CITY COUNCIL
Darrell Steinberg, Mayor
Lisa Kaplan, District 1
Shoun Thao, District 2
Karina Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem, District 3
Katie Valenzuela, District 4
Caity Maple, Vice Mayor, District 5
Eric Guerra, District 6
Rick Jennings, II, District 7
Mai Vang, District 8
CHARTER OFFICERS
Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk
Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney
Farishta Ahrary, Interim City Auditor
Howard Chan, City Manager
John Colville, City Treasurer
City Council
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
Public Financing Authority
Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency
City Hall Complex
915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
Description: Recommendation for consideration date updated to June 25, 2024.
For the Meeting of: Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
Agenda Item: Consent Item 9
9. (Pass for Publication) Ordinance Listing 1950 Arden Way (Home Savings and Loan Building) as a Landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M23-011)
File ID: 2024-00596
Location: 1950 Arden Way (277-0271-007-0000), District 2, Represented by Mayor Steinberg
Recommendation: 1) Review an ordinance listing 1950 Arden Way (Home Savings and Loan Building) as a landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources and 2) pass for publication the ordinance title per Sacramento City Code section 32(c) for City Council consideration on June 25, 2024.
Contact: Sean de Courcy, Preservation Director, (916) 808-2796, [email protected], Community Development Department
City of Sacramento Page 1
City of Sacramento
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File ID: 2024-00596 5/21/2024 Consent Item 9.
(Pass for Publication) Ordinance Listing 1950 Arden Way (Home Savings and Loan Building) as a Landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M23-011) File ID: 2024-00596
Location: 1950 Arden Way (277-0271-007-0000), District 2, Represented by Mayor Steinberg Recommendation: 1) Review an ordinance listing 1950 Arden Way (Home Savings and Loan Building) as a landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources and 2) pass for publication the ordinance title per Sacramento City Code section 32(c) for City Council consideration on April 2, 2024. June 25, 2024.
Contact: Sean de Courcy, Preservation Director, (916) 808-2796, [email protected], Community Development Department
Presenter: None.
Attachments:
1- Description/Analysis
2- Background
3- Ordinance
4- Historic Evaluation
5- Public Comment Letters
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: In August 2023, the owners of the Home Savings and Loan Building at 1950 Arden Way approached the City regarding a proposal to demolish the building and replace it with drive- through restaurants. At the request of the Preservation Director, the property owner retained the services of Dudek to evaluate the Home Savings and Loan Building at 1950 Arden Way (found in Attachment 5). The historical evaluation concluded the property lacked sufficient historic significance necessary for listing as a historical resource on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (Sacramento Register), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), or the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This evaluation was circulated to neighborhoods and interest groups, and to certain experts with knowledge of this period of architecture and the company that built the building at 1950 Arden Way. In response to the Dudek evaluation, staff received comments from Preservation Sacramento, Sacramento Modern, Vintage Arden Arcade, and Adam
File ID: 2024-00596 5/21/2024 Consent Item 9.
Arenson, Professor and Chair of History at Manhattan College and a renowned art scholar and expert on Millard Sheets, the artist who acted as Design Director for Home Savings and Loan and maintained creative control of its branch design and corporate identity.
These comment letters provided substantial new information not included in the Dudek evaluation, leading the Preservation Director to question the findings presented in the Dudek report and directed preservation staff to research the property further and if justified, prepare their own historic evaluation of the building and Statement of Nomination. After review of the background research, staff presented a Statement of Nomination to the Preservation Director, at a public hearing on January 4, 2024, which concluded that the property appears eligible for listing in the Sacramento register pursuant to the criteria provided in Sacramento City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.iii, iv and v, and the Preservation Director concurred with Staff’s recommendation of the building’s eligibility. The Preservation Director then directed staff to draft an Ordinance (Attachment 2) for review by the Preservation Commission, who reviewed the Ordinance on February 21 st, 2024, and made a
recommendation to the City Council to list 1950 Arden Way on the Sacramento Register under criteria iii. iv, and v.
Policy Considerations: The City has an interest in maintaining the relevance and integrity of the Sacramento register and ensuring that properties listed on the Register meet the criteria for listing specified in City Code sections 17.604.210 and 17.604.220. To this end, City Code directs the Preservation Director, to “make preliminary determinations relative to properties’ eligibility for listing on the Sacramento register” and to “initiate proceedings to nominate resources for listing on the Sacramento register” (Pursuant to City Code sections 17.604.100.C.2 and 17.604.220.).
The nomination of 1950 Arden Way for listing as a landmark on the Sacramento Register is consistent with Sacramento 2040 General Plan goal HCR-2.3, which provides for the identification and preservation of historical and cultural resources. General Plan policy HCR-2.3 states, “The City shall maintain and update the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources on a regular basis, including proactively identifying and listing additional unidentified landmarks and historic districts, and deleting resources that do not meet the criteria for listing.” Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: The listing of 1950 Arden Way as a historic landmark on the Sacramento register is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308. Section 15308 exempts from review acts that are undertaken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Listing the property as a historic landmark would ensure that future development on the site would undergo preservation review, as part of the city’s site plan and design review process, prior to the granting of any entitlements, thereby protecting the historic resource, which would be considered part of the
File ID: 2024-00596 5/21/2024 Consent Item 9.
environment.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: On January 4, 2024, the City of Sacramento’s Preservation Director, in conformance with Section 17.604.220 of the City Code, held a public hearing, reviewed the historic analysis prepared by staff (Attachment 4) and concurred with a draft statement of nomination and directed staff to prepare a draft Ordinance (Attachment 3) for review and consideration by the Preservation Commission. On February 21, 2024, the Preservation Commission, in conformance with Section 17.604.220 of the City Code, held a public hearing, reviewed a draft ordinance and recommended the City Council adopt an ordinance listing 1950 Arden Way on the Sacramento Register as a landmark.
Rationale for Recommendation: Listing of 1950 Arden Way (Figure 1) as a landmark on the Sacramento Register is consistent with the Historic Preservation Chapter (17.604) of the City Code and the goals of the 2040 General Plan. Listing the nominated resource on the Sacramento register will help ensure its preservation and encourage rehabilitation consistent with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Home Savings and Loan Building has significant historic and architectural worth. To people who lived in California during the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s, the local Home Savings and Loan buildings were distinctive and immediately recognizable. They helped foster an interest in local history and helped to create a sense of place in a rapidly changing world. They were important buildings in their time period and their high-quality materials, design, and artwork were rightly seen as a gift to the community and urban landscape. 1950 Arden Way is an excellent late example of the work of Millard Sheets and the Millard Sheets Studio for the design of Home Savings and Loan buildings (17.604.210.A.1.a.iv). As discussed in Dr. Adam Arenson’s “Banking on Beauty”, Sheets evolved his architectural style over time, learning from what worked and didn’t work in each commission and community. In 1976 when the first plans were created by Sheets for 1950 Arden Way, he was over 70 years old and had built over 100 individually designed buildings for Home Savings. Although the buildings were mostly in the New Formalist style, each was an original design solution to a specific lot. The lot in question, 1950 Arden Way, is one of the finest, largest, and most visible of the sites chosen for Home Savings and Loan in Northern California. Its three-story stature is unusual, as is its lavish use of figured, bookmatched Italian travertine (17.604.210.A.1.a.iii). The large exterior mosaics featuring local Sacramento area history are treasures in and of themselves (17.604.210.A.1.a.v). In light of the unique design and association with Millard Sheets, Susan Hertel, and the Millard Sheets Studio; the unique building design in a refined late-New-Formalist style; the importance of the building to its time period; and its decorative smalti glass mosaics and murals, it is reasonable and appropriate that 1950 Arden Way, the Point West branch of Home Savings and Loan be listed on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources under Criterion iii, iv and v.
File ID: 2024-00596 5/21/2024 Consent Item 9.
Figure 1: Home Savings and Loan Building at 1950 Arden Way Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.