Attachment D - Tech Appendix P (HRTR Report) — San Marcos City Council, December 12, 2023

Appendix P
Historical Resources Technical Report

Historical Resources Technical Report
Restaurant Row Project, City of San Marcos , California

Prepared For:

Dudek
605 Third Street
Encinitas, California 92024

Prepared By:

South Environmental LLC
2061 N. Los Robles Avenue., Ste. 205
Pasadena, California 91104

Marlena Krcelich, BA and Sarah Corder, MFA

October 2023

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 2

1.1 Project Description ....................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Project Location ............................................................................................................................................. 3

1.3 Built Environment Study Area .................................................................................................................. 3

1.4 Regulatory Framework ................................................................................................................................ 8 2 Background Research ........................................................................................................................................ 12

2.1 Building Development and Archival Research ................................................................................ 12 3 Historic Context ................................................................................................................................................... 14

3.1 City of San Marcos .................................................................................................................................... 14

3.2 Old California Restaurant Row History .............................................................................................. 16

3.3 Property Type: Neighborhood Shopping Center .......................................................................... 28 4 Survey Methods and Results .......................................................................................................................... 30 5 Significance Evaluation ..................................................................................................................................... 31

5.1 Old California Restaurant Row .............................................................................................................. 31 6 Findings .................................................................................................................................................................. 45 7 References ............................................................................................................................................................. 46

Figures
Figure 1. Project Location ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 2. Project Site Detail ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Project Study Area ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Exhibits
Exhibit 1. Newspaper photograph of the original Rancho Mercado (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Exhibit 2. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, now home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ............................................................................... 18 Exhibit 3. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, n ow home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ............................................................................... 18 Exhibit 4. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ...................... 19 Historical Resources Technical Report
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Exhibit 5. Original signage on West San Marcos Boulevard (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Exhibit 6. Old California sign, appearing to be located on southeast corner of Building 1 (1991) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). .................................................................................................................. 20 Exhibit 7. Building 5 under construction, facing south (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Exhibit 8. Building 5 under construction showing large blank west elevation wall, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). .................................................................................................... 22 Exhibit 9. Building 5 under construction showing large wooden beam doorway, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). .................................................................................................... 22 Exhibit 10. Newspaper photograph of the Old California Mining Company restaurant waterwheel and faux water tower, no longer extant (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023). .. 24 Exhibit 11. Accessory building located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northeast (2007) (Google Street View). .................................................................................................. 25 Exhibit 12. Accessory building, stone walkways, and landscaping located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northwest (2007) (Google Street View). ................................ 26 Appendices
Appendix A: Resumes
Appendix B: DPR Form Set

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Executive Summary
South Environmental LLC was retained to prepare a Historic Resources Technical Report for the Restaurant Row Project (project), located in the City of San Marcos (City), San Diego County (County), California. This analysis includes the results of an intensive-level pedestrian survey of the Old California Restaurant Row (subject property) by a qualified architectural historian; building development and archival research; and recordation and evaluation of the entire property for historical significance in consideration of California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) designation criteri a and integrity requirements. This report was prepared in conformance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines § 15064.5 for historical resources and all City requirements.

As a result of the property significance evaluation, the subject property identified as Old California Restaurant Row at 1020-1080 West San Marcos Boulevard is recommended not eligible for designation in the CRHR . Therefore, the property is not considered a historical resource per CEQA Guidelines § 15064.5.

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1 Introduction
South Environmental LLC was retained to prepare a Historic Resources Technical Report for the Restaurant Row Project (project), located in the City of San Marcos (City), San Diego County (County), California. This analysis includes the results of an intensive-level pedestrian survey of the Old California Restaurant Row (subject property) by a qualified architectural historian; building development and archival research; and recordation and evaluation of the entire property for historical significance in consideration of California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) designation criteria and integrity requirements. This report was prepared in conformance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines § 15064.5 for historical resources and all City requirements.

This report was prepared by South Environmental Architectural Historians Marlena Krcelich, BA and Principal Architectural Historian Sarah Corder, MFA. Resumes for all staff are located in Appendix A.

1.1 Project Description
The proposed Restaurant Row Project (project) includes a request for a Specific Plan (SP22 -0004), General Plan Amendment (GPA22-0002), Rezone (R22-0002), Site Development Plan (SDP22-0006) for the private development, and Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map for a mixed -use residential development project on a 10.5-acre site in the City of San Marcos. Additionally, the project requests a separate Site Development Plan for the development of a proposed 1.1 -acre neighborhood public park. The General Plan Amendme nt and Rezone would change the General Plan designation and Zoning from Mixed -Use 1 and Light Industrial to Specific Plan Area. The Specific Plan has been prepared with the intent to provide a comprehensive plan to ensure the efficient development of a new mixed-use residential community. The Specific Plan serves as both a policy document and a regulatory document for the systematic implementation of the policies and goals of the General Plan.

The Site Development Plan would configure the site for multifami ly dwelling units, ground floor commercial mixed -use space, recreational open space, and private open space. The Tentative Subdivision Map presents specific infrastructure and lot and street configurations for the site.

The project consists of demolition of 63,484 square feet of existing (primarily vacant) restaurant uses on site, and redevelopment of 202 multifamily residential units and 10,400 square feet of commercial retail uses on the 10.5 -acre project site. Residential units would consist of 8 three -bedroom townhomes over commercial (town over commercial); 17 front street townhomes ranging in size from three to four bedrooms; 57 greencourt townhomes ranging in size from two to four bedrooms; and 120 motorcourt units ranging in size from two to three be drooms. The residential and mixed -use buildings A through T would be developed on site. Useable open space amenities would be located in the north-central/northeastern portion of the project site, including the proposed public park, the proposed dog parks and proposed private tot lots and barbeque area, while commercial uses would be placed along the southern and eastern project boundaries. Primary project access would be via Historical Resources Technical Report
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West San Marcos Boulevard at the project’s southern boundary. The project would provide 501 parking spaces.

Due to the widening of San Marcos Boulevard and the addition of the multi-way improvements, there would be numerous utility structures that would need to relocate to accommodate these improvements. The San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) items that would be moved are SDG&E Fuse Cabinet, SDG&E 2-3316 primary handholes, SDG&E 1-3314 primary handhole, SDG&E 1-3421 single phase transformer, SDG&E 2-secondary handholes, SDG&E 1-PME switch, and City of San Marcos 1 - meter pedestal serving irrigation and streetlights. Additionally, due to the project development requirements, there would be a need to relocate an SDGE fuse cabinet from a partial easement position to a franchise/partial position.

1.2 Project Location
The project site is located at 1020 West San Marcos Boulevard (northwest corner of West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz), in the City of San Marcos (Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 219-200-30,219- 200-31, and 219 -200-45). The project site encompasses a portion of San Marcos that is kno wn Old California Restaurant Row (Figures 1 and 2). It located in the City of San Marcos, San Diego County, California. It is located on the north side of West San Marcos Boulevard. It is bound on the west, north and east by additional commercial buildings, and to the south by West San Marcos Boulevard.

1.3 Built Environment Study Area
The Built Environment Study Area (Study Area) encompasses all areas and buildings that may be impacted by the proposed project, including areas of demolition, new construction, renovations, and construction staging (Figure 3). The project site encompasses a portion of what is locally known as Old California Restaurant Row (subject property) . For the purposes of this project, a Study Area was developed to include the historic boundaries of Old California Restaurant Row. The Study Area contains eight extant buildings and one demolished building, as well as paved parking lots and several site elements including walkways, landscaping edging, parking lot light posts, and signage that were developed between 1978 and 2020. The two commercial buildings adjacent to the north of the Study Area were purposefully excluded due to their lack of association to the original Old California Restaurant Row property development as revealed through archival research. A detailed breakdown of the Built Environment Study Area is provided below:

The Built Environment Study Area includes six parcels:
• APN 219-200-31-00 (within project site)
o Building 2 (1978)
o Building 5 (1993)
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o Building 6 (1995)
o Building 9 (c. 1980)
• APN 219-200-45-00 (within project site)
o Building 1 (1978)
• APN 219-200-30-00 (within project site)
o No buildings, northwestern corner parking area
• APN 219-200-46-00 (outside project site)
o Building 3 (1982)
o Building 8 (2016)
• APN 219-200-20-00 (outside project site)
o Building 4 (1982)
• APN 219-200-40-00
o Building 7 (1995)

Source: ESRI USA Topo Maps and World Topo Map 2023
Figure 1. Project Location Map
0 2,0001,000 Feet
Project Location is within San Marcos, California, in San Diego County on the USGS San Marcos 7.5-minute quadrangle map in
Sections 15 and 16 of Township 12 South and Range 03 West Center Coordinate (Decimal Degrees):

Latitude: 33.1354711N Longitude: -117.1905137W
Scale: 1:24,000Project Site
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Source: Bing Aerial Imagery 2023
Figure 2. Project Site Detail
0 18090 Feet
Scale: 1:1,800
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Project Site
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9 Source: Bing Aerial Imagery 2023
Figure 3. Built Environmental Study Area 0 230115 Feet
Scale: 1:2,300Project Site
Historic Resource Boundary
Buildings
Buildings

1. Building 1 (1978), APN 219-200-45

2. Building 2 (1978), APN 219-200-31

3. Building 3 (1982), APN 219-200-46

4. Building 4 (1982), APN 219-200-20

5. Building 5 (1993), APN 219-200-31

6. Building 6 (1994), APN 219-200-31

7. Building 7 (1995), APN 219-200-46

8. Building 8 (2016), APN 219-200-46

9. Building 9 (c. 1980), APN 219-200-31
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1.4 Regulatory Framework

1.4.1 State
California Register of Historical Resources
In California, the term “historical resource” includes but is not limited to “any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manuscript which is historically or archaeologically significant, or is significant in the architectural, engineering, scientific, economic, agricultural, educational, social, political, military, or cultural annals of California” (California Public Resources Code Section 5020.1(j)).

In 1992, the California legislature established the CRHR “to be used by state and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify the state’s historical r esources and to indicate what properties are to be protected, to the extent prudent and feasible, from substantial adverse change” (California Public Resources Code Section 5024.1(a)). The criteria for listing resources on the CRHR were expressly developed to be in accordance with previously established criteria developed for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), enumerated below. According to California Public Resources Code Section 5024.1(c)(1 –4), a resource is considered historicall y significant if it (i) retains “substantial integrity,” and (ii) meets at least one of the following criteria:
(1) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage.
(2) Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past. (3) Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values.
(4) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

In order to understand the historic importance of a resource, sufficient time must have passed to obtain a scholarly perspective on the events or individuals associated with the resource. A resource less than 50 years old may be considered for listing in the CRHR if it can be demonstrated that sufficient time has passed to understand its historical importance (see 14 CCR 4852(d)(2)).

The CRHR protects cultural resources by requiring evaluations of the significance of prehistoric and historic resources. The criteria for the CRHR are nearly identical to those for the NRHP, and properties listed or formally designated as eligible for listing in the NRHP are automatically listed in the CRHR, as are the state landmarks and points of interest. The CRHR also includes properties designated under local ordinances or identified through local historical resource surveys.

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California Environmental Quality Act
As described further below, the following CEQA statutes and CEQA Guidelines are of relevance to the analysis of archaeological, historic, and tribal cultural resources:
• California Public Resources Code Section 21083.2(g) defines “unique archaeological resource.” • California Public Resources Code Section 21084.1 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a) define “historical resources.” In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b) defines the phrase “substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource.” It also defines the circumstances when a project would materially impair the significance of an historical resource.
• California Public Resources Code Section 21074(a) defines “tribal cultural resources.” • California Public Resources Code Section 5097.98 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(e) set forth standards and steps to be employed following the accidental discovery of human remains in any location other than a dedicated ceremony.
• California Public Resources Code Sections 21083.2(b)-(c) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.4 provide information regarding the mitigation framework for archaeological and historic resources, including examples of preservation-in-place mitigation measures; preservation-in- place is the preferred manner of mitigating impacts to significant archaeological sites because it maintains the relationship between artifacts and the archaeological context and may also help avoid conflict with religious or cultural values of groups associated with the archaeological site(s).

More specifically, under CEQA, a project may have a significant effect on the environment if it may cause “a substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource” (California Public Resources Code Section 21084.1; CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5( b).) If a site is either listed or eligible for listing in the CRHR, or if it is included in a local register of historic resources or identified as significant in a historical resources survey (meeting the requirements of California Public Resources Code Section 5024.1(q)), it is a “historical resource” and is presumed to be historically or culturally significant for purposes of CEQA (California Public Resources Code Section 21084.1; CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)). The lead agency is not precluded from determining that a resource is a historical resource even if it does not fall within this presumption (California Public Resources Code Section 21084.1; CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(a)).

A “substantial adverse change in the significance of an historical resource” reflecting a significant effect under CEQA means “physical demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediate surroundings such that the significance of an historical resource would be materially impaired” (CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(1); California Public Resources Code Section 5020.1(q)).

In turn, CEQA Guidelines section 15064.5(b)(2) states the significance of an historical resource is materially impaired when a project:

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1. Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics of an historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its inclusion in, or eligibility for, inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources; or

2. Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics that account for its inclusion in a local register of historical resources pursuant to section 5020.1(k) of the Public Resources Code or its identification in an historical resources survey meeting the requirements of section 5024.1(g) of the Public Resources Code, unless the public agency reviewing the effects of the project establishes by a preponderance of evidence that the resource is not historically or culturally significant; or

3. Demolishes or materially alters in an adverse manner those physical characteristics of a historical resource that convey its historical significance and that justify its eligibility for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources as determined by a lead agency for purposes of CEQA.

Pursuant to these sections, the CEQA inquiry begins with evaluating whether a project site contains any “historical resources,” then evaluates whether that project will cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource such that the resource’s historical significance is materially impaired.

1.4.2 Local
City of San Marcos General Plan (2012): Conservation Open Space Element The purpose of the Conservation and Open Space Element is to identify natural, cultural, historic, and open space resources. This Element provides goals, policies, and programs related to open space and conservation. It also covers a wide range of other topics that together, compose the natural setting of San Marcos including biological, scenic, cultural, and historical resources. The goals and policies contained in this Element also address climate change and practices related to water conservation, energy conservation, air quality, and protection of watersheds and water quality.

Cultural and Historic Resource Inventory
Cultural resources within San Marcos include archaeological and historical objects, sites and districts, historic buildings and structures, cultural landscapes, and sites and resources of concern to local Native American and other ethnic groups. Previously documented cultural resources within the City include prehistoric isolated finds, prehistoric archaeological sites, historic archaeological sites, multicomponent (prehistoric and historic) archaeolog ical sites, and historic architectural sites. As of 2009, 149 historical and archaeological resource sites were known within San Marcos. The documented history suggests that there may be several resources associated with early settlement development that could be potentially eligible for the CRHR or the NRHP.

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Historic Preservation
The documented history of early settlement in the San Marcos Valley suggests there are resources that could be eligible for the CRHR or NRHP. In addition, many buildings that were built during early Cityhood will soon be eligible for consideration as historic resources. As San Marcos continues to grow and change over time, the City will continue efforts to preserve prehistoric and historic artifacts, sites, and structures for futur e generations. Resources such as Heritage Park, the new site of the Bidwell House, are being conserved and cherished. Heritage Park was set aside a as part of Walnut Grove Park, among other conservation efforts, to protect and enjoy the historic resources of San Marcos.

Preserve Cultural and Historic Resources
San Marcos has settlement history that spans multi -cultural, multi-national, and multi -generational boundaries. Cultural resources within San Marcos include archaeological and historical sites and districts, historic buildings and structures, cultural landscapes, and sites and resources of concern to local Native American and other ethnic groups.

As the City continues to grow, it will be increasingly important to preserve the City’s cultural and historic resources. Preservation of such resources will continue to be protected by the Mills Act Program and will primarily be carried out on a case -by-case basis as each development application analyzes the potential for sensitive cultural and historic resources and avoids or reduces impacts to these important resources in compliance with CEQA.

Goal COS-11
Continue to identify and evaluate cultural, historic, archeological, paleontological, and architectural resources for protection from demolition and inappropriate actions.

Policy COS-11.1: Identify and protect historic and cultural resources including individual properties, districts, and sites (e.g., archaeological sites) in compliance with CEQA.

Policy COS-11.2: Prohibit the demolition or removal of a historic structure without evaluation of the condition of the structure, the cost of rehabilitation, and the feasibility of alternatives to preservation in place including but not limited to relocation, or reconstruction offsite, and/or photo-preservation.

Policy COS-11.3: Identify opportunities for adaptive reuse of historic sites and buildings to preserve and maintain their viability.

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2 Background Research

2.1 Building Development and Archival Research

2.1.1 City of San Marcos Public Records
South Environmental was provided with all available building permits by Dudek and reviewed them in order to understand the construction history of the subject property.

2.1.2 San Marcos Historical Society
South Environmental visited t he San Marcos Historical Society in person on September 19 , 2023 .

Architectural historian Marlena Krcelich reviewed a file containing information on the subject property and developer Jim Eubank . All information in this file was used to develop the historic context regarding Eubank and the subject property. Furthermore, Ms. Krcelich reviewed basic resources on the overall history of San Marcos that was used to develop the general historic context. In addition, Ms.

Krcelich spoke with Historical Society President Tanis Brown regarding firsthand knowledge of the subject property and the impact its development had on the community at the time and in the decades following.

2.1.3 Historical Newspaper Review
Historical newspapers from Newspapers.com and Genealogy Bank available for San Diego County covering the development of San Marcos were reviewed to understand the progressive development of the subject property and the surrounding area . South Environmental utilized these records in the development of the historic context.

2.1.4 Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD)
The Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD) is an online resource that provides information, organized by county, regarding non -archaeological resources in the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) inventory. This includes resources reviewed for eligibility for the NRHP, CRHR, and the California Historical Landmarks programs through federal and state environmental compliance laws, and resources nominated under federal and state registration programs. South Environmental accessed the BERD from OHP on September 18, 2023. Neither the subject property nor its associated and adjacent APNs were listed in BERD for San Diego County.

2.1.5 Historical Aerial Photographs
A review of historical aerial photographs was conducted to better understand the history of the subject property and surrounding neighborhood’s development history. Aerial photographs were available from the following years: 1967, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, Historical Resources Technical Report
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1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 (NETR 2023) and 1939, 1947, 1953, 1980, and 2001 (UCSB 2023) See Property History (Section 3.2).

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3 Historic Context

3.1 City of San Marcos
The valley that would become the City of San Marcos was traversed by the Spanish in the 18th century as they moved up the coast from Baja California. A historical account notes that the Span ish came across the valley when the San Luis Rey Mission was robbed, and Spanish soldiers chased the thieves into the nearby valley. The area was named by the soldiers as Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, translating to Little Valleys of Saint Mark, and on April 25th was from then on referred to as “Saint Mark’s Day” as it was the date they entered the valley in the year 1797. The valley was then used by the mission to graze cattle and flocks of sheep (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

In 1840, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, consisting of nearly 9,000 acres, to Spanish Sargent Jose Mario Alvarado. Alvarado was killed in 1846, and the land passed to his widow, Lugarsa Osuna , who went on to sell it to a man named Lorenzo Soto. By 1851, nearly 8,000 acres were transferred to former army Lieutenant Cave Couts. Couts and his wife, Isadora, used the land to raise livestock and called it “Rancho San Marcos.” Couts became a very wealthy cattleman with over 20,000 acres of land. In 1875, a homesteading family headed by Gustavus French Merriam arrived in the area from Topeka, Kansas. They homesteaded 160 acres near Couts land , which they went on to call the Twin Oaks Valley . Tension arose between Couts and Merriam , and the two men were at odds for several years trying to successfully run their own agricultural operations (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

By 1880, the population reached nearly 100 with most being families , who were farmers or raised sheep. Slowly, more people began to arrive in the area in search of a better California life. In 1882, James Barham and his son, John, arrived and took possession of 151 acres where present -day San Marcos High School is located. His son John opened a general store on the subject property, as well as a flour mill, whiskey mill, and even a school , as the nearest one was in Twin Oaks. In the following years, more businesses, schools, churches, and a railroad came to the area a nd continued to expand the three distinct communities: Rancho San Marcos, Twin Oaks, and Barham. In 1887, Rancho San Marcos was sold to the San Marcos Land Company and divided into tracts for sale, more officially establishing the town of San Marcos. The town of Barham was losing steam, primarily due to the Santa Fe Railroad being closer to San Marcos and too far away from Barham. Many of the early sett lers moved to San Marcos from Barham, as well as other neighboring communities including Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Escondido (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

Much of the farming was done by Japanese immigrants in these years. In addition to crops, dairy ing Historical Resources Technical Report
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rapidly became a profitable business in San Marcos. Small dairies began to open in the area, with the largest being the Trussell Dairy. When the dairy opened in the mid-1920s it had 40 cows, but by 1931, it had a herd of 150. Owner, Ray Trussell, owned another ranch in San Pasqual Valley and began selling cream and later fresh milk. Other dairies continued to open over the next couple of decades, with Hollandia Dairy opening in the 1950s, as well as Felix Gaylean Distributor, Hollands Dairy, and Henry Vander Stelt. Chicken farming also became a popular endeavor in San Marcos, with large swaths of flat land being used for raising birds. At one time, San Marcos had the largest chicken ranch in all of Southern California (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

As more people began to slowly make their way to San Marcos in the early to mid-twentieth century, the need for more water could not be ignored. Some families, such as the Clemson family who owned the land that straddled the San Marcos Creek, took action to ensure enough water. In 1951, they built a dam in the creek that slowly filled up to form a 40-acre lake. As a farming family, they used this water to irrigate their crops. However, other residents were not as fortunate to have water sources on their land, so in 1946, the San Marcos residents voted to bring water to the area form the Colorado River to increase investment and economic growth. It took another 10 years for the plan to be realized, but in 1956, the town was successfully saturated with water. This resulted in a rapid increase in population to nearly 2,500 people (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

Newspaper articles from the 1960s predicted that San Marcos’ population would reach 75,000 by 1975, projecting a need for tremendous development and growth to accommodate a new population.

Developments such as a large shopping center on Mission Road and Marcos Stree t which was five stories tall, and occupied nearly 6,000 square feet, was constructed to offer a shopping area for new residents in 1957. In 1960, construction began on the Highway 78 which connected Oceanside and Escondido by way of San Marcos and improved travel through the area (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

The lake expansion also brought potential buyers and investors, who built housing developments with resort-like amenities and a shopping plaza. The Lake San Marcos subdivision was named the best planned community in California in 1966 (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

In 1963, San Marcos incorporated and was credited as the fastest growing city in California and had a population of 3,200. When the City incorporated, it began a slow transition from an agriculturally based economy to a multi -faceted economic system with new industries that sparked co mmercial and residential development. New subdivisions were planned throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and by 1975, about 10,000 residents called San Marcos home. From this point forward, development followed the trend of many other suburban areas, with fields slowly being filled with houses and stores. In 1989, California State University San Marcos opened, which ushered in even more fast-paced development (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023; City Town Info 2023).

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Today, San Marcos is a community of over 95,000 peop le with a focus on building housing for continued population growth and promoting new industries for continued economic growth (City of San Marcos 2023).

3.2 Old California Restaurant Row History
Old California Restaurant Row (subject property) was developed in 1978 by Los Angeles developer Jim Eubank and his wife Vera. Prior to the development of the subject property, the area was a remote strip of open land in a city that was still largely agricultural with many chicken ranches in the area.

When Jim and Vera moved to North County San Diego in 1972, they saw the potential growth opportunity of San Marcos and sought to make it a center of commerce (Kragen 2008; Robi 2018).

The first development on the subject property associated with Eubank was a small farm stand that served as a farmers market called Rancho Mercado, constructed in 1972 (Exhibit 1). The market sold local produce as well as produce from Los Angeles. The market was successful and prompted Jim to consider other options for business opportunities in the area. Realizing a lack of dining establishments, he came up with the idea to build an open food court with outdoor seating areas and gardens that would have a rustic charm and nostalgia to Old California. This development was const ructed and named Old California Restaurant Row (Kragen 2008; Robi 2018).

Exhibit 1. Newspaper photograph of the original Rancho Mercado (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Archival research did not reveal that Eubank had any specific master plan or other type of planning document that guided the development of Old California Restaurant Row. Eubank’s vision was to build an international restaurant complex where cuisines of al l types would be offered next door to each other in sit -down restaurants. He did not want the subject property to reflect a typical strip mall developed during the 1970s , but rather a destination culinary option for North County San Diego.

While many criticized Eubank’s vision for a multi-restaurant property and predicted it would fail due to the restaurants being in direct competition, the Old California Restaurant Row went on to be a large success that became a centralized area for San Marcos residents. His vision for the subject property involved giving it an “Old California” appearance by incorporating a variety of Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival style -inspired features , which guided the design of the buil ding facades and the hardscape elements throughout. Eubank brought many elements to the site in an effort to create what he interpreted as an “authentic” look. For instance, Eubank brought in river rock from the Pala Indian Reservation, 100-year-old timber from vintage buildings, and purchased handmade artistic tiles from Mexico that were all used in the construction of the restaurants. Eubank was also known for running a forklift and sandblasting during the construction phase (Marks 2004; Kragen 2008).

In 1978, the first two buildings (Buildings 1 and 2, see Figure 3) were constructed at the Old California Restaurant Row and were designed to be the location of several restaurants. The buildings were built along the southern edge of the site, adjacent to We st San Marcos Boulevard and easily visible from the street. These two buildings set the tone for the larger development through their design features, which included stucco exteriors, red clay tile roofs, parapet walls, wooden beams, stone, clay bricks, and wood windows. These features were concentrated on the exterior -facing elevations, while the elevations and areas less visible to the street were more utilitarian in nature. The first restaurant to open in Building 1 was Gentleman’s Choice and it quickly attracted people and other restaurants to open in the two new buildings. Another early restaurant was the Rancho Vera Cruz, which was opened in the area where the Old California Mining Company is now located (Exhibits 2, 3, and 4). Around the same time, other site elements were added along West San Marcos Boulevard and within the site such as signage, landscaping elements including clay brick walkways and stone edging, thematic lighting such as lanterns and mission bell style parking lot lights, and small accessory buildings all following the rustic design aesthetic Eubank incorporated on Building s 1 and 2 (Exhibits 5 and 6) . These additional elements tied together the theme of the subject property and connected the site as one cohesive shopping center (Robi 2018; San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 2. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, now home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 3. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, now home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 4. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 5. Original signage on West San Marcos Boulevard (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 6. Old California sign, appearing to be located on southeast corner of Building 1 (1991) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

After the first two buildings were built in 1978, two more were added in 1982 (Building 3 and Building 4). Building 3 was constructed slightly east of Building 1, near Via Vera Cruz. This building incorporated many of the same features of Buildings 1 and 2, such as stucco, red clay tile roofs, wooden beams, and stone, however, it was constructed as a single, standalone restaurant and not a building for multiple restaurants. Building 4 was constructed on the corner of West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz. While this building incorporated some features of the original buildings such as a stucco exterior, parapet, and red clay tile roof, it is less stylized overall relative to the other buildings. The building also incorporated features necessary for its function as a bank, including the drive through windows on the west elevation, which further detracted from the overall subject property’s aesthetic. Furthermore, the covered walkway on the east elevation introduced a new design feature not found on any of the other buildings and was constructed out of small wood posts as opposed to the more natural, large wooden beams seen in the other buildings (Google Street View var.; NETR 2023).

By the mid-1980s, much of the land surrounding the subject property was still undeveloped, though some other commercial and industrial developments began construction in the area. The next two buildings constructed on the subject property were completed in 1993 and 1994 at the southwest corner of the site (Buildings 5 and 6) (NETR 2023). Construction photographs from Building 5 (Exhibits 7, 8, and 9 ) show that some large wooden beams were used to construct it, such as over the main angle corner entryway. This building included many of the features of the two original buildings such as stucco, red clay tile roofs, stone and clay bricks, and wooden beams, but was constructed two stories

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in height and had some additional features such as arches, a nd an angled patterned brick walkway and patio. The west elevation of the building was constructed out of basic concrete stone and has no windows, doors, or any type of ornamentation, likely due to it being on the edge of the site and facing away from any potential customers. The choice to exclude exterior ornamentation on secondary elevations demonstrates the façade -focused nature of the construction of the buil dings within the subject property (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 7. Building 5 under construction, facing south (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 8. Building 5 under construction showing large blank west elevation wall, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 9. Building 5 under construction showing large wooden beam doorway, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Building 6 was constructed in 1994 and demolished in 2019. Archival research did not reveal any photographs of this building, but aerial imagery shows that this building was very long and narrow along the western edge of the subject property, unlike the prior buildings which were square or rectangular in plan. Archival Google Street View shows that the building did use many of th e typical design features of the earlier buildings such as stucco walls, a parapet, and red clay tiles, but no other specific details could be seen. The building was demolished with the intention of a new development connecting the subject property to a nearby property, though this was never realized, and the land has remained vacant (NETR 2023; UCSB 2023; Google Street View var.).

Another building was added to the subject property in 1995 in the northeast corner of the site (Building 7). This building was constructed as a single-story standalone restaurant and while having many of the same features, appeared visually different from the other buildings on the site. A tall clay brick wall runs along much of the south and west elevations, and fully encloses a patio area on the northwest corner of the building. This material type was not found in the previously constructed buildings within Old California Restaurant Row . Wooden beams were used in the design but were incorporated into the exterior walls creating a bay system between the windows, and the parapet wall was capped with red clay tiles. Another unique aspect of Building 7 was the addition of nautical elements including boat cleats and chains, and various fish motifs throughout the building due to its use as a seafood restaurant (NETR 2023; UCSB 2023).

In 1997, mining motifs and elements were brought to the subject property with the opening of the Old California Mining Company in the former location of the original Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant on the east elevation of Building 1 (Exhibit 10). The new tenants carried out a full remodel of the façade and patio area and introduced an entirely new mining theme that departed from the Spanish Eclectic and Mission styles that were the original focus of Eubank’s design. Old California Mining Company was owned by David and Patricia Cortina, who invested $450,000 into transforming the space. Their vision for the building was that of a Gold Rush-era mining camp. New mining themed features included faux wooden beam walls, rebuilding of the stone walls around the patio, rebuilding of the parapet , replacement of original signage, the addition of a faux water tower and water wheel in a landscaping bed adjacent to the patio, the construction of a new entranceway coal mine “tunnel” with a coal railcar overhead, and other decorative elements reminiscent of California’s mining history (Kragen 1997; San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 10. Newspaper photograph of the Old California Mining Company restaurant waterwheel and faux water tower, no longer extant (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Although photographic documentation was not available for most of the other restaurant facades throughout the subject property, a visual inspection of these buildings indicates that there have been multiple renovations over the years. Building permits also confirmed that several tenant improvements were made throughout the subject property’s history that have resulted in exterior and interior modifications. An example of these modifications can be seen at the restaurant located at the southeastern corner of Building 1. A photograph from 1991 indicates that the building façade has been renovated, including construction of new faux parapet wall with a mission tower and bell, replacement stucco with removal of wooden rafter tails, removal of wooden beams over patio area , enclosure of wooden posts with clay bricks, enclosure of eastern patio with glass, and removal of “Old California” signage (San Marcos Historical Society 2023; Google Street View var.).

In 2007, many of the site elements running along West San Marcos Bo ulevard were removed and replaced with modern elements. These removed elements included thematic accessory buildings as well as brick and stone walkways (Exhibits 11 and 12) (Google Street View var.) . The site remained relatively unchanged until 2016 when the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant (Building 8) was constructed near the southeast corner of the site. This building’s design aesthetic was corporate in nature and did not incorporate any of the existing thematic building designs s een throughout the site. The building was designed with standardized corporate specifications that utilized modern, mass -produced materials and design aesthetics. In addition, the areas around the building were modernized with new,

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simple concrete curbs without cobblestones and parking lot lights that were in stark contrast to the Old California thematic elements found in the rest of the subject property (Google Street View var.; NETR 2023). This site was still owned by the Eubank family when this building was built, so the lack of connection with the original design appears to represent a complete abandonment of the intended vision of the Old California Restaurant Row.

Exhibit 11. Accessory building located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northeast (2007) (Google Street View).

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Exhibit 12. Accessory building, stone walkways, and landscaping located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northwest (2007) (Google Street View).

Also in 2016, developer John Clement announced plans for a major overhaul of the subject property, which would include a new lifestyle center to attract younger crowds. The plan was to connect the subject property with the Regal Edwards San Marcos movie theater located to the west of the subject property via a promenade with open patio areas. This plan was ultimately abandoned but did result in the demolition of Building 6 in 2019 (NETR 2023; Robi 2018).

In 2020, the subject property, which had been in the hands of the Eubank family since 1972, was sold to a new owner (Dudek 2023; Robi 2018).

3.2.1 Owner/Occupant Research
Background research into former subject property owners/occupants revealed that Jim Eubank and members of the Eubank family owned the subject property from its original development in 1972, until it was sold to the current owners in 2020. Given the commercial nature of the subject property, archival research indicated that there were mult iple occupants and tenants throughout the history of the subject property. No information was found to suggest any of these businesses, occupants, or tenants were historically significant (Genealogy Bank; Newspapers.com; City of San Marcos; San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Jim Eubank
Jim Eubank was born in 1915 in Seattle, Washington. He later moved with his family to Inglewood, California where he spent his childhood. When he was a young adult, Eubank worked as a lifeguard in Los Angeles. He was approached by a Coast Guard recruiter and decided to join in 1942. He went on to join the Office of Strategic Service Marine Unit in the Coast Guard and served in World War II (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

After the war, he married his wife Vera and resettled in Los Angeles. He bought a duplex in the city for $800, which would become the catalyst for his future career in real estate. In the following years, he began developing single-family homes in the Stone Canyon area of Los Angeles, near the Hollywood Hills, as well as multiple subdivisions in the San Fernando Valley. He also built a mall in Los Angeles (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

In the 1970s, Eubank turned his development attention North County San Diego. He saw San Marcos as a land of opportunity that had the abili ty to prosper despite it being largely agricultural land. In 1972, he opened a fruit stand on a previously undeveloped piece of land on West San Marcos Boulevard, that he would later develop into Old California Restaurant Row (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

After Eubank’s successful development of Old California Restaurant Row, he continued to encourage and promote development in San Marcos to continue putting the City on the map. He attended many City Council and Chamber of Commerce meetings to discuss opportunities to create more social spaces for locals, as well as the opportunities with the arrival of Cal State San Marcos to provide for growth in the City (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004) While he was a successful developer and businessman, Eubank was more well known for his extremely successful career as a championship swimmer . He set world records in the 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,000-meter swims. In 1932, he swam against gold medalist Buster Crabbe in the 400 -meter swim in the Olympics. He swam against Crabbe again in the 1970s Senior Olympics, where he beat him in the 1,500-meter race. He swam every year at the annual Ocean side Municipal Pier Swim and won the competition for the first time in 1937, and he also won his division of the annual La Jolla Rough Water Swim for 50 years in a row. In 2001, after setting two world records and five national records, he was chosen by SWIM Magazine as the “Master Swimmer of the Year” among males aged 85 to 89. He then competed in the World Masters Championship in New Zealand in 2002, where he won four out of the five events he competed in. He accomplished all these feats in his older age with a pacemaker that was installed after a stroke he had in 1983 (Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

In the last 30 years of his life, Eubank lived with his wife, Vera, in a home in Oceanside, California. Only in the last few years of his life did he step back from his business and athletic pursuits. After a successful business and athletic career spanning multiple decades, Eubank passed away in March 2004 at 87 years old (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

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3.3 Property Type: Neighborhood Shopping Center
Despite its naming as a “Restaurant Row” archival research revealed that Old California Restaurant Row does not follow the archetype of a typical Restaurant Row as found in larger cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as early as 1909. In the early days, Restaurant Rows developed somewhat organically in a specific area of a city that was zoned for commercial use and typically consisted of several restaurants in a row on a denser city street. Restaurant Row on La C ienega Boulevard in Los Angeles opened in the 1930s and presented as a mix of restaurants and nightclubs highlighted with neon signs. Restaurant Row was not only a definition of the type of area being created by these rows of restaurants, but also a marketing strategy meant to help boost the economy. The term was used to advertise and attract people to particular areas when looking for dining and entertainment options. In the 1970s, NYC mayor John Lindsay advertised West 46th Street between 8th and 9th as a new Restaurant Row to bring economic activity back to the area, and the same was done in 2007 by Los Angeles developers who planned to develop a new Restaurant Row downtown on 7th street to drive consumers to the area and spark revitalization. The term became a buzzword with a connotation of several dining options within a concentrated space (Whitaker 2015).

While the subject property was a grouping of restaurants within a concentrated area, instead of being located on a denser city street, the subject property layout followed the patterns of a postwar shopping center catered to suburban development and the automobile. Earlier neighborhood shopping centers maintained a pattern of attached storefronts facing the street, with large parking areas. The storefronts would often be modern in appearance and reflective of popular and current architectural styles and/or ornamentation. These shopping centers were also designed to accommodate auto -oriented arterial commercial development. Later shopping centers fo cused on a pattern of large freestanding retail structures that would be set next to their own parking lot. This became most prevalent in areas where space was abundant, and the scale of the buildings and parking areas could be increased. Businesses which previously had been locked into streetscapes could now expand. These shopping centers created a rhythm of solid and void on the street as the buildings and parking areas alternated. Still focused on the automobile and borrowing from roadside architecture, many of these buildings employed design motives, such as large-scale advertisement, to attract people (Longstreth 1998, 2010; SurveyLA 2017).

The neighborhood shopping center property type typically included large, paved parking lots with multiple points of entry, setbacks from the road, highly visible signage, and a variety of restaurants and commercial spaces. These shopping centers could also be designed with a consistent architectural aesthetic or theme. Additionally, these neighborhood shopping centers serve as a prevalent example of postwar commercial and suburban development patterns. Given the scale of suburban development in the postwar era, these suburban neighborhood shopping centers became ubiquitous architectural forms and property types throughout the United States (Longstreth 1998, 2010; SurveyLA 2017).

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The shopping centers are noted as having the following character-defining features:
• Centralized location
• Easily accessible
• Large parking lots
• Multiple points of entry
• Variety of commercial businesses
• Thematic architectural design/aesthetic in some cases • Highly visible signage
• Located along a major thoroughfare
• Established paths of circulation such as sidewalks
• Constructed from mass produced materials
• Focus on primary elevation/street facing elevations design • Rear and secondary elevations often presented as utilitarian with no architectural ornament

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4 Survey Methods and Results
South Environmental Architectural Historian, Marlena Krcelich , BA, conducted a n intensive-level, pedestrian survey of the project site and Study Area on September 12, 2023 . The survey entailed walking the exterior of all buildings within the Study Area and documenting them with notes and digital photographs, specifically noting character-defining features, spatial relationships, landscaping and hardscaping features, lighting, and observed alterations. All photographs were taken with a Nikon D3500 Digital Camera. All field notes and photographs are on file with South Environmental.

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5 Significance Evaluation
The following provides a detailed description of the subject property and an evaluation of its historical significance in consideration of CRH R designation criteria and integr ity requirements. A State of California Department of Parks and Recreation Series 523 form set (DPR forms) is provided in Appendix B.

5.1 Old California Restaurant Row

5.1.1 Property Description
The subject property consists of eight extant buildings and one former building site all located within a commercial shopping center known as Old California Restaurant Row. The buildings are arranged in no specific order or pattern but are generally concentrated on the southern and eastern edges of the subject property, with the remainder of the property comprised of paved parking.

All buildings within the subject property, aside from Building 8 which was constructed in 2016, present with a variety of applied ornamentation to mimic the Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival styles of architecture. Common features found throughout these buildings include stucco exteriors, flat roofs with parapets, and other roof forms clad in red clay tiles, the use of large wooden beams, cobblestones, and clay bricks .). The majori ty of the applied ornament is concentrated at entry points of the restaurants, street entrances, and street facing elevations. Secondary/non -street facing exterior walls are generally devoid of architectural ornament.

Table 1 provides a photograph (column 1) and description (column 2) of each component of the subject property as identified in Figure 3 with additional details regarding the accessory buildings.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
1 – Building 1 (Circa 1978)

Overview of Building 1, east elevation, facing west

Overview of commercial delivery and staff area of Building 1, facing southeast
Building 1 is a sprawling building with a
square-shaped floor plan featuring a variety of
restaurants located on all elevations. The
building is on e-story with a flat roof and
parapet wall, and all restaurant entryways
feature individual design details. Exterior
building materials include stucco, stone
veneer, red clay brick veneer, wooden beams,
red clay tile shed roofs, and wooden windows.

There are a total of 10 restaurants within the
building, and at the center of the north
elevation is access to the center of the building.

The rear of the building is used for commercial
deliveries.

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2 – Building 2 (Circa 1978)

Overview of Building 2, south elevation, view to northeast

Overview of Building 2, southwest corner, facing northeast

Overview of Building 2, west elevation, view to southeast Building 2 is a one -story building with a
rectangular shaped floor plan. The building has
a complex roof shape that features a flat roof
with parapet wall sections, hipped roof
sections, and shed roof sections. Hipped and
shed roof sections are clad in red clay tiles. The
building has two restaurants, both with distinct
entrances on the south elevation. The exterior
of the building features stucco, stone veneer,
red clay brick veneer, wooden beams, and
wooden windows. The restaurant entryway on
the southwes t corner has Asian thematic
details over the main entry door.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
3- Building 3 (Circa 1982)

Overview of Building 3, south elevation, view to northeast Building 3 is a one-story standalone restaurant
with a roughly squared shaped floor plan. It
has a flat roof with a parapet wall and shed
roofs clad in red clay tiles. The exterior is clad
in stucco with areas of exposed brick. The main
entry is located on the south elevation and
there are two large patios on the southwest
and southeast corners of the b uilding. The
exterior walkways are made of red bricks and
stone edging surrounds the landscaped areas.

The building also includes the use of wooden
beams, wooden windows, and doors. A sign for
the restaurant is located along Via Vera Cruz
and is similar in style to the building with
stucco and brick elements
Building 4 (Crica 1982)

Overview of Building 4, east elevation, view to southwest Building 4 is a t wo-story building with a
rectangular shaped floor plan. The tall portion
of the building has a flat roof with a parapet
wall, and the rest of the building has hipped
and shed roofs clad in red clay tiles. The
exterior is clad in stucco and a large , covered
walkway projects from the south and east
elevations. The building is currently being used
as a bank. There are entrances on the north
and south elevations. The west elevation has
banking drive -through areas. This elevation
also has wood shutters i n the windows on the
first story.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 5 (Circa 1993)

Overview of Building 5, south and west elevations, view to northwest Building 5 is a t wo-story building with a
rectangular-shaped floor plan. The building
houses two restaurants and has varied ro of
lines and levels that include flat roof sections
with parapets walls and gabled, hipped, and
shed roofs sections clad in red clay tiles. The
exterior is clad in stucco with areas of exposed
brick. A large patio area runs the length of the
east elevation . The patio and the south
elevation feature a cobblestone wall. The north
elevation is utilitarian in design and is used for
delivery and service functions for the
restaurants. The west elevation is clad in
uninterrupted stone veneer and is inconsistent
with the building materials seen on much of
the other buildings within subject property.

Building 6 (Circa 1994, Demolished 2019)
Overview of former Building 6 site, view to southwest
Building 6 was constructed in 1994 and
demolished in 2019. The site now consists of a
rectangular shaped dirt lot, remnants of paved
parking areas, and is surrounded by a chain link
fence. No elements of the building remain.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 7 (Circa 1995)

Overview of Building 7, north and east elevations, view to southwest Building 7 is a one-story standalone restaurant
building with a roughly square shaped floor
plan. There is a flat roof section with a parapet
wall at the center of the building and the rest
of the roof is made up of varying hipped and
gabled roof forms clad in red clay til es. The
exterior is clad in stucco with the walls
interspersed with wooden beams creating bays
on the east and west elevations. The main
entrance is on the southeast corner of the
building. The entire south elevation and parts
of the north and west elevations are obscured
by tall brown brick walls. The applied
ornamentation includes some nautical themed
elements such as fish and boat chains. These
nautical themed elements extend into the
parking area immediately adjacent to the
restaurant.

Building 8 (Circa 2016)

Overview of Building 8, south elevation, view to north
Building 8 is a standalone two-story restaurant
with a roughly square -shaped floor plan.

Unlike the other buildings within the subject
property, this building is new with modern
materials and design features identifying it as
a corporate chain restaurant. It has a flat roof ,
and its exterior materials include steel framing,
brick veneer, metal siding, concrete, and faux
wood siding. The main entrance is located on
the south elevation and feat ures large glass
entry doors. On the west elevation is a covered
patio area.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 9, Utility Shed (Circa 1980)

Overview of Utility Shed, view to northeast
Building 9 is a small one-story utility shed with
one entry door on the west elevation. The
exterior is clad in stucco with areas of exposed
brick. The building features a gabled roof clad
in red clay tiles. The main entry point is
sheltered by a shed roof projection that is
supported by wooden beams and a small
stone wall.

Hardscape Features (Circa 1978-1980)

Overview of sign on West San Marcos Boulevard, facing northwest.

In addition to the various buildings on site, the
subject property features signage, red brick
and stone walkways, stone and brick edging
around landscaping features, wooden fences,
and mission bell and lantern style parking lot
light posts to further mimic Spanish Eclectic
and Mission Revival styles of architecture.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components

Overview of additional sign on West San Marcos Boulevard, facing northwest.

Overview of lantern style lights and old signage in parking area, facing northeast.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components

Overview of mission bell style lights in parking area, facing east.

Identified Alterations
Building permits indicate that there were multiple tenant improvements and renovations made to the subject property throughout its history as a result of continuously changing tenants ( City of San Marcos; Google Street View var.; San Marcos Historical Soci ety 2023). The following represents the most notable exterior building and site changes made to the subject property throughout its history. • Renovation of southeast corner restaurant façade (post 1991) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023)
• Renovation of Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant facade to Old California Mining Company (1997) (Kragen 1997; San Marcos Historical Society 2023)
• Renovation of landscaping and various features along West San Marcos Boulevard (2007) (Google Street View var).
• Removal of the wagon wheel and faux water tower in front of the Old California Mining Company restaurant (2015) (Exhibit 10) (Google Street View var.). • Demolition of Building 6 (2019) (NETR 2023)

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• Alteration of original sign age on West San Marcos Boulevard (dat e unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023)
• Renovation of northeast corner restaurant façade (date unknown) (observed) • Addition of modern parking lot lights (date unknown) (observed)

5.1.2 Application of CRHR Designation Criteria
The following provides an ev aluation of the subject property in consideration of CRHR designation criteria.

CRHR Criterion 1. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage.

Construction on the subject property began in 1978 by Jim Eubank during a time when San Marcos was primarily an agricultural town. Eubank saw the potential of San Marcos as a geographically desirable area for new residents that was expanding in population, similar ly to the de velopment of many other S an Diego County suburbs . Wanting to capitalize on bringing restaurants to the area, Eubank set out to create a shopping center with a “Restaurant Row” ambiance, bringing together various types of restaurants and cuisine. What resulted was a neighborhood shopping center developed with the name and theme of “Old California”. Eubank incorporated a variety of elements mimicking Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival architecture to embody his concept of Old California.

Eubank continued to develop Old California Restaurant Row over several decades, adding additional commercial spaces until his death in 2004. Development also continued at the site after his death with the most recent building constructed in 2016.

Although the subject property was constructed in a thematic nature with applied decoration that aesthetically separated it from other s, at its core it was a commercial shopping center built to meet the demands of an expanding suburban population in the postwar era. While the subject property did have a positive economic impact on the relatively new City of San Marcos by attracting people to the area for social and dining activities, this was a common prac tice during the 1970s that followed the development patterns of other suburban regions throughout Southern California. While the thought and care Eubank put into the thematic design of the subject property is unique from other shopping centers, the development of this property type was not a novel concept nor was the use of thematic elements to attract patrons.

Furthermore, archival research did not reveal that Eubank’s had a specific master plan for the development of the subject property, and instead slowly added additional buildings to the site as the need arose. This lack of developmental plan ning is demonstrated in the variations in appearance, materials, and aesthetics over time as more buildings were constructed. The buildings trended towards single occupancy, culminating in the construction of an entirely new and modern corporate building Historical Resources Technical Report
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in 2016 with no features that connected back to the original style and ornamentation of the earlier buildings. In addition, various renovations throughout the decad es resulted in a loss of the wholistic appearance and thematic character of the shopping center. While the buildings continue to carry a sense of nostalgia and recognition in San Marcos as a de-facto downtown area where people gathered for dining and enter tainment, its construction did not make a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history and cultural heritage . Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 1.

CRHR Criterion 2. Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past.

The subject property was constructed in 1978 by Jim Eubank, a developer from Los Angeles. Eubank began his career in development after serving in World War II and started by developing single-family homes and eventually developed a mall in Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he turned his attention to San Marcos in North County San Diego, where he developed the Old California Restaurant Row over the span of several decades.

While Eubank had a successful career as a developer and was known locally for his creation and construction of Old California Restaurant Row, archival research did not reveal that Eubank’s success or projects rise to the level of significance required at the local, state, or national level. Though locally recognizable as having a passion for potential business opportunities in the early days of San Marcos, Eubank is not documented as having developed any additional properties in the City and therefore had a limited impact on the City’s overall development. Furthermore, while Eubank was known as a developer, suburban land development was not a new or novel concept that Eubank pioneered.

In addition, Eubank is most well-known as championship swimmer. He won several competitions and participated in the Senior Olympics. He was chosen by Swim Magazine as the Master Swimmer of the Year in 2001. Eubank’s career as a professional swimmer appears to be more notable as he was a decorated champion for decades during his later life. Despite his success and significance as a swimmer, none of these achievements or efforts are connected to the subject property and therefore does not make the property eligible under this criterion for this association. Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 2.

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42 October 2023
CRHR Criterion 3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values.

The subject property consists of eight existing buildings and the footprint of a former building that was recently demolished. The first two buildings were constructed in 1978 , and the remainder of the buildings were constructed in c. 1980, 1982, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2016. A utility shed was built in the western parking lot area in 1980, and various other site elements such as accessory buildings, lights, and other thematic motifs were built along West San Marcos Boulevard and throughout the site’s parking and walkway areas.

The subject property and its various buildings were designed thematically with applied ornamentation that mimicked Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival architectural styles. These features and design elements extended into the surrounding site and parking areas with l antern and mission bell style parking lot lights, red brick and tile walkways, and stone edging around landscaping areas. All of these elements were combined to create Eubank’s vision for the subject property being a nostalgic, romanticized re-creation of Old California.

While Eubank was somewhat successful in creating the concept of Old California, he employed mass produced materials on street -facing elevations and failed to retain specific design parameters that accurately reflected the traditions of California architectural styles. Thereby resulting in a collection of styles, time periods, materials, and concepts that only existed on the street -facing elevations of the buildings. Furthermore, as a result of the buildings being constructed over the course of several decades and the lack of defined architectural development guidelines, the subject property’s original design aesthetic became less cohesive and inconsistent over time. This inconsistency culminated in the most recent building constructed in 2016 having no resemblance to the original design concept.

In addition, the commercial nature of the subject property resulted in many alterations to the buildings over time as new tenants and corporate chain restaurants brought new cuisine and décor. Examples of this can be found in the renovation of the Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant into the Old California Mining Company in 1997, which altered the roof parapet, exterior wall materials, patio area, and introduced new decorative elements related to a mining the me that deviated from the original Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival ornamentation . Other site elements, such as those along West San Marcos Boulevard, were removed during a large renovation project in 2007, resulting in the loss of accessory buildings and other site features that unified the shopping center. Other signage on West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz have been altered as well.

Lastly, the subject property does not serve as a good or innovative exampl e of the Restaurant Row property type or the neighborhood shopping center property type. The ubiquitous nature of suburban development in the postwar era created many shopping centers and Restaurant Rows throughout the Country and the subject property does not have the architectural distinction or innovation to rise to the level of significance required under this criterion.

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43 October 2023
Therefore, due to a lack of architectural merit, ubiquitous property typology, and a lack of integrity due to building renovations and new constructions, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 3.

CRHR Criterion 4. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

The subject property is not significant as a source, or likely source, of important historical information nor does it appear likely to yield important information about historic construction methods, materials, or technologies. Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 4.

5.1.3 Integrity Discussion
Integrity is the authenticity of a historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance. Historical resources eligible for listing in the CRHR must meet one of the designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their significance. Integrity is evaluated with regard to the retention of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. It must also be judged with reference to the particular criteria under which a resource is proposed for eligibility (OHP 2011).

Location: The subject property retains integrity of location. The subject property is sited on the original location it was constructed in its original orientation.

Design: The subject property lacks integrity of design . The lack of integrity is a result of multiple renovations of the restaurant buildings, as well as the removal of many site features. These alterations have resulted in the loss of the original vision and design that Eubank’s created in the late 1970s. While original features remain, the lack of cohesion amongst newer constructions within the subject property and the demolition of one of the buildings from the 1990s has compromised the integrity of design.

Presently, the subject property is surrounded by several commercial shopping c enters and other businesses, as well as residential developments that have filled the previously undeveloped land.

Materials: The subject property has diminished integrity of materials. Many of the original materials have been replaced or obscured by tenant renovations at the restaurants, as well as the removal of several site elements such as accessory buildings, stone, and brick and the demolition of one of the buildings has resulted in a loss of materials.

Workmanship: The subject property has diminished integrity of workmanship. Renovations to the facades of the restaurants, demolition of one of them, and loss of original site design elements such Historical Resources Technical Report
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44 October 2023
as those that ran along West San Marcos Boulevard have diminished the original workmanship of the subject property.

Feeling: The subject property has diminished integrity of feeling. While several of the original buildings remain on site, the demolition of one of the buildings, the renovati ons of several restaurant facades, and the construction of more modern buildings within the shopping center has diminished the feeling of the subject property as a cohesive, thematic shopping center.

Association: The subject property lacks integrity of association, as no significant historical associations were identified as a result of archival research.

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45 October 2023
6 Findings
No historical resources were identified within the project site or the Study Area as a result of the background research, intensive-level pede strian survey, or evaluation of the subject property and Study Area by a qualified architectural historian. The subject property, known as Old California Restaurant Row, was recorded and evaluated for historical significance in consideration of CRHR designation criteria and integrity requirements. The subject property was found not eligible under all designation criteria due to a lack of historical associations and a lack of architectural merit and integrity.

Therefore, the subject property is not considered a historical resource under CEQA.

In conclusion, the project will have a less than significant impact on historical resources under CEQA.

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7 References
Carroll, William
1977. San Marcos, A Brief History. San Marcos, California. Copy reviewed at the San Marcos Historical Society. September 2023.

Chialtas, Lynn
2023. “San Marcos, a Land Not So Far Away.” Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.pewresidents.com/history-of-san-marcos.

City of San Marcos
2023. Buidling permits for Old California Restaurant Row buildings. Provided for review by Dudek.

2023. “Welcome to the City of San Marcos.” Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.san-marcos.net/live/about-us.

City Town Info
2023. San Marcos, California. Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.pewresidents.com/history-of-san-marcos.

Dudek
2023. Cultural Resources Phase I Inventory Report for the Restaurant Row Project in San Marcos, California. July 6, 2023.

Genealogy Bank
2023. Various newspaper articles related to Old California Restaurant Row development and tenants. Accessed online via https://www.genealogybank.com/.

Google Street View
Various. Street views of Old California Restaurant Row from West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz.

Kragen, Pam
1997. “La Costans strike gold with mining restaurant.” North County Times (San Diego, CA).

September 28, 1997. Accessed online via https://www.newspapers.com/image/576811569.

2008. “Restaurant Row: Old California celebrates three decades with dining promotion.” San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego, CA). September 18, 2008. Accessed online via https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-restaurant-row-old-california-celebrates-three- 2008sep18-story.html.

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47 October 2023

Longstreth, Richard
1998. City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Longstreth, Richard
2010. The American Department Store Transformed, 1920-1960. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press.

Marks, Katherine
2004. “SM Restaurant Row founder is dead at 88.” March 3, 2004. Unknown newspaper, clipping on file at San Marcos Historical Society.

NETR (Nationwide Environmental Title Research LLC)
2023. Historic Aerial Photographs of Old California Restaurant Row and surroundings. Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer.

Newspapers.com
2023. Various newspaper articles related to Old California Restaurant Row development and tenants. Accessed online via https://www.newspapers.com/.

Oliver, Myrna
2004. “James R. Eubank, 87; Developer Set Swimming Records in His 80s.” Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). March 5, 2004. Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-05-me-eubank5-story.html.

Robi, Jill
2018. “A Closer Look: Old California Restaurant Row.” Neighborhoods.com. September 12, 2018. Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.neighborhoods.com/blog/a-closer-look- old-california-restaurant-row.

San Marcos Historical Society
2023. Various images and articles related to Old California Restaurant Row and Jim Eubank history. Accessed and scanned in person in September 2023.

Smith, Della Dale
n.d. “About James Rollins Eubank.” Accessed online via https://www.geni.com/people/James- Eubank/6000000004348851936.

SurveyLA
2007. Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Commercial Development, 1859-1980, Theme: Neighborhood Commercial Development, 1880-1980. August 2017.

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48 October 2023

Whitaker, Jan
2015. “Restaurant Row.” Restaurant-ing Through History. January 28, 2015. Accessed online via https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2015/01/28/restaurant-row/.

Williams, Jack
2004. “Jim Eubank.” San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego, CA). March 3, 2004. Accessed online via https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sandiegouniontribune/name/jim-eubank- obituary?id=51196515.

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Appendix A:

Resumes

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 760-334-3355

EDUCATION
M.F.A., Historic Preservation,
Savannah College of Art and
Design, Savannah, Georgia,
2004
B.A., History, Bridgewater
College, Bridgewater,
Virginia, 2002

PROFESSIONAL

AFFILIATIONS
California Preservation
Foundation
Los Angeles Conservancy
Society of Architectural
Historians
National Trust for Historic
Preservation

Sarah Corder, MFA

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
Sarah Corder is the Principal Architectural Historian at South Environmental with 18 years’ experience in all elements of cultural resources management, including project management, historic preservation planning, rehabilitation of historic buildings, com munity engagement, intensive -level field investigations, citywide surveys, architectural history studies, and historical significance evaluations in consideration of the NRHP, CRHR, and local-level evaluation criteria. Sarah has conducted thousands of hist orical resource evaluations and developed detailed historic context statements for a multitude of property types and architectural styles, including private residential, commercial, military, industrial, educational, recreational, civic, and agricultural properties. Sarah has also worked closely with design teams, property owners, and agencies on numerous projects that required conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Standards) and local design guidelines.

Sarah e xceeds the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for both Architectural History and History. She has extensive experience preparing environmental compliance documentation in support of projects that fall under the CEQA/NEPA, and Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Sarah also has extensive experience consulting with lead agencies and managing large scale projects fo r municipalities like the City of Coronado, the City of San Diego, and the County of Los Angeles.

EXPERTISE
• CEQA, NEPA, and Section 106 of the NHPA compliance
documentation in consideration of impacts to historical resources, and historic properties.
• Large scale historic resources survey management and execution. • Large scale historic context statement development.
• Community engagement.
• Resource significance evaluations in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and local designation criteria.
• Project design review for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.

Sarah Corder, MFA Resume, Page 2

PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Historical Resources Research Report for 242 -258 Rosemont Street, City of San Diego, California (2023). South Environmental was retained to prepare a Historical Resources Research Report (HRRR) for a project site that contained multiple residential buildin gs identified as 242 -258 Rosemont Street . This report include d an intensive -level pedestrian survey of the building, site development and archival research, and recordation and evaluation of the building for historical significance in consideration of the NRHP, CRHR and the City of San Diego designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the significance evaluation, the property was found not eligible under state, federal, and local designation criteria as a result of alterations and a lack of architectural merit. Ms. Corder served as the project manager and principal architectural historian for the project and her tasks included archival research, coordination with the City Planning Department, and QA/QC of all project deliverables.

Historical Resources Research Report for 2125 5 th Avenue, City of San Diego, California (2023).

South Environmental was retained by the owner of 2125 5 th Avenue to prepare a Historical Resources Research Report for a 1920s apartment building located at 2125 5 th Avenue. This report include d an intensive-level pedestrian survey of the building, site development and archival research, and recordation and evaluation of the building for historical significance in consideration of the NRHP, CRHR and the City of San Diego designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the significance evaluation, 2125 5th Avenue was found eligible under City of Sa n Diego Criterion C for embodying the distinctive characteristics and being an excellent example of the Mission Revival style with a period of significance from 1924-1928. In addition, the building also represents the early twentieth century apartment building property type in the Uptown planning area of San Diego. The property was also found significant under City of San Diego Criterion D for being designed by Master Architect Louis J. Gill during the early years of his solo career. The building was found to be representative of Gill’s work in San Diego and an excellent example of his design style. For these reasons, the property is also eligible under NRHP and CRHR Criteria C/3. Ms. Corder served as the principal architectural historian for the project and provided QA/QC for the project deliverables.

Historical Analysis for 315 Olive Avenue, City of Carlsbad, California (2022). South Environmental was retained to prepare an historical analysis for the 315 Olive Avenue, located in the City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California. This analysis includes the results of an intensive-level, pedestrian survey of the project site by a qualified architectural historian; building development and archival research; and recordation and evaluation of one property for historical significance in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and City of Carlsbad historic resources inventory (HRI) designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the property significance evaluation, the property was recommended eligible for designation in the NRHP at the local level, the CRHR, and the City’s HRI under NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, and City Criterion C for its architectural merit. Responsibilities included QA/QC of project deliverables.

Historical Resources Technical Report for 6365 Imperial Avenue, City of San Diego (2022). While working at a previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the principal architectural historian and project manager for the project. The project site contained two residential buildings and one commerc ial building that were more than 45 years of age. The project included the preparation of a City of San Diego compliant Historical Resources Technical Report (HRTR). This report included an intensive-level pedestrian survey of the building, site development and archival research, and recordation and evaluation of the building for historical significance in consideration of the NRHP, CRHR and the City of San Diego designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of this study the property was fou nd not eligible under all state, federal and local criteria. Ms. Corder’s responsibilities included project management, archival research, coordination with the City, and QA/QC of all project deliverables.

Sarah Corder, MFA Resume, Page 3

Mira Mesa Community Plan Area Historic Context Statement and Focused Reconnaissance Survey, City of San Diego Planning Department, California (2020-2022). While working for her previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the senior architectural historian and task manager for the project . The project included the preparation of a historic context statement and a reconnaissance-level survey for historical resources. The goal of the project was to identify the historical themes and associated property types important to the development of M ira Mesa, accompanied by a reconnaissance -level survey report focused on the master -planned residential communities within the Mira Mesa Community Plan Area.

While the historic context statement addressed all development themes and property types within th e community, the scope of the survey was limited to residential housing within the CPA constructed between 1969 and 1990. This study was completed as part of the comprehensive update to the Mira Mesa CPA and Programmatic E nvironmental Impact Report (EIR) . Responsibilities included: task manager, survey lead, and co-author of the historic context statement and survey reports. Ms. Corder also provided QA/QC of all survey information and project deliverables.

University CPA Historic Context Statement and Focused Reconnaissance Survey, City of San Diego Planning Department, California (2020-2022). While working for her previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the senior architectural historian for the project. The project included the preparation of an HCS that identified the historical themes and associated property types important to the development of University City, accompanied by a reconnaissance -level survey report focused on the master -planned residential communities within the University Community Plan Area. While the HCS addressed all development themes and property types within the community, the scope of the survey was limited to residential housing constructed between the 1960s and 1990s. Responsibilities for the project included task management, survey leadership, and co-author of the historic context statement and survey reports. Ms.

Corder also provided QA/QC of all survey information and project deliverables.

Historical Resources Technical Report for the Preserve at River Bend Project, County of San Diego, California (2022). While working at a previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the principal architectural historian for the project. The project Area of Potential Effect (APE) comprises buildings and structures over 45 years old, including a portion of th e San Diego Aqueduct, the Lucio Dairy, Pete Verboom Dairy, and two residential properties (34468 and 34440 Jamies Lane) functioning as small farmsteads. As such, these resources were evaluated for historical significance in consideration of potential impac ts to historical resources under the CEQA, the County of San Diego Historic Preservation Ordinance, the County of San Diego Resource Protection Ordinance (RPO), and Section 106 of the NHPA. Ms. Corder also analyzed the project’s potential for adverse effec ts to the San Diego Aqueduct were analyzed. Ms. Corder’s responsibilities included adverse effects analysis, review of the project plans, coordination with County staff and clients, task management, co-authorship of the report, and QA/QC of all project deliverables.

Coronado Citywide Historic Resources Inventory and Historic Context Statement, City of Coronado, California (2019-2022). While at a previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the principal architectural historian and project manager for the project. The project included the preparation of an HCS and historic resources survey for all properties at least 50 years old within City of Coronado limits. As part of this project, a detailed HCS for the City was developed that identified and discussed the important themes, patterns of development, property types, and architectural styles prevalent throughout the City. Responsibilities for the project included project management, preparation of DPR forms, reconnaissance-level and intensive- level survey, survey leadership, co-authorship of the report , development of registration requirements, archival research, and QA/QC for all project deliverables.

City of Coronado As -Needed Historic Research Consultant, City of Coronado, California (2019- 2022). While at a previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the principal architectural historian for the project.

The project involved working with the City of Coronado Community Development Department to provide Sarah Corder, MFA Resume, Page 4

historic preservation services on an as-needed basis. Services scoped under the current contract include historic resources surveys; archival research; preparation of evaluation reports in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and City of Coronado designation criteria; attendance at Historic Resource Commission and City Council hearings; and review of projects for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Ms. Corder’s responsibilities included QA/QC of project deliverables and client coordination for multiple task orders.

The Enclave at Ivanhoe Ranch Project, Rancho San Diego, San Diego County, California (2020).

While working at her previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the project’s senior architectural historian. The project included the preparation of a Historical Resources Technical Re port (HRTR) in support of a residential development project totaling approximately 121.9 acres in unincorporated San Diego County.

The project site include d the Ivanhoe Ranch, a historic -era complex of horse ranch buildings and accompanying residences located at 3256, 3261, 3263, 3267, and 3269 Ivanhoe Ranch Road. The Ivanhoe Ranch was evaluated for historical significance in consideration of potential impacts to historical resources under CEQA, the County of San Diego Historic Preservation Ordinance, and County of San Diego Resource Protection Ordinance. The Ivanhoe Ranch was recommended eligible under NRHP, CRHR and County of San Diego Criteria B/2/2 and C/3/3 for its association with important historical figure John P. Scripps, architectural merit, and association with master designer Cliff May. A detailed impacts assessment with associated protective mitigation was included in the HRTR. Responsibilities included archival research and co-authorship of the report.

Sycuan Fee to Trust Project, San Diego County, California (2020). While working at her previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the project’s senior architectural historian. The project included the preparation of a technical report in support of a fee-to-trust transfer of five (5) parcels that cumulat ively total approximately 40 acres from the Sycuan to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The project was subject to Section 106 of the NHPA and its implementing regulation Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 800. This report include d the following components: development of a Project APE Map; the relevant results of a California Historical Resources Information Systems records search and background research; an intensive -level pedestrian survey of the APE for built environment resources; and an historical significance evaluation of all properties more than 50 years of age within the APE, in consideration of potential adverse effects to historic properties under Section 106 of the NHPA. Ms. Corder’s responsibilities included task management, co -authorship of the report, and QA/QC of all project deliverables.

San Diego Dam and Reservoir Citywide Inventory, City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, California (2017-2020). While at a previous firm, Ms. Corder served as the project’s senior architectural historian. The project included the preparation of a systemwide historic context statement and evaluation of ten dam complexes and a flume for the San Diego Public Utilities Department. A detailed historic context statement was developed after extensive archival research efforts and resources were evaluated for historical significance in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and City of San Diego designation criteria and integrity requirements. The project also required intensive-level survey of all facilities and multiple impacts assessments for proposed modifications to the City’s water infrastructure components. . Responsibilities included archival research, co -authorship of the historic context statement, preparation of DPR forms, assisting i n the creation of a public brochure, and primary authorship of multiple dam significance evaluations.

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 610-739-8956

EDUCATION
B.A., History of Architecture,
Minor in Architecture with a
focus in Construction
Management, Syracuse
University, 2019

PROFESSIONAL

AFFILIATIONS
California Preservation
Foundation
National Trust for Historic
Preservation

Marlena Krcelich, BA

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN
Marlena Krcelich is an Architectural Historian at South Environmental with a background in historic preservation , advocacy, and hands-on conservation work. S he has experience in cultural resources preservation including identification, research, writing, historical significance evaluations in consideration of the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), and local-level designation criteria, and has experience working with local Mills Act program requirements.

Ms. Krcelich meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards fo r Architectural History. She has knowledge and experience regarding Section 106 of the NHPA, NEPA, and CEQA compliance, and mitigation.

EXPERTISE
• Resource significance evaluations in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and local designation criteria.
• Project design review for conformance with the Secreta ry of the Interior’s Standards.
• Assistance with project mitigation.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING
• U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Section 106 Tutorial, 2022
• Introduction to Preservation Law & Easements, NTHP, 2021 • Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program, National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, 2020
• Taking Stock of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, CPF, 2020 • Section 106 and NEPA, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 2019

Marlena Krcelich, BA Resume, Page 2

PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Historic Resource Analysis of 2879 -2885 Hope Avenue, City of Carlsbad, California (2023). South Environmental was retained by Kirk Moeller Architects to prepare an historical analysis for 2879 -2885 Hope Avenue, located in the City of Car lsbad, San Diego County, California. This analysis included the results of an intensive -level, pedestrian survey of the project site by a qualified architectural historian; building development and archival research; and recordation and evaluation of one property for historical significance in consideration of CRHR and City of Carlsbad historic resources inventory (HRI) designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the property significance evaluation, the property was recommended not elig ible for designation in the CRHR, and the City’s. Ms. Krcelich served as the architectural historian for the project and conducted the survey and prepared all deliverables.

Historical Resource Research Report for the 2125 5th Avenue Project, San Diego, San Diego County, California (2023). South Environmental was retained to prepare a Historical Resource Research Report in support of the 2125 5th Avenue Project. One built environment resource over 45 years old within the project site was identified and reco rded. The resource was evaluated for historical significance in consideration of NRHP, CRHR and City designation criteria. The subject property was found eligible for designation in the NRHP, the CRHR, and as a City of San Diego Historical Resource under NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, and City Criterion C and D for its architectural merit and association with Master Architect Louis J. Gill. The subject property was determined a historical resource per CEQA Guidelines § 15064.5. Ms. Krcelich served as the Architectural Historian for the project and prepared all deliverables.

Historical Resource Research Report for the 242 -258 Rosemont Street Project, San Diego, San Diego County, California (2023). South Environmental was retained by Paragon Real Estate Investments to prepare a Historical Resource Research Report in support of the 242-258 Rosemont Street Project. Two built environment resources over 45 years old within the project site were identified and recorded. The resources were evaluated for historical significance in consideration of NRHP, CRHR and City designation criteria and integrity requirements and were found not eligible under all designation criteria and integrity requirements. The proposed project was found to have a less than significant im pact on historical resources under CEQA. Ms. Krcelich served as the Architectural historian for the project and prepared all deliverables.

Historical Analysis of 315 Olive Avenue, City of Carlsbad, California (2022). South Environmental was retained to prepare an historical analysis for the 315 Olive Avenue, located in the City of Carlsbad, San Diego County, California. This analysis included the results of an intensive-level, pedestrian survey of the project site by a qualified architectural historian; building development and archival research; and recordation and evaluation of one property for historical significance in consideration of NRHP, CRHR, and City of Carlsbad historic resources inventory (HRI) designation criteria and integrity requirements. As a result of the property significance evaluation, the property was recommended eligible for designation in the NRHP at the local level, the CRHR, and the City’s HRI under NRHP Criterion C, CRHR Criterion 3, and City Criterion C for its archi tectural merit. Ms. Krcelich served as the Architectural Historian for the project and conducted the survey and prepared all deliverables.

Historical Resources Technical Report
Restaurant Row Project
B-1 October 2023

Appendix B:

DPR Form Set

Page 1 of 35 ends

P1. Other Identifier: 1020-1080 West San Marcos Blvd

DPR 523A (9/2013) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
*P2. Location:  Not for Publication ■ Unrestricted *a. County San Diego and (P2c, P2e, and P2b or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad San Marcos Date 2023 T 12S ; R 3 W ;  of  of Sec 15 and 16 ;MD B.M. c. Address 1020-1080 West San Marcos Blvd City San Marcos Zip 92078 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear resources) Zone 11S, 482311.79 mE/ 3666301.26 mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, decimal degrees, etc., as appropriate) APNs 219-200-31-00, 219-200-45-00, 219-200-46-00, 219-200-40-00, 219-200-30-00, and 219- 200-20-00. The property is bound to the south by West San Marcos Boulevard, to the east by Via Vera Cruz, and to the north and west by other commercial properties and parking lots.
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
The subject property consists of eight extant buildings and one former building site all located within a commercial shopping center known as Old California Restaurant Row. The buildings are arranged in no specific order or pattern but are generally concentrated on the southern and eastern edges of the subject property, with the remainder of the property comprised of paved parking (see Continuation Sheets).
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 story commercial building *P4. Resources Present: ■ Building
 Structure  Object  Site  District
 Element of District  Other
(Isolates, etc.)
P5b. Description of Photo: (view,
date, accession #) Overview of
subject property, view to
northeast
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Source: ■ Historic  Prehistoric 
Both
1978-2016 (NETR 2023)
*P7. Owner and Address:

San Marcos Row LLC
16192 Costal Hwy
Lewes, DE 19958
*P8. Recorded by:

Marlena Krcelich
South Environmental
2061 N. Los Robles Ave
#205
Pasadena, CA 91104
*P9. Date Recorded: 9/28/2023
*P10. Survey Type: Pedestrian
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources or enter "none.") Historic Built Environment Assessment for the Restaurant Row Project, City of San Marcos, California (South Environmental 2023)
*Attachments: NONE ■Location Map ■Continuation Sheet ■Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record ■ Other (List): Sketch Map

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*Map Name: San Marcos, California *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of map: _2023__

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*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Old California Restaurant Row *NRHP Status Code 6Z

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BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
B1. Historic Name: Old California Restaurant Row
B2. Common Name: Old California Restaurant Row
B3. Original Use: Commercial/dining B4. Present Use: Commercial/dining *B5. Architectural Style: n
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) Development of the subject property began in 1972 and continued until the last building was constructed in 2016 (see continuation sheets for additional construction details).

*B7. Moved? ■No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features:

B9a. Architect: unknown b. Builder: unknown *B10. Significance: Theme n/a Area n/a Period of Significance n/a Property Type n/a Applicable Criteria n/a

The subject property is not eligible under any CRHR designation criteria due to a lack of significant historical associations and architectural merit.

Historical Overview of the City of San Marcos

The valley that would become the City of San Marcos was traversed by the Spanish in the 18th century as they moved up the coast from Baja California. A historical account notes that the Spanish came across the valley when the San Luis Rey Mission was robbe d, and Spanish soldiers chased the thieves into the nearby valley. The area was named by the soldiers as Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, translating to Little Valleys of Saint Mark, and on April 25th was from then on referred to as “Saint Mark’s Day” as it was the date they entered the valley in the year 1797. The valley was then used by the mission to graze cattle and flocks of sheep (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023) (see Continuation Sheet).

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References: See Continuation Sheet

B13. Remarks:

*B14. Evaluator: Marlena Krcelich, South Environmental *Date of Evaluation: 9/28/2023
(Sketch Map with north arrow required.)

(This space reserved for official comments.)

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*P3a. Description (Continued):

All buildings within the subject property, aside from Building 8 which was constructed in 2016, present with a variety of applied ornamentation to mimic the Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival styles of architecture. Common feat ures found throughout these buildings include stucco exteriors, flat roofs with parapets, and other roof forms clad in red clay tiles, the use of large wooden beams, cobblestones, and clay bricks.). The majority of the applied ornament is concentrated at e ntry points of the restaurants, street entrances, and street facing elevations. Secondary/non -street facing exterior walls are generally devoid of architectural ornament.

Table 1 provides a photograph (column 1) and description (column 2) of each component of the subject property as identified in the Sketch Map with additional details regarding the accessory buildings.

Table 1. Subject Property Components
1 – Building 1 (Circa 1978)
Overview of Building 1, east elevation, facing
west
Building 1 is a sprawling building
with a square -shaped floor plan
featuring a variety of restaurants
located on all elevations. The
building is one -story with a flat
roof and parapet wall, and all
restaurant entryways feature
individual design details. Exterior
building materials include stucco,
stone veneer, red clay brick
veneer, wooden beams, red clay tile
shed roofs, and wooden windows.

There are a total of 10 restaurants
within the bui lding, and at the
center of the north elevation is
access to the center of the
building. The rear of the building
is used for commercial deliveries.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Overview of commercial delivery and staff area of
Building 1, facing southeast
2 – Building 2 (Circa 1978)
Overview of Building 2, south elevation, view to
northeast
Building 2 is a one-story building
with a rectangular shaped floor
plan. The building has a complex
roof shape that features a flat
roof with parapet wall sections,
hipped roof sections, and shed roof
sections. Hipped and shed roof
sections are clad in red clay
tiles. The building has two
restaurants, both with distinct
entrances on the south elevation.

The exterior of the building
features stucco, stone veneer, red
clay brick veneer, wooden beams,
and wooden windows. The restaurant
entryway on the southwest corner
has Asian thematic details over the
main entry door.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Overview of Building 2, southwest corner, facing
northeast
Overview of Building 2, west elevation, view to
southeast

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
3- Building 3 (Circa 1982)
Overview of Building 3, south elevation, view to
northeast
Building 3 is a one -story
standalone restaurant with a
roughly squared shaped floor plan.

It has a flat roof with a parapet
wall and shed roofs clad in red clay
tiles. The exterior is clad in
stucco with areas of exposed brick.

The main entr y is located on the
south elevation and there are two
large patios on the southwest and
southeast corners of the building.

The exterior walkways are made of
red bricks and stone edging
surrounds the landscaped areas. The
building also includes the use of
wooden beams, wooden windows, and
doors. A sign for the restaurant is
located along Via Vera Cruz and is
similar in style to the building
with stucco and brick elements
Building 4 (Crica 1982)
Overview of Building 4, east elevation, view to
southwest
Building 4 is a two-story building
with a rectangular shaped floor
plan. The tall portion of the
building has a flat roof with a
parapet wall, and the rest of the
building has hipped and shed roofs
clad in red clay tiles. The
exterior is clad in stucco and a
large, covered walkway projects
from the south and east elevations.

The building is currently being
used as a bank. There are entrances
on the north and south elevations.

The west elevation has banking
drive-through areas. This elevation
also has wood shutters in the
windows on the first story.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 5 (Circa 1993)
Overview of Building 5, south and west
elevations, view to northwest
Building 5 is a two-story building
with a rectangular -shaped floor
plan. The building houses two
restaurants and has varied roof
lines and levels that include flat
roof sections with parapets walls
and gabled, hipped, and shed roofs
sections clad in red clay tiles.

The exterior is clad in stucco with
areas of exposed brick. A large
patio area runs the length of the
east elevation. The patio and the
south elevation feature a
cobblestone wall. The north
elevation is utilitarian in design
and is used for delivery and
service functions for the
restaurants. The west elevation is
clad in uninterrupted stone veneer
and is inconsistent with the
building materials seen on much of
the other buildings within subject
property.

Building 6 (Circa 1994, Demolished 2019)
Overview of former Building 6 site, view to
southwest
Building 6 was constructed in 1994
and demolished in 2019. The site
now consists of a rectangular
shaped dirt lot, remnants of paved
parking areas, and is surrounded by
a chain link fence. No elements of
the building remain.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 7 (Circa 1995)
Overview of Building 7, north and east
elevations, view to southwest
Building 7 is a one -story
standalone restaurant building with
a roughly square shaped floor plan.

There is a flat roof section with a
parapet wall at the center of the
building and the re st of the roof
is made up of varying hipped and
gabled roof forms clad in red clay
tiles. The exterior is clad in
stucco with the walls interspersed
with wooden beams creating bays on
the east and west elevations. The
main entrance is on the southeast
corner of the building. The entire
south elevation and parts of the
north and west elevations are
obscured by tall brown brick walls.

The applied ornamentation includes
some nautical themed elements such
as fish and boat chains. These
nautical themed elements extend
into the parking area immediately
adjacent to the restaurant.

Building 8 (Circa 2016)
Overview of Building 8, south elevation, view to
north
Building 8 is a standalone two -
story restaurant with a roughly
square-shaped floor plan. Unlike
the othe r buildings within the
subject property, this building is
new with modern materials and
design features identifying it as a
corporate chain restaurant. It has
a flat roof, and its exterior
materials include steel framing,
brick veneer, metal siding,
concrete, and faux wood siding. The
main entrance is located on the
south elevation and features large
glass entry doors. On the west
elevation is a covered patio area.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components
Building 9, Utility Shed (Circa 1980)
Overview of Utility Shed, view to northeast
Building 9 is a small one -story
utility shed with one entry door on
the west elevation. The exterior is
clad in stucco with areas of
exposed brick. The building
features a gabled roof clad in red
clay tiles. The main entry point is
sheltered by a shed roof projection
that is supported by wooden beams
and a small stone wall.

Hardscape Features (Circa 1978-1980)
Overview of sign on West San Marcos Boulevard,
facing northwest.

In addition to the various
buildings on site, the subject
property features signage, red
brick and stone walkways, stone and
brick edging around landscaping
features, wooden fences, and
mission bell and lantern style
parking lot light posts to further
mimic Spanish Eclectic and Mission
Revival styles of architecture.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components

Overview of additional sign on West San Marcos
Boulevard, facing northwest.

Overview of lantern style lights and old signage
in parking area, facing northeast.

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Table 1. Subject Property Components

Overview of mission bell style lights in parking
area, facing east.

Identified Alterations
Building permits indicate that there were multiple tenant improvements and renovations made to the subject property throughout its history as a result of continuously changing tenants (City of San Marcos; Google Street View var.; San Marcos Historical Society 2023). The following represents the most notable exterior building and site changes made to the subject property throughout its history.
• Renovation of southeast corner restaurant façade (post 1991) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023)
• Renovation of Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant facade to Old California Mining Company (1997) (Kragen 1997; San Marcos Historical Society 2023) • Renovation of landscaping and various featur es along West San Marcos Boulevard (2007) (Google Street View var).
• Removal of the wagon wheel and faux water tower in front of the Old California Mining Company restaurant (2015) (Exhibit 10) (Google Street View var.). • Demolition of Building 6 (2019) (NETR 2023)

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• Alteration of original signage on West San Marcos Boulevard (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023)
• Renovation of northeast corner restaurant façade (date unknown) (observed) • Addition of modern parking lot lights (date unknown) (observed) *B10. Significance (Continued):

In 1840, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, consisting of nearly 9,000 acres, to Spanish Sargent Jose Mario Alvarado. Alvarado was killed in 1846, and the land passed to his widow, Lugarsa Osuna, who went on to sell it to a man named Lorenzo Soto. By 1851, nearly 8,000 acres were transferred to former army Lieutenant Cave Couts. Couts and his wife, Isadora, used the land to raise livestock and called it “Rancho San Marcos.” Couts became a very wealthy cattleman with over 20,000 acres of land. In 1875, a homesteading family headed by G ustavus French Merriam arrived in the area from Topeka, Kansas. They homesteaded 160 acres near Couts land, which they went on to call the Twin Oaks Valley. Tension arose between Couts and Merriam, and the two men were at odds for several years trying to s uccessfully run their own agricultural operations (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

By 1880, the population reached nearly 100 with most being families, who were farmers or raised sheep. Slowly, more people began to arrive in the area in search of a better California life. In 1882, James Barham and his son, John, arrived and took possession of 151 acres where present -day San Marcos High School is located. His son John opened a general store on the subject property, as well as a flour mill, whiskey mill, and e ven a school, as the nearest one was in Twin Oaks. In the following years, more businesses, schools, churches, and a railroad came to the area and continued to expand the three distinct communities: Rancho San Marcos, Twin Oaks, and Barham. In 1887, Rancho San Marcos was sold to the San Marcos Land Company and divided into tracts for sale, more officially establishing the town of San Marcos. The town of Barham was losing steam, primarily due to the Santa Fe Railroad being closer to San Marcos and too far away from Barham. Many of the early settlers moved to San Marcos from Barham, as well as other neighboring communities including Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Escondido (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

By the 1910s, San Marcos remained primarily an agricultural com munity but had many amenities of an established town including telephone service, hotels, a blacksmith, banks, telephone lines, and churches. By the late 1920s, the Vista Water District brought water to areas of Twin Oaks Valley. Reliable water sources made it possible for farmers to expand their crops to include grains, citrus, and avocados. Much of the farming was done by Japanese immigrants in these years. In addition to crops, dairying rapidly became a profitable business in San Marcos. Small dairies be gan to open in the area, with the largest being the Trussell Dairy. When the dairy opened in the mid-1920s it had 40 cows, but by 1931, it had a herd of 150. Owner, Ray Trussell, owned another ranch in San Pasqual Valley and began selling cream and later fresh milk. Other dairies continued to open over the next couple of decades, with Hollandia Dairy opening in the 1950s, as well

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as Felix Gaylean Distributor, Hollands Dairy, and Henry Vander Stelt. Chicken farming also became a popular endeavor in San Marcos, with large swaths of flat land being used for raising birds. At one time, San Marcos had the largest chicken ranch in all of Southern California (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

As more people began to slowly make their way to San Marcos in the early to mid-twentieth century, the need for more water could not be ignored. Some families, such as the Clemson family who owned the land that straddled the San Marcos Creek, took action to ensure enough water. In 1951, they built a dam in the creek that slowly filled up to form a 40- acre lake. As a farming family, they used this water to irrigate their crops. However, other residents were not as fortunate to have water sources on their land, so in 1946, the San Marcos residents voted to bring water to the area form the Colorado River to increase investment and economic growth. It took another 10 years for the plan to be realized, but in 1956, the town was successfully saturated with water. This resulted in a rapid increase in population to nearly 2,500 people (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

Newspaper articles from the 1960s predicted that San Marcos’ population would reach 75,000 by 1975, projecting a need for tremendous development and growth to accommodate a new population. Developments such as a large shopping center on Mission Road and Marcos Street which was five stories tall, and occupied nearly 6,000 square feet, was constructed to offer a shopping area for new residents in 1957. In 1960, construction began on the Highway 78 which connected Oceanside and Escon dido by way of San Marcos and improved travel through the area (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

Another major development that changed how San Marcos was viewed to outsiders happened in 1962 when developers from Glendale, California purchased over 1,600 acres of land in the valley to increase the size of the Clemson family lake. The developers reshaped and extended the lake by 1.3 miles and doubled its size to 80 acres. Development around the lake increased, including a motel and restaurant. The lake expansi on also brought potential buyers and investors, who built housing developments with resort-like amenities and a shopping plaza. The Lake San Marcos subdivision was named the best planned community in California in 1966 (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023).

In 19 63, San Marcos incorporated and was credited as the fastest growing city in California and had a population of 3,200. When the City incorporated, it began a slow transition from an agriculturally based economy to a multi-faceted economic system with new industries that sparked commercial and residential development. New subdivisions were planned throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and by 1975, about 10,000 residents called San Marcos home. From this point forward, development followed the trend of many other suburban areas, with fields slowly being filled with houses and stores. In 1989, California State University San Marcos opened, which ushered in even more fast -paced development (Carroll 1977; Chialtas 2023; City Town Info 2023).

Today, San Marcos is a community of over 95,000 people with a focus on building housing for continued population growth and promoting new industries for continued economic growth (City of San Marcos 2023).

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Old California Restaurant Row History

Old California Restaurant Row (subject property) was developed in 1978 by Los Angeles developer Jim Eubank and his wife Vera. Prior to the development of the subject property, the area was a remote strip of open land in a city that was still largely agricultural with many chicken ranches in the area. When Jim and Vera moved to North County San Diego in 1972, they saw the potential growth opportunity of San Marcos and sought to make it a center of commerce (Kragen 2008; Robi 2018).

The first development on the subject property associated with Eubank was a small farm stand that served as a farmers market called Rancho Mercado, constructed in 1972 (Exhibit 1). The market sold local produce as well as produce from Los Angeles. The market was successful and prompted Jim to consider other options for business opportunities in the area. Realizing a lack of dining establishments, he came up with the idea to build an open food court with outdoor seating areas and gardens that would have a rustic charm and nostalgia to Old California. This developm ent was constructed and named Old California Restaurant Row (Kragen 2008; Robi 2018).

Exhibit 1. Newspaper photograph of the original Rancho Mercado (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Archival research did not reveal that Eubank had any specific master plan or other type of planning document that guided the development of Old California Restaurant Row.

Eubank’s vision was to build an international restaurant complex where cuisines of all types would be offered next door to each other in sit-down restaurants. He did not want the subject property to reflect a typical strip mall developed during the 1970s, but rather a destination culinary option for North County San Diego. While many criticized

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Eubank’s vision for a multi-restaurant property and predicted it would fail due to the restaurants being in direct competition, the Old California Restaurant Row went on to be a large success that became a centralized area for San Marcos residents. His vision for the subject property involved giving it an “Old California” appearance by incorporating a variety of Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival style-inspired features, which guided the design of the building facades and the hardscape elements throughout. Eubank brought many elements to the site in an effort to create what he interpreted as an “authentic” look. For instance, Eubank brought in river rock from the Pala Indian Reservation, 100- year-old timber from vintage buildings, and purchased handmade artistic tiles from Mexico that were all used in the construction of the restaurants. Eubank was also known for running a forklift and sandblasting during the construction phase (Marks 2004; Kragen 2008).

In 1978, the first two buildings (Buildings 1 and 2, see Figure 3) were constructed at the Old California Restaurant Row and were designed to be the location of several restaurants. The buildings were built along the southern edge of the site, adjacent to West San Marcos Boulevard and easily visible from the street. These two buildings set the tone for the larger development through their design features, which included stucco exteriors, red clay tile roofs, parapet walls, wooden beams, stone, clay bricks, and wood windows. These features were concentrated on the exterior-facing elevations, while the elevations and areas less visible to the street were more utilitarian in nature. The first restaurant to open in Building 1 was Gentleman’s Choice and it quickly attr acted people and other restaurants to open in the two new buildings. Another early restaurant was the Rancho Vera Cruz, which was opened in the area where the Old California Mining Company is now located (Exhibits 2, 3, and 4). Around the same time, other site elements were added along West San Marcos Boulevard and within the site such as signage, landscaping elements including clay brick walkways and stone edging, thematic lighting such as lanterns and mission bell style parking lot lights, and small accessory buildings all following the rustic design aesthetic Eubank incorporated on Buildings 1 and 2 (Exhibits 5 and 6). These additional elements tied together the theme of the subject property and connected the site as one cohesive shopping center (Robi 201 8; San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 2. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, now home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 3. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant, now home of the Old California Mining Company in Building 1 (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 4. Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant (1989) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 5. Original signage on West San Marcos Boulevard (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 6. Old California sign, appearing to be located on southeast corner of Building 1 (1991) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

By the mid-1980s, much of the land surrounding the subject property was still undeveloped, though some other commercial and industrial developments began construction in the area.

The next two buildings constructed on the subject property were completed in 1993 and 1994 at the southwest corner of the site (Buildings 5 and 6) (NETR 2023). Construction photographs from Building 5 (Exhibits 7, 8, and 9) show that some large wooden beams were used to construct it, such as over the main angle corner entryway. This building included many of the features of the two original buildings such as stucco, red clay tile roofs, stone and clay bricks, and wooden beams, but was constructed two stories in height and had some additional features such as arches, and an angled patterned brick

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walkway and patio. The west elevation of the building was constructed out of basic concrete stone and has no windows, doors, or any type of ornamentation, likely due to it being on the edge of the site and facing away from any potential customers. The choi ce to exclude exterior ornamentation on secondary elevations demonstrates the façade-focused nature of the construction of the buildings within the subject property (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 7. Building 5 under construction, facing south (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 8. Building 5 under construction showing large blank west elevation wall, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

Exhibit 9. Building 5 under construction showing large wooden beam doorway, facing northwest (1993) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Building 6 was constructed in 1994 and demolished in 2019. Archival research did not reveal any photographs of this building, but aerial imagery shows that this building was very long and narrow along the western edge of the subject property, unlike the prior buildings which were square or rectangular in pla n. Archival Google Street View shows that the building did use many of the typical design features of the earlier buildings such as stucco walls, a parapet, and red clay tiles, but no other specific details could be seen. The building was demolished with the intention of a new development connecting the subject property to a nearby property, though this was never realized, and the land has remained vacant (NETR 2023; UCSB 2023; Google Street View var.).

This material type was not found in the previously constructed buildings within Old California Restaurant Row. Wooden beams were u sed in the design but were incorporated into the exterior walls creating a bay system between the windows, and the parapet wall was capped with red clay tiles. Another unique aspect of Building 7 was the addition of nautical elements including boat cleats and chains, and various fish motifs throughout the building due to its use as a seafood restaurant (NETR 2023; UCSB 2023).

In 1997, mining motifs and elements were brought to the subject property with the opening of the Old California Mining Company in the former location of the original Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant on the east elevation of Building 1 (Exhibit 10). The new tenants carried out a full remodel of the façade and patio area and introduced an entirely new mining theme that departed from the Spanish Eclectic and Mission styles that were the original focus of Eubank’s design. Old California Mining Company was owned by David and Patricia Cortina, who invested $450,000 into transforming the space. Their vision for the building was that of a Gold Rush-era mining camp. New mining themed features included faux wooden beam walls, rebuilding of the stone walls around the patio, rebuilding of the parapet, replacement of original signage, the addition of a faux water tower and water wheel in a landscaping bed adjacent to the patio, the construction of a new entranceway coal mine “tunnel” with a coal railcar overhead, and other decorative elements reminiscent of California’s mining history (Kragen 1997; San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

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Exhibit 10. Newspaper photograph of the Old California Mining Company restaurant waterwheel and faux water tower, no longer extant (date unknown) (San Marcos Historical Society 2023).

1. A photograph from 1991 indicates that the building façade has been renovated, including construction of new faux parapet wall with a mission tower and bell, replacement stucco with removal of wooden rafter tails, removal of wooden beams over patio area, enclosure of wooden posts with clay bricks, enclosure of eastern patio with glass, and removal of “Old California” signage (San Marcos Historical Society 2023; Google Street View var.).

In 2007, many of the site elements running along West San Marcos Boulevard were removed and replaced with modern elements. These removed elements included thematic accessory buildings as well as brick and stone walkways (Exhibits 11 and 12) (Google Street View var.). The site remained relatively unchanged until 2 016 when the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant (Building 8) was constructed near the southeast corner of the site. This building’s design aesthetic was corporate in nature and did not incorporate any of the existing thematic building designs seen throughout th e site. The building was designed with standardized corporate specifications that utilized modern, mass-produced materials and design aesthetics. In addition, the areas around the building were modernized with new, simple concrete curbs without cobblestones and parking lot lights that were in stark contrast to the Old California thematic elements found in the rest of the subject property

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(Google Street View var.; NETR 2023). This site was still owned by the Eubank family when this building was built, so the lack of connection with the original design appears to represent a complete abandonment of the intended vision of the Old California Restaurant Row.

Exhibit 11. Accessory building located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northeast (2007) (Google Street View).

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Exhibit 12. Accessory building, stone walkways, and landscaping located along West San Marcos Boulevard that was demolished, facing northwest (2007) (Google Street View).

In 2020, the subject property, which h ad been in the hands of the Eubank family since 1972, was sold to a new owner (Dudek 2023; Robi 2018).

Jim Eubank
Jim Eubank was born in 1915 in Seattle, Washington. He later moved with his family to Inglewood, California where he spent his childhood. When he was a young adult, Eubank worked as a lifeguard in Los Angeles. He was approached by a Coast Guard recruiter and decided to join in 1942. He went on to join the Office of Strategic Service Marine Unit in the Coast Guard and served in Wor ld War II (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

After the war, he married his wife Vera and resettled in Los Angeles. He bought a duplex in the city for $800, which would become the catalyst for his future career in real estate. In the following years, he began developing single -family homes in the Stone Canyon area of Los Angeles, near the Hollywood Hills, as well as multiple subdivisions

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in the San Fernando Valley. He also built a mall in Los Angeles (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

In the 1970s, Eubank turned his development attention North County San Diego. He saw San Marcos as a land of opportunity that had the ability to prosper despite it being largely agricultural land. In 1972, he opened a fruit stand on a previously undeveloped piece of land on West San Marcos Boulevard, that he would later develop into Old California Restaurant Row (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

After Eubank’s successful development of Old California Restaurant Row, he continued to encourage and promote development in San Marcos to continue putting the City on the map.

He attended many City Council and Chamber of Commerce meetings to discuss opportunities to create more social spaces for locals, as well as the opportunities with the arrival of Cal State San Marcos to provide for growth in the City (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004)
While he was a successful developer and businessman, Eubank was more well known for his extremely successful career as a championship swimmer. He set world records in the 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,000 -meter swims. In 1932, he swam against gold medalist Buster Crabbe in the 400-meter swim in the Olympics. He swam against Crabbe again in the 1970s Senior Olympics, where he beat him in the 1,500 -meter race. He swam every year at the annual Oceanside Municipal Pier Swim and won the competition for the first time in 1937, and he also won his division of the annual La Jolla Rough Wat er Swim for 50 years in a row. In 2001, after setting two world records and five national records, he was chosen by SWIM Magazine as the “Master Swimmer of the Year” among males aged 85 to 89. He then competed in the World Masters Championship in New Zealand in 2002, where he won four out of the five events he competed in. He accomplished all these feats in his older age with a pacemaker that was installed after a stroke he had in 1983 (Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

In the last 30 years of his lif e, Eubank lived with his wife, Vera, in a home in Oceanside, California. Only in the last few years of his life did he step back from his business and athletic pursuits. After a successful business and athletic career spanning multiple decades, Eubank passed away in March 2004 at 87 years old (Kragen 2008; Oliver 2004; Marks 2004; Smith n.d.; Williams 2004).

Property Type: Neighborhood Shopping Center
Despite its naming as a “Restaurant Row” archival research revealed that Old California Restaurant Row doe s not follow the archetype of a typical Restaurant Row as found in larger cities such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles as early as 1909. In the early days, Restaurant Rows developed somewhat organically in a specific area of a city that was zoned for commercial use and typically consisted of several restaurants in a row on a denser city street. Restaurant Row on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles opened in the 1930s and presented as a mix of restaurants and nightclubs highlighted with neon signs. Restaurant Row was not only a definition of the type of area being created by these rows of restaurants, but also a marketing strategy meant to help boost the economy.

The term was used to advertise and attract people to particular areas when looking for

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dining and entertainment options. In the 1970s, NYC mayor John Lindsay advertised West 46th Street between 8th and 9th as a new Restaurant Row to bring economic activity back to the area, and the same was done in 2007 by Los Angeles developers who planned to develop a new Restaurant Row downtown on 7 th street to drive consumers to the area and spark revitalization. The term became a buzzword with a connotation of several dining options within a concentrated space (Whitaker 2015).

While the subject property was a grouping of restaurants within a concentrated area, instead of being located on a denser city street, the subject property layout followed the patterns of a postwar shopping center catered to suburban development and the automobile. Earlier neighborhood shopping centers maintained a pattern of attached storefronts facing the street, with large parking areas. The storefronts would often be modern in appearance and reflective of popular and current architectural styles and/or ornamentation. These shopping c enters were also designed to accommodate auto -oriented arterial commercial development. Later shopping centers focused on a pattern of large freestanding retail structures that would be set next to their own parking lot. This became most prevalent in areas where space was abundant, and the scale of the buildings and parking areas could be increased. Businesses which previously had been locked into streetscapes could now expand. These shopping centers created a rhythm of solid and void on the street as the b uildings and parking areas alternated. Still focused on the automobile and borrowing from roadside architecture, many of these buildings employed design motives, such as large -scale advertisement, to attract people (Longstreth 1998, 2010; SurveyLA 2017).

The shopping centers are noted as having the following character-defining features:
• Centralized location
• Easily accessible
• Large parking lots
• Multiple points of entry
• Variety of commercial businesses
• Thematic architectural design/aesthetic in some cases • Highly visible signage
• Located along a major thoroughfare

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• Established paths of circulation such as sidewalks
• Constructed from mass produced materials
• Focus on primary elevation/street facing elevations design • Rear and secondary elevations often presented as utilitarian with no architectural ornament
Significance Evaluation

The following provides an evaluation of the subject property in consideration of CRHR designation criteria.

CRHR Criterion 1. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage.

What resulted was a neighborhood shopping center developed with the name and theme of “Old California”. Eubank incorporated a variety of elements mimicking Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival architecture to embody his concept of Old California. Eubank continued to develop Old California Restaurant Row over several decades, adding additional commercial spaces until his death in 2004. Development also continued at the site after his death with the most recent building constructed in 2016.

Although the subject property was constructed in a thematic nature with applied decoration that aesthetically separated it from others, at its core it was a commercial shopping center built to meet the demands of an expanding suburban populatio n in the postwar era. While the subject property did have a positive economic impact on the relatively new City of San Marcos by attracting people to the area for social and dining activities, this was a common practice during the 1970s that followed the d evelopment patterns of other suburban regions throughout Southern California. While the thought and care Eubank put into the thematic design of the subject property is unique from other shopping centers, the development of this property type was not a novel concept nor was the use of thematic elements to attract patrons.

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a loss of the wholistic appearance and thematic character of the shopping center. While the buildings continue to carry a sense of nostalgia and recognition in San Marcos as a de-facto downtown area where people gathered for dining and entertainment, its construction did not make a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history and cultural heritage. Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 1.

CRHR Criterion 2. Is associated with the lives of persons important in our past.

To be found eligible under this criterion, a property must be directly tied to an important person and the place where that individual conducted or produced the work for which they are most well -known. The subject property was constructed in 1978 by Jim Eubank, a developer fro m Los Angeles. Eubank began his career in development after serving in World War II and started by developing single -family homes and eventually developed a mall in Los Angeles. In the 1970s, he turned his attention to San Marcos in North County San Diego, where he developed the Old California Restaurant Row over the span of several decades.

While Eubank had a successful career as a developer and was known locally for his creation and construction of Old California Restaurant Row, archival research did not reveal that Eubank’s success or projects rise to the level of significance required at t he local, state, or national level. Though locally recognizable as having a passion for potential business opportunities in the early days of San Marcos, Eubank is not documented as having developed any additional properties in the City and therefore had a limited impact on the City’s overall development. Furthermore, while Eubank was known as a developer, suburban land development was not a new or novel concept that Eubank pioneered.

Despite his success and significance as a swimmer, none of these achievements or efforts are connected to the subject property and therefore does not make the property eligible under this criterion for this association. Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 2.

CRHR Criterion 3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values.

The subject property consists of eight existing buildings and the footprint of a former building that was recently demolished. The first two buildings were constructed in 1978, and the remainder of the buildings were constructed in c. 1980, 1982, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2016. A utility shed was built in the western parking lot area in 1980, and various other site elements such as accessory buildings, lights, and other thematic motifs were built along West San Marcos Boulevard and throughout the site’s parki ng and walkway areas.

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The subject property and its various buildings were designed thematically with applied ornamentation that mimicked Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival architectural styles.

These features and design elements extended into the surrounding site and parking areas with lantern and mission bell style parking lot lights, red brick and tile walkways, and stone edging around landscaping areas. All of these elements were combined to create Eubank’s vision for the subject property being a nostalgic, romanticized re-creation of Old California.

While Eubank was somewhat successful in creating the concept of Old California, he employed mass produced materials on street -facing elevations and failed to retain specific design parameters that accurat ely reflected the traditions of California architectural styles. Thereby resulting in a collection of styles, time periods, materials, and concepts that only existed on the street -facing elevations of the buildings. Furthermore, as a result of the building s being constructed over the course of several decades and the lack of defined architectural development guidelines, the subject property’s original design aesthetic became less cohesive and inconsistent over time. This inconsistency culminated in the most recent building constructed in 2016 having no resemblance to the original design concept.

In addition, the commercial nature of the subject property resulted in many alterations to the buildings over time as new tenants and corporate chain restaurants br ought new cuisine and décor. Examples of this can be found in the renovation of the Rancho Vera Cruz restaurant into the Old California Mining Company in 1997, which altered the roof parapet, exterior wall materials, patio area, and introduced new decorati ve elements related to a mining theme that deviated from the original Spanish Eclectic and Mission Revival ornamentation. Other site elements, such as those along West San Marcos Boulevard, were removed during a large renovation project in 2007, resulting in the loss of accessory buildings and other site features that unified the shopping center. Other signage on West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz have been altered as well.

Lastly, the subject property does not serve as a good or innovative example of the Restaurant Row property type or the neighborhood shopping center property type. The ubiquitous nature of suburban development in the postwar era created many shopping centers and Restaurant Rows throughout the Country and the subject property does not have the architectural distinction or innovation to rise to the level of significance required under this criterion.

Therefore, due to a lack of architectural merit, ubiquitous property typology, and a lack of integrity due to building renovations and new constructions, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 3.

CRHR Criterion 4. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

The subject property is not significant as a source, or likely sourc e, of important historical information nor does it appear likely to yield important information about historic construction methods, materials, or technologies. Therefore, the subject property is not eligible under CRHR Criterion 4.

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Integrity

Integrity is the authenticity of a historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance. Historical resources eligible for listing in the CRHR must meet one of the designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their significance.

Integrity is evaluated with regard to the retention of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. It must also be judged with reference to the particular criteria under which a resource is proposed for eligibility (OHP 2011).

Location: The subject property retains integrity of location. The subject property is sited on the original location it was constructed in its original orientation.

Design: The subject property lacks integrity of design. The lack of integrity is a result of multiple renovations of the restaurant buildings, as well as the removal of many site features. These alterations have resulted in the loss of the original vision and design that Eubank’s created in the late 1970s. While original features remain, the lack of cohesion amongst newer constructions within the subject property and the demolition of one of the buildings from the 1990s has compromised the integrity of design.

Setting: The subject property’s integrity of setting is compromised as a result of adjacent development. When the shopping center was built, it was one of the primary commercial shopping centers in the area, and much of the surrounding land was still being used for agricultural purposes. Presently, the subject property is surrounded by several commercial shopping centers and other businesses, as well as residential developments that have filled the previously undeveloped land.

Materials: The subject property has diminished integrity of materials. Many of the original materials have been replaced or o bscured by tenant renovations at the restaurants, as well as the removal of several site elements such as accessory buildings, stone, and brick and the demolition of one of the buildings has resulted in a loss of materials.

Workmanship: The subject property has diminished integrity of workmanship. Renovations to the facades of the restaurants, demolition of one of them, and loss of original site design elements such as those that ran along West San Marcos Boulevard have diminished the original workmanship of the subject property.

Feeling: The subject property has diminished integrity of feeling. While several of the original buildings remain on site, the demolition of one of the buildings, the renovations of several restaurant facades, and the construction of more modern buildings within the shopping center has diminished the feeling of the subject property as a cohesive, thematic shopping center.

Association: The subject property lacks integrity of association, as no significant historical associations were identified as a result of archival research.

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References

Carroll, William
1977. San Marcos, A Brief History. San Marcos, California. Copy reviewed at the San Marcos Historical Society. September 2023.

Chialtas, Lynn
2023. “San Marcos, a Land Not So Far Away.” Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.pewresidents.com/history-of-san-marcos.

City of San Marcos
2023. Buidling permits for Old California Restaurant Row buildings. Provided for review by Dudek.

2023. “Welcome to the City of San Marcos.” Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.san-marcos.net/live/about-us.

City Town Info
2023. San Marcos, California. Accessed online September 2023 via https://www.pewresidents.com/history-of-san-marcos.

Dudek
2023. Cultural Resources Phase I Inventory Report for the Restaurant Row Project in San Marcos, California. July 6, 2023.

Genealogy Bank
2023. Various newspaper articles related to Old California Restaurant Row development and tenants. Accessed online via https://www.genealogybank.com/.

Google Street View
Various. Street views of Old California Restaurant Row from West San Marcos Boulevard and Via Vera Cruz.

Kragen, Pam
1997. “La Costans strike gold with mining restaurant.” North County Times (San Diego, CA). September 28, 1997. Accessed online via
https://www.newspapers.com/image/576811569.

Longstreth, Richard
1998. City Center to Regional Mall: Architecture, the Automobile, and Retailing in Los Angeles, 1920-1950. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

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Longstreth, Richard
2010. The American Department Store Transformed, 1920-1960. New Haven, Connecticut:

Yale University Press.

Marks, Katherine
2004. “SM Restaurant Row founder is dead at 88.” March 3, 2004. Unknown newspaper, clipping on file at San Marcos Historical Society.

Newspapers.com
2023. Various newspaper articles related to Old California Restaurant Row development and tenants. Accessed online via https://www.newspapers.com/.

San Marcos Historical Society
2023. Various images and articles related to Old California Restaurant Row and Jim Eubank history. Accessed and scanned in person in September 2023.

Smith, Della Dale
n.d. “About James Rollins Eubank.” Accessed online via
https://www.geni.com/people/James-Eubank/6000000004348851936.

SurveyLA
2007. Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement, Context: Commercial Development, 1859-1980, Theme: Neighborhood Commercial Development, 1880-1980.

August 2017.

Whitaker, Jan
2015. “Restaurant Row.” Restaurant-ing Through History. January 28, 2015. Accessed online via https://restaurant-ingthroughhistory.com/2015/01/28/restaurant-row/.

Williams, Jack
2004. “Jim Eubank.” San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego, CA). March 3, 2004.

Accessed online via

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https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sandiegouniontribune/name/jim-eubank- obituary?id=51196515.

San Marcos City CouncilDecember 12, 2023

San Marcos City Council
December 12, 2023