City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard
Appeal of Historic Preservation Decision to City Council Determination of Historic Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Applicant: Salim Kassis
Attachment No. 6
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Request
Determination of Historic Significance
Request for City Council to uphold Historic Preservation Commission’s decision and deem the property at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard as historic.
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) + Located +/- 600 feet south of the
intersection at San Bernardino
Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard
+ Site is approximately 18,698 square
feet in size
+ Council District 4 (Ontiveros-Cole)
+ Zoning: Activity Center District 1
(ACD1)
+ General Plan – Urban
Neighborhood
Location
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City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Location
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City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Previous Action
+ On April 2, 2025, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-0000-48-2025). During the discussion, Historic Preservation Commission voiced the significance behind the existing building’s Googie architectural style and connection to commercial development with the rise of car culture in Pomona after World War II.
+ Commission made a motion to deem the existing commercial structure and Mr. Milk Bottle pole sign as historic on a 6-1-0-0 vote.
+ On April 21, 2025, the applicant, Salim Kassis, filed an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s decision from previous public hearing.
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Subject Site
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Subject Site
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Subject Site
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Subject Site
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Subject Site
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Historic Context
Statement
+ Post World War II, commercial development
boomed to serve growing population.
+ Commercial growth expanded outside of the city’s
downtown area onto corridors such as: Indian Hill
Boulevard, Holt Avenue, Garey Avenue, and
Mission Boulevard.
+ Suburban leisure culture and the popularization of
the automobile was a direct result of the growing
middle class.
+ The Googie architectural style was popularized
during this time.
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Architecture
+ Style: Googie Style
+ Use: Modernism for the masses. Relies on structural
expression, large expanses of glass, neon and kinetic signs to attract motorists. Auto-oriented development.
+ Character -defining features:
+ One-story in height
+ Angled Roofs
+ Large Overhangs
+ Large expressive signage
+ Large expanses of plate glass
+ Organic, abstract, and parabolic shapes
+ Clear expression of materials, including concrete,
steel, asbestos, cement, class block, plastic, and
plywood
+ Thematic ornamentation
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Library Archives
+ Library archives produced a Grand Opening
advertisement for Mr. Milk Bottle from the 1960’s.
+ Existing signage has existed since the 1960’s when the business moved to subject location, per Building & Safety permit records.
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) + A public hearing notice was published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the local paper of circulation, on July 11, 2025.
+ All notification was completed as required by law.
Public Noticing
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) + Pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines, this action is not a project. Section 15060 of the Guidelines exempts actions from CEQA that would not result in either an indirect or direct impact on the environment and that do not meet
the Section 15378(a) definition of a project.
+ Section 15378(a) defines a project as one that has the potential for resulting in a physical change to the
environment.
+ No physical change to the environment is anticipated
with the determination of historic significance.
Environmental
Review
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) Staff recommends City Council move to:
+ Uphold Historic Preservation Commission’s decision for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-
2025) and deem the property at 1533 Indian Hill
Boulevard as historic, based on the finding that the
property meets criteria for local designation; and
deeming the site historic is consistent with the General Plan Goals 7F:G8 and 7F:G9.
+ Approve attached Resolution No. 2025-69, subject to
findings and conditions.
Staff Recommendation
City Council: Appeal for Determination of Historical Significance (DHS-000048-2025) City Council
Hearing
Applicant submits an appeal form for
Historic Preservation Commission’s
decision.
JULY 21, 2025
Public Hearing with City Council is held
for a decision. Staff recommends upholding
Historic Preservation Commission’s decision.
Timeline
Historic
Preservation
Commission
Hearing
Item is taken to a public hearing
and deemed historic by Historic
Preservation Commission.
APRIL 2, 2025
APRIL 21, 2025
Applicant
Appeals HPC
Decision