Landmark Commission
Report
DATE: January 10, 2022 6-A
TO: The Honorable Landmarks Commission
FROM: Stephanie Reich, Landmark Commission Secretary
SUBJECT: 631 Colorado Avenue, 21ENT-0125
Public Hearing to consider Landmark Designation Application 21ENT-0125 to determine whether the commercial property, in whole or in part, should be designated as a City Landmark or Structure of Merit and, if designated as a Landmark, whether to designate an associated Landmark Parcel.
PROPERTY OWNER: 500 Pounds of Dog, Inc.
APPLICANT: Santa Monica Conservancy
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
The property owner filed a demolition permit application with the City of Santa Monica (City) on March 19, 2021. On May 20, 2021, Nina Fresco, on behalf of the Santa Monica Conservancy, submitted designation application 21ENT-0125 to nominate the property at 1665 Appian Way. The application included an assessment that found the property eligible under Criteria 1 as an early example of industrial development in the downtown area and the first “beer outlet” in the city, and under Criterion 3 for association with Etta Vena Moxley who was associated with the property prior to the current development extant on the site. The nomination application is included as Attachment B.
A Landmark Assessment report was prepared for the subject building by GPA Consulting Group (GPA) provided as Attachment C. Based on the findings as provided in the report, the consultant finds that the property does not appear eligible for designation under Santa - 2 -
Monica Landmark criteria 9.56.100(A) and does not appear eligible for listing as a City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit criteria S.M.M.C 9.56.080.
Staff has analyzed the application materials and the GPA consultant assessment and agrees with GPA that the property does not appear eligible for designation. The property, while one of the first industrial buildings built in this area of Downtown, does not appear to be a significant aspect of the larger trend of industrial development in Downtown or in Santa Monica as a whole. There have also been significant changes to the property over time and currently it is not immediately recognizable as an industrial building.
The application also contends that the site is eligible because buildings that existed before the current development were associated with a prominent African American community member and activist, Etta Moxley, beginning in the early 1900s. While Etta Moxley appears to have been an important figure in the community, the property has no trace of the development present on the site when she was associated with it.
Finally, the application states that the property is significant due to the use groutlock brick, a technical innovation that occurred after the Long Beach earthquake in 1933. However, further inspection has indicated that groutlock brick does not appear to have been used, A different system, Porta Costa Key Bricks may have been, although a small sampling of those bricks is apparent throughout the property. Nevertheless, the bricks soon fell out of favor and were not influential to the construction practice in Santa Monica or the Southern California region more generally.
As the property does not appear to meet any of the required criteria, staff recommends the Commission deny the designation of the property at 631 Colorado Avenue as a Santa Monica Landmark or Structure of Merit.
- 3 -
Historic Resources Inventory Status
The property was most recently identified in the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory Update as appearing eligible for recognition as a as a Santa Monica Landmark. The inventory states:
“The property is significant for conveying patterns of industrial development in the Downtown neighborhood of Santa Monica.
Constructed in 1937, it is one of relatively few extant industrial buildings in the area from the pre‐World War II period.”
However, the property had not been identified in any survey prior to the most recent one, even though the property is of an age that would have been reviewed in each of the City’s previous inventories.
The property is at the southwestern edge of Downtown.
- 4 -
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
Notice of this hearing was provided as required by Section 9.56.170(c) of the Landmarks Ordinance, with notice sent to all owners and occupants within a 300-foot radius and a newspaper notice published in the Santa Monica Daily Press at least 10 calendar days prior to the hearing. A copy of the notice is included as Attachment A.
ANALYSIS
Property Information and Architectural Description
The property at 631 Colorado Avenue is located
on a corner parcel bound by Colorado Avenue to
the south, 7th Street to the east, a separate
parcel to the north, and an alleyway to the west.
The parcel contains two buildings, the Main
Building located on the eastern side of the parcel
and the Auxiliary Building located in the western
corner. The property features limited landscaped
areas with mature trees and hedges planted
directly along the Colorado Avenue property line
and around the main entrance of the Main
Building and Auxiliary Building for added
privacy. The remainder of the parcel is covered
in asphalt paving that has been divided into
parking spaces which are not visible from the
public-right-of way due the mature landscaping and modern fence with Art Deco-inspired piers and wrought iron posts that runs along Colorado Avenue. - 5 -
Additional description and photos of the property is included in the GPA assessment.
Main Building
The Main Building was built in 1937 on the corner of Colorado Avenue and 7th Street as an industrial vernacular warehouse with Streamline Moderne influences. It is rectangular in plan with its shorter elevation facing Colorado Avenue. The building is one story in height with a two-story addition and barrel truss roof partially obscured by a raised parapet. The building is rectilinear and primarily of brick construction with reinforced concrete piers and divided lite steel windows. The building is largely vernacular with minimal adornment related to the Streamline Moderne architectural style (GPA finds the property also influenced by the Art Deco style but there does not appear to be evidence of this influence).
The second-story addition runs the entire length of the north elevation. The north elevation abuts the neighboring property and is not fully visible. The west elevation of the Main Building facing the interior of the property features a projecting one-story addition that was completed c. 1980. The top of the addition is a flat roof deck surrounded by a metal railing. The second-story addition opens onto the roof deck. Overall, the building appears to be in good condition.
Auxiliary Building
The Auxiliary Building was originally constructed in 1941 as a loading canopy for the Aztec Brewing Company’s operations. It is a one-story building that is rectangular in plan with a flat, composition roof. Overall, this modified Auxiliary Building appears to also be in good condition.
- 6 -
Historic Context
Prior to the construction of 631 Colorado Avenue, the subject property contained four residential cottages and two outbuildings. The City of Santa Monica Landmark Designation Application for the subject property notes that Etta Moxley lived in one of the four cottages. Moxley was a prominent African American Santa Monica resident who was heavily involved in various organizations, clubs, and philanthropic endeavors for the betterment of the African American community throughout her lifetime.
Black settlement in Santa Monica generally followed Los Angeles County-wide trends, including the early establishment of community institutions, residential segregation based on discriminatory practices, and the impacts of the civil rights movement. In the past, African Americans have represented the largest of the ethnic minorities residing in Santa Monica, and the community has a rich history and deeply entrenched roots within the city.
The construction of the Santa Monica Freeway (Interstate 10) and the development of the Civic Center all but decimated the postwar African American community, and therefore many resources relating to this theme are no longer extant. The majority of the extant resources related to this theme are found in the Pico or Ocean Park neighborhoods of the city.
The displacement and removal of African American communities is not unique to Santa Monica and was a pervasive practice throughout the United States with long-lasting and devastating consequences. This property appears to have been sold by the Moxley family and purchased by the Aztec Brewing Company in 1937 for the construction of a 50 by 100-foot brick building, the main building currently occupying the site. None of the buildings or improvements from the time that the Moxley family owned the property remain extant. Since the existing buildings were constructed after the demolition of the residential cottages, Etta Moxley does not have any association with the subject property at this time.
Because the built environment only reflects certain aspects of the importance a community, space, or neighborhood may have, place-based historic designation - 7 -
programs do not fully or accurately capture history that may be intangible or lost. Historic preservation planning is just one of many tools for recognizing social, cultural, and historical value. Other strategies to employ may include historical markers, mapping programs, oral history projects, public art, events, walking tours, and close collaboration with advocacy groups.
In the 1920s, Santa Monica’s population jumped from 15,000 to 37,000, the largest increase in the city’s history. Santa Monica had been a distinctly non-industrial city until the 1930s. The aviation industry played a significant role in the growth and development of Santa Monica in the early 20th century. A 1924 map of the Los Angeles area showed no industries in Santa Monica with more than twenty-five employees. However, beginning in the 1920s, aircraft companies established or relocated operations to Southern California, which offered expanses of open, undeveloped land, favorable climatic conditions, and adequate infrastructure, including water, power, and transportation systems to support development of factories, testing facilities, and new housing for a rapidly expanding workforce. Though most resources from this period are no longer extant, Santa Monica’s industrial development during this period provided the foundation for rampant expansion during and after World War II.
In addition to industrial buildings associated with the aviation industry, other light industrial uses from the period can be found in the industrially zoned portions of the city. These buildings are typically vernacular in style, and early factory buildings may include daylight or controlled-condition factory buildings, warehouse buildings, and other types that support light industrial uses. While there are not many similar industrial buildings in the downtown area, there are many similar buildings remaining in other areas of the city where industrial buildings have been more prevalent throughout the City’s history.
Property History
The property located at 631 Colorado Avenue is currently occupied by the main, industrial warehouse (Main Building, for the purposes of this report) on the eastern portion of the parcel and an auxiliary building (Auxiliary Building, for the purposes of this report) to the - 8 -
west which were built in 1937 and 1941, respectively. The property originally featured a Wine Storage Building, a wood framed platform, and a wooden addition to the Main Building’s west elevation, forming a U-shaped configuration with open space along Colorado Avenue.
1950 Sanborn Map, 631 Colorado Avenue.
The building permit for the Main Building was issued to the “A.B.C Distribution Co.” (Aztec Brewing Company) in 1937 for the construction of a 50 by 100-foot brick building with composition roofing. Research did not reveal an architect, engineer, or builder. In 1941, the building permit for what is now the Auxiliary Building, located on the corner of Colorado Avenue and a rear alleyway, was issued for the construction of a 25 by 42-foot loading canopy with composition roofing. The maps also indicate that a small wooden platform with composite roofing was present on the fifth bay of the west elevation of the Main Building. In 1947, the canopy that is now the Auxiliary Building was altered to include an interior loading platform and exterior doors.
- 9 -
From 1955-1956, the Aerophysics Development Corporation owned the property and during their ownership, they sandblasted both buildings and made minor interior tenant improvements that did not alter the exterior of either building or the parcel. The following owner, Keystone Body Works, owned the property from 1957-1994. During their ownership, the company added a rear one-story addition to the Main Building along the alleyway in 1957, a free-standing canopy and signage in 1958, a new privacy wall made of concrete block along the west elevation of the property against the alleyway in 1959 and removed the small wooden platform from the fifth bay of the Main Building sometime between 1950-1963. After 1963, a one-story, scored-stucco clad addition with fenestration consisting of large divided lite windows was added to the rear of the west elevation of the Auxiliary Building.
The addition and canopy on the Main Building were removed in 1996 during a tenant improvement project by new owners, Bandit Films. In 1997, both buildings were sandblasted and in 1998, a 730-square foot, second-story addition was completed along the entire north elevation of the Main Building as well as a contemporary privacy fence along Colorado Avenue and the rear alleyway. In 2002, the current owner of the property, Bay Films (500 Pounds of Dog, Inc.), added landscaping to the north of the main entrance on the Main Building’s west elevation and along both sides of the fence along Colorado Avenue.
Reinforced Brick Masonry
Reinforced brick masonry (RBM) refers to brick masonry construction reinforced with steel to improve the brick’s tensile strength. Different RBM techniques have been utilized for hundreds of years, but some of the most significant advancements in the United States occurred after the Long Beach Earthquake in 1933. Safer and more resilient construction techniques were researched, developed, and later codified in response to the dangers of unreinforced masonry buildings.
As a part of this research and experimentation, masonry units with new, specialized shapes were developed and used for construction. Two of those shapes included Groutlock and Port Costa Key bricks. Groutlock bricks were irregularly shaped with - 10 -
beveled edges on one side which, when stacked, would allow space for both horizontal and vertical reinforcements. Port Costa Key bricks featured two centralized notches along the stretcher. Both types of brick were advertised and used throughout Southern California for institutional and commercial construction following the 1933 earthquake.
Research indicates that the use of these brick shapes fell out of favor in the 1950s when research demonstrated that a structurally sound building depended not only the brick, but the type of mortar used, and proper workmanship and construction techniques. That is, there was no need for these special shaped bricks so long as a skilled bricklayer completed the construction.
While the 1937 building permit identifies the Main Building as being built with Groutlock bricks, no visible Groutlock bricks were observed during a physical assessment of the property; however, a few examples of what appear to be notched Port Costa Key bricks were observed although it does not appear to have been used for the whole of the building. Nevertheless, as the use of this type of brick quickly fell out of favor, this technique was not particularly influential in Santa Monica or throughout the region.
Landmarks Ordinance/Findings for Landmark and Structure of Merit Designations The Landmarks Ordinance requires the Commission to review the building’s eligibility as a Landmark based on the six criteria discussed below. In order to be designated as a City Landmark, the Commission is required to find that the property meets one or more of these criteria.
Based on the findings as provided in the Landmark Assessment Report, the consultant finds and staff agrees that the property does not appear eligible as a Landmark or Structure of Merit under the City of Santa Monica Landmark or Structure of Merit criteria, as outlined below. The following draft findings are provided to support this conclusion:
Evaluation for Landmark Designation
The Landmarks Ordinance requires the Commission to review the building’s eligibility as a Landmark based on the six criteria discussed below. In order to be designated as a - 11 -
Landmark, the Commission is required to find that the property meets one or more of the criteria.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(1). It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of the City.
The property does not exemplify, symbolize, or manifest elements of the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history or development of Santa Monica.
The existing buildings were constructed in what was once an African American residential neighborhood, replacing four residential cottages and two outbuildings. As such, the residential and outbuildings related to the cultural and social history of this area during that period are no longer extant, and the existing buildings do not share the same association.
The subject property is one of the first industrial buildings built in this specific southeast area of downtown but does not appear to be a significant aspect of the larger trend of industrial development in Downtown or Santa Monica as a whole. Industrial buildings were being built throughout the City in the pre-war era, particularly in the nearby Pico neighborhood, in large groupings around and adjacent to transportation outlets.
Furthermore, the property’s original use as a distributor for the Aztec Brewing Company does not exemplify the economic development patterns Santa Monica was experiencing at this time. As mentioned above, Santa Monica’s aviation industry was the primary source of industrial development prior to World War II. The City of Santa Monica was not known for its alcohol distribution nor is this building the headquarters or a notable location for the Aztec Brewing Company’s operations, which included various distribution warehouses throughout the Southwest. Additionally, the two existing buildings on the parcel were built as part of a collection of three buildings with a wood-framed platform that all served a specific purpose in the distribution of alcoholic beverages. As a result of the loss of the third building and rear platform, as well as the infill of the Auxiliary Building that was originally a loading canopy and addition of fencing along Colorado Avenue, the site no longer reads as an alcohol distribution center. - 12 -
Constructed in the industrial vernacular style, the Main Building lacks the primary character defining features that would qualify it as a light industrial building, such as loading docks and doors, and oversized bays of continuous industrial steel sash on two or more façades. Both buildings appear to be built in the vernacular style with minimal Streamline Modern styling, and neither building on the site is a notable example of the Streamline Moderne style, and there is no evidence to suggest this building was influential to the architectural development of the city.
Therefore, the property at 631 Colorado does not appear significant under Criterion 1.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(2). It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value.
Both buildings located at 631 Colorado Avenue were constructed for industrial, utilitarian purposes. Thousands of industrial buildings were constructed throughout Southern California during pre- and post-World War II building booms. As such, the buildings do not possess special aesthetic or artistic interest or value, and do not appear to be significant under Criterion 2.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(3). It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state or national history.
The existing buildings were constructed in what was once an African American neighborhood, replacing four residential cottages and two outbuildings. The City of Santa Monica Landmark Designation Application for the subject property notes that Etta Moxley, a prominent figure in the African American community, lived in one of the four residential cottages. Since the residential and outbuildings related to this cultural and social history are no longer extant, the existing buildings on the property do not share the same association.
The Aztec Brewing Company obtained the permits for both buildings currently on site.
Following the end of Prohibition, the Aztec Brewing Company had various distribution - 13 -
warehouses throughout the Southwest. Research did not reveal any evidence to suggest that the Aztec Brewing Company was owned or operated by any historic personages.
Research did not reveal any evidence to suggest that the remaining businesses associated with the site were owned or operated by historically significant individuals.
Research also did not reveal any evidence of association with an important historic event.
Therefore, neither building at 631 Colorado Avenue appears to be significant under Criterion 3.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(4). It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such a study.
Both buildings located at 631 Colorado Avenue are examples of industrial vernacular construction in the years prior and during World War II. Industrial buildings constructed during this time featured limited exterior details as they were not intended to attract pedestrians for commercial use and were utilitarian by nature. While the modest use of Streamline Moderne elements are visible on both buildings, the few features alone do not make these buildings notable examples of the Streamline Moderne style. The construction and features of both structures are not notable in any way and have been modified over time. Lastly, as indicated on 1950 Sanborn Maps around Santa Monica’s industrial cores, such as along rail lines or present-day freeways, brick industrial buildings were not a rarity for the City.
On the original permit for the Main Building, the construction material is indicated as Groutlock brick, a building material produced by the Simons Brick Company. However, a physical assessment of the site indicates that the brick is not an example of Groutlock, but rather another type of grouted masonry, described as Port Costa Key. A few scattered examples of what appear to be the Port Costa Key bricks are visible and have stepped notching at the top of the brick. Although this building material is visible, it was not used for the entire building, or if it was, only a few examples of this type of brick are visible from - 14 -
the exterior. As discussed above, many solutions for increasing the earthquake resistance of masonry buildings were explored in the aftermath of the Long Beach Earthquake, including experimentation with new masonry shapes. These shapes included the Groutlock brick, which had a diagonal or beveled edge, and the Port Costa Key brick, which had interlocking “notches.” However, subsequent engineering studies in the decades after World War II revealed that a special masonry shape was not necessary when good workmanship and an appropriate mortar mix was employed, and the new masonry shapes ostensibly fell out of use. The Groutlock and Port Costa Key bricks were a short-lived experiment in construction technology following the Long Beach earthquake.
Research did not indicate that they were ever widely used or influential to later developments in construction technology. As such, it does not appear that the use of these brick shapes was an important building technique.
Therefore, neither building at 631 Colorado Avenue appears to be significant under Criterion 4.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(5). It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer or architect.
Research into the construction history of 631 Colorado Avenue did not reveal the name of the architect or the builder for the Main Building. The architect for the Auxiliary Building was identified on the 1941 building permit as Frederic Barienbrock. Frederick Barienbrock was a local architect that worked in Santa Monica for 50 years. Barienbrock was responsible for the designs of 1725 Main Street, 827 6th Street, 829 6th Street, and the 1951 addition to the Santa Monica Courthouse and County Building wing of the Santa Monica Civic Center. While Barienbrock appears to have been a successful local architect, his work is not particularly noteworthy and he is not an important architectural figure in the history of the city or the region. Additionally, the utilitarian canopy would not be a notable example of his work, and it no longer conveys its original design intent due to modifications on all elevations.
Therefore, the property at 631 Colorado Avenue does not appear to be significant under - 15 -
Criterion 5.
SMMC 9.56.100(a)(6). It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
The property located at 631 Colorado Avenue is located in a portion of Santa Monica’s original township that is now referred to as the Downtown neighborhood. The property is surrounded by residential, commercial, and industrial properties ranging from one to four stories in height. The subject property is an unremarkable infill site that, although part of the original township, does not appear to be an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood or City.
Therefore, the property at 631 Colorado Avenue does not appear to be significant under Criterion 6.
Evaluation for Structure of Merit Designation
The City’s historic preservation consultant, GPA, recommends and staff agrees that the Commission deny the property as a designated Structure of Merit:
9.56.080(A): The structure has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory.
The property at 631 Colorado Avenue was individually identified in the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) Update and assigned a status code of 5S3, indicating that the property appeared to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation for conveying patterns of industrial development in the Downtown neighborhood of Santa Monica and being one of one of relatively few extant industrial buildings in this area from the pre‐World War II period. However, based on further analysis, the property does not appear to merit designation. - 16 -
9.56.080(B): The structure is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria:
The subject property is a minimum of 50 years of age as it was constructed in 1914.
Therefore, the structure is eligible for further consideration under the following criteria:
(B)(1). The structure is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type.
The property at 631 Colorado Avenue is over fifty years of age, but it is not a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail, or historical type. As discussed above, the buildings are industrial vernacular buildings with utilitarian purposes that are ubiquitous throughout Santa Monica’s industrial areas, such as the Pico neighborhood, and Southern California as a whole.
(B)(2). The structure is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent.
The subject property represents the industrial vernacular style which is still represented in the City in large numbers. While the resource is one of the few remaining industrial buildings in the southeastern portion of the Downtown, it is not rare when considered with the larger inventory of buildings in the industrial areas of Santa Monica. Industrial development in this area was not as historically prevalent in Downtown as other areas in the city, such as the Pico neighborhood.
Further north on Colorado Avenue there are numerous extant examples of similarly scaled industrial development.
(B)(3). The structure contributes to a potential Historic District.
The subject property is not located within any previously identified potential historic district, and a historic district is unlikely to exist in the area surrounding 631 Colorado Avenue. The subject property is surrounded by commercial, industrial, and multi-family buildings of various styles, sizes, and construction dates. They are not visually or historically unified and do not form a significant or cohesive grouping.
- 17 -
Summary
The property and buildings at 631 Colorado Avenue represent unremarkable, vernacular buildings that did not appear to influence development patterns or techniques, is not associated with cultural history or persons of significance to the history of the city and otherwise does not appear to meet any of the Landmark criteria. As such the Landmarks Commission should deny designation of the property as a Landmark or Structure of Merit.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Commission determine that the property located at 631 Colorado Avenue does not meet the criteria to be designated a City Landmark or Structure of Merit an deny the designation based on the draft findings contained herein.
Pursuant to SMMC 9.36.180, the Landmarks Commission’s determination regarding this application may be appealed to the City Council if the appeal is filed with the City Planning Division within ten (10) consecutive days commencing from the date that the decision is made by the Landmarks Commission.
Attachments:
A. Public Notice
B. Landmark Nomination Application, May 2021
C. Landmark Assessment Report, GPA Consulting, January 2022