CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
December 2, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Betty Donavanik, Development Services Director SUBJECT: ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO REMOVE A LANDMARK DESIGNATION FROM TWO (2) VACANT PARCELS ADJACENT TO 1300 LOS ROBLES PLACE, POMONA HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. 22.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-196 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, REMOVING APNS 8360-025-007 AND 8360-025-008 FROM THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF THE CORA AND ELMER ARMOUR RESIDENCE (POMONA HISTORIC LANDMARK NO. 22) LOCATED AT 1300 LOS ROBLES PLACE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Cora and Elmer Armour Residence was designated as a local historic landmark in 2013. The original application was for only designating the parcel the house was on. Sometime during the designation process two (2) adjacent vacant parcels were added to the designation. There is nothing in the record as to why these parcels were added or any significance tied to these parcels that would justify their designation. The current property owner is asking for the designation to be removed from the vacant parcels.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☒ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $250 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $250 or more made 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity, or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No Fiscal Impact at this time
PUBLIC NOTICING REQUIREMENTS:
This Hearing was published in the Daily Bulletin and provided to the property owner as required by law.
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
These properties were designated by the City Council on June 10, 2013. The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed this item at their August 7, 2024 meeting and recommends removal of the designation from the two (2) vacant parcels.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
None
DISCUSSION:
1300 Los Robles Place was designated by the City Council on June 10, 2013 as a local historic landmark. The designation included three (3) parcels, APNs: 8360-025-005 (House), 8360-025-007 (Vacant Parcel), and 8360-025-008 (Vacant Parcel). The property current owner has requested that the designation on the two (2) vacant parcels be removed. Staff researched the issue and found that Section 800.C.3. of the City’s Zoning Ordinance allows a designation to be removed if “it is discovered that the information relied on by the Historic Preservation Commission and the City Council in making the original designation was erroneous or false, or that circumstances wholly beyond the owner’s control have rendered the resources ineligible for designation based on the criteria listed in Sec. 1190. Historic Preservation Review, and it would be infeasible to restore the resource.” Based on staff’s research, we believe that the vacant parcels were included in the designation in error.
While the original designation staff report (Attachment No. 2) mentions the acreage for all three (3) parcels in the total, the historic significance and character-defining features mentioned in the report all reference the parcel with the house on it. There appears to be no significance related to the two (2) vacant parcels other than they happened to be owned by the same person that owned the house parcel at the time. In addition, the original application for designation only references the house and the included vicinity map only shows the parcel with the house on it.
There is nothing in the record that shows that the vacant parcels meet the designation criteria on their own and nothing in the record that some significance or character-defining feature on the vacant parcels affect the significance of the house parcel. Staff, therefore came to the conclusion that the vacant parcels were included in error. Removal of the designation from the vacant parcels will not affect the designation on the house parcel. It will continue to be a local historic landmark.
The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed this item at their August 7, 2024 meeting and recommends removal of the designation from the two (2) vacant parcels.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS:
This item meets the Council Priorities and Goals: Priority #3 Increased Opportunity and Housing Stability; Goal J: Encourage the development and maintenance of quality housing opportunities for all.
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Geoffrey Starns, AICP, AIA, LEED AP
Planning Manager
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment No. 1 – Resolution No. 2024-196
Attachment No. 2 – Original Designation Staff Report
Adoption of Resolution No. 2024-196 to Remove Historic Landmark Designation