, 15. 17 Massey and Maxwell, 90.
18 Rosa, 74
19 Ibid, 75.

Item 2B - Page 29
15 Statement of Significance
__________________________________________________________ Criterion 2: (associated with lives of persons who made meaningful contribution to national, state or local history.)
Architect Albert Frey designed the Bel Vista Residence and executed its construction with the developer/builder team of Frey, Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols.

The Builders and first owners of 1150 N Calle Rolph were Sallie Stevens Nichols (1908- 1982) and Culver Nichols (1905-1995), two prominent and influential local real estate owners and developers. Culver Nichols, one of the original members of the committee formed in 1936 to study the incorporation of Palm Springs, was the first President of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce in 1940. Sallie Stevens Nichols is the daughter of Prescott T.

Stevens, an early founder and real estate developer of Palm Springs. Stevens is credited with stabilizing the public water system in the City and building its first golf course.20 Additionally, Culver served on the committee that investigated the feasibility of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. It was the Nichols’ who donated the property used for the Valley Station and first tower.21
While playing no role in Bel Vista. John Porter Clark is credited with introducing Frey to the Nichols’. After graduating from Cornell, Clark returned to Pasadena where he apprenticed with Garrett Van Pelt, in the architectural firm of Van Pelt and Lind. While in Pasadena, Clark met Culver Nichols, then a Pasadena Realtor, who encouraged him to relocate to Palm Springs.22 It was this introduction to the Nichols’, and their later introduction to Albert Frey, that would lead to Frey’s work on Bel Vista and Clark and Frey’s later working on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station.

The residence qualifies for listing as a Class 1 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 2.

Source: Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Art Museum 20 McGrew, 13.
21 Janice Kleinschmidt, High and Mighty, Palm Springs Life, September, 2013. 22 Ron and Barbara Marshall, “The Dougherty Residence,” HSPB Nomination, February, 2014, 16.

Item 2B - Page 30
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16 Criterion 3: (reflects or exemplifies a particular period of the national, state or local history).

The aesthetic influences of the Bel Vista residence place it clearly in the historic context of Palm Springs’ Early Modern Period. Frey's intimate knowledge and understanding of the International Style afforded him the opportunity to incorporate practical, modern designs that heightened postwar optimism. As such, the residence can be viewed as an important example of the historic trends that have come to define Palm Springs’ reputation as a center of important mid-century architecture. 1150 N Calle Rolph is eligible under the theme of modern architecture because it possesses distinctive characteristics that make up the many qualities of the early roots of the style. The structure’s overall horizontality, flat roof, carport, inexpensive mass-produced materials and plan that strives to blur the line between indoors and outdoors with multiple glass exterior doors, all working together to embody the modern aesthetic.

The home was erected in 1946 by the developer team of Frey and Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols as a part of the 15-home Bel Vista tract. The project was financed through the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), a government-sponsored corporation established in 1933 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of the New Deal. 23 Built following years of Spanish influenced tracts, including Palm Canyon Mesa in 1924, Las Palmas Estates and Merito Vista in 1926 and Palm Springs Estates in 1927 (built by Sallie Stevens’ father, Prescott T. Stevens), Bel Vista represents the first International Style modern subdivision built in the City of Palm Springs. Bel Vista was completed ten years before Jack Meiselman would build his earliest modern-style tracts in 1956: Karlisa Cove and Palm Lane.

The residence qualifies for listing as a Class 1 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 3.

Criterion 5: (represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values).

The architect Albert Frey qualifies individually as “master architect,” having been identified as such in several previous city designations.

Born in Zurich, Switzerland in October, 1903, Frey received his architecture diploma in 1924 from the Institute of Technology in Winterthur, Switzerland. Frey worked on various architectural projects in Belgium from 1924 through 1928. In 1928, Frey secured a position in the Paris office of the noted International Style architect Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret.

Frey left after 10 months to take up work in the United States, yet maintained a friendship with Le Corbusier for many years.

Frey, the first architect in America to have worked directly with Le Corbusier, soon began working with the American architect A. Lawrence Kocher, managing editor of Architectural Record. Their collaboration would last until 1938. The pair contributed significantly to the American modernist movement through their work and numerous articles published in Architectural Record on urban planning, the modernist aesthetic, and technology — one collaboration was the 1931 Aluminaire House, designed for an exhibition, and later sold to New York architect Wallace K. Harrison. Harrison used it as a guesthouse on his Long Island property for years. Another of their commissions was an office/apartment dual-use building for Kocher's brother, Dr. J. J. Kocher of Palm Springs. This project introduced Frey to the 23 “Home Owners’ Loan Corporation,” accessed on 21 October 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Owners'_Loan_Corporation Item 2B - Page 31
17 California desert, which was to become his home and the backdrop for most of his subsequent work. From 1935 to 1937 Frey worked with John Porter Clark (1905–1991), under the Pasadena, CA firm of Van Pelt and Lind Architects as both were yet unlicensed in California. In April of 1937, Frey briefly returned to the east coast to work on the Museum of Modern Art in New York. While in New York, Frey married Marion Cook, a writer whom he had met in Palm Springs. Having completed his work on the Museum of Modern Art in 1939, he and Cook returned to Palm Springs where Frey resumed a collaboration with Clark that would last nearly twenty years.

At the end of World War II, Palm Springs' population nearly tripled and the city experienced a building boom. Known as an escape for the Hollywood elite and a winter haven for east coast industrialists, Palm Springs emerged as a resort community for a broader segment of the American populace with more leisure time than any previous generation. Veterans and their families also migrated to the desert after the war. Clark and Frey received several commissions from the returning soldiers for homes and small businesses during this time.

Frey and Clark were well positioned to capitalize on this, and both the city and their firm benefited from an unprecedented period of construction. Buildings associated with Frey include:
- Aluminaire House, 1930 (with A. Lawrence Kocher)
- Kocher-Samson Building, 1934 (with A. Lawrence Kocher) - Frey House I, 1940 and Frey House II, 1963
- Loewy House, built for industrial designer Raymond Loewy, 1946 - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station, 1949-1963 (with Chambers, Clark and Williams) - Palm Springs City Hall, 1952
- North Shore Beach and Yacht Club at North Shore, Salton Sea, 1958 - Tramway Gas Station, 1961 Source: Wikipedia
Bel Vista House at 1150 N. Calle Rolph exhibits key character-defining features associated with the work of Albert Frey: it is unadorned, utilitarian and constructed of wood, stucco, glass and concrete block, it features deep eaves on the front and side elevations as well as one opposing corner, it has thin wood posts support an expansive cantilevered carport space, and it has an exterior laundry area created from a simple exterior block wall extending from the main square structure. Stucco finish covers the walls of the four elevations.

Unlike the other two Class 1 Bel Vista homes, this home is positioned flipped and rotated on the lot with its carport running parallel to the street— thus presenting visually as a very different building from the street —and it is an important example of Frey’s goal to differentiate and distinguish the singular design of the fifteen identical houses in the tract from each other.

Contributing features are:
- the stucco, facia and trim - painted the original colors - the doors (interior and exterior) and windows
- the original open carport
- the original block wall enclosing the laundry area
Non-contributing features are:
- HVAC unit and solar panels placed on the roof (not detracting from the resource.) - a bathroom added in 1972 at rear southeast corner (not visible from the street.) - a pool added in 1992.

As the work of a Master, and for its high artistic values, the residence qualifies for listing as a Class 1 Historic Site on the local registry under Criterion 5.

Item 2B - Page 32
18 Source: Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Art Museum Item 2B - Page 33
•
Frey Honored
By Institute
of Architects Albfft frc,y, promln,nl orchl•
te<:t of P1hn Sprin&, and a OArl,,
ncr ln the ard\ittttural tltm of
Clan. Frey and Chombts-,, wW
bt ad, aoced 10 the rank of Pdlo1t
in I h• Amerlc:ar, lml!t..tc, of A,,
cbitecu, hl~heat honor 1e<orded
by lht nallonal prot,i,,ioaal an:hl•
t,ctural soeleiy, 101:ordin1 to Col'
nehus ~1 Deas)', president f1I. th•, Southffll CaUroola Cllope,r.

Ont: of CB me.mhfrs of the Amtrl• can IMlllule of Ar<hlte<ta 10 be eo j h,oor<d lhla y._.,, fre1 will be
ad<an<od to the rank of t'ellow I when tht In:tt.ltute holds 1tA Ce•• l<nnial Celd>nUoo lo Wuhlnatoa, D.C .• May LH8.

Architect Frey alltBded ,cllool.1
i" hi• n,11,·e S'l'hietland. where _ ..,.,,,,.,.-. he wa, gr.e.dH1ed from the ln1U• 1 wte ol Te<hoolOl)I In 19%4, Ke and hir- firm h.avP r~t1h-ed j many awards lndudl~a the ~cit Dool, A1urd lo 1951 1\-om u,, Uni, verslty of \flarni for the Fret re~der,ce In Palm Spring,.

OOe.r ouL1t31nding ~ort lndudu
the Bel Vi,ta ll'ar llouslmr, Palm Sortnp: Loewy res.ldf'nc~. Psilm Sprln11•; Kalherlno rlnchy !I• rr:mlary SchooJ, Palm Sprins:1, SM GorgonW, Pau Mernorial ffo••
pital. Bannl6': and the Socitl Sci·
•nc .. •nd Hum•rutln buJldlng /or ltle Unl\'crsiLy o! Calif0rnlt11 at Kl,•tt,id~. 19 Integrity Analysis: The Seven Aspects of Integrity
(source: U.S. Department of the Interior)
___________________________________________________________ Integrity
The National Register traditionally recognizes a property's integrity through seven aspects or qualities:
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

INTEGRITY SUMMARY: The Calle Rolph Residence is in excellent condition. It is painted its original exterior colors. The house has not been moved, and the residential setting is unchanged, thus the property retains integrity of location and setting. Integrity of design, materials and workmanship remain high. The property was commissioned as a one-family home and is still in use as such, thus retains integrity of feeling and association. The only notable alteration is a small bathroom at the rear corner of the structure added in 1972. The Bel Vista House at 1150 N. Calle Rolph is able to convey its architectural significance because the property exhibits the physical features associated with the work of Albert Frey. It maintains its original, unique characteristics as designed as part of the only realized tract of mass-produced housing designed and built by Albert Frey.

The California State Historical Resources Commission recently evaluated a nomination of 1150 N.

Calle Rolph to the National Register of Historic Places. The nomination was forwarded to the National Park Service after unanimous consent of the SHRC. The resource was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March of 2024.

Location
Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. The relationship between the property and its location is often important to understanding why the property was created or why something happened. The actual location of a historic property, complemented by its setting, is particularly important in recapturing the sense of historic events and persons. The Calle Rolph Residence remains in its original location and therefore qualifies under this aspect.

Design
Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.

It results from conscious decisions made during the original conception and planning of a property (or its significant alteration) and applies to activities as diverse as community planning, engineering, architecture, and landscape architecture. Design includes such elements as organization of space, proportion, scale, technology, ornamentation, and materials. A property's design reflects historic functions and technologies as well as aesthetics. It includes such considerations as the structural system; massing; arrangement of spaces; pattern of fenestration; textures and colors of surface materials; type, amount, and style of ornamental detailing; and arrangement and type of plantings in a designed landscape.

Design can also apply to districts, whether they are important primarily for historic association, architectural value, information potential, or a combination thereof. For districts significant primarily for historic association or architectural value, design concerns more than just the individual buildings or structures located within the boundaries. It also applies to the way in which buildings, sites, or structures are related: for example, spatial relationships between major features; visual rhythms in a streetscape or landscape plantings; the layout and materials of walkways and roads; and the relationship of other features, such as statues, water fountains, and archeological sites. The Calle Rolph Residence’s essential characteristics of form, plan, space, structure, style, and materials have survived almost entirely intact.

Setting
Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Whereas location refers to the specific place where a property was built or an event occurred, setting refers to the character of the place in which the property played its historical role. It involves how, not just where, the property is situated and its relationship to surrounding features and open space. Setting often reflects the basic physical conditions under which a property was built and the functions it was intended to serve. In addition, the way in which Item 2B - Page 34
20 a property is positioned in its environment can reflect the designer's concept of nature and aesthetic preferences. These features and their relationships should be examined not only within the exact boundaries of the property, but also between the property and its surroundings. This is particularly important for districts. The setting of the Calle Rolph Residence still retains the architect’s original design relationship to the site.

Materials
Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. The choice and combination of materials reveal the preferences of those who created the property and indicate the availability of particular types of materials and technologies. Indigenous materials are often the focus of regional building traditions and thereby help define an area's sense of time and place. A property must retain the key exterior materials dating from the period of its historic significance. If the property has been rehabilitated, the historic materials and significant features must have been preserved. The property must also be an actual historic resource, not a recreation; a recent structure fabricated to look historic is not eligible. Likewise, a property whose historic features and materials have been lost and then reconstructed is usually not eligible. The Calle Rolph Residence’s exterior surface materials are painted in the original color palette. With the exception of the southeast corner where a small bathroom was added, the exterior doors, trim, facia, windows and exterior materials all match original specifications. Inside, all of the doors are original and have the originally specified ivory-colored Bakelite doorknobs, and the original bathroom has its original tub and tile.

Workmanship
Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. It is the evidence of artisans' labor and skill in constructing or altering a building, structure, object, or site. Workmanship can apply to the property as a whole or to its individual components. It can be expressed in vernacular methods of construction and plain finishes or in highly sophisticated configurations and ornamental detailing. It can be based on common traditions or innovative period techniques. Workmanship is important because it can furnish evidence of the technology of a craft, illustrate the aesthetic principles of a historic or prehistoric period, and reveal individual, local, regional, or national applications of both technological practices and aesthetic principles. Examples of workmanship in historic buildings include tooling, carving, painting, graining, turning, and joinery. The Calle Rolph Residence continues to express a high degree of early-modern period workmanship.

Feeling
Feeling is a property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. It results from the presence of physical features that, taken together, convey the property's historic character. For example, a rural historic district retaining original design, materials, workmanship, and setting will relate the feeling of agricultural life in the 19th century. A grouping of prehistoric petroglyphs, unmarred by graffiti and intrusions and located on its original isolated bluff, can evoke a sense of tribal spiritual life.

When constructed in 1946, the Calle Rolph Residence was part of one of the first planned earlymodern tract developments in California and the first early-modern tract built in Palm Springs. It is as originally sited to take advantage of panoramic, mountain views to the west. Accordingly, the Calle Rolph Residence retains its original integrity of feeling.

Association
Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. A property retains association if it is the place where the event or activity occurred and is sufficiently intact to convey that relationship to an observer. Like feeling, association requires the presence of physical features that convey a property's historic character. For example, a Revolutionary War battlefield whose natural and manmade elements have remained intact since the 18th century will retain its quality of association with the battle. Because feeling and association depend on individual perceptions, their retention alone is never sufficient to support eligibility of a property for the National Register.

The Calle Rolph Residence is an important example of post-WWII early-modern affordable housing (private residence) built under the direction of the U.S. government. It continues its association with a pattern of events that have made a meaningful contribution to the community.

Item 2B - Page 35
21 Bibliography
___________________________________________________________ Books —
Rosa, Joseph, Albert Frey, Architect, Rizzoli, New York 1990 Bogert, Frank M., PALM SPRINGS First Hundred Years, Palm Springs Heritage Associates 1987 Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style, Norton, New York 1995 Aluminaire House, Historic Structure Report, Higgins & Quasebarth, New York 1996 Magazines and Journals —
“Residential ‘Bel Vista’,” Architect and Engineer, April, 1951 “Real Estate Subdivisions for Low-Cost Housing,” A. Lawrence Kocher and Albert Frey, Architectural Record, April 1931
“High and Mighty,” Janice Kleinschmidt, Palm Springs Life, September, 2013 “Belle Vista,” Michelle Gringeri-Brown, Atomic Ranch, Fall 2014 “Design Evolution and Spatial Composition…” Jin-Ho Park, Architectural Research, Dec, 2007 “After the War,” James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell, Old-House Journal, March/April, 2004 “A Modern Model,” James C. Massey and Shirley Maxwell, Old-House Journal, January, 2011 Newspapers —
“Frey Honored by Institute of Architects,” The Desert Sun, May 7, 1957 Ringwald, George, “Cookie Cutter Tract Solution Offered PS”, Daily Enterprise, Sept 11, 1959 Volgelsang, Jeri, “History: Albert Frey, a Modern Master,” The Desert Sun, Sept, 2015 Special Thanks and Sincere Appreciation to —
Matthew Berkley, MA
Frank D. Lopez, Palm Springs Art Museum
Jeri Vogelsang, Palm Springs Historical Society
Additional Sources —
Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Art Museum Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 2016 Culver Nichols political ad, The Desert Sun, March 26, 1948 The Hugh Stephens Residence, HSPB Nomination, Patrick McGrew, February, 2010 Palm Springs Historical Society
Paul Dougerty Residence, HSPB Nomination, Ron and Barbara Marshall, February, 2014 Photographs and Images
Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Art Museum Art, Design & Architecture Museum, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) Getty Research Institute
Palm Springs Historical Society
The City of Palm Springs
Todd Hays
Item 2B - Page 36
22 Appendices
fig. 1 U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1738. Source: Todd Hays.

fig. 1A U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1738. Source: Todd Hays.

Item 2B - Page 37
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE • FARMERS' BULLETIN No. 1738
"
Jfitclli!ll ancrammg-=i:rn,n,11nc1y: or ""- ~ mea s. ttilso provicles storage space beneath 1t.s counter. The entire bedroom sid<, may be omitt.ed from the original house, in which case the workroom would serve for dining and the dining room for a bedroom . .All dimensions of this house are multiples of 3½ feet. Wall, door, and window sections might be prefabricated so that erection would consist merely of bolting the sections together, or the house can be bum in the ordinary way. The sketch at the top of page 41 illus- trates the nee of sheet metal as an exterior covering, the one in the center shows concr te blocks, llnd the bottom view shows the walls covered with a combination of lnp siding and shingles or wide boards.

The Oat roof should be covered with good roofing and well inulat.ed for comfort in both summer nnd winter ns described in the working drawings. The cost of the insulated flat roof should not be greater than that of an or~inary pitched roof wi~ho)tt insulation.

The accumulation of now will help to keep the bmldmg warm.

DINING
~OOM
POR.C.H
LIVING
ROOM
3 ·-~·
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,:

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0. 23
fig. 2. Original Building Permit. Source: City of Palm Springs.

Item 2B - Page 38
24 fig. 3. Original CC&Rs. Source: Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs Art Museum.

Item 2B - Page 39
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25 fig. 4. Architectural Record, April 1931. Source: Todd Hays. fig. 5. Tract drawing by Albert Frey. Source: Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB.

Item 2B - Page 40
. ane view of three _comAb 1rpl f house-unit: A. . t· ns O same ty . ina 10 B terrace-row pe, row house; · .

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fig. 6. Original Tract Plan. Source: Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB.

Item 2B - Page 41
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Item 2B - Page 42
28 fig. 8. Original floor plan. Source: Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB. fig. 9. Interior photo by Gail Thompson looking out at 1150 N Calle Rolph through the window. Source: Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB.

Item 2B - Page 43
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BEOR.OOM
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PO Q.CI-I OR. l!,EDR.0 01'1
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• LIVING R.OOM
P,EDR.OOM
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29 fig. 10. Early site photo of tract looking south, by Julius Schulman. Source: The Getty Institute.

Item 2B - Page 44
30 fig. 11. Original plan drawing by Albert Frey Architects. Source: Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB.

Item 2B - Page 45
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31 fig. 12. 1951 Culver Nichols real estate ad for a Bel Vista home. Source: Palm Springs Villager archives. fig. 13. Plot sketch showing location of added bath (1972) and pool (1992) Source: Todd Hays.

Item 2B - Page 46
r.'llll('t10Nlly tw,JIIIIIH by clN ltow, ol /lfod,rm l1t1fflOIJ Q beautitul .2 be~~°"'" l,0111e ~esi911e~, to¼ casual co111to¼table ~ese1t /;~;"9 ._,. b Ml un1.1w•IIV well b<.tlh home with e ll fhe little deMilb 11...r 1""k• ltl. dlffe,ence ti......,..n • hOvM ..--d t home. Two of the "''" ti.dlOOffll MY• priv•,. ~ 11•AU1. TM dining Me,• Opttll Ofl'O N IM~ f'OOffl, giving •ddltloMI ,J)Kb,IMM. T~ i, ~ ol pc.,J••w,v ~ In 1he ~r•te kikhffl. "1• .. rviot rOOM oPlf\l
on1<> • w•lled 1111wl« v•rd. C.S fum..:& Mn Louted il'I • cfloiCII 1\4,W MCl ioft of f•fl!\ Spfi!IOI,. 30-, AlM SUING$ YllUGU 1-""'1 1951J
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Al TH( COtH'ER o,
PA$(() El MIRADOR
ANO NORT'H CAUE RO\PH
(2 Blodo W•ti of $.Int, .. )
1 oo· x 112' Loi
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861 NO. PALM CANYON 0RIVE • PHONE 2182
PALM $IRING$, CAllFOaNIA
UT T OIJ UW ff l:f Tit l: '1LU.C:la
32 fig. 14. Permit for bathroom added in 1972. Source: City of Palm Springs.

Item 2B - Page 47
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JOI RICORD CARD
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Item 2B - Page 56
Item 2B - Page 57
I
CITY OF PALM SPRIN<,S BUILDING DEPT. INSPECTION NOTICE
·CONTRACTOR,_.., _____ ____ ,
' F'OOTtNGS
FRAME
LATH. IN
LATH. 01.11'
PLA.ST"E~, IH
PLA!ITER, OUT

F'JANACE
IH•P'•CtlD
DAT& . l"IPCCTCD

I PLUMDJNG, ROUOH
PLUMBING F1Ht1.,.

ELECTRICAi.. Rouo
ELECTRICAL. FINf.-H

FIREPLACE
VENTS
MISC.

Item 2B - Page 58
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IIATE
0 _f..
indicate: l . Bu j 1 di nq sl\a1m 1\ml I 011,1 t ion,

2.Cleanout and ldterol to· nearest 6 ''.
3 .Distances fro_m P/l a11d from buil ding .

4. Depth of cleaoout.

TOTAL FEE.S

5. Method cesspoo) or septic tank was abandoned. I -,
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Item 2B - Page 69
JOB 1C .AR-O
Building & SnfotY .
. Eng, Release
Final Goa
Sew~r Sketch on re verae side Final Elect
Roof f'Jnol
Item 2B - Page 70
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Item 2B - Page 71

LICENSED CONTRACTORS DECLARATION
Ca.:2£-S
OWNER~BUILDER DECLARAT ION
rl~
,- : hcteby af6rm1 d1,at I ~1 i:1u~mpt from die qmtr.1c,10r·s Liccns~l..aw . ip.'f.~· fur ~• c foUow,11g r~son (St<;. 703 l.5', BusinC$S .ind Prof~iDllS .,Codi::
;'=•~- J':ny cit; o.- C-'l!ln(ry which Tcquil',cs :i rei;mit to CQnstruct. ~~~cer~ ~pro-kc.,:'~
~:- -,dcm,eiligi; o.-
n:pait ;my sttacture, prior t1;1 i~ iuuance·, al~-requin~ th11,~ ::;.;:,-t';. ::ipptJcm~Jo.- ~di, ptrmir lcQ rue :;a sisned St.ltc:ment tb"af,~e_: is' lic:c,i~d- !::? '•j,UfSU~nt. du: rrovbfons of r:hc Co_!)l..'"actnr's Ucefuc ·Uiw {Cl1.:i,ptc,r 9 1~- (o,1,u
~11mcii11g wit11 Section 7000J ,if Oivis~nn 3 (af r:h€--Busiiit:s/i an~ PrufC'.ssfcms Q.,dc) or c:b:.t fie is c:-ri:mpt thtrHrorn .,111d .t.he ,bas~·foc- du:
afJcgtd c~cmp_doo. Any· vicbtiun ofSecdon 70JtS \ y any appti~n.: fur a pennii-:subjcj ~. the appric.im to .a civil pcn4lty·of not __ mori dian"6ve: hundred dollars (SS0O).): • • ! 1. ;U
ownc:r ,of 1h11 property, or my ernplo,ye-e.s with wa:gc.s u_ chcir .sole C'Olhpcn.sa(ion., wilt do. .the Work. and. er,~ structure ,is noc inu:nc:!.d O oFfcre.d for sale (Sec. 7044. Business and ,Prafiuions Cod~; The Canu:aao_:r·s. Lfc:ien~ Law Jucs Jlot apply 10 .;an O}YneT' ,of pt~p~ty who b_!';ilds or illll:lm)\!"cs=t11er~?'"• ;l!id who
d:!:'e.s· MH"h work hi~Jf/ ir d~rQugh
hteS ow:n c_mpfoy~. providc-d chat such •mpro~ment:s a.r~ not tnt~i:lcd or o!(eicd for safe: r(. howc"er. the building or i.1nprovunent is said "1dsi:ri ,t~ une' )"e~~o .. f c~rn"r.tctiol}( th~ owncr,huildc~~wU~l~avc th~ b~rdin
of proving _ T,
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he uu:I. not.li!.~1l~ orm_mpr•o\le for_th,e purposc- o~~ea.). . ; • _ • ; ·t · .,~";f ~.---:! .. _
0 :.!~ ::11,s u~·:11C1o or d,c .. p1,1patJ,·~;1~11 exdusivdJ• co:ntf::Jt'.tmg. ~th · .• "= WORKERS" COMPENSATION DECLA~TtON . .~j
. . . -~-~ f hctc,hy 11ffinn that I ltav.e a ccniGc-:a.u: of consent to ~ If-insure, . : :1 J
or a « rdfic:atc_ u.f Wc.rkCl'S:' Compc'.nAtion [ns
urance, or CHtificd !=OPie-,
~-t~'.~.
th~cof (Se-c. 3860, Lab.

C.)'. . . . '.""'ii
Pc,Ju:.y No., 41Cf?~%Z (:o~pany .4m?~8M""A-L eA:fl.lhL7Y~ :·~ 0 Ccrtifit!d copy 15 hcr-el::iy fota"lred. - • 0 ~tifii:d copy. is f'ifc:d w.itli the- De;partmenc o{ Jl.anni1:.1g De:vc.loymcnt, . ."., '" ··
Expii:e,s ,;f?'.-/--9,3 Api:dicam ,~ ;4f~
'!;:·,·~ • • :~-- ··.- •• ,.,
.CRRTIFlCATE OF EXEM~ION-FOR:WORK:ERS•" ·. ·COMPENSATJON tNSURANCE - ' - . ::- - =-. ' ..
l
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~# t? . c:u.nstr~c~ ~h:r- _P~9j~~•l: ~sc·c;~ 7044,?' ~~i.ne¥1:fiid _ ');f;; Li4~-=.fP ~
_f1:,~•_o~ :~!4'"~.f:.::!~r C~nt~a~~:"fs L1ce~.·.J?a~ ..d~:~~ -~pty .to~? '-~i }t tf.-,°:.~fU~-~-.. ~{r~~P.~JY' ,~h~ _ b'1'.r~tls
_
or 1mr;n;1y~~~~~~C'_rc~ .. ~- anj _ who f!0DlY:'~ts";f~r.~ .,. _ ·% li~fl-_.:.£::-u.~t·:P..''!;)J~Ct.S~-, ... ·~~ . ;I to,nu-:i~tor(s) _h~evsea.: pu:~llllt
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~e. for d1is-
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Item 2B - Page 72
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Item 2B - Page 73
DuUdloq & Safety
.,. •!iii CtTV OF' PALM SPRINGS
\lJJ;; ~ _,.
~ne'r~.-;·-Angela Davis Date 5/26/92
1150 N. Calle Rolph Permit _2_29_9_1 __ _
Gau Pres
lrep iece f tgs
fireplace BB
Masonry Wall F lga
Maoonry Wall ea
We atherstrlppi ng
covenant a.

R.o.w.

Plannlng Releaao
f"lre Release
Eng. eleaoe
Final Gaa
Final Elec t
Roar Final
Item 2B - Page 74
• IJ~:; .. •~, ' " ~ I 1
, I .1 r _, II ~ 1i7..;,:~,.~j1 ' • . fMPOO.TANT T.'H;' • ,• • •.• . .. ,, tf~• :I•,,. t , ., r -' • ~!:r~~~-lisu~·~co of this pormlt sholi not b~ held. ,~ boon _a~p;~vai 0~ t 0 ~;\1oiatlon or any
~~?J~,r~sl~ of any cTty or county ordin~~co'o! ~tato}aw. . : ,· . • ~. tosJ)ectlon1 of work ?re sub~ct to an approved set or pf-ilns tielng on tha job, t~ Changes to plans ate not fo be made without pe'rmlsslcm of-tl'ut BuUdiitg and •. 'Satatv Olvlsfon.' ,~ ;· ,'!\ . .. ·, . • " ' , , · ~ , )~ t, ftl • I • '- I J • · i'mim owruir and/orcontr,c:tor b responsible for est&bli:ihlng all ?ropcrty lln11s. · ~ 't~!f l'.alJhiC11 mus.t be uniJarground. , ,
\ Thli ,>erfTlh wl II o,cplro If work Is n.ot mrtod In 120 days or Jr more tnon 120 duys • ~r;t"ti,ipsu between Inspection, .
.;~.~;tUy that I am famlllu with all requlrem1mtJ of tho Clt','. of.~lm.~·pi1nosJU;.tliev • . , .,,.11pply to this permit and umlimland lhot these requlcamenb.,m\lS.t be COIJ1l)leled _ •-,. ~ • t l.'Prlor to flml lns~Uon and that no corllficato ot 0~ 11.in.ev·wm l.io luuod 1untll • · j s~ch time a, the1e'n1quiremont1 are mat. I mnify that I hove· road thl, e,ppHciitlon aml 1 ~·.;'in11ta ·111at tha Information I, true and com1ct. • • i t•-•~' •• • ~i~". t~-r~. i,I J~ · ~ff!,1f1
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Item 2B - Page 75
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~arch 19,. 1992
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lt b !:he roofing contractor ot reaa~•s l:esponsil:f!Uty· t'l '"""""" that the i,roV!siono of this chapter he .tollo'i,ad,. FailUre .tc, cQlnply 'sistal:e . " violation l icensa law, ·of the CalUo-<nia - &tate loii ind th.e 'Contractor's l IJ.nderstal"l,d these. requirements as they pertain to me.

S!;irature ~!~ ~ :P,."K£.. ~ · ·
oat:·~ . $?-2t- 92.. ·
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Item 2B - Page 76 P.EltMl'fNO. -,:.ci INS!JRANCE/LICENSE DECLARATION WORKERS• COMPENSATION DECLARATION LICENSED CONTRAC'liORS DE~i.ARATIOO Lcndc:cr·.s N:amc :•··
, .• -·- ,~ - ~'" -· • • ,
-~ •· ·Lenders· Add;~
~ _w• • ~ • -

ATTACHMENT D
Item 2B - Page 77
Item 2B - Page 78
RESOLUTION NO. HSPB #156

A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION

BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,

RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
THE "ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3" LOCATED AT
1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE,
(HSPB #156), APN #507-124-011.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD ("HSPB") FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, Todd Hays filed an application with the City pursuant to Article Ill, Section 8.05.070 (Procedure and Criteria for Designation of Historic Resources) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code requesting historic resources designation for the "Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3" located at 1150 North Calle Rolph. The application included a historic resources report ("the report").

C. WHEREAS, on April 25th and May 1st, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource, accompanied by City staff; and
D. WHEREAS, on May 7, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board ("HSPB") to consider Case HSPB #156 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
E. WHEREAS, The HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony presented.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS-PART "1", CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C, 1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

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May 7 2024
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The historic resources report explains the origins of the home as an affordable housing solution and its direct association with the architect Albert Frey. Little has changed to the site and exterior building finishes, down to the paint color, have been restored. This property is also an early example of the International Style in Palm Springs. (Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; No information was provided indicating any significant event was directly associated with this site. The site does not qualify under Criterion i. (Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols were the developers of the tract and first owners of this property. Both individuals played significant roles in the overall development and planning of Palm Springs. Culver Nichols was one of the original members of the committee formed to study the incorporation of the city in 1936 and the first president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1940. Sallie Stevens Nicols was the daughter of the pioneer Prescott T. Stevens who is considered one of the early founders of Palm Springs. They later donated the land where the Valley Station and the first tower are located. Sallie and Culver Nichols made meaningful contributions to the development of Palm Springs; therefore, staff finds Criterion ii is met. (Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;
This home was one of fifteen homes completed in the Bel Vista residential tract development of post-war housing. The home was completed during the "Post World-War 11 Period of Palm Springs" using practical methods of construction and materials. The architect incorporated his understanding of the International Style by using simple geometric forms and creating the appearance of a lightweight, utilitarian structure with thin roof overhangs and columns. Conventional materials and finishes such as stucco were used to create a clean exterior finish and all frivolous ornamentation was stripped from the exterior. This tract development also reflects the City's response to the demand for more affordable housing. Design expression was created through site placement and colors schemes, not through a customized floorplan. Exterior alterations were kept to a minimum and the exterior finishes were restored to the original design. The restored home meets Criterion iii because it is an exceptional example of post-war housing in Palm Springs that reflects the time period of significance in its current condition. (Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
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Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). As an affordable housing development, the construction methods and materials were conventional and standard for the period. Staff finds this project does not qualify for this criterion. (Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
The original floorplan and site placement of the home was designed by the master architect Albert Frey. Recognized as one of the first American architects to work for Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Albert Frey's work influenced the field of architecture and design in the United States. His knowledge of the modernist aesthetic and exposure to the International Style led him to work with other influential designers and architects such as A. Lawrence Kocher and Wallace K.

Harrison. The Bel Vista tract reflects modernist design aesthetics using utilitarian building materials and construction methods. Frey's influence on the field is seen throughout his built work in Palm Springs and his theoretical work through various publications and exhibits. Albert Frey is a master architect that continues to influence the field through his work, thus staff finds Criterion v is met. (Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi. (Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART "B" ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

Analysis of Integrity. (PSMC 8.05.070 (C, 1,b). The site, structure, building or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.

The "Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3" is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as follows:

Location.

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

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Design.

The original floorplan for the single-family home shows a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom design with an exterior block wall enclosing the laundry area. Building records show that an additional bathroom was added in 1972. It appears the home was constructed on a concrete slab with integral thresholds poured for each door. The functional layout of the plan resulted in a rectilinear building form with a flat roof. The overhangs cantilever over the front entrance and the rear porch but the carport overhang is supported by four thin wooden square beams. The plans show a block wall enclosure around the laundry room with either a curved or rectilinear configuration. In the case of this home, the rectilinear plan was constructed and remains intact. The fascia and trim details on the building's exterior are thin and simple. The site placement of homes with a carport parallel to the road had a curved driveway. This was one of three homes in this development with a curved driveway as an original feature. All original openings remain, including the exterior door that is internalized as a result of the bathroom addition. The details of the windows and doors down to the rounded stucco finish remain in good condition. All restoration efforts reinforced the original design intent. Despite the small bathroom addition to the rear elevation, the overall design of the home is incredibly intact.

Setting.

Materials.

The exterior materials of the building consist mainly of stucco, wood framed fenestration, and a flat roof. The exterior walls of the bathroom addition match the historic stucco finish, but the vinyl window remains in place to help identify the addition as new. The roof remains a flat surface but solar panels, air conditioning equipment and associated duct work were added. Changes to the original design were made to non-primary fac;ades of the home and the primary facades accurately reflect the original materials; therefore, the overall integrity of materials is met.

Workmanship.

Feeling.

Association.

The property is associated with Albert Frey and the Modernist movement of design. The building's high level of physical integrity makes it easy to identify the architect's association with the design of the home. The integrity of association is met.

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May 7 2024
SECTION 3: DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS
In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource's historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITES.

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

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3. It may be qualified as 'historic' at the federal, state, and/or county level.

4. The structure/site may not be modified nor objects removed without following the procedures outlined in Municipal Code Section 8.05.110 "Demolition or Alteration of Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resources - Certificate of Appropriateness".

5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council's resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the Historic Site Preservation Board recommends that the City Council designate the "Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3" located at 1150 N. Calle Rolph, a Class 1 Historic Resource (HSPB #156).

ADOPTED THIS SEVENTH DAY OF MAY 2024.

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

ATTEST:

Hough, Nelson, Hansen, Rosenow, Bachman, Herr, Moruzzi.

None.

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
ristopher Hadwin
Director of Planning Services

HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD

STAFF REPORT
DATE: May 7, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION BY TODD HAYS FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THE “ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, CASE HSPB #156. (APN #507-124-011) (SY).

FROM: Department of Planning Services

SUMMARY
The current owner, Todd Hays, completed the restoration of the single-family home addressed 1150 N. Calle Rolph and is seeking reclassification of the property from a Class 4 site to a Class 1 historic landmark. Architect Albert Frey designed a modest floorplan that was used for the Bel Vista tract development of 15 affordable homes. 1150 N. Calle Rolph was completed in 1946, which is its period of significance.

If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code.

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.

2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution HSPB #156, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM

SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE THE “ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #156, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN #507-124-011).”
BACKGROUND AND SETTING:

Research indicates that the Bel Vista subdivision is the only completed housing tract in Palm Springs by Albert Frey that was economical housing subsidized by the government.

The site placement of each home is different on the individual lots to create differing visual and spatial conditions. The use of conventional materials and utilitarian design features reflects Frey’s knowledge to the International Style.

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Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: May 7, 2024 HSPB-156 – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3

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Historic Context Statement “Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969)”1 After World War II, the demand for residential development was almost immediate and the construction of single-family housing took shape in various forms, including tract development. Bel Vista is considered one of the rare examples of wartime housing that had to adhere to specific design guidelines because it was a project that was being subsidized by the government. Despite these regulatory requirements, Frey was able to use site placement and color schemes to create design diversity within the tract.

Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.

April, 2024 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.

Ownership Status
June, 2022 Purchased by the current owner.

BELOW: An aerial view of the site. BELOW: Front elevation of 1150 N. Calle Rolph, 2024.

ANALYSIS:

A historic resources report (“the report”) and a site visit by staff and members of the HSPB are the basis of this staff report.

Alber Frey’s Bel Vista Home #3 is on a 0.24-acre lot in the residential R-1-C zone district.

The modest 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home is sited in the center of the lot with a curved driveway that leads to the carport along the front façade of the home. The one-story rectilinear structure has deep overhangs, a flat roof, and strategically placed locations for windows and doors. A paint analysis was done by the owner to determine the original color of the home, and the exterior finish of the unadorned stucco walls remains intact.

No information was provided regarding the landscape design of the property, but the site 1 City of Palm Springs Historic Context Statement “Post-World War II Palm Springs (1945-1969)”.

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I
I
Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: May 7, 2024 HSPB-156 – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3

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today is a desertscape design with no lawn on the property. The 1972 permit records reveal a minor expansion was made to the southeast corner of the home by enclosing an existing rear porch feature to construct a bathroom. Since its completion in 1946, very little has changed to the original building footprint.

Historic Preservation activities in Palm Springs are regulated under Municipal Code Section 8.05 (“Historic Preservation”). The purpose of the Historic Preservation Ordinance is:
“…to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote the use of historic resources for the education and welfare of the citizens.” Conditions that apply to Class 1 historic sites or resources:

1. It shall meet the definition of a historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file shall be maintained on the property by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

4. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed in a location viewable from the public way.

5. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Resources and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code.

6. If designated, the findings in support of designation shall be stated in a resolution of the City Council that shall be recorded with the County Recorders’ office within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

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(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; No information was provided indicating any significant event was directly associated with this site. The site does not qualify under Criterion i. (Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; Sallie Stevens Nichols and Culver Nichols were the developers of the tract and first owners of this property. Both individuals played significant roles in the overall development and planning of Palm Springs. Culver Nichols was one of the original members of the committee formed to study the incorporation of the city in 1936 and the first president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1940. Sallie Stevens Nicols was the daughter of the pioneer Prescott T. Stevens who is considered one of the early founders of Palm Springs. They later donated the land where the Valley Station and the first tower are located. Sallie and Culver Nichols made meaningful contributions to the development of Palm Springs; therefore, staff finds Criterion ii is met. (Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;
This home was one of fifteen homes completed in the Bel Vista residential tract development of post-war housing. The home was completed during the “Post World-War II Period of Palm Springs” using practical methods of construction and materials. The architect incorporated his understanding of the International Style by using simple geometric forms and creating the appearance of a lightweight, utilitarian structure with thin roof overhangs and columns. Conventional materials and finishes such as stucco were used to create a clean exterior finish and all frivolous ornamentation was stripped from the exterior. This tract development also reflects the City’s response to the demand for more affordable housing. Design expression was created through site placement and colors schemes, not through a customized floorplan. Exterior alterations were kept to a minimum and the exterior finishes were restored to the original design. The restored home meets Criterion iii because it is an exceptional example of post-war housing in Palm Springs that reflects the time period of significance in its current condition. (Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). As an affordable housing development, the construction methods and materials were conventional and standard for the period.

Staff finds this project does not qualify for this criterion.

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(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
The original floorplan and site placement of the home was designed by the master architect Albert Frey. Recognized as one of the first American architects to work for Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Albert Frey’s work influenced the field of architecture and design in the United States. His knowledge of the modernist aesthetic and exposure to the International Style led him to work with other influential designers and architects such as A. Lawrence Kocher and Wallace K. Harrison. The Bel Vista tract reflects modernist design aesthetics using utilitarian building materials and construction methods. Frey’s influence on the field is seen throughout his built work in Palm Springs and his theoretical work through various publications and exhibits. Albert Frey is a master architect that continues to influence the field through his work, thus staff finds Criterion v is met. (Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
No information has been provided that the resource qualifies under Criterion vi. (Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

Analysis of Integrity PSMC 8.05.070 (C)(1)(b). The site, structure, building or object retains one or more of the following aspects of integrity, as established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, or association.

The Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3 is evaluated in terms of its historic integrity as follows:

Location.

The location of the home is in its original place of construction; therefore, the integrity of location is met.

Design.

Page 6 of 8 ends

plan resulted in a rectilinear building form with a flat roof. The overhangs cantilever over the front entrance and the rear porch but the carport overhang is supported by four thin wooden square beams. The plans show a block wall enclosure around the laundry room with either a curved or rectilinear configuration. In the case of this home, the rectilinear plan was constructed and remains intact. The fascia and trim details on the building’s exterior are thin and simple. The site placement of homes with a carport parallel to the road had a curved driveway. This was one of three homes in this development with a curved driveway as an original feature. All original openings remain, including the exterior door that is internalized as a result of the bathroom addition. The details of the windows and doors down to the rounded stucco finish remain in good condition. All restoration efforts reinforced the original design intent. Despite the small bathroom addition to the rear elevation, the overall design of the home is incredibly intact.

Setting.

Materials.

Workmanship.

Feeling.

Association.

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Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report: May 7, 2024 HSPB-156 – Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3

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DEFINING HISTORIC CHARACTERISTICS:

In considering a recommendation for historic resource designation it is important to distinguish those physical elements that are original or from the period of significance that contribute to the resource’s historic significance from alterations, additions or features that were added at a later time that may be sympathetic to the original character, but which may create a false sense of historicity. Distinguishing original character-defining features from non-original elements aids the HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

In addition to the character-defining features listed on page 17 of the report, staff has complied the following list of character-defining features for this property:
• Site design and placement of the home on the lot
• Unadorned, painted stucco walls
• Slightly recessed wood casement windows and wood sill detail • Wood framed exterior doors with horizontal wood mullion that creates two asymmetric lites
• Rounded stucco detail around all exterior openings
• Flat roof and horizontal fascia and trim detail
• Carport feature and overhang supported by thin square wooden columns • Rectilinear block wall enclosure around laundry area
Non-contributing elements:
• HVAC condensing unit and ductwork on the roof
• Solar panels on the roof and associated electrical cabinet • Exterior water heater and associated lines
• 1972 bathroom addition to the southeast corner of the home and vinyl window • Outdoor swimming pool and pool equipment from 1992
• Corrugated metal fence
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:

NOTIFICATION:

Pursuant to section 8.05.140 of the Municipal Code of Palm Springs, all residents within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property have been notified and notice was published in a newspaper of general circulation.

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CONCLUSION:

The “Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3” meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criterion 2, 3 and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance and meets all of the integrity findings; therefore, staff recommends Class 1 Historic Designation as a site “Landmark” site.

PREPARED BY: Sarah Yoon, Associate Planner/Historic Preservation Officer REVIEWED BY: David Newell, AICP, Assistant Director of Planning ATTACHMENTS:

A. Vicinity Map
B. Draft Resolution
C. Application, related background materials, photos.

Item 2B - Page 91

EXCERPTS OF MINUTES
At the Historic Site Preservation Board meeting of the City of Palm Springs, held May 7, 2024, the Historic Site Preservation Board took the following action:

2.A. APPLICATION BY TODD HAYS FOR THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THE “ALBERT FREY BEL VISTA HOME #3” LOCATED AT 1150 NORTH CALLE ROLPH, CASE HSPB #156 (APN 507-124-011) (SY).

Staff member Yoon, Historic Preservation Officer, presented the staff report to the Board.

Public Hearing: None.

Todd Hays, Owner, and Applicant, spoke and answered questions of the Board.

Motion by Member Rosenow, seconded by Member Moruzzi to adopt the staff findings as presented, and recommend that the City Council designate the “Albert Frey Bel Vista Home #3” (HSPB 156) as a Class 1 Historic Site.

AYES: Hough, Nelson, Hansen, Bachman, Herr, Moruzzi, Rosenow.

NOES: None.

ABSENT: None.

Item 2B - Page 92

CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: JULY 25, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: AN APPLICATION BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS FOR HISTORIC

SITE DESIGNATION OF THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING LOCATED AT 211 NORTH SUNRISE WAY (APN 508-070-016), CASE HSPB #158 FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Department of Planning Services
SUMMARY:

The Gas Company Building located at 211 N. Sunrise Way was completed in 1969.

Designed by architect Robert Ricciardi, the Brutalist-style building is a rare example from the post World War II period in Palm Springs when a majority of the architecture reflected Mid-century Modern design principles. The simple rectilinear shaped building is clad in cast-in-place concrete that highlight the exposed aggregate in vertical grooves with a bush-hammered finish. The prominent presence of the Southern California Gas Company validates the population growth experienced in the region during this time. After its completion, Ricciardi received a design award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the design of this building. While certain accessibility upgrades were made to the site, the design of the building remains mostly intact.

The owner recently received approval for a lot split resulting in two separate parcels that are consistent with underlying development standards. The existing building is residing on Parcel 2 which is approximately 29,508 square feet in size.

This property was identified as a Class 3 site eligible for reclassification, and when it came before the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) for major alteration, the request was stayed, and staff was directed to pursue historic designation proceedings.

If designated as a historic resource, the property would be subject to the regulations outlined in Section 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code (PSMC).

The HSPB and staff evaluated the application in accordance with the historic designation ordinance and applicable state/federal regulations, and determined it qualifies as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic site.

Item 2C - Page 1
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 2
Historic Designation – The Gas Company Building
RECOMMENDATION:

1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony.

2. Close the public hearing and adopt Resolution No. _____, “A RESOLUTION OF

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING LOCATED AT 211 N. SUNRISE WAY, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #158, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 508-070-016).”
BACKGROUND AND SETTING:

The attached historic resources report, prepared by Architecture Resources Group (ARG) (“the report”), and site visits with HSPB members are the basis of this staff report.

Related Relevant City Actions by HSPB, Planning, Fire, Building, etc.

April, 2024 Site inspection by members of the HSPB and City Staff.

May 7, 2024 HSPB considered the application for designation at a public hearing recommending Class 1 designation.

Ownership Status
June, 2022 Purchased by current owners.
211 N. SUNRISE WAY, EAST (FRONT) ELEVATION, 2024.

The historic designation request was initiated by the City and the historic resources report supports the reclassification of the site as a Class 1 landmark. Staff and HSPB agree with the findings in the report and recommend Class 1 designation.

Item 2C - Page 2
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 3
Historic Designation – The Gas Company Building
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS:

The analysis of the application relative to the criteria for the designation of historic resources is detailed in the attached HSPB resolution and staff report dated July 2, 2024.

In order to be designated a historic landmark, a resource must exhibit exceptional historic significance and meet one or more of the criteria listed in PSMC Section 8.05.070.C.1.a.

The Board made findings in support of Class 1 (Landmark) designation based on the following criteria:

PSMC 8.05.070, (C,1,Part a). The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
(Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
The Board also made findings pursuant to PSMC 8.05.070, (5,C,1,Part b); “Historic Integrity” that the Gas Company Building possesses sufficient historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (Landmark) historic site.

During the July 2, 2024 HSPB meeting, the Board supported the designation application and made the finding for Class 1 historic site designation. The owner answered questions of the Board regarding the lot split approval and future development plans for the site.

During public comment, a local architect provided context and additional detail regarding the exterior concrete finish used by Ricciardi.

CONCLUSION:

The Gas Company Building meets the definition of a historic resource based on Criterion 3 and 5 of the Palm Springs Historic Preservation Ordinance. The property possesses a high level of historic integrity to qualify as a Class 1 (Landmark) site. The HSPB recommendation to the City Council reflects these findings which are outlined in the attached draft City Council resolution.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:

Item 2C - Page 3
City Council Staff Report
July 25, 2024 – Page 4
Historic Designation – The Gas Company Building
NOTIFICATION:

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

REVIEWED BY:

Department Director: Christopher Hadwin
Deputy City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:

A. Vicinity Map.

B. Draft Resolution.

C. Application, related background materials, photos.

D. HSPB resolution, staff report, minute excerpt.

Item 2C - Page 4

ATTACHMENT A
Item 2C - Page 5
Department of Planning Services
Vicinity Map

CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
HSPB #158 – The Gas Company Building
211 North Sunrise Way
Item 2C - Page 6
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ATTACHMENT B
Item 2C - Page 7
RESOLUTION NO._____

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM

SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE GAS COMPANY
BUILDING LOCATED AT 211 NORTH SUNRISE WAY, AS A
CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #158,
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 508-070-016).

THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS:

A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, the City of Palm Springs initiated an application, Case HSPB #158, seeking historic site designation of the Gas Company Building located at 211 N. Sunrise Way; and C. WHEREAS, on March 1, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and D. WHEREAS, on July 2, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #158 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
E. WHEREAS, at said hearing, the HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony and voted unanimously to recommend that the Council designate the Gas Company Building a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and F. WHEREAS, on July 25, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #158 was held in accordance with applicable law; and G. WHEREAS, at the said hearing, the City Council carefully reviewed and considered all the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to the staff report and all written and oral testimony.

THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS – PART “A”, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C,1,a), the City Council shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings (“a” and “b”) are met:
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

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The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is a significant and rare example of Brutalist architecture as a civic building in the period following World War II in Palm Springs. The building was recognized by the design community for its significance following its completion and has maintained its design and material integrity over the years. As one of Robert H. Ricciardi’s important works, the historic significance of the Gas Company Building is apparent. The building was constructed in 1969. The following is a detailed analysis of the criteria and integrity findings. (Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community;
While the opening of this facility is an important indicator of the city’s transformation, no singular event of significance was directly associated with this site. The site does not qualify under Criterion i.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; The Gas Company Building was a quasi-public building that provided services to the community.

The report did not uncover an individual of significance being associated to the site; therefore, Criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
The construction of the Southern California Gas Company Building signaled the demand for public services and the empirical evidence that the city was experiencing growth during this time.

The building features bold forms, sculptural articulation, exposed cast-in-place concrete cladding, and the integration of raised plazas. Based on these characteristics, the building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is considered a Brutalist building. Although this style of architecture is somewhat of an anomaly in Palm Springs since most of the new construction was considered Mid-century Modern, the rise of Brutalist design, especially for civic and institutional buildings, was on the rise in other cities. This means this structure is a reflection of the period at a national and state level and a rare example of this type of architecture at the local level. The property qualifies under Criterion iii.
(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction;
Unlike the National Register criterion concerning construction, the Palm Springs evaluation of construction addresses the type (of construction), the period (of construction) and the method (of construction). It appears that the building was constructed using standard construction methods and materials and does not qualify for this criterion. (Criterion v) The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age, or that possesses high artistic value;
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The architect, Robert H. Ricciardi, is a notable figure that was active locally and recognized on the list of significant practitioners. His contributions expand beyond the city limits of Palm Springs and the report outlines his work in more detail. Ricciardi moved to Palm Springs in 1959 and worked and trained with the local masters like William Cody and Donald Wexler. He later goes on and partners with architect Hugh Kaptur during the 1960s. His portfolio of work includes many civic and commercial buildings, and the report notes that Ricciardi received an AIA award for the design of the Gas Company Building. Ricciardi’s 50+ years in the field has influenced the field and his peers, and the Gas Company Building possesses high artistic value, thus Criterion v is met.
(Criterion vi) The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluating applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
The resource is not within a historic district and does not qualify under Criterion vi. (Criterion vii) The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.

No information has been provided on any pre-historic significance of the site.

SECTION 2: PART “B” ANALYSIS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY.

1. Location:

The resource remains in its original location of construction, therefore, retains its integrity of location.

2. Design:

The building has a simple layout of geometric volumes and articulated forms create a unique spatial experience. The vertical concrete elements on the façade contribute to the vibrancy of the design and the scale, while modest, maintains a presence. There is no frivolous ornamentation applied to the surfaces of the exterior walls and the voids between the volumes are used to insert openings for light and air. While the building has been altered in certain Item 2C - Page 10
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locations like the south façade to incorporate accessibility upgrades, the overall mass, scale, and materials are uniform and intact. The integrity of the original design has been preserved.

3. Setting:

The building remains in its original location at the corner of Sunrise and Andreas but the report aptly points out the changes in development pattern surrounding the area since the 1960s. The infill projects now include a number of residential projects based on the underlying zoning and allowable uses. The continued changes surrounding the site have resulted in the loss of integrity of setting.

4. Materials:

The steel frame building and the cast-in-place concrete exterior with vertical grooves created by the formwork reveal an elegant design that is consistently viewed on the exterior. Windows and openings are minimal and elongated to match the vocabulary of the architectural style. Currently, the broken windows have been boarded up, but the openings remain intact. The integrity of materials is met.

5. Workmanship:

While conventional construction methods may have been used to build, the cast-in-place concrete walls use of formwork to create the individual vertical grooves exhibit a specialized level of workmanship and attention to detail. The property as it stands exhibits craft and highquality workmanship. The integrity of workmanship is met.

6. Feeling:

The bold yet small-scale Brutalist structure holds its allure at the corner of Andreas Road and Sunrise Way. The physical features of the building remain virtually unchanged and clearly demonstrate the feeling associated with civic architecture and how it was expressed during that period. The integrity of feeling is intact.

7. Association:

The property is associated with the architect Robert H. Ricciardi and this building is considered one of his more significant and well-received projects. The high level of design and material integrity affirms the building’s strong association to the architect’s vision and the period in which it was constructed. The integrity of association is met.

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HSPB when it is tasked with evaluating future alterations to the historic resource.

The following is a list of character-defining features identified by the City Council:

Character-defining features of the resource are as follows:
• Location at northwest corner of N. Sunrise Way and E. Andreas Road • Orientation of primary façade east toward N. Sunrise Way • Low (one-story) scale
• Irregular plan with courtyard space at the west façade • Blocky geometric massing, with asymmetrical primary façade • Flat roof with flat parapet
• Cast-in-place concrete walls with textured broken edge detail along the vertical grooves • Primary entry fronted by wide, open concrete patio with broad concrete entry steps • Recessed primary entry with floor to ceiling glazed entry assembly with fully glazed metal double doors
• Cantilevered steel entry canopy with wood slat underside and open steel frame extension to south
• Recessed and narrow floor-to-ceiling metal windows with solar-tinted glazing • Integrated concrete planters along the east and south facades • Integrated concrete box sign base at east façade
• Five free-standing original light fixtures located at one of the east façade planters Non-contributing elements:
• Walkway and accessible curb ramp at the west façade and accessibility ramp and railings on the south façade
• Fall protection hand railings along the roof
• Mechanical equipment penthouse with corrugated metal screening on the roof SECTION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The proposed historic resource designation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical changes to the environment, directly or indirectly.

SECTION 5: CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO HISTORIC SITES:

According to Section 8.05 of the Municipal Code, the following shall apply to a Class 1 Historic Resource:

1. It shall meet the definition of a Class 1 historic site as outlined in Municipal Code Section

8.05.020.

2. An archival file on the property shall be maintained by the City.

3. It may be qualified as ‘historic’ at the federal, state, and/or county level.

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5. A marker explaining the historic nature of the site may be installed at the site in a location viewable from the public way.

6. Compliance with all rules and regulations for Historic Sites and Historic Districts under Chapter 8.05 of the Municipal Code shall be required.

7. The site shall not be further subdivided.

8. The City Clerk shall submit the Council Resolution to the County recorder for recordation within 90 days of the effective date of the Council’s resolution.

Based upon the foregoing, the City Council hereby designates the Gas Company Building located at 211 North Sunrise Way, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #158).

ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF JULY, 2024.

SCOTT STILES

CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
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CERTIFICATION

STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss.

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Palm Springs, California, this ______ day of ______________, _________.

BRENDA PREE, MMC

CITY CLERK
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ATTACHMENT C
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The Gas Company Building
211 N. Sunrise Way
Historic Resources Report
211 N. Sunrise Way
Palm Springs, CA
Prepared for:

City of Palm Springs
Department of Planning Services
Prepared by:

July 8, 2024
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Architectural
Resources Group
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211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP i
Table of Contents

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

2. Architectural Description .................................................................................................. 2

2.1 Site and Setting ................................................................................................................ 2

2.2 Building ............................................................................................................................ 3

2.3 Existing Conditions Photographs – ARG, April 2024 ........................................................ 4

3. Alterations and Chronology of Development .................................................................... 6

4. Historic Contexts .............................................................................................................. 8

4.1 Post‐World War II Commercial Utilities Development in Palm Springs .......................... 8

4.2 The Southern California Gas Company in Postwar Palm Springs .................................... 9

4.3 Development and Use of 211 N. Sunrise Way .............................................................. 11

4.4 Architecture ................................................................................................................... 14

5. Regulations and Criteria for Evaluation .......................................................................... 17

5.1 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources and Historic Districts ...................................... 17

6. Evaluation of Significance ............................................................................................... 21

6.1 Previous Surveys and Designations ............................................................................... 21

6.2 Contexts, Themes, and Registration Requirements ...................................................... 21

6.3 City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource .............................................................. 22

6.4 Character‐Defining Features ......................................................................................... 27

7. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 28

8. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix A. 2016 Property Data Form
Appendix B. Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024

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211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 1

1. Introduction
At the request of the City of Palm Springs’ Department of Planning Services, Architectural Resources Group (ARG) has prepared this Historic Resources Report for a vacant commercial utilities building at 211 N. Sunrise Way just east of downtown Palm Springs. The building was constructed in 1969 and the Citywide Historic Resources Inventory identified it as locally eligible “as an example of post‐world War II institutional development, and as an example of Brutalist architecture in Palm Springs.”1 Completion of this assessment involved a site visit and visual inspection of the building by ARG Principal Katie Horak on April 17, 2024; compilation and review of historic building permits and project documents obtained from the Palm Springs Department of Planning Services; primary and secondary source research conducted through various local and online repositories, including the Palm Springs Historical Society Research Library; development of applicable historic contexts and themes (expanding on those in the City’s Historic Context Statement); evaluation of the property’s individual eligibility under City of Palm Springs Class 1 and Class 2 historic resource criteria; and evaluation of historic integrity. This report was prepared by Mary Ringhoff, Senior Associate, and Sydney Landers, Architectural Historian, both of whom meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Architectural History.2

In summary, ARG finds that the property at 211 N Sunrise Way meets City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility Criteria iii and v. As the property also retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance, it appears eligible for listing as a Class 1 (landmark) historic resource.

The following report provides a contextual basis for analysis and a detailed discussion of how the determination was made.
1 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Citywide Historic Resource Inventory – Eligible, January 5, 2023, accessed April 2024 at https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/638088476736030000. 2 Mary Ringhoff is a Senior Associate in ARG’s Los Angeles office, with 15 years of experience in the field. She is a graduate of the Master of Historic Preservation (now Heritage Conservation) program at the University of Southern California. Sydney Landers is an Architectural Historian in ARG’s Los Angeles office, with 3 years of experience in the field. She is a graduate of the Master of Historic Preservation program at the University of Texas at Austin.

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211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 2

2. Architectural Description
Site map (building location highlighted in yellow and parcel outlined in red). ARG annotations to Google Maps.

2.1 Site and Setting
The subject property, 211 N. Sunrise Way, is located about a mile east of downtown Palm Springs and consists of a commercial parcel (APN: 508070016) at the northwest corner of North Sunrise Way and East Andreas Road. It lies within the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, and is classified as a fee allotment.3
Development in the vicinity consists of low‐scale commercial, institutional and residential properties reflecting a wide range of construction eras. The city block that the subject property sits within contains a two‐story commercial/industrial facility (former utilities company complex) directly to the north and a low‐scale condominium complex to the west. The surrounding street grid adheres to a regular, rectilinear pattern oriented to the cardinal directions. The surrounding topography is flat.

The parcel is square in shape and measures 81,893 square feet; its northern half is undeveloped and vacant.4
3 Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians GIS Portal, accessed May 2024, https://www.aguacaliente.org/gis. See also Appendix B, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024. 4 Parcel dimensions obtained from the Riverside County Assessor‐County Clerk‐Recorder, April 2024.

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211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 3
The building sits at the southeast corner of the parcel and is moderately set back from the street. Its immediate surroundings are developed with an asphalt‐paved parking lot, concrete medians, and trees including eucalyptus and palm. Just northwest of the parking lot, at the western property line, is an unroofed, rectangular trash enclosure with concrete block walls and metal fence with gate. There are concrete low walls and rectangular planters surrounding the building on all sides as well as along the southern parcel boundary. The building is surrounded by xeriscaping and trees, including eucalyptus, with agave plantings at the south side.

The building’s east (primary) façade is accessed via a wide concrete walkway with joints and a set of broad, shallow concrete steps with metal handrails, leading to a wide, open concrete patio. Flanking the walkway are two low, integrated concrete planters. The south planter wraps around the patio corner and contains two mature Mexican fan palms. A grouping of five freestanding light standards with rectangular lamps is affixed to the edge of the patio near the palms. A narrow low wall projects eastward from the planter and features an integrated original box sign that with replacement lettering reading “Building For Lease.” The concrete planter to the north of the entry steps contains three mature eucalyptus trees. A concrete ramp with metal handrails leads north from the south sidewalk to the primary entrance patio, with an adjacent concrete planter Directly abutting the ramp to the east is a narrow grade‐level concrete walkway and steps leading up to the primary entrance patio.

2.2 Building
The subject property contains a one‐story Brutalist building, now vacant but originally the Palm Springs district headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company. Constructed in 1969, the building has an irregular footprint and a concrete foundation; it is fronted by a concrete patio and planters as noted above. The building is capped by a flat roof with a flat parapet, behind which sits intermittent, non‐original metal railing. There is a small equipment penthouse clad in corrugated metal at the southeast corner of the roof. The majority of the exterior walls are cast‐in‐place concrete walls with broken edges along the vertical grooves creating a rustic, unfinished appearance. The building features minimal fenestration that is typically single, floor‐to‐ceiling solar‐tinted glazing, fixed and metal unless noted otherwise.

The primary façade of the building faces east, towards N. Sunrise Way, and is asymmetrical in composition. The primary entrance is offset south from the center and is recessed. It is capped by a flat steel canopy with a wood slat underside containing inset lights; the southern portion of the canopy is open (steel frame only) and cantilevers beyond the recessed entrance. The entrance contains a set of fully glazed metal double doors capped with a transom and flanked by floor‐to ceiling glazing. Directly abutting the north end of the recessed entrance is a rectangular section of concrete wall that projects slightly outward from the rest of the east façade and slightly above the main roofline. There are two metal depository boxes embedded into the walls framing the entrance.

Recessed between the projecting volume and the northern half of the east façade is a narrow, floor‐ to‐ceiling window.

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211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 4
The south façade features minimal fenestration or ornamentation aside from a recessed, narrow floor‐to‐ceiling window at center and one narrow, west‐facing fully glazed door with transom, embedded into a recessed portion of the wall, near the west end of the façade.

The west (rear) façade features a recessed entrance (offset south from center) that is framed by the building, forming an open courtyard space. This entrance is accessed via large sliding glass doors (fully glazed metal) set within a floor‐to‐ceiling glazed assembly. The north wall of the courtyard consists of a floor‐to‐ceiling glazed assembly with a single fully glazed door at the east end. The south wall of the courtyard consists of the same glazed assembly with large sliding glass doors (fully glazed metal), slightly different from the others at this façade. To the north of the courtyard, there is a set of slab metal double doors with a metal transom panel.

The north façade features different cladding that breaks up its visual massing: smooth stucco at a portion of the east half, with the rest typical cast‐in‐place concrete detail. Directly to the east of the stucco wall is a recessed narrow, floor‐to‐ceiling window and directly to the west of it is a recessed, boarded up single door capped by a fixed transom.

2.3 Existing Conditions Photographs – ARG, April 2024
211 N. Sunrise Way, east (primary) façade, view
northwest.
211 N. Sunrise Way, primary entrance at east façade,
view northwest.

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211 N. Sunrise Way, ramp at south façade leading
to primary entrance, view northwest.
211 N. Sunrise Way, south façade, view northeast.
211 N. Sunrise Way, west (rear) façade, view east. 211 N. Sunrise Way, interior view onto rear courtyard at west façade, view west.
211 N. Sunrise Way, north façade, view southwest. 211 N. Sunrise Way, typical recessed window seen throughout, north façade, view south.

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Typical exterior concrete, note cantilevered steel
canopy with open steel frame extension at east
façade, view southwest.

Typical concrete planter and landscaping seen
throughout, note original light fixtures at east façade, view west.

3. Alterations and Chronology of Development
Upon review of historical building permits, newspaper sources, photographs,5 and city directories, ARG created the following chronology of development for 211 N. Sunrise Way. 1969 Southern California Gas Company Desert District headquarters constructed. Permit scope of work lists a masonry, steel and frame building with composition roof.6 1980s E. Andreas Road completed south of the property; south curb cut and driveway entrance added to increase access.7
1985 Permit to construct metal stud walls for partition in lobby area.8 Owner is Southern
California Gas Company.
1989 Building reroofed (replaced with 3‐ply built‐up roof). Owner is Southern California Gas Company. Contractor is Garcia Roofing.9
2009 Permit for Payment Branch Office Remodel. Doors at front and rear facades removed and replaced for compliant alternative. Accessibility ramp added at south façade to primary entrance. 24 hour depository equipment at east façade removed and replaced with compliant alternative, slightly offset from original location. New 5 Primarily 1977 photographs of the building held by the Palm Springs Historical Society. 6 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. 354, 03/28/69. 7 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967; comparison of historic aerial photographs on historicaerials.com. 8 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No.B‐7664, 11/05/85. 9 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. B‐14708, 01/20/89.

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sidewalk and accessible curb ramp constructed at west (rear) façade. Replace lighting.

Owner is Southern California Gas Company. Architect is Gensler.10 2009 Building reroofed (replaced with single ply roof system). Contractor is Anning Johnson Co.11
2012 Permit to install hand railing along roof for fall protection. Owner is Southern California Gas Company. Contractor is San Marino Roof.12 Observed alterations not documented in the permit record include signage changes since installation; landscaping around building changed from lawn to xeriscaping between 2019 and 2021; and mechanical equipment penthouse on roof installed sometime prior to 2008. 10 Gensler, “So. Cal. Gas Palm Springs, Payment Branch Office Remodel, Plan Check Corrections/Addendum 1,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs, 09/23/09.
11 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. C‐25168, 11/23/09. 12 City of Palm Springs Building Permit No. 2012‐1905, 08/01/12.

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4. Historic Contexts
Historic contexts or significant historical themes provide the relevant framework within which to evaluate significance of the subject property. The subject property falls under the following historic contexts, themes and subthemes as identified in the Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement (2018):

Context: Post‐World War II Palm Springs (1945‐1969)
Theme: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945‐1969) Context: Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners
Theme: Modern Styles of the Post‐World War II Era
Sub‐theme: Brutalism
Registration requirements for each theme are listed and used in Section 6, Evaluation of Significance.

Additional historic context relevant to the understanding of 211 N. Sunrise Avenue is provided below.

The subject property is part of the original Agua Caliente Reservation and is located in the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 14 T4S, R4E, SBBM. In 1876, Section 14 and a portion of Section 22 (Tahquitz Canyon) were set aside as the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, which was extended to cover the even numbered sections in three townships in 1877 and was patented by Congress in 1891. The Mission Indian Relief Act of 1891 authorized allotments from the acreage comprising the Reservation. The Reservation totaled more than 31,000 acres.

Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley are situated in the Colorado Desert and are part of the Sonoran Life Zone. The Sonoran Life Zone is characterized by the creosote brush scrub plant community (Hall and Grinnel 1919, Munz 1974; Schenherr 1992) which includes creosote bush, mesquite, brittlebush, cholla, prickly pear cacti, chuparosa, desert lavender, sage and various grasses (Bean and Saubel 1972).

Development within Section 14 began in the vicinity of the hot springs near the northwest Section corner, and was at first limited to the western half of the section. Early uses included residences, riding stables and hangers (part of Palm Springs' first airport in the 1930s). Other businesses included rooming houses, a market, a secondhand store, four cafes, a grocery store and a bakery. The first Catholic church in Palm Springs was erected in 1917 on the Reservation in Section 14, approximately

0.51 miles to the west of the Project site and changed its name to Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1948.13

4.1 Post-World War II Commercial Utilities Development in Palm Springs
The first residential subdivisions within the Palm Springs Village emerged in the early 1920s surrounding the existing village and resorts. In this time, Palm Springs transformed into an international resort spot with elaborate winter getaway homes primarily built by Los Angeles’ elite class. Much of the City’s infrastructure prior to World War II catered to tourism and support services, 13 Brief history of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians provided by ACBCI Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Lacy Padilla, July 1, 2024.

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reflecting the heavily seasonal nature of its population. With the growing population of the village in the 1920s and 30s, the demand for standardized services and utilities became readily apparent and pushed the city to incorporate in 1938.14 Prior to incorporation, utility development was haphazardly organized and largely dependent on subdivisions for underground utilities and irrigation water systems.15 Utility companies in the area during the 1930s and 1940s included the California Water and Telephone Company, the Palm Springs Water Company, Southern California Gas Company and California Electric Power Company.16 As the City’s population remained seasonal until the advent of readily‐accessible air conditioning in the 1950s, orders to resume/discontinue utility service revealed distinct population waves.17
After World War II, Palm Springs experienced a population boom much like the rest of Southern California. The City resumed annexation efforts in the late 1940s to expand its footprint and prevent encroachment from nearby cities.18 By the early 1950s, air conditioning became more and more common in the average home, turning Palm Springs into a feasible, year‐round place of residence (though seasonal population fluctuations continued as well).19 Opportunistic custom and tract home developers took advantage of newly incorporated undeveloped land to build, adding to the growing pressure on utility infrastructure.20 In 1959, a federal law was passed permitting Native American Tribes and Tribal members to offer 99‐year leases on their land; in Palm Springs’ case, this affected the development of land in Section 14 and elsewhere owned by members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Many tribal owners proceeded to develop their land near and adjacent to the city boundaries, causing the built environment to expand and eventually falling within the boundaries of the City proper. The location that would come to contain the subject property is part of Section 14, at its eastern boundary along Sunrise Way.21
From 1940 to 1960, the permanent population of Palm Springs grew 292 percent, from 3,434 to 13,468 people.22 The seasonal winter population outpaced permanent population growth, increasing pressure on the city’s public infrastructure.23 As the City relied on the seasonal population increases to sustain itself economically, the need for extensive utility development became more and more apparent. Palm Springs expanded its municipal infrastructure as quickly as it could, using commercial as well as public utility providers to do so.

4.2 The Southern California Gas Company in Postwar Palm Springs The origins of the Southern California Gas Company lie in the formation of the Los Angeles Gas Company in 1867 as the first and only gas supplier in Southern California. By 1889, more competition 14 Historic Resources Group, City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, prepared for the City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, December 2018, 142. 15 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 73. 16 “New Seasons Gets Under Way Earlier,” The Desert Sun, September 10, 1943, 1. 17 “New Seasons Gets Under Way Earlier,” 1. 18 “P.S. Township To Be Extended,” The Desert Sun, August 6, 1948, 1. 19 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 181. 20 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 185. 21 Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Status Map, April 2024 (see Appendix B). 22 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 179. 23 City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings, 179.

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emerged, and the company was purchased by two San Francisco entrepreneurs to form Los Angeles Lighting.24 The company combined its gas and electric utilities in 1904 to form Los Angeles Gas and Electric Company. In 1910, the Southern California Gas Company was formed as the main rival of Los Angeles Gas and Electric until it was acquired by Pacific Lighting in 1929.25 In 1937, Los Angeles Gas and Electric divested its privately‐held electrical rights to the City of Los Angeles to consolidate and become a sole resource provider. At this time, both affiliates of Pacific Lighting adopted the current moniker, the Southern California Gas Company. In June of 1939, the City of Palm Springs passed Ordinance 59, granting franchise to the Southern California Gas Company to distribute and sell gas in the City of Palm Springs.26
The Palm Springs area is part of Southern California Gas’s Desert District, which encompasses the Twentynine Palms‐Yucca Valley area. The Desert District is a subset of the Eastern Division, comprising greater Riverside and Imperial counties. By the 1940s, Southern California Gas started to explore infrastructure options that would ensure a consistent supply for its consumers; at the time the company was relying on sources as far away as Texas and Canada. To that end, it purchased depleted oil and gas fields in the greater Los Angeles area to utilize as underground storage fields.27 While the storage fields relieved supply and demand issues temporarily, natural gas usage hit a record high during World War II and brought up more questions of expansion and infrastructure support.28 Soon after the war, Southern California Gas pursued its most ambitious infrastructure project to date:
building the largest long‐distance gas pipeline (at the time) between 1947 and 1948. This pipeline connected gas fields in Oklahoma and Texas all the way to Southern California, ensuring a consistent supply for customers.29
Postwar, meter statistics in the Desert District showed patterns of more than doubling every decade.

In 1950, statistics reported 3,300 meters. A decade later in 1960, the district reported 18,900 meters.

By 1969, it boasted nearly 32,000 meters. These statistics alone show the exponential growth in demand for gas and consequential infrastructure and development needed to match it.30 Palm Springs was at the center, and served as the gas company headquarters for the Desert District.

Prior to the 1969 purpose‐built Sunrise Way location, and starting as early as 1959, the Palm Springs District office occupied a leased facility at 560 Indian Avenue. It hosted face‐to‐face customer service support in addition to company administration, but soon outgrew its Indian Avenue location due to a rapidly expanding customer base.31 Staff at the Palm Springs headquarters office (development of which is discussed below) doubled in the 1960s to support the growing service needs of the area, from 10 to 22.32 By 1970, the Desert District had five facilities: the Palm Springs District Headquarters office 24 Lynn Kronzek, Los Angeles, Place of Possibilities: the People and Resources That Created Los Angeles, Carlsbad: Heritage Media, 1998, 412.
25 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 413. 26 “City Council,” The Desert Sun, June 23, 1939, 1. 27 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 413. 28 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 414. 29 Kronzek, Place of Possibilities, 414. 30 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” The Desert Sun, December 29, 1969, 39. 31 “New $215,000 Gas Company Office in Palm Springs is Approved,” The Desert Sun, March 28, 1969, 8. 32 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” 39.

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(subject property), a branch office in Indio and operating bases in Cathedral City, Blythe and Hi‐ Desert.33 As of 2024, there is still a branch office located in Indio at 45123 Towne Street; it occupies a non‐purpose built, one‐story vernacular storefront building.34 In the 1970s, Southern California Gas Company continued to grow and consolidate its control over gas in Southern California and acquired Southern Counties Gas Company.35 Today, Southern California Gas Company is the “nation’s largest distributor of natural gas, serving a population of more than 12 million, over a 20,000‐square mile area.”36 SoCal Gas is one of two companies providing gas service to all of California, its coverage stretches from San Diego all the way to Fresno.

4.3 Development and Use of 211 N. Sunrise Way
Southern California Gas announced plans for a new Palm Springs district office in early 1968, in anticipation of the growth and development of its Eastern Division.37 A conditional use permit was issued in 1967 to construct the subject property on a residential zoned lot. 38 In accordance with Section 9402.00‐A of the Zoning Ordinance in 1967, public utility structures could be constructed in any zone district with approval from the Planning Commission and City Council through a conditional use permit. At the time, the parcel directly to the north of the subject property was occupied by another utility, the California Water and Telephone Company.39 The Southern California Gas Co. approved the design of the subject property and announced the coming of its new district headquarters on March 28, 1969. The architect would be Robert H. Ricciardi of Palm Desert and the builder would be Coble & Wessman of Palm Springs.40 Ground was broken for the new facility in April of 1969; the commemorative ceremony included a guestlist of local officials and upper management including the SoCal Gas district manager and Eastern Division manager, Mayor of Palm Springs and Chamber of Commerce president.41
33 “SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980,” 39.
34 Lynndee Kemmet, “Indio workers fight to keep gas company office open,” The Desert Sun, September 6, 1991, 5. 35 Chattel Architecture, Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination, prepared for the National Parks Service, 2004, 17.
36 Chattel Architecture, Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination, 17. 37 “Gas Company Slates Desert Improvements,” The Desert Sun, January 31, 1968, 5. 38 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967. 39 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967. 40 “New $215,000 Gas Company Office in Palm Springs is Approved,” 8. 41 “Groundbreaking,” The Desert Sun, April 10, 1969, 1.

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“Groundbreaking” article, Desert Sun 10 April 1969.

The new facility was built to house public contact sales staff from the previous Indian Avenue office and customer service staff previously located in Cathedral City. 42 At the time, the district served nearly
31,500 customers.43 The new building at 211 N. Sunrise Way was completed and operating by November 1969. Advertisements for its recent opening stated the “modern building keeps in step with the forward progress of Palm Springs.”44 Beyond its commercial usage, the building also had rooms available to community groups and organizations for meetings.45 42 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” The Desert Sun, March 31, 1969, 4. 43 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” 4. 44 “The Southern California Gas Company is now ready to serve you,” The Desert Sun, November 27, 1969, 33. 45 “Growth Spurs Need: New Gas Company Office Due,” 4.

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GROUNDBREAKING-City and company officic11/s were
on hand for th11 groundbruking for the new quarte.r of
" million-dollar Southern C.,lifornit1 G,s Compt1ny build. ing on Sunri$e w.,y north of Tahquih-~cC<'lllum. Oi1-
trict Manager Bob Hird sih .t i " desk where hi1 office will be while , left lo right, Generi1 I Telephone Company MMager Rt1lph Du tro, builder Warren Coble, Mayor Howard Wiefel1, Ch11mb1r of Commerce Prutdent Jim Hid,, builder John Wusm,n, E.ularn Oi,,ision Manager Lee Derrick t11nd P11 lm Desert .uchited Robert Ricc iardi ta ~a p11rt in the ceremonies. Mayor Wiefels holds the golden ,pc'lde for the first shovelful, Completion of the building i1 fMgeted for October. 211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 13
“SoCal Gas Sees a Doubling By 1980” article, Desert Sun 29 December 1969.

The Brutalist building received two awards for its design in 1971: an AIA Special Citation from the Inland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a citation as one of “eight outstanding concrete projects in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties” from the Concrete Industry Awards.46 It also was nominated for a Golden Palm Award by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce on merit of its design in 1979.47 Development around the Gas Co building continued over the next decades.

Notably, East Andreas Road at the south edge of the property was not fully paved or a through street until the early to mid‐1980s.48 The property’s southern curb cut and driveway are presumed to have been constructed at this time. In 1991, the office was under threat of closure as the Gas Company had downsized thirteen offices and was targeting 211 N. Sunrise Way alongside others in the Coachella Valley due to a decrease in face‐to‐face foot traffic.49 In 2009, the subject property underwent a comprehensive accessibility compliance remodel, designed by Gensler. Doors at the front and rear façade were replaced with compliant replacements; exterior lighting was replaced with new; an accessible ramp was constructed at the south façade connecting to the primary entrance; 24‐hour depository boxes at the east (primary) façade were removed and replaced with compliant alternatives, slightly offset from their original location; and a new sidewalk and accessible curb ramp was constructed at the west (rear façade). In 2012, handrail was installed intermittently along the roofline for fall protection as a mechanical penthouse is accessible on the roof.50 The property was still 46 “Outstanding project,” The Desert Sun, April 2, 1971, 4; “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” Palm Desert Post, September 11, 1980, 19.
47 “Golden Palm Award nominees are announced,” The Desert Sun, May 11, 1979, 37; “Institutional Nominees,” The Desert Sun, May 18, 1979, 42. 48 Palm Springs Department of Planning and Development, “Staff Report: Conditional Use Permit (Case 5.519 – Southern California Gas Co. Administration Building,” prepared for the City of Palm Springs Planning Commission, July 19, 1967; comparison of historic aerial photographs on historicaerials.com. 49 Kemmet, “Indio workers fight to keep gas company office open,” 5. 50 City of Plam Springs Building Permit No. 2012‐1905, 08/01/12.

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READY FOR NEXT DECADE - The Southe rn Calilorni• Gas CorAp•ny re - 1 c• rrtly opened and moved into ih new headquarters on Sunrise W•y. The ( $21 S,000 structure is designed to meet the firm's needs for the next five yea rs t'l nd ih projectionish e11 pect the desert d istrict to bo servi ng 65,000 mote red custom ers by I r,eo, more th.sn double th e current number.

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owned and occupied by the Southern California Gas Company in the 2010s and was sold to the current owner, Mezrahi Trust, in 2019.51

4.4 Architecture
Brutalism
Brutalism is a subset of Late Modern architecture, an iteration of Modern architecture that came of age between the mid‐1950s and the 1970s. Compared to their Mid‐Century Modern predecessors, Late Modern buildings exhibited a more sculptural quality that included bold geometric forms, uniform glass skins on concrete surfaces, and sometimes a heightened expression of structure and system. Brutalism emerged in post‐World War II England through disenchanted young architects who sought to break free from the picturesque vision of Late Modern and design in a matter that was honest and ethical.52 Named after the French béton brut, or “raw concrete,” Brutalism features exposed materials, primarily concrete, to show the human‐made construction of architecture; concrete was also a popular material after World War II due to its affordability.

The Brutalist style employs rectilinear forms, angular shapes, and geometric massing clad in a singular material, typically a heavy exposed concrete. These buildings come across as solid and monumental, fitting right into post‐war Europe. As a result, the style is often applied to commercial and institutional properties. While present in Southern California, the style is less prevalent than it is in the northeast as it is associated with colder climates.53 In its California iterations, it is most commonly found in institutional buildings during the urban renewal period from the 1950s through the 1970s.

While Brutalism is one of the less common subtypes of the Late Modern style in Palm Springs, there are a handful of notable examples, most of which are institutional (civic, institutional and religious) and date to the 1970s and early 1980s. They include the Seventh Day Adventist Church (Laszlo Sandor, 1972), the Palm Springs Library (William F. Cody, 1975), the Palm Springs Art Museum (E. Stewart Williams, 1976), and the Bank of America (now Pacific Western Bank, Donald Wexler, 1982).54 While not exactly fitting under the umbrella of Brutalism due to their stucco‐clad exteriors, many of Hugh Kaptur’s buildings share the same distinct massing and bold forms of Brutalism, coming across as a ‘cousin’ of the style. Kaptur designs in this language include Tahquitz Plaza (1974) and Musicland Hotel 51 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Historic Site Preservation Board Staff Report, prepared for the City of Palm Springs, March 5, 2024.
52 Derived from SurveyLA, “Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering, Subcontext: Los Angeles Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern,” prepared by Daniel Paul, July 2020, 26. 53 “Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering, Subcontext: Los Angeles Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern,” 28.
54 “7th Day Adventist,” The Desert Sun, June 3, 1972, 20; Lawrence Karol, “Incredible Hulks: The Coachella Valley’s version of Brutalism emerges from the shadow of midcentury modern,” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2016, accessed April 22, 2024 at https://www.palmspringslife.com/incredible‐hulks/; “Public party slated for Bank of PS opening,” The Desert Sun, March 19, 1982
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(1967).55 Robert Ricciardi’s Southern California Gas Co Building at 211 N. Sunrise Way was the only pre‐1970 Brutalist building identified in the 2018 citywide historic resources inventory.56 Common character‐defining features of Brutalism include:
 Exposed concrete structural systems
 Monumental massing and ‘’heavy” appearance
 Integration of bold, angular shapes and blockish, geometric forms  Unfinished, exposed concrete surfaces
 Articulated bases that rise above integral plazas and landscapes  Minimal ornamentation aside from incorporation of heavily textured surfaces Architect Robert Ricciardi
Robert H. Ricciardi was born in Los Angeles, California in 1935. Ricciardi earned his architectural degree at the University of California at Berkeley in 1959. 57 He worked for Welton Becket and Associates while residing in the Bay Area for his education.58 In 1959, Ricciardi relocated to Palm Desert to work as an associate to architects William F. Cody and Donald Wexler.59 He gained his architectural license in 1962 and established his own practice soon after.

Ricciardi partnered with architect Hugh Kaptur for a brief period in the mid‐1960s to design a number of civic and institutional projects including the Palm Springs Golf Course Clubhouse (1967), the Palm Springs Fire Station #3 (1964) and the Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside (1966).60 Kaptur left the partnership in 1965 and Ricciardi went back to his private practice, which was based in Palm Desert for the entirety of his career while he designed for nearby desert communities in Riverside County. In 1980, Ricciardi went into partnership with Millard Archuleta of Los Angeles to form a Palm Desert subsidiary office under the name of Millard Archuleta/Robert Ricciardi Associates, AIA.61 Archuleta was a known figure in commercial and shopping center design, having also worked for Welton Becket and Associates in the 1950s.62 The firm went on to design a number of Ricciardi’s most notable commercial and institutional projects including Desert Horizons Country Club in Indian Wells (1980), Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage (1982) and Palm Desert Town Center (1983).63 It appears the partnership dissolved in the mid‐1980s.
55 Karol, “Incredible Hulks.”
56 The Citywide Historic Resources Inventory also identified the 1975 Palm Springs Library as a notable Brutalist property, but did not evaluate it, likely due to its construction date after the survey’s 1969 cutoff. 57 Historic Resources Group, City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings Appendix A:

Biographies of Local Practitioners, prepared for the City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, December 2018, APP‐A‐40‐41.
58 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” Palm Desert Post, September 11, 1980, 19. 59 “Ricciardi Wins Post,” The Desert Sun, April 18, 1966, 1. 60 “Architect – Jaycee,” Palm Desert Post, August 18, 1966, 1. 61 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” 19. 62 “Obituaries: Millard Archuleta,” Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2010, accessed April 22, 2024 at https://www.latimes.com/socal/la‐canada‐valley‐sun/news/lvs‐obitarchuleta052710‐story.html. 63 “Obituaries: Millard Archuleta.” Item 2C - Page 34
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Ricciardi worked primarily in commercial, civic, medical and institutional architecture throughout the Coachella Valley during his long‐standing career. Perhaps reflecting his training under Welton Becket and Associates at the beginning of his career, Ricciardi’s designs are predominantly commercial; they include numerous commercial shopping centers in Palm Springs and Palm Desert with notable projects like Palm Desert’s Palms‐to‐Pines Plaza (1972) and Prickly Pear Shopping Center (1973).64 Ricciardi’s designs were known to conform to the popular regional motifs of the time, consisting of low‐scale and massing, earthen tones and materials with exaggerated overhangs.65 His Brutalist design for 211 N. Sunrise appears to be the only stylistic outlier from the earlier half of his career. Ricciardi’s work in the residential sphere is perhaps his least notable. It appears he only started taking commissions on residential development starting in the mid‐1980s in the latter half of his career.66 In his 50+ year career, Ricciardi was well‐known and an awarded architect. He received AIA awards for his designs of the Southern California Gas Company in Palm Springs (1969) and the Rancho Mirage fire station (1976).67 Ricciardi was staunchly proud to be a long term figure in the Coachella Valley, the community for which he designed. He has been quoted in local publications expressing disdain for the post‐Modern style and out of town architects coming to the area and not adapting their designs to the surrounding environment.68 Ricciardi’s identifying style reflects Palm Desert and its surrounding environment, mellow and non‐overpowering.69 Buildings by the architect often feature low‐scale massing, geometric volumes clad in stucco, wood and/or brick capped by flat tiled roofs and overhangs. The Brutalist subject property is one of the only buildings of the architect’s portfolio that steps away from this motif – though its low‐scale, geometric massing, flat roof, and rough concrete exteriors reflect some of the same characteristics.

Outside of his practice, Ricciardi was active in the community, serving as president of the Palm Desert Jaycees, board member of the Inland California Chapter of American Institute of Architects and founder of the Palm Desert Junior Chamber of Commerce.70 He also taught architecture and urban environment at the College of the Desert part‐time, starting in 1966.71 Ricciardi appears to have never retired and is still alive. His large body of work is present and notable in the Coachella Valley to this day.
64 “Palms‐to‐Pines Plaza Built in Palm Desert,” The Desert Sun, October 28, 1971, 55; “Prickly Pear Project,” Palm Desert Post, July 26, 1973, 13.
65 John Hussar, “Desert’s eclectic lifestyle glistens in architecture,” The Desert Sun, April 8, 1989, 39 and 41. 66 Nardia T. Villagran, “Custom to cookie‐cutter: Architects flourish in desert,” The Desert Sun, February 2, 2001, 63; “Sales open Saturday at newest PD resort,” The Desert Sun, June 9, 1984, 41. 67 “LA architect firm joins Ricciardi,” 19. 68 Hussar, “Desert’s eclectic lifestyle glistens in architecture,” 39 and 41. 69 “Council Oks complex plan,” The Desert Sun, August 1, 1978, 4. 70 “Ricciardi Runs for I.W. Seat,” The Desert Sun, February 12, 1970, 9. 71 “Ricciardi Runs for I.W. Seat,” 9.

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5. Regulations and Criteria for Evaluation

5.1 City of Palm Springs Historic Resources and Historic Districts The City of Palm Springs administers a local designation program in which individual properties and concentrations of properties can be designated as historic resources and historic districts. The designation of significant properties is governed by Title 8, Chapter 8.05 (Historic Preservation) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code (as amended in 2019 and 2020 ordinances) – referred to hereafter as “the Ordinance.”
The Ordinance establishes and authorizes a seven‐member Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) to issue decisions regarding applications to alter or demolish designated or potentially eligible resources and for new construction in historic districts; make recommendations to City Council regarding designation of historic resources; advise the City Council and/or Planning Commission in all matters concerning historic preservation; and educate and inform the community on historic preservation matters.72 To facilitate this process, the Ordinance establishes requirements that a property or properties must meet in order to qualify for designation as a historic resource or historic district.73
The City of Palm Springs classifies individual historic resources and potential historic resources into four different categories, as defined in Article I of the Ordinance (General Provisions)74:

Landmark/Class 1 historic resource. Any site, structure, building or object not located on Tribal Trust or Allotted Trust Land designated by resolution of the City Council as having historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance that contributes to an understanding and awareness of the community’s history. A Class 1 historic resource may include a structure, building or object on the site, or may include all or a portion of the site itself. Class 1 historic resources are eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation agreement, as determined by the City Council.

Historic Merit/Class 2 historic resource. A site, structure, building or object not located on Tribal Trust or Allotted Trust Land that does not qualify for Class 1 historic resource designation under this chapter, but is otherwise deserving of official recognition as having historic, architectural, archaeological, cultural or aesthetic significance and is designated as a Class 2 historic resource by resolution of the City Council. A Class 2 historic resource may lack some aspects of historic integrity, or may include a site where the structure, building or object of historic significance has been lost, damaged or removed. Class 2 sites on which the historic resource still exists are eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation agreement, as determined by the City Council.
72 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.030.
73 The City of Palm Springs is also a designated Certified Local Government (CLG), which is a preservation partnership between the National Park Service (NPS), the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) and local communities with a goal to create local commitments to historic preservation.
74 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.020.

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Potentially Eligible/Class 3 building. Any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource, but is identified in a City historic resources survey as eligible for designation as a historic resource. A building may be a Class 3 building regardless of the construction date or the improvements thereon. Class 3 sites are not eligible for the execution of a Mills Act historic property preservation agreement.

Class 4 building. Any building which is not a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource or a Class 3 building, and on which the building or improvements thereon were constructed before January 1, 1978, or whose age cannot be determined. The City Council shall review this date and update it as it deems appropriate through amendment to this chapter.

Class 1 and Class 2 Historic Resource Eligibility Criteria Article III of the Ordinance (Procedures for Designation of Historic Resources and Historic Districts) defines the following criteria for designating Historic Resources (Class 1 and Class 2 historic resources) in the City75:

1. Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided one or more of the following criteria in subsections “a” and “b” are met:
a. The site, structure, building or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:
i. The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; or
ii. The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; or
iii. The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history; or
iv. The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction; or
v. The resource presents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age, or that possesses high artistic value; or
vi. The resource represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction, as used in evaluated applications for designation of historic districts, for parcels on which more than one entity exists; or
vii. The resource has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state or local history or prehistory.
b. The site, structure, building or object shall be evaluated for integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association according to the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service’s National Register 75 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.070.

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Bulletin titled: “How to apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” as revised from time to time.

2. Class 2 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 2 historic resource, provided the site, structure, building or object exhibits significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed above. A Class 2 historic resource shall not be required to meet the findings for integrity as described above.

As noted above, in order for a property to qualify as a City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource, it must not only be significant under one or more of the above evaluative criteria but also retain integrity, which the National Park Service defines as “the ability of a property to convey its significance.”76
The National Register has identified seven aspects of integrity as follows; to convey historic integrity, a property will possess several, if not most, of these aspects.77 :

1. Location: the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.

2. Design: the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.

3. Setting: the physical environment of a historic property.

4. Materials: the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.

5. Workmanship: the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory.

6. Feeling: a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.

7. Association: the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.

Class 3 and Class 4 Buildings
As noted above, the City of Palm Springs defines Class 3 buildings as those previously identified as eligible in a historic resources survey, and Class 4 buildings as those that are not Class 1 or Class 2 historic resources or a Class 3 building, but were constructed before January 1, 1978 or whose age cannot be determined. The Ordinance does not provide separate eligibility criteria for Class 3 and 76 National Park Service, National Register Bulletin #15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria For Evaluation (Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Interior, 1990), 44.
77 National Park Service, National Register Bulletin #15, 44.

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Class 4 buildings, but notes any Class 3 or 4 building may be designated as a Class 1 or Class 2 historic resource if they meet the Class 1 or Class 2 eligibility criteria as listed above.78 78 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05.080.

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6. Evaluation of Significance

6.1 Previous Surveys and Designations
The Palm Springs citywide historic context statement and historic resources survey identified 211 N.

Sunrise Way as an eligible resource, assigning status code 5S3 (appears eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation) in 2018. The Citywide Historic Resources Inventory states the property is significant “as an example of post‐world War II institutional development, and as an example of Brutalist architecture in Palm Springs.”79 It was the only pre‐1970 Brutalist building identified (and one of only two Brutalist buildings listed in the inventory, the other being the 1975 Palm Springs Library, to which a status code was not assigned).

6.2 Contexts, Themes, and Registration Requirements
The subject property is evaluated using the following registration requirements for the two relevant themes as defined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945‐1969) and Modern Styles of the Post‐World War II Era: Brutalism.

Context: Post‐World War II Palm Springs (1945‐1969)
Theme: Post World War II Civic and Institutional Development (1945‐1969) Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme, a property must:
 Date from the period of significance; and
 Reflect important civic or institutional development from the period; or  Represent an excellent example of an architectural style or property type; and  Display most of the character‐defining features of the property type or style; and
 Retain the essential aspects of historic integrity.

Context: Architectural Styles & Local Practitioners
Theme: Modern styles of the post‐World War II era
Sub‐theme: Brutalism
Registration Requirements: To be eligible under this theme as an excellent example of its architectural style, a property must:
 Retain most – though not necessarily all – of the character‐defining features of the style, and continue to exhibit its historic appearance  If important for illustrating a particular architectural style or construction technique, must retain most of the physical features that constitute that style or technique.80
79 City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services, Citywide Historic Resource Inventory – Eligible, January 5, 2023, accessed April 2024 at https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/638088476736030000. 80 Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement 2018, 300.

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6.3 City of Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource
As outlined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement, a civic or institutional property from this period may be eligible for historic designation under one or more of the following criteria:81 CRITERIA REASON
A/1/iii (Pattern of Development/Period) As an excellent example of civic or institutional development from this period, representing the
significant growth in Palm Springs following
World War II.

C/3/iv, v (Architecture) As an excellent or rare example of an architectural style from the period, or as the
work of a master builder, designer, artist, or
architect. Additional information about
architectural styles from each period and their
associated character‐defining features are
outlined in the Architectural Styles section.

The subject property is evaluated against City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility criteria, including an assessment of integrity, as follows:

This property appears eligible for local designation under City of Palm Springs Class 1 Criteria iii and v, exhibits exceptional historic significance, and retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance.82 Its period of significance is 1969, corresponding with its construction date. Evaluation under each of the City’s seven eligibility criteria and an integrity assessment follow.

Criterion i: It is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community.

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is not associated with a singular event that has made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community. Research did not indicate that any significant events occurred at the subject property, nor did it reveal that the property’s construction occurred as a result of any one event; rather, the subject property reflects Post‐World War II civic and institutional development patterns as utilities infrastructure expanded to meet the needs of the growing population. ARG does not find the subject property eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion i.

Criterion ii: It is associated with lives of persons who made meaningful contributions to national, state or local history.
81 A discrepancy currently exists between the criteria applicability groupings as noted in the 2018 HCS and as used by the City. Per email communication from the City Department of Planning Services June 17, 2024, the current City interpretation for Criteria iii and iv is that an architectural style is considered a trend or pattern of development and is evaluated using Criterion iii. Criterion iv is evaluated under the topic of architecture looking specifically at construction type, period and methods.
82 ARG’s evaluation of the subject property under City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility criteria follows the current City interpretation of Criteria iii and iv as above.

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The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way does not appear to be associated with persons who have made meaningful contributions to national, state or local history. While the original and long‐time occupant was the Southern California Gas Company, it does not appear that there were any persons associated with the property that would rise to the level of significant within the context of national, state, or local history. The property does not appear eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion ii.

Criterion iii: It reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history.

The 1969 building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is the first and only building purpose‐built by the Southern California Gas Company to be its headquarters in Palm Springs. The 1950s‐1970s were a crucial period in the development of Palm Springs, reflecting the postwar boom of growth and development and the accompanying infrastructure built to support it. With the Gas Company seeing doubling in its customer base by the decade immediately after the war, the need for a new established district headquarters was obvious. This building served as a public face for the company in Palm Springs and was used as a meeting space for various community groups.

The subject property is also an excellent example of small‐scale Brutalist commercial/institutional architecture, a style present (though examples were never very numerous) in Palm Springs during its postwar development, seen in civic and institutional buildings throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It is easily recognizable as a Brutalist building and retains a majority of its original design, materials, and workmanship. The Gas Company building received an award in 1971 specifically commending its concrete construction. It embodies the Brutalist style through features such as bold geometric volumes; exposed, cast‐in‐place, roughly textured concrete surfaces; and a flat roof. The building has experienced some visible alterations, including door replacements, signage changes (integral base unaltered) and the addition of an accessibility ramp at the south facade. However, the original design is still clearly legible. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a Brutalist building, and is a rare and early example in Palm Springs – it was the only pre‐1970 Brutalist building identified in the citywide historic resources survey, and thus appears to be the only extant and significant example from the 1960s.

As the property is associated with historic patterns of civic and institutional development in Palm Springs in the postwar period and is an excellent example of the Brutalist architectural style popular in the late 1960s‐early 1970s, it appears eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion iii.

Criterion iv: It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.

Although the property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is an excellent example of small‐scale Brutalist commercial/institutional architecture dating to the postwar period as discussed above, it does not embody a singularly significant type, period, or method of construction. Its cast‐in‐place concrete walls are a characteristic of the Brutalist architectural style, but this construction method is not restricted to Brutalist buildings, to a specific property type, or to a narrowly defined time period. As a result, 211 N. Sunrise Way does not appear eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion iv.

Item 2C - Page 42
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 24
Criterion v: It represents the work of a master builder, designer, artist, or architect whose individual genius influenced his age; or it possesses high artistic value. 211 N. Sunrise Way was designed by notable and prolific Palm Desert architect Robert H. Ricciardi and was one of his early commissions. Ricciardi is well known for his work in the Coachella Valley, designing for the environment in which his buildings resided. His distinctive designs, using natural material and tones with low‐lying massing, blended into the landscape to create a cohesive visual language. Ricciardi’s design for 211 N. Sunrise Way stands out from the rest of his body of work due to its Brutalist idiom, but reflects many of the same characteristics, including low scale, blocky geometric massing, flat roofline, and masonry cladding. While Ricciardi’s work has not been recognized or published to the extent of some of his ‘master architect’ contemporaries, many of his designs (including the subject property) received awards on merits of their design. The lack of recognition for Ricciardi’s body of work is likely due to the relatively late period in which it took place; the majority of his designs date to the 1970s and 1980s, a period which has not yet received much attention for its architectural innovations (especially compared to the 1950s‐60s Mid‐Century Modernism for which Palm Springs is renowned). Based on research and analysis into the architect and his body of work, the property at 211 N. Sunrise Way appears eligible under City of Palm Springs Criterion v.

Criterion vi: It represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.

As 211 N. Sunrise Way is not a district or part of a district, it does not represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. Therefore, it is not eligible as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criterion vi.

Criterion vii: It has yielded or may be likely to yield information important to national, state, or local history or prehistory.

As an archaeological assessment was not conducted as part of this study, 211 N. Sunrise Way is left unevaluated under Criterion vii.

Integrity Assessment
As outlined in the 2018 Historic Context Statement, each type of property depends on certain aspects of integrity to express its historic significance. Determining which of the aspects is most important to a particular property type requires an understanding of the property’s significance and its essential physical features. The rarity of the property type should also be considered when assessing its physical integrity. In order to be eligible for listing at the federal ,state, or local levels, a property must retain sufficient integrity to convey its historic significance under this theme.

Item 2C - Page 43
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 25
CRITERIA REQUIRED ASPECTS OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY
A/1/iii (Pattern of Development/Period) A property that is significant for its historic association is eligible if it retains the essential
physical features that made up its character or
appearance during the period of its association
with the important event, historic pattern, or
person(s). A civic or institutional property from
this period eligible under Criteria A/1/iii should
retain integrity of location, design, materials,
feeling, and association, at a minimum, in order
to reflect the important association with the
city’s civic and institutional development during
this period.

C/3/iv, v (Architecture) A property important for illustrating a particular property type, architectural style or construction
technique; or that represents the work of a
master must retain most of the physical features
that constitute that type, style, or technique. A
civic or institutional property significant under
Criterion C/3/iv, v (Architecture) should retain
integrity of design, workmanship, materials, and
feeling at a minimum, in order to be eligible for
its architectural merit. A property that has lost
some historic materials or details can be eligible
if it retains the majority of the features that
illustrate its style in terms of the massing, spatial
relationships, proportion, pattern of windows
and doors, texture of materials, and
ornamentation. The property is not eligible,
however, if it retains some basic features
conveying massing but has lost the majority of
the features that once characterized its style.

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way retains sufficient integrity to convey its historical significance, as detailed in the following evaluation under each of the seven aspects of integrity.

Location: The place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.

The subject property remains at its original location and retains this element of integrity.

Design: The combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way has experienced some alterations, including replacement doors, signage changes (base unaltered) and an accessibility ramp at the south facade. Despite these alterations, the form, plan, space, structure, and style of the property is still clearly legible, largely Item 2C - Page 44
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 26
because the alterations minimally impact the primary façade and reflect the use of in‐kind materials.

The property is easily recognizable as a Brutalist institutional building from the 1960s, with its original layout and design intact. As a result, it retains integrity of design.

Setting: The physical environment of a historic property.

At the time of its construction in 1969, the commercial/institutional property at 211 N. Sunrise Way was among a handful of buildings in a largely undeveloped area; one rare neighbor was the 1962 California Water and Telephone Company building occupying the parcel to the north, suggesting an early and continuing occupation of the area by utilities companies. Today the subject property is surrounded by commercial, residential, and institutional properties reflecting a wide range of construction dates and development eras. A condominium complex infilling the rest of the city block to the west was constructed approximately fifteen years after the subject property. Some undeveloped parcels remain. Due to the gradual infill of most of the surrounding blocks over the past fifty years, the subject property has lost integrity of setting.

Materials: The physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way was built primarily of cast‐in‐place textured concrete, a material used heavily in the Brutalist idiom due to its economic value and direct nature; all textured concrete elements remain, as does metal fenestration and the steel canopy over the primary entry. Although the primary doors have been replaced, they were replaced in‐kind (fully glazed metal for fully glazed metal). As a result, the property retains integrity of materials.

Workmanship: The physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory… [expressed through] both technological practices and aesthetic principles.

The original workmanship of 211 N. Sunrise Way is evident through its intact exterior features, including exposed cast‐in‐place textured concrete walls, metal‐framed floor‐to ceiling windows and a cantilevered steel canopy. It retains integrity of workmanship.

Feeling: A property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.

The property clearly expresses the aesthetic and historic sense of commercial‐institutional development in Palm Springs during the 1960s and 1970s, a time during which the City was ramping up infrastructure development to accommodate its growing population. The Brutalist idiom is also a sign of the shifting architectural language of the Late Modern style at the time, which had a strong footing in Palm Springs. The subject property retains integrity of feeling.

Association: The direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property type.

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way was used as headquarters for the Southern California Gas Company between 1969 and the 2010s, and is easily recognizable as a late 1960s‐early 1970s commercial/institutional building. It continues to reflect its association with 1960s‐1970s institutional development in Palm Springs. The building’s Brutalist style also reflects its association with this Item 2C - Page 45
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 27
pattern and period of institutional development, and to a certain extent its association with its architect. Richard Ricciardi’s design for 211 N. Sunrise Way is an unusual example of his work due to its strict adherence to the Brutalist idiom, but reflects the general characteristics of his Coachella Valley‐responsive design aesthetic: low scale, blocky geometric massing, natural materials, and masonry cladding. As the property retains its original appearance, retains integrity of location and design, and is clearly recognizable as a product of its time, place, and designer, its integrity of association remains intact.

Summary of Eligibility
In summary, the subject property appears individually eligible for listing as a Class 1 historic resource under City of Palm Springs Criteria iii and v, with a 1969 period of significance. As it retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, the resource retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance. The property continues to convey its historical significance, association with patterns of development, and Brutalist design by architect Robert Ricciardi.

6.4 Character-Defining Features
ARG recommends the following as character‐defining features of 211 N. Sunrise Way:
 Location at northwest corner of N. Sunrise Way and E. Andreas Road  Orientation of primary façade east toward N. Sunrise Way  Low (one‐story) scale
 Irregular plan with courtyard space at the west façade  Blocky geometric massing, with asymmetrical primary façade  Flat roof with flat parapet
 Cast‐in‐place concrete walls with textured broken edge detail along the vertical grooves  Primary entry fronted by wide, open concrete patio with broad concrete entry steps  Recessed primary entry with floor to ceiling glazed entry assembly with fully glazed metal double doors
 Cantilevered steel entry canopy with wood slat underside and open steel frame extension to south
 Recessed and narrow floor‐to‐ceiling metal windows with solar‐tinted glazing  Integrated concrete planters along the east and south facades  Integrated concrete box sign base at east façade
 Five free‐standing original light fixtures located at one of the east façade planters The following elements do not contribute to the property’s significance:
 Walkway and accessible curb ramp at the west façade and accessibility ramp and railings on the south facade
 Fall protection hand railings along the roof
 Mechanical equipment penthouse with corrugated metal screening on the roof Item 2C - Page 46
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 28

7. Conclusion
Documentary and archival research, site analysis, the development of historic contexts, and evaluations against local eligibility criteria indicate that the subject property at 211 N. Sunrise Way meets City of Palm Springs Class 1 eligibility Criteria iii and v. As the property also retains sufficient integrity to convey its significance, it appears eligible for listing as a Class 1 historic resource.

Item 2C - Page 47
211 N. Sunrise Way, Historic Resources Report July 8, 2024 ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES GROUP 29

8. Bibliography
City of Palm Springs Department of Planning Services. “Citywide Historic Resource Inventory – Eligible.” January 5, 2023. Accessed April 16, 2024 at
https://www.palmspringsca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/64260/63808847673603000 0 City of Palm Springs Municipal Code, 8.05– Historic Preservation.

Chattel Architecture. Southern California Gas Co. Complex National Register Nomination. Prepared for the National Parks Service, 2004.

The Desert Sun, various dates.

The Desert Sentinel, various dates.

The Hi‐Desert Star, various dates.

Historic Resources Group. City of Palm Springs Citywide Historic Context Statement & Survey Findings.

Prepared for the City of Palm Springs: Department of Planning Services, December 2018.

Karol, Lawrence. “Incredible Hulks: The Coachella Valley’s version of Brutalism emerges from the shadow of midcentury modern.” Palm Springs Life, October 1, 2016. Accessed April 22, 2024 at https://www.palmspringslife.com/incredible‐hulks/.

Kronzek, Lynn. Los Angeles, place of possibilities: the people and resources that created Los Angeles.

Carlsbad: Heritage Media, 1998.

The Los Angeles Times, various dates.

National Park Service. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1990, rev. 1991.

SurveyLA. Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Architecture and Engineering, Subcontext: Los Angeles Modernism, Theme: Late‐Modern. Prepared by Daniel Paul, July 2020.

The Palm Desert Post, various dates.

Palm Springs Historical Society. Various collections.

The San Bernardino County Sun, various dates.

Item 2C - Page 48

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ATTACHMENT D
Item 2C - Page 52
Item 2C - Page 53
RESOLUTION NO. HSPB #158

A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION

BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA,

RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DESIGNATE
THE GAS COMPANY BUILDING LOCATED AT 211 NORTH
SUNRISE WAY, A CLASS 1 HISTORIC SITE, (HSPB #158),
APN #508-070-016.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD ("HSPB") FINDS AND DETERMINES AS FOLLOWS: A. WHEREAS, Chapter 8.05 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code allows for the designation of historic sites and districts; and
B. WHEREAS, The City of Palm Springs filed an application pursuant to Article Ill, Section 8.05.070 (Procedure and Criteria for Designation of Historic Resources) of the Palm Springs Municipal Code requesting historic resources designation for "The Gas Company Building" located at 211 N. Sunrise Way. The application included a historic resources report ("the report").

C. WHEREAS, on March 1, 2024, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource, accompanied by City staff; and
D. WHEREAS, on March 5, 2024, the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) reviewed an application proposing alterations to a Class 3 Site. At the meeting the HSPB voted unanimously to impose a 120-day stay of alteration, and direct staff to initiate an application for possible historic resource designation of the site; and E. WHEREAS, on July 2, 2024, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board ("HSPB") to consider Case HSPB #158 was held in accordance with applicable law; and
F. WHEREAS, The HSPB carefully reviewed and considered all of the evidence presented in connection with the hearing on the project, including, but not limited to, the staff report and all written and oral testimony presented.

THE HISTORIC SITE PRESERVATION BOARD OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS RESOLVES:

SECTION 1: FINDINGS - PART "1 ", CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC RESOURCES.

Evaluation of the Application. Pursuant to Municipal Code Section 8.05.070 (C, 1,a), the HSPB shall evaluate the application and make findings in conformance with the following criteria:

Item 2C - Page 54
Resolution No. HSPB #158 - The Gas Company Building

Page 2 of 6 ends

July 2, 2024

1. Criteria for the Designation of Class 1 Historic Resources. A site, structure, building or object may be designated as a Class 1 historic resource, provided both of the following findings ("a" and "b'J are met:
a. The site, structure, building, or object exhibits exceptional historic significance and meets one or more of the criteria listed below:

The property at 211 N. Sunrise Way is a significant and rare example of Brutalist architecture as a civic building in the period following World War II in Palm Springs. The building was recognized by the design community for its significance following its completion and has maintained its design and material integrity over the years. As one of Robert H. Ricciardi's important works, the historic significance of the Gas Company Building is apparent. The following is a detailed analysis of the criterion and integrity findings.
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state or community; While the opening of this facility is an important indicator of the city's transformation, no singular event of significance was directly associated with this site. The site does not qualify under Criterion i.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history; The Gas Company Building was a quasi-public building that provided services to the community. The report did not uncover an individual of significance being associated to the site; therefore, Criterion ii is not met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state or local history;
The construction of the Southern California Gas Company Building signaled the demand for public services and the empirical evidence that the city was experiencing growth during this time. The building features bold forms, sculptural articulation, exposed cast-in-place concrete cladding, and the integration of raised plazas. Based on these characteristics, the building at 211 N. Sunrise Way is considered a Brutalist building. Although this style of architecture is somewhat of an anomaly in Palm Springs since most of the new construction was considered Mid-century Modern, the rise of Brutalist design, especially for civic and institutional buildings, was on the rise in other cities. This means this structure is a reflection of the period at a national and state level and a rare example of this type of architecture at the local level. The property qualifies under Criterion iii. (Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;
Item 2C - Page 55
Resolution No. HSPB #158 - The Gas Company Building

Page 3 of 6 ends

Palm Springs City CouncilJuly 25, 2024

Palm Springs City Council
July 25, 2024