ATTACHMENT B
(Draft Resolution)
RESOLUTION NO._____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE FIRST CHURCH OF
CHRIST SCIENTIST , LOCATED AT 605 SOUTH RIVERSIDE
DRIVE, AS A CLASS 1 (LANDMARK) HISTORIC RESOURCE
HSPB #170, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS (APN 508-191-030).
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, DEZART PERFORMS, submitted an application seeking historic site designation of the First Church of Christ Scientist located at 605 S. Riverside Drive; and
C. WHEREAS, on March 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 March 3, 2026, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board to consider Case HSPB #17 0 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 4-0 to recommend that the Council designate First Church of Christ Scientist a Class 1 (Landmark) historic resource; and
F. WHEREAS, on April 22, 2026, a noticed public hearing of the Palm Springs City Council to consider Case HSPB #170 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.____
April 22, 2026
605 S. Riverside Drive is a curved corner site with the building surrounded by desert landscaping to the north and parking wrapping around the east, south, and west sides of the building. The property is adjacent to multi-family residential buildings and small hotels, with the Tahquitz Creek Channel watercourse area located immediately north of the site. The following is an analysis of the criterion and integrity findings for historic designation.
(Criterion i) The resource is associated with events that have made a meaningful contribution to the nation, state, or community;
No information was found in the report indicating any significant events occurred on 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;
Based on the report and chain of title, the site remained under church ownership until 2024. The new owner, Dezart Performs, intends to operate the site as a performance venue and community space. While both owners demonstrate meaningful uses for the community, the research does not support Criterion ii.
(Criterion iii) The resource reflects or exemplifies a particular period of national, state, or local history;
During the Post -war period between 1945- 1969, the city was experiencing unprecedented growth reflected in the number of new residential subdivisions and commercial developments built during this time. The First Church of Christ Scientist, classified as institutional development, was one of several religious buildings constructed during this period to meet the needs of the growing population.
The selection of utilitarian building materials, simple forms, and a design that responds to the desert environment are all important characteristics that embody the Mid- century Modern initiative. Locally identified as Desert Modernism, the use of deep overhangs, clerestory windows, concrete blocks and aluminum-framed fenestration resulted in a simple yet responsive design that clearly exemplified the movement. This architectural style was adopted for many civic buildings. Other distinctive characteristics include unadorned exterior surfaces, concrete block wall construction, and compositions with oblique angles instead of a strict grid layout.
As an example of an institutional building demonstrating the local development patterns and its strong association with the Desert Modernist movement, Criterion iii is met.
(Criterion iv) The resource embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction;
Palm Springs evaluates criterion iv as a distinctive characteristic associated with construction type, construction period, and construction methods. The construction of the church appears to utilize conventional methods and materials. Criterion iv is not met.
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April 22, 2026
(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 architectural firm Clark, Frey & Chambers is credited for designing the First Church of Christ Scientist building, but the report and the National Register nomination further clarifies that this building was designed as a collaborative effort between Albert Frey and Robson Chambers. The later additions are attributed to Frey and many design elements support this association. After training in Europe under Le Corbusier, Frey moved to the United States and practiced architecture in the Coachella Valley for sixty years. He adapted Modernist principles to respond to the desert environment and is considered one of the of the main contributors to the Palm Spring School and Desert Modernism. Frey’s work in Palm Springs extends from civic projects to single-family residential homes. The First Church of Christ Scientist is a rare example of a religious property he designed that fully embodies Desert Modernism ideals.
By 1956, Robson Chambers became a partner at the firm and was involved in many influential projects like the Palm Springs City Hall building. Although it is difficult to determine the level of contribution Chambers made to the design of 605 S. Riverside Dr ive, reports confirm he was actively involved in the process.
Both architects are valued for their individual genius and the building itself possesses high artistic value. 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.
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:
Resolution No.____
April 22, 2026
1. Location:
The building’s location has not changed from the original design; therefore, the integrity of location is met.
2. Design:
The design emphasizes utilitarian aesthetics, simple forms, and durable building materials. The primary entrance is positioned where the street curves on the north side, and concrete sidewalks lead up to the elevated open space in front of the main doors. This space is hardscaped with concrete pavers and elevated on top of an area created by gravel -filled retaining walls. A deep roof overhang supported on thin metal poles covers the north- facing glazing. The repeating patterns of the floor-to-ceiling fenestration on this elevation is a character-defining feature. The shed roof over the main auditorium slopes southward and clerestory windows are located on the east elevation to bring light into that space. On the east elevation, there is a terrarium screened by a concrete block wall with decorative horizontal openings. The later additions designed by Frey have flat roofs and continue the use of stucco and terra cotta colored concrete blocks in a stack bond pattern. The transition between building materials shows clean lines and helps accentuate the articulation of the building. Lastly, vehicular circulation enters the site from the street along the east side and proceeds toward the southern exit, which reconnects back to the street. There are also head-in parking spaces located along a portion of the west elevation. The site plan clearly anticipated vehicular travel to the site, but a strong pedestrian experience was created around the north entrance. The overall aesthetic and the use of conventional materials like concrete blocks and aluminum-framed fenestration to create visual interest is a design trait indicative of Frey. The integrity of the original design is intact.
3. Setting:
The setting surrounding the site has evolved over time. The open space to the west has since been infilled with residential development; however, the curved street pattern, the watercourse, and the small hotels and multi-family buildings immediately to the east and south remain intact.
4. Materials:
The building materials selected to construct this building are durable to withstand the hot and arid climate and create a utilitarian appearance. The walls are finished in stucco or sandblasted concrete blocks stacked in a bond pattern, and the windows are aluminum-framed where some areas extend from the floor to the ceiling. Slender steel posts support the deep overhangs above the primary entrance, and the concrete blocks are used as screening material on certain elevations. The integrity of materials remains extant.
5. Workmanship:
The addition of roof -mounted mechanical equipment, screening, and surface- mounted conduit detracts from the simplicity of the design in areas; however, most of the building largely retains its integrity of workmanship. Its oblique angles and clean transiti ons between exterior building materials continue to reflect a high level of workmanship and attention to detail.
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April 22, 2026
6. Feeling:
The historic character of the property remains intact because the design and material integrity of the site remains in good condition with little to no deviations to the mass and scale of the building.
7. Association:
The site’s association to Desert Modern as an institutional building from the 1950s is apparent due to the maintained integrity of the original design. Architectural features like the concrete blocks, aluminum clad fenestration and deep overhangs are closely associated with the designs of Frey and Chambers. The integrity of association remains visible.
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:
• Modern unadorned utilitarian design
• Sandblasted terra-cotta-colored concrete block arranged in stack bond pattern • Foyer with north-facing floor to ceiling windows and entry doors • Flat roof covering foyer and boardroom
• Slender metal pipe posts supporting flat roof
• Metal fascia
• Board room addition (1961)
• Shed roof covering auditorium
• Clerestory windows punctuating auditorium’s west elevation • Terrarium enclosed with concrete block with horizontal openings on east elevation • West elevation addition (1961)
• Aluminum-framed metal mesh west-facing windows
• Rear (south) addition (1968)
• Terra-cotta-colored stack bond pattern concrete block retaining walls fronting north sidewalk that enclose planters with mature olive trees
• Concrete steps leading to main entrance with metal pipe railings • Perforated concrete block wall on east elevation sheltering interior planter
Non-contributing elements:
• Recessed wooden screen atop rear addition screening the roof mounted air handling Resolution No.____
April 22, 2026
equipment
• Recessed metal screen above the foyer shielding the roof -mounted air handling equipment
• Parking lot light fixture with electrical conduit attached to the surface of the east elevation • Electrical conduit attached to the west elevation
• Metal rain gutters attached to board room on the north elevation
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 First Church of Christ Scientist located at 605 South Riverside Drive, a C lass 1 (Landmark) Historic Resource (Case HSPB #170).
ADOPTED THIS TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF APRIL, 2026.
SCOTT STILES
CITY MANAGER
Resolution No.____
April 22, 2026
ATTEST:
BRENDA PREE, MMC
CITY CLERK
Resolution No.____
April 22, 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