April 22, 2024
INVENTORY
UPDATE
City Council Item #12
OVERVIEW
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• March 21, 2022 Council: Review the National Register eligible properties previously deemed eligible to designate them to the Palo Alto Historic Inventory
• 2023 survey, evening community meetings, 3 HRB meetings (11/9, 12/14, 1/11) – HRI categories • January 25: HRB formally voted to decline to advance the ‘objections properties’ to the City Council for HRI • 88 properties are zoned SFR; owners of these properties may propose SB 9 development; staff received 83 objections (51 SFR); many owners objected to listing – these properties were not forwarded to Council • Staff sent certified letters to ‘non-objections’ property owners; staff did not receive responses from all • Owners who ‘opted in’ (affirmatively indicated support prior to the packet publication) are for tonight • The purpose of this meeting is to receive the HRB’s and staff’s recommendations and place three city properties and 13 privately owned properties summarized in the staff report 201 ALMA: CATEGORY 1, PER CRITERIA 1, 4, AND 5
32 • Period of Significance: 1910-1962
• A distinctive example of a decorated
municipal building that embodies the
design principles of the City Beautiful
movement
• Associated with early municipal water
retention planning in Palo Alto.
• This is one of the few properties with
significance as an "Exceptional Building"
of pre-eminent national or state
importance. It is a meritorious work of
an important local builder Maurice
Couchot and an early example of
reinforced concrete construction
• Criterion 1: The structure or site is identified with the lives of historic people or with important events in the city, state, or nation
• Criterion 4: The structure or site is connected with a business or use which was once common, but is now rare
• Criterion 5: The architect or building was important
3 2601 E. BAYSHORE: CAT. 1, PER CRITERIA 1, 4, AND 5
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• Alterations Since 2001: Three structures
were demolished in 2017 and a fourth
structure was demolished in 2019; the
remaining building was fenced in 2017.
• Status in 2023: Extant, retains adequate
historic integrity.
• Period of Significance: 1921-ca. 1977
• Significant under Criterion A as the best
surviving remnant of the Federal
Telegraph Company which was founded in
Palo Alto and made groundbreaking
contributions to the field of radio
communications.
• This is one of the few properties with
significance as an “Exceptional Building”
that is of preeminent national importance.
CISTERN AND PUMP HOUSE: CAT. 2, PER CRITERIA 1 AND 2
32 • Period of Significance: 1924
• The Cistern and Pump House also
represents an important Northern
California building typology that
emerged from the City Beautiful
Movement.
• It was designed to express pride
in civic and public infrastructure.
• The subject building is significant
as only one of two remaining
early Palo Alto decorated utility
structures and as an important
part of the Palo Alto municipal
water system that was developed
from well sources beginning in
1887.
• Criterion 1: The structure or site is identified with the lives of historic people or with important events in the city, state, or nation
• Criterion 2: The structure is particularly representative of an architectural style or way of life important to the city, state, or nation.)
5 PRIVATE PROPERTIES WITH ‘OPT INS’ CONFIRMED
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1. 731 Emerson Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2 and 5 (zoned RT35, SOFA2)
2. 243-245 Webster Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criterion 2 (zoned R-2)
3. 330 Cowper Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criterion 1 Page 4 of 4 (zoned RMD-NP)
4. 541 E Crescent Drive as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2, 5, and 6 (zoned R-1(10,000))
5. 421 California Avenue as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2 and 5 (zoned CC-2 R P)
6. 1401 Edgewood Drive as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 1, 2, and 5 (zoned R-1(10,000))
7. 1474 Edgewood Drive as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2 and 5 (zoned R-1(10,000))
8. 2340 Tasso Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2 and 5 (zoned R-1)
9. 311 El Carmelo Avenue as a Category 2 resource, under local Criterion 2 (zoned R-1)
10. 541 Bryant Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2, 5, and 6 (zoned CD-C GF P)
11. 437 Kipling Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 1, 2, and 4 (zoned CD-C P)
12. 1275 Dana Avenue as a Category 1 resource, under local Criteria 5 and 6 (zoned R-1)
13. 832 Kipling Street as a Category 2 resource, under local Criterion 2 (zoned R-2) Staff received two additional ‘opt in’ requests a few days after packet (Stanford’s 211 Quarry Road in the PF zone, as a Category 1 resource, under local Criteria 1, 2, and 5, and 825 Kipling Street in the R-2 zone, as a Category 2 resource, under local Criteria 2 and 6).
IMAGES OF PROPERTIES WHOSE OWNERS ‘OPTED IN’
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IMAGES OF PROPERTIES WHOSE OWNERS ‘OPTED IN’
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NEXT STEPS: ‘OPTING IN’ AFTER 4/22 COUNCIL PACKET
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Based on the recommendation in this report:
• Staff would continue to engage property owners whose properties are eligible for listing but who have not affirmatively expressed an interest in listing for the next two months • Additional properties whose owners ‘opted in’ (e.g. below) post packet can go to a Council consent calendar • ‘Opt-in’ property owners would have six months to reconsider and request their property not be listed on the inventory.
211 Quarry Road 825 Kipling Street
AMY FRENCH
Chief Planning Official/ HRB Staff Liaison
[email protected]
650-329-2336