ATTACHMENT B
(Draft Resolution)
RESOLUTION NO._____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE EDMUND
GOULDING RESIDENCE, LOCATED AT 1752 RIDGE ROAD, AS A
CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE HSPB #1 71,
SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 513-352-002).
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 owner, Lucien Wolff, submitted an application seeking historic site designation of the Edmund Goulding Residence located at 1752 Ridge Road; and
C. WHEREAS, on February 2, 2026, members of the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) and City staff conducted site inspections of the proposed historic resource; and
D. WHEREAS, on February 3, 2026, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #17 1 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 6-0 to recommend that the Council designate The Edmund Goulding Residence a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and
F. WHEREAS, on March 25, 2026, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #171 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:
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
1752 Ridge Road is a single- family residential property located in the Mesa subdivision. The primary residence, guest house and associated landscape features were built on this hillside lot with corresponding changes to the site grading. After completion, little to no changes were made to the site. The following is an analysis of the criteria and integrity findings to determine if the site meets the qualifications for historic site designation.
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community;
Following the completion of the compound by Goulding, the site was known as the “Little White House” where Hollywood stars and prominent members of European nobility would stay and hold events. The report provided detailed information on social events host ed on the premises, but these isolated events alone would not qualify for this criterion. As one of the earliest examples of a site utilized as a destination for the LGBTQ+ community contributes to setting a pattern of events that now defines Palm Springs as a cultural destination for the LGBTQ+ community. Based on this pattern of events, Criterion i is met.
(Criterion ii) The resource is associated with the lives of persons who made a meaningful contribution to national, state or local history;
The site became a retreat for prominent Hollywood figures, but the most prominent individual directly associated with this resource is the screenwriter and director Edmund Goulding. In 1934, Goulding rented the Fulford house and then purchased the home in 1936 and immediately began constructing the rest of the residential compound. When the property was under his ownership, he was at the height of his career in Hollywood, directing several major films and working with Oscar nominated actors. (See report for more details on his major contributions.) Goulding’s contributions as a director are recognized as meaningful contributions to the entertainment industry from the 1920s to the 1940s. This Criterion is met.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
The property was developed during a period identified as between the Wars when Palm Springs was shifting into a tourism -based economy. The layout of the residential tracts and the design of the buildings were a result of new marketing strategies that responded to the times.
Developers identified Spanish Colonial Revival as the style of architecture for the desert climate, and new structures were to be integrated with the desert landscape. Terra cotta roof tiles, wooden windows rafter tails, asymmetrical bui lding mass and simple material palettes were all part of the design aesthetic. In addition to the planning and architectural changes, there were cultural shifts that became associated with specific sites like 1725 Ridge Road. As a discreet retreat for LGBTQ+ figures in Hollywood during the 1930s, the Goulding Estate contributed to Palm Springs’ early identity as a destination of privacy and refuge for the LGBTQ+ community.
Criterion iii is met.
(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction;
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
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). The structures on the site were constructed usi ng conventional methods of construction and materials that were available. The terracing of the site to create a flat surface for the base of the home required additional engineering but it does not appear that new advancements in technology or materials were used to achieve this task. Criterion iv is not met.
(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;
As the original developer of the Mesa tract, Edmond Fulford is locally recognized as an early pioneer of Palm Springs whose vision for residential development played a significant role in attracting elite residents to the city. His understanding and desire to preserve the natural desert beauty was applied directly to how parcels were organized and roadways were designed.
The architect or designer of the structures at 1752 Ridge Road was not disclosed but the report identified Paul H. Avery as the landscape designer for the site. Avery is also given credit for the biomorphic swimming pool, the waterfall feature, and the stone terrace system. While his design achievements on the site are quite remarkable, more information about his other works would be necessary to assess his individual influence and genius to meet this criterion.
Tom Douglas was hired by Goulding to design and decorate the guest cottages and is given credit for designing the V -shaped pool pavilion at the base of the property. His reputation as a renown interior designer is affirmed by his distinguished clientele and the wide publication of his work in numerous magazines and articles.
Fulford and Douglas’ influence is reflected in the design of the buildings and the site, therefore, Criterion v for historic significance 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.
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 Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
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 primary home and the guest house are in their original locations on the lot; therefore, the integrity of location is met.
2. Design:
The Edmund Goulding Residence at 1725 Ridge Road is a hillside lot with steep grades. The primary home and guest house were constructed by the original developer in 1928 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. At the street level, both buildings have the appearance of a one- story structure. The primary façade of the main house has an asymmetrical elevation with two projecting gable ends and an attached carport at the far south end of the home. The front elevation of the guest house has a shed roof and small porch overhang that faces the street.
Both structures have concrete brick walls that are painted white and terra cotta roof tiles. The rear elevation shows the true scale of the buildings as a two- story structure with recessed covered patios and projecting balconies that are oriented to capture the sweeping views. The fenestration on each structure is simple, and the openings are symmetrical and framed with wood. The gable ends of the main house are clearly visible and the pool and pavilion are located at the lowest point of the property. The site has been landscaped with desert appropriate plantings, and the complex stone terraced garden integrates circulation paths that follows the natural grade of the site from the buildings to the pool area.
The mass, scale, and materials of the buildings have not changed from the original design, and the landscape features appear original. The pool has a unique shape and pool pavilion is nested in the naturals features of the site. Based on the information pr ovided, the integrity of design remains extant.
3. Setting:
The hillside setting of the development and the sweeping views to the east are largely preserved due to the natural conditions of the site. Residential infill development in the surrounding areas no longer ascribe to a uniform style of architecture but the overall
features of the natural setting remain intact. The base of the structures, particularly the main home, meets the flat grade at the top of the terraced garden system. The location of all built structures, including the swimming pool and the pool pavilion, r emain in their original setting.
The integrity of setting is intact.
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
4. Materials:
Although some of the stones in the terraced garden need to be repaired, the walls retain the grade, as designed. The walls of the buildings are hollow block concrete bricks painted white, and wood framed windows and balcony details are seen throughout. The roof is covered with terra cotta barrel tiles that give the buildings a cohesive look. Most of the materials seen on site appear to be original to the home. The integrity of materials is met.
5. Workmanship:
As intended by Fulford, all of the homes in the Mesa were intended to be custom -built in the Spanish Colonial Style with the highest standards for workmanship. While the deferred maintenance on site shows areas where repairs and replacement of material may be necessary, the level of decorative detail found on the balconies and rafters shows a high level of workmanship and craft. The integrity of workmanship remains intact.
6. Feeling:
The surrounding context remains a residential neighborhood within the desert hillside. With only minimal alterations to the buildings and the overall site, the property continues to exhibit the defining characteristic of the Spanish Colonial Revival style and the terraced retaining walls that follow the natural contours of the site. The integrity of feeing is preserved.
7. Association:
The modest street -view of the buildings appear utilitarian, but the materials and form of the buildings and the landscape design all reflect the uniqueness of the 1920s and 1930s. The integrity of association with the period is retained.
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:
Primary Residence Architecture
• Construction Materials: Hollow block, concrete brick, painted white, with whitewashed red terra cotta barrel tile roof, also painted white.
• Asymmetrical Composition: Three- dimensional facade with central recessed volume flanked by two forward-projecting gabled brick volumes
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
• Distinctive Window Treatment: Original wooden casement windows and French doors painted in signature light turquoise color
• Dramatic Rear Elevation: Two- story canyon-facing facade with covered patio featuring deep overhang and distinctive wooden posts with horizontal notched capitals • Indoor-Outdoor Integration: Large arched picture window and multiple French doors connecting interior spaces to covered patio and views
• Rustic Detailing: Tapered wooden handrail supports with decorative waists and small notches, open rafter ceiling construction
• Massive Brick Fireplace: Arched opening that creates axial relationship with the picture window across living room
• Spatial Organization: Open-plan living room with gabled beam ceiling, connected dining room, and bedroom wing arrangement taking advantage of sloping site
Guest House Architecture
• Consistent Material Palette: Same hollow block concrete brick construction and whitewashed tile roof as main residence
• Restrained Street Facade: Simple tripartite composition with central door flanked by wooden casement windows
• Two-Story Canyon Elevation: Substantial second- floor balcony with three tall wooden posts creating colonnade effect
• Structural Expression: Distinctive "Y"-shaped angled supports for balcony floor as original design elements
• Connecting Elements: Hollow block concrete brick wall with arched opening linking guest house to main residence
Landscape Design
• Biomorphic Swimming Pool: One of the first naturalistic pools designed to resemble a pond, with giant weathered granite boulders integrated into coping • Hardscape Materials: Pool deck paved with irregular Arizona sandstone, deep coppery brown tile scum gutter coordinating with granite
• Pool Pavilion: Flattened "V"-shaped structure with four wooden posts, open beam ceiling, and central fireplace with splaying brick walls
• Terraced Garden System: Series of granite boulder retaining walls creating flat areas cascading down hillside
• Varied Paving Hierarchy: Terra cotta Mission tile patio nearest house, Arizona sandstone with grass panels below, sandstone steps throughout terracing • Water Feature System: Originally included bridge traversing canyon with waterfall flowing to swimming pool below
• Specimen Olive Trees: Large multi -trunk olive trees strategically placed for shade and "instant effect," including original tree north of guest house • Mediterranean Plant Palette: Italian cypress row along carport, star jasmine groundcover around pool area
• Unifying Oleander Masses: Extensive white oleander plantings throughout the property and terraced slopes
• Oasis Effect: Strategic placement of palm trees and flowering shrubs on rocky mountain slopes adjacent to structures
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
• Integrated Grass Panels: Areas for lounging and recreation
Planning and Privacy Features
• Gated Estate: Formidable brick pillars at two Ridge Road entrances with gates ensuring complete privacy
• Natural Topography Integration: Buildings and terracing following natural desert contours rather than imposing geometric patterns
• Strategic Siting: Northernmost corner of Palm Canyon Mesa, providing commanding desert valley views with natural canyon protection
Non-contributing elements:
• Funicular added in the early 1960s
• Array of solar panels on the roof
• Ground-mounted mechanical equipment
• Curving pony walls along the street-facing façade of the buildings • Extended roof overhang above the street-facing entrance to the main home
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.
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 Edmund Goulding Residence located at 1752 Ridge Road, a Class 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #171).
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF MARCH, 2026.
SCOTT STILES
CITY MANAGER
ATTEST:
BRENDA PREE, MMC
CITY CLERK
Resolution No.____
March 25, 2026
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