CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
July 21, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita D. Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Betty Donavanik, Development Services Director SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPEAL OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION DECISION FOR A DETERMINATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR AN EXISTING DRIVE-THRU DAIRY STRUCTURE LOCATED AT 1533 INDIAN HILL BOULEVARD (CASE FILE: DHS-000048-2025, APL-000406-2025) RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
Conduct a public hearing and receive public testimony; and Uphold the decision of the Historic Preservation Commission and approve the following Resolution (Attachment No. 1):
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-69 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA, DENYING APPEAL REQUEST FOR DETERMINATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (DHS-000048-2025) AND UPHOLDING HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION’S DECISION DETERMINING THAT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1533 INDIAN HILL BOULEVARD (APN: 8321-018-012) IS HISTORIC EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On April 2, 2025, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing and determined an existing Alta-Dena drive thru dairy structure located at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard to be historically significant for a Determination of Historical Significance (Case File: DHS-000048-2025, APL-000406-2025) (6-1-0-0). The applicant, Salim Kassis, has appealed the Historic Preservation Commission’s decision. The City Council may either uphold the Historic Preservation Commission’s decision or determine that the structure at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard is not historically significant.
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 $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 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:
A public hearing notice was published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on Friday, July 11, 2025 (Attachment No. 2).
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On April 2, 2025, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing and determined a Determination of Historical Significance request for an existing drive-thru structure, located at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard, to be historically significant to the City of Pomona’s local history (Attachment No. 4-6). During this discussion item, the Historic Preservation Commission voiced their concerns about the demolition of the existing structure and its significance to Pomona’s history and connection to commercial development to the rise of popularity of the automobile and population boom post-World War II 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 (Attachment No. 3).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
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.
DISCUSSION:
Overview
The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed the Determination for Historic Significance application for 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard. Upon initial review, Staff brought forward a recommendation to determine that the existing property is not historically significant, per findings set forth in Section .800 “Historic Preservation” of the Pomona Zoning and Development Code. The Commission considered staff’s report and all pertinent testimony and ultimately, deemed the property historic for meeting all policies and criteria contained in the codified City documents.
The Commission concluded that the existing commercial structure is one of the few remaining examples of commercial development in the City of Pomona that contains distinguishing characterizations of the Googie Architectural Style and roadside architecture, which were popularized after World War II due to the population boom, suburbanization patterns, and expansion of commercial development outside of the city’s downtown core. These structures were intentionally designed to serve as large scale advertisements to attract passing motorists. The Mr. Milk Bottle pole sign located in the front yard of the site, pointing towards the existing structure, exemplified the intent behind this development and its significance to the City of Pomona.
Staff’s recommendation was not upheld; therefore, the existing drive-thru dairy and pole sign were determined to be historically significant by the Historic Preservation Commission on a 6-1-0-0 vote.
Process
The Determination of Historic Significance is the first step in the review of impacts to historic structures. There is a misconception that a determination that a property is historic means that nothing can be done to the property. However, that is not the case. The Determination of Historic Significance establishes the process an applicant would have to go through to review potential impacts to the resource. If a historic structure is proposed for demolition, then a Certificate of Deconstruction is required and the project must comply with CEQA, which would typically require a focused EIR on the historic issue. The Commission and ultimately the City Council on appeal, could still decide to demolish the historic resource and require measures like documenting the site, to mitigate the loss. The process allows the Commission (and Council) to evaluate if the loss of the historic resource is outweighed by the benefits of a new project.
Staff Analysis
Applicable Code Sections
Pursuant to Section 1130.C.2 of the Pomona Zoning Ordinance, which establishes appeal procedures for Determination of Historical Significance applications, decisions of the Commission may be appealed to the City Council. In addition, the following code sections of the Pomona Zoning Ordinance apply to the project:
Section 800.C. – Historic Preservation Standards
Section 800.C.9 – Demolition Review of Structures 50+ Years Old Section 1190.C. – Determination of Historic Eligibility A Determination of Historical Significance is required to comply with the sections referenced above. Staff reviewed the National Register, California Register, and local designation criteria to determine whether the property is historic (Attachment No. 4).
Project Information
The subject site consists of a single parcel approximately 0.43 acres in size. This parcel is in the northeast quadrant of Pomona and approximately 600 feet south of the intersection of San Bernardino Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard. There is a one-story building constructed in 1960 which totals 1,679 square feet in size. The building is currently vacant, but previously operated as a drive-thru Alta-Dena dairy market (Attachment No. 6).
Table 1: General Plan and Zoning for Subject Site
GEneral Plan District:
Urban Neighborhood
Zoning:
ACD1 [MM1-G1-CX4]
Transect:
T4-A
Overlay(s):
N/A
General Plan Density:
80 DU/AC
Current Land Uses:
Vacant, Previously Drive-thru Dairy Market
Business license records indicate the subject site has operated as a small-scale market since 1986, when Mr. Milk Bottle was the tenant. Ownership changed between November 1999 to September 2000, where records demonstrate Alta Dena Express as the new business for the site. Alta Dena Express operated at this location from September 2000 and closed in September 2020. Currently, the site is not occupied and there is no record of an active business license.
Architectural Style
The drive-thru dairy market at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard has not been surveyed prior to 2025. The Historic Context Statement was completed in 2022. The Context Statement is the foundation for future surveys and identifying property types and locations that may have historic significance. This former Alta-Dena drive-thru structure was identified as a potential historic resource because of its Googie architectural style.
Staff determined from on-site observations that no major alterations have been made that could have possibly compromised the architectural integrity of this structure. Besides minor exterior alterations, such as changes in paint color and boarded up windows, the existing building on the site has remained largely intact. For instance, the following character-defining elements have been maintained: large overhang on the western elevation, angled roofs, and large expressive signage (Mr. Milk Bottle Sign) pointing towards the building.
Furthermore, it is an example of the Googie architectural style that intentionally designed commercial buildings to attract motorists. Googie style development relied on structural expression, large expanses of glass, and signage to display their goods and services and to attract clientele. The subject structure contains many of the elements that characterized Googie style development and is an extant example of development intentionally designed to appeal to increasing popularity of car culture post-war.
Historical Significance
The Historic Preservation Commission discussed the historical significance of the structure during the hearing. Commissioners determined the existing commercial structure is eligible for historic designation by meeting the following City of Pomona Landmark Designation criteria:
Architecture / Physical Features: It is one of the few remaining examples in the City of Pomona, region, state, or nation possessing distinguishing characteristics of an architectural or historical type or specimen (Criterion 10 in previous ordinance).
The Historic Preservation Commission determined the existing Googie style commercial structure possesses distinguishing characteristics and is one of the few remaining examples of auto-oriented development showcasing Pomona’s 1950’s car culture that was prevalent after World War II. This structure is one of two existing drive-thru diaries located within the City that are still standing.
Person(s) and Events Important to Our History: It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City of Pomona's cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, architectural, or natural history (Criterion 1 in previous ordinance).
The Historic Preservation Commission determined that the existing commercial structure reflects special elements of the City of Pomona’s cultural, social, and economic history. The subject structure was constructed post-World War II, during an influx of development in all sectors, directly related to the population boom at the time. Moreover, Indian Hill Boulevard is a minor arterial street that is identified, in the Historic Context Statement, as an area in the City where commercial development rapidly boomed and expanded into. Additionally, it functioned as a drive-in dairy, a use popularized during this time due to the rise in consumer and car culture. Overall, this structure is an intact remnant of Pomona’s early suburbanization patterns, rise in suburban leisure activities, and increasing popularity of car culture.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS:
Upholding Historic Preservation Commission’s decision and determining that the exiting drive-thru structure as historically significant would be consistent with the following General Plan goals for Historic Preservation:
Goals 7F:G8 Protect historic and cultural resources from demolition, inappropriate alterations, and incompatible development.
Goals 7F:G9 Promote public awareness of the history of Pomona and historic preservation in the City.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-26 and uphold the Historic Preservation Commission's decision based on the finding that the existing structure has historic significance per the City of Pomona Landmark Designation criteria and is consistent with the General Plan Goals 7F:G8 and 7F:G9.
ALTERNATIVE:
City Council overturns Historic Preservation Commission’s decision and makes written findings, based upon a preponderance of evidence in the record, to deem the existing structure as not historically significant for Determination of Historic Significance (DHS-000048-2025).
Prepared by:
_____________________________
Karina Diaz
Assistant Planner
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment No. 1 – Draft CC Resolution No. 2025-69
Attachment No. 2 – Public Hearing Notice
Attachment No. 3 – Appeal Form
Attachment No. 4 – Historic Preservation Commission Staff Report & Attachments 4-2-2025 Attachment No. 5 – Historic Preservation Commission Resolution 25-009 Attachment No. 6 – Staff Presentation
Appeal of DHS-000048-2025 at 1533 Indian Hill Boulevard