Attachment No. 3
City of Pomona
505 S. Garey Avenue
Pomona, CA 91769
City Clerk's Office - (909) 620-2341 '25 APR 21 9:30
INCORPORATED JAN
ROUD CITY CLERK
Appeal of Planning Commission Action
City's Project Identification Numbers): DHS - 000048-2025 Name of Project Applicant: Salim Kassis
Project Address (Location): 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard
Date of Planning Commission Action: April 2, 2025
1, the undersigned, hereby appeal the identified action of the City of Pomona Planning Commission:
| Denial of Project.
Conditions of Approval (specify):
Other (explain): Determination of Significance of building subject to proposed demolition I, the undersigned, hereby appeal the action of the Planning Commission for the following reason(s) (please be specific, add additional pages if necessary):
Please see attached letter
Section.560F of the Pomona Zoning Ordinance specifies
that decisions of the Planning Commission are final unless appealed in writing by the applicant or any other interested person (as defined in the Code) within 20 calendar davs Signature from the date of the action. In accordance with Chapter 29 (Subdivisions), Section 29-51. Appeals, the appeal of the Salim Kassis Planning Commission decision to the City Council with maps shal be Print Name respect to tentative maps and parcel maps shall be filed within fifteen (15) days from the date of action. The appeal 10525 Deerfield Drive shall be accompanied by a filing fee as adopted by the City Address Council by resolution. The appeal form shall be filed with the Pomona City Clerk's Office, 505 S. Garey Ave.,
Pomona, CA 91769. 91701
City State Zip Code
626-824-9233
Telephone
DISTRIBUTION: CLERK(ORIGINAL)/MANAGER/APPELLANT/APPLICANT/PLANNING(2) 4/5 TAG
* DESIGN WORKS
411 E. Huntington Drive
Suite 308
Arcadia, CA 91006
April 16, 2025
City of Pomona
Development Services Department
Planning Division
City Hall
505 South Garey Avenue
Pomona CA, 91766
RE: 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard DHS-000048-2025
Appeal of Planning Commission Action letter dated April 8, 2025 Dear Planning Department,
The owner of the subject property would like to appeal the Planning Commission action determining the existing structure and pole sign have historical significance and denying the planning staff approval for demolition. We have four reasons for this.
1. The new zoning code for the City of Pomona has a very innovative format meant to encourage community and pedestrian enjoyment of the built environment. It looks to pre-automotive historical forms of building close to the street, building residences over the retail and offices on the street in multi-story structures as a way of creating outdoor rooms. The residential portions of the new code put "eyes on the street" for both community connection and community security.
The proximity of residential and retail or workspaces within comfortable walking distances objectives. Upon being educated by the Planning Department Staff to support this new template for a historically successful vision of the future, the owners would very much like to invest in and contribute to the city in this way.
2. The subject property has seen decades of neglect and unsympathetic renovations to the point where there is very little of the original automobile-oriented structure left. Indeed, the Denial Letter states a drive through building, but the loop drive through was enclosed decades ago with the addition of unsightly security gates, grilles, plywood patches and other ephemera. We have gone to the building counter for a permit search to see to what extent these modifications have been properly permitted constructed and inspected and an initial look turned up nothing - apparently no permits have been pulled for any of this subsequent work. We have submitted a formal records request to confirm there are no executed permits on the existing subject building.
In any case, while the owners fully support the saving and renovation of truly historical buildings, saving the contribution of materials and craft from years ago in the case of fine brick and terra cotta work, exquisite glass and fixture work, interiors and exteriors with a high level of commitment to detail, and even very humble adobes with historic significance like de Palomares, we wonder if this structure actually rises to that level? Indeed, it was the cheap strip auto- Appeal Letter 250416
Page: 2
oriented buildings of the fifties that severely impacted the economics of pre-WWI masonry structures from the pre-automobile downtown core that most people consider to be beautiful and historically significant.
And yes, there are definitely "googie" or "atomic" buildings of this era that have a great and playful character that exudes the excitement and optimism of the time. But we remain unconvinced this is one of them..
On the other hand, we can see that the Mr. Milk Bottle pole sign has significance and would certainly take steps to preserve it, restore it, incorporate or donate it to a preservation institution.
3. The subject property was built before the Northridge earthquake and subsequent changes to the state building code in seismic areas. The building is substantially of an unreinforced concrete block and lightweight steel construction. Again, no apparently no permits have been pulled for a seismic retrofit. We have engaged a structural engineer to determine to what extent the building has been seismically retrofitted to comply with current codes, and if not, are those modifications even feasible (physically or financially)? Its very likely the building is completely unsafe - The letter's author, an architect with forty years' experience in design construction and historic renovation for one, would not step foot in it.
4. Let us propose an alternative that may satisfy the various civic, cultural and economic forces at play here. The owners would like to build a new building in compliance with the city's new zoning code and invest in making this small part of Pomona walkable, sustainable, healthy and fostering of community as the new code intends the future of Pomona to be. This would recall the historical forms of pre-automobile Pomona's downtown core with a multilevel building, built to the sidewalk edge, putting eyes and disposable income on the sidewalk for local commerce, community, safety and security.
However, the look of this new building does not have to be prewar 1g' century (although that too would be beautiful) it can instead embody the design cues of (better) post war 20" century optimism and exuberance. This might mean angled wings or cantilevers that suggest jet airliners or rocket ships, pilotis (slender columns) that while not seismically appropriate can be used decoratively to suggest lighter than air gravity defying elements, and historically referent colors such as turquoise, pink, baby blue, clamshell mosaic tile, mica plasters, breeze blocks and other googie or atomic freeform shapes.
In this way, rather than trying to preserve a past that may be more romantically remembered than is actually was - we can celebrate both aspects of Pomona's historical development - the prewar pre-auto 19" century optimism and exuberance - and the post war 1950's optimism and exuberance in a building appropriate for the 21S century.
We politely ask the City Council to reverse the decision of the HPC and allow us to build something much better with an eye to the future of Pomona.
Sincerely,
Mark Malaby, AIA
Design Principal
TAG Design works
TAGAN WORKs 411E. Huntington Drive, Suite Suite Arcadia, CA CA91006 Phn. 626.146.5300 www.TAGDESIGNWORKS.COM 10008
CHADI ALCHADAIDI, SALIM KASSIS WELLS FARGO BANK
1533 INDIAN HILL BLVD BUENA PARK, CA 90620
POMONA, CA 91767 ApriL, 21,2025%
PAY TO THE
ORDER OF • City of Pomona 4077.13 Security features. Details or One Thousand, Seventy seven. 13/100 DOLLARS
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
1 10008 0 012104288206737534476