23ENT-0093
MILLS ACT CONTRACT APPLICATION
RESTORATION/REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE PLANS
3014 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, California 90405
Prepared for:
City of Santa Monica
City Planning Division
Prepared by:
Chattel, Inc. | Historic Preservation Consultants
Los Angeles
Prepared on behalf of:
Jeff Appel, United Property Management, Inc.
May 30, 2023
CHATTEL, INC. | HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSULTANTS
By: _________________________________
Robert Jay Chattel, AIA, President
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
I. Restoration/Rehabilitation Plan1
Site 1
Dwellings, Garage and Shed1
Systems 2
II. Maintenance Plan3
Site 3
Dwellings, Garage and Shed3
Systems 4
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
RESTORATION/REHABILITATION AND MAINTENANCE PLANS
CHATTEL INC. | HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSULTANTS 1
I. RESTORATION/REHABILITATION PLAN
This Restoration/Rehabilitation Plan outlines completed and proposed completed and future tasks addressing restoration and rehabilitation of the subject property. Tasks are organized in tables that thematically relate to the site as well as exterior and systems of the residence. Tasks addressing the retaining walls and tile conservation may be refined and re-prioritized, based on further consultation with professionals specializing in these systems during the first year of the contract period.
SITE
EXTERIOR
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
2022 Hardscape Site demolition, construct new walkways and driveway $163,140 2022 Landscape Excavation, grading, drainage, landscaping, irrigation, wrought iron fence
$269,952
2023 West
Retaining
Wall
Stabilization of retaining wall, demolish existing
garden hardscape and fountain basin, salvage back
portion of fountain, protect in place, excavation,
seismic retrofit
$180,000
2023 Fountain Engage conservator, salvage and restore tiles, source new tiles or engage fabricator to create new tiles,
reconstruct fountain, install restored and new tiles
$75,000
2023 Hardscape Reconstruct flagstone garden patio, repair asphalt driveway
$30,000
2023 Landscape Landscaping, irrigation around reconstructed fountain $10,000 2025 Tile
Walkways,
Patios, and
Stoops
Engage conservator, salvage and restore tiles, source
new tiles or engage fabricator to create new tiles,
replace missing or severely damaged tiles.
$25,000
2027 South
Retaining
Wall
Stabilization of the retaining wall, demolish portion of driveway, excavation, seismic retrofit
$75,000
Total site cost $828,092
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
2022 Roof
Remove roofing material, replace decking, install
insulation and waterproofing, install roofing, repair
gutters and downspouts.
$139,202
2022 Stucco Remove damaged stucco, waterproofing, reinstall stucco. $101,450
2022 Sheet Metal Remove damaged sheet metal, waterproofing, reinstall stucco. $10,090
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SYSTEMS
2022 Paint
Apply paint to new stucco, prepare existing wood
windows, doors, trim to receive paint, apply paint to
wood features.
$78,428
2022 Doors and
Windows
Rehabilitate existing wood windows and doors,
fabricate new wood windows to replace windows that
were not in conformance.
$53,201
2025 Doors and
Windows
Rehabilitate hardware and function of doors and
windows. $5,000
Total exterior cost $387,371
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
2022 Structural Engaged a structural engineer, implement recommendations for foundations, addition of
structural steel and reinforced framing.
$60,616
2022 Mechanical/
HVAC
Engaged a qualified HVAC specialist, removed
HVAC in vacant units, installed mini-split systems.
$89,048
2022 Electrical Engaged a qualified electrician, upgraded panel, replaced wiring, replaced exterior outlets, new
lighting.
$66,612
2022 Plumbing Engaged a qualified plumbing contractor,
removed and replaced galvanized and corroded
water supply and waste lines, replaced main
sewer line.
$232,938
2022 Fire
Suppression
Installed new fire sprinkler system throughout
interior of property
$99,406
Total systems cost $548,620
Total completed and proposed restoration/rehabilitation cost $1,764,083 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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II. MAINTENANCE PLAN
This Maintenance Plan outlines ongoing maintenance tasks for the subject property, with most tasks implemented on an annual basis. Estimated costs are calculated on estimated annual expenses over a 10-year period. Tasks are organized in tables that thematically relate to the site as well as to the exterior, systems, and interior of the multi-family building complex.
SITE
DWELLINGS, GARAGE, AND SHED
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
As needed Hardscape Regular maintenance. Ensure walkways retain a flat surface to avoid tripping hazards.
$3,000
As needed Landscape Regular maintenance. Ensure adjacent soil slopes away from buildings. Ensure water from irrigation
systems is not hitting buildings. Trim dense trees and
monitor growth to ensure that trees do not touch
building.
$5,000
Total site maintenance cost $8,000
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
As needed Windows Window repairs and maintenance. Where necessitated by deterioration, replace wood sash and hardware inkind. Maintain glazing. $3,500
As needed Roof Roofing repairs and maintenance. Clear any debris from roof and gutter system, and ensure sealant is in
good condition.
$5,000
As needed Paint Maintain exterior painted finish. $2,500 As needed Termite and
pest control
Termite prevention maintenance and pest control. $500
Total exterior maintenance cost $11,500
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SYSTEMS
Contract
Year of
Completion
Feature Task Estimated
Cost
As needed Structural Annual maintenance $1,000
As needed Mechanical Annual maintenance $2,500
As needed Electrical Annual maintenance $1,000
As needed Plumbing Annual maintenance $2,500
As needed Gutter and
downspout
system
Annual maintenance $1,000
Total systems maintenance cost $8,000
Total proposed annual maintenance cost $27,500
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR MILLS ACT CONTRACT AT (ADDRESS):__________________________________ REVENUES Current1) Monthly Rental Income 3%2) Annual Rental IncomeANNUAL EXPENSESGen. Expenses: 25% SFD, Others 30% Vacancy loss 3% $08) Total Expenses $0
(Sum Lines 8-9) NET OPERTING INCOME $0 (Line 2 Minus 8)CAPITALIZATION RATE 9) Interest Component 5.5%10) Historic Property Risk 4% (2%, or 4% for SFD)
11) Property Tax Component 1%12) Amortization Component 0.5% 13) Capitalization Rate 11%
(Sum Line 9 - 12)
TAXES14) Mills Act Assessment $0
(NOI/ Line 13)
15) Tax Under Mills Act $0
(Line 14 X .01035146)
16) Current Tax17) Tax Savings
(Line 16 - Line 15) $0
18) Annual Costs to City
(Line 17 X 16%) $0
3014 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, CA
$42,153
$505,836
$61,115
MILLS ACT CONTRACT APPLICATION
ARCHITECTURAL REPORT
3014 Fourth Street
Santa Monica, California 90405
Prepared for:
City of Santa Monica
Planning & Community Development
Prepared by:
Chattel, Inc. | Historic Preservation Consultants
Los Angeles
Prepared on behalf of:
Jeff Appel, United Property Management, Inc.
May 30, 2023
CHATTEL, INC. | HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSULTANTS
By: ____________________________________
Robert Jay Chattel, AIA, President
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................1 II. Qualifications ............................................................................................................................................................................................................3 III. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties ......................................................................................................4 IV. Statement of Significance ........................................................................................................................................................................................6 V. Physical Description ..................................................................................................................................................................................................8 SETTING AND OVERALL DESCRIPTION..............................................................................................................................................................8 EXTERIOR..........................................................................................................................................................................................................9 ALTERATIONS .................................................................................................................................................................................................12 VI. Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Maintenance Recommendations.......................................................................................................................14 COMPLETED WORK ........................................................................................................................................................................................15 SITE....................................................................................................................................................................................................15 EXTERIOR...........................................................................................................................................................................................19 SYSTEMS............................................................................................................................................................................................26 ONGOING WORK............................................................................................................................................................................................30 SITE....................................................................................................................................................................................................30 FUTURE WORK...............................................................................................................................................................................................30 SITE....................................................................................................................................................................................................30 EXTERIOR...........................................................................................................................................................................................35 VII. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................................................................................36 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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I. INTRODUCTION
This Architectural Report documents existing conditions of the twenty-one units at the 3014 Fourth Street in Santa Monica, California (Assessor’s Parcel Number 4287-010- 022, subject property) and provides recommendations for future rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance work for the purpose of entering into a Mills Act contract with the City of Santa Monica (City). The subject property is an eclectic, “H”-shaped apartment complex that evolved and expanded over a period of twenty-two years. It consists of a one-story house with one- to three-story rear additions, a two- and threestory, rectangular apartment building with lower level garages, and a two story bridge or hyphen connection between the two primary buildings (Figure 1). The subject property was designated as a City Landmark on November 14, 2022.
The original improvements on the property, the house and the garden, were constructed in 1922 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and are presumed to have been designed by architect Francis D. Rutherford.1 A double garage with a room above it was added to the property in 1925 (the east end of the south building, closest to 4th Street) by builder C. L. Schneider. The west addition to the original house was also constructed by builder C.L. Schneider in 1926. In 1944, the 1925 garage building was converted into an apartment and the south building and hyphen were constructed by builder Samuel Silver, introducing Streamline Moderne and Hollywood Regency elements into the design and resulting in an eclectic combination of styles and periods. Located on the crest of a hill near the southern boundary of the City of Santa Monica, the complex is an intrinsic component of the streetscape and representative of the diverse residential development that characterizes its Ocean Park neighborhood.
Proposed work on properties designated as City Landmarks are subject to review by City Planning Division staff and the Landmarks Commission for conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Secretary’s Standards).
1 This presumption is based on a March 9, 1922 building permit for basement walls crediting F. D. Rutherford as architect, the earliest permit for the property in the City files. No permit for the house itself is the file. The next extant permit is for the 1925 improvements, and indicates that the five room plus basement residence is already on the property.
Figure 1: Subject property
Key
Parcel boundary
Aerial photograph of subject property with lots
denoted in red, yellow and green
(Google Earth 2022)
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Findings of this report are informed by observations made by Chattel, Inc. (Chattel) during multiple site visits to the subject property (February 2014 through May 2023), and considers information contained in drawings prepared by Mojdeh Memarzadeh Gabriel Ruspini Design (June 14, 2016).
The subject property has recently completed a major rehabilitation to the site and existing structures. All work was reviewed and approved by City departments. The scope of rehabilitation included installation of a new roofing materials, rehabilitation of windows, repair and replacement of exterior stucco, upgrades to systems, and new landscaping. However, additional maintenance and preservation work is necessary to complete the rehabilitation scope, including conservation of historic tile, and maintaining treatments to exterior materials. All future work will be completed in accordance with the Secretary’s Standards and Third Street District design guidelines. All required Planning and Building Permit approvals shall be obtained. 3014 Fourth Street is significant for its unique marriage of three trends that characterized residential development in the greater Los Angeles region in the years between the two World Wars: accumulative architecture, courtyard housing, and architectural eclecticism. The original house and the garden are also notable as one of the few known examples of the residential design of architect Francis David Rutherford.. The extent of the rehabilitation necessary to return the property to a state of utility demonstrates the need for incentive through the Mills Act to help preserve this unique architectural resource. 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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II. QUALIFICATIONS
Chattel is a full service historic preservation consulting firm with practice throughout the western United States. Based in Los Angeles, the firm represents governmental agencies and private ventures, successfully balancing project goals with a myriad of historic preservation regulations without sacrificing principles on either side. Comprising professionals meeting the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards in history, architecture, architectural history, and historic architecture, the firm offers professional services including historical resources evaluation and project effects analysis, in addition to consultation on federal, state, and local historic preservation statutes and regulations.
Staff engage in a collaborative process and work together as a team on individual projects. This architectural report was prepared by firm President Robert Chattel, historic preservation architect and Senior Associate Nels Youngborg, architectural historian. 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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III. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR’S STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES The Secretary’s Standards are the standard of review for properties with Mills Act contracts employed by the City of Santa Monica and include four treatment approaches: rehabilitation, restoration, maintenance, and preservation. The specific standard of review for properties with Mills Act contracts is rehabilitation, which is defined as “the act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural values.”2 Rehabilitation involves returning a property to a state of utility and does not require the more invasive approach of restoration, which means to return a property to its appearance during a specific period in time.
The rehabilitation standards include the following:
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.
2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken.
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials.
Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.
2 Kay D. Weeks, “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings” (Washington D.C.: National Park Service, 2017). 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
The Secretary’s Standards are not intended to be prescriptive, but instead to provide general guidance. They are intended to be flexible and adaptable to specific project conditions in order to balance continuity and change while also retaining historic building fabric to the greatest extent feasible. Their interpretation requires exercise of professional judgment and balance of the various opportunities and constraints of any given project based on use, materials retention and treatment, and compatibility of new construction. Not every standard necessarily applies to every aspect of a project, nor is it necessary to comply with every standard to achieve conformance. 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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IV. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
The subject property was designated as a City Landmark on November 14, 2022 by the Landmarks Commission (Commission). The Commission recommended and City Council declared that the subject property was eligible for designation under the following criterion:
3 1. Criterion 1, for its exemplification of the architectural and developmental history of the City in the years prior to World War II. With its multiple buildings on the parcel, growth over time, hybrid architect, and orientation towards the ocean, the subject property is a product of a characteristic City pattern of growth.
2. Criterion 2, for the aesthetic value of the tilework displayed on the paving, patios, and fountain. The tilework was installed during the original period of construction for the subject property and features intricate glazed designs. Recently it was determined that the tile was manufactured by the American Encaustic Tiling Company, which was founded in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1875 and opened a manufacturing plant in Vernon, California, in 1919.
3. Criterion 4, for its embodiment of the distinguishing characteristics of architectural eclecticism and accumulative architecture.
4. Criterion 5, as a representative example of the work of notable Santa Monica-based architect F.D. Rutherford.
In support of a Mills Act application, Chattel, Inc. has identified the following character-defining features of the subject property:
Overall Visual Character:
• Two-lot assembled parcel, bisected by a central driveway, containing an H-shaped residential building complex and a formal garden • Asymmetrical massing of one to three stories, accommodating the slope of the property, bridging the driveway, and reflecting growth by accretion over time
• Eclectic architectural character consisting of Spanish Colonial Revival styling combined with Streamline Moderne and Hollywood Regency elements
• Complex roof configuration, with gabled and flat portions and a truncated turret • Primary exterior materials of textured stucco, with partial clay tile roofing and coping • Varied fenestration, incorporating flat-headed and arched openings; fixed, double-hung, and casement windows; single- and multilight windows in varying patterns 3 Santa Monica Municipal Code 9.56.290.B.1-5
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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• Mature palms
Exterior Features:
• Roof detailing at north building, including exposed brackets and beams • Entry detailing at east elevation of north building, including spiraled pilasters; wood-gabled vestibule; wrought iron pendant light; wood screen and tiled pediment; paired 15-light doors; decorative plaque inset into facade • Tiled entry path, stair treads and risers, and vestibule paving at north building main entry and south-facing patios; remnant of exterior tiling at interior
• Enclosed arcade on west elevation of north building
• Glass block windows at porte cochere
• Streamlined stainless steel banding with speedlines at south building and hyphen between north and south buildings • Flat, curved canopies at south building and hyphen
• X-patterned railing at south building and hyphen
• Tiled fountain at west end of formal garden, featuring tiled vertical element and basin 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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V. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
The following is a description of the subject property, including its setting, exterior, and interior. Alterations are also summarized.
SETTING AND OVERALL DESCRIPTION
Located on the west side of the street, 3014 4th Street (subject property) is an eclectic, “H”-shaped, apartment complex (complex) that evolved and expanded over a period of twenty-two years.4 It consists of a one-story house with one- to three-story rear (west) additions in the northeast quadrant of the property (north building aka Part A); a two- and three- story, rectangular, apartment building with lower level garages at its west end occupying the south half of the property (south building aka Part C); and a two-story bridge or hyphen connection (hyphen aka Part B) between the south building and north building (specifically, the second story addition west of the one-story house (see Site Plan, Attachment A).
The hyphen spans a driveway that descends to the west from street level, bisects the property, and incorporates a porte cochere and second story apartment. There is a formal garden in the northwest quadrant of the property behind the north building that features a tile fountain and detached outbuilding.
The original improvements on the property, the house and the garden, were constructed in 1922 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and are presumed to have been designed by architect Francis D. Rutherford.5 A double garage with a room above it was added to the property in 1925 (the east end of the south building, closest to 4th Street) by builder C. L. Schneider. The west addition to the original house was also constructed by builder C.L. Schneider in 1926. In 1944, the 1925 garage building was converted into an apartment and the south building and hyphen were constructed by builder Samuel Silver, introducing Streamline Moderne and Hollywood Regency elements into the design and resulting in an eclectic combination of styles and periods. Located on the crest of a hill near the southern boundary of the City of Santa Monica, the complex is an intrinsic component of the streetscape and representative of the diverse residential development that characterizes its Ocean Park neighborhood.
4 Note that for ease of description, it is assumed that 4th Street runs north-south, with the Pacific Ocean lying a few blocks to the west of the property. 5 This presumption is based on a March 9, 1922 building permit for basement walls crediting F. D. Rutherford as architect, the earliest permit for the property in the City files. No permit for the house itself is the file. The next extant permit is for the 1925 improvements, and indicates that the five room plus basement residence is already on the property.
Photograph of subject property, east) elevations as seen from Fourth Street, view southwest. (Chattel 2022)
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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The first dwelling constructed on the subject property was 2602 3rd in 1910. A garage was constructed contemporaneously and was connected to 3rd Street via a driveway. The grad slopes from the high point at 3rd Street to the west down Beach Street. This dwelling reads as a one-story dwelling when viewed from 3rd Street, however a studio apartment was constructed in the full basement in 1995, 250 Beach. The two bungalows on the western part of the subject property were constructed after 1910, but before 1918.
EXTERIOR
Exterior walls of the complex are clad in roughly textured stucco6 and roofs are mostly gabled or flat. The gabled sections are covered in Mission clay tiles.
Windows are wood-framed and include a mix of double-hung sash, casements, and fixed sash, mostly with divided lights. Both flat-headed and arched openings are present. Due to the accumulative evolution of the property, no elevation is symmetrical, lending a sense of individuality to each of the apartments, many of which are directly accessed from the exterior. The primary, east elevation faces 4th Street and consists, from north to south, of the original one-story house with two-story additions to its rear, the paved driveway that splits the parcel and runs beneath the hyphen, and the multi-story apartment building that step back to the west in one-story, two-story, and three-story increments.
The east, street-facing elevation of the north building is the primary façade of the original Spanish Colonial Revival house, which is divided into three bays by its massing and cross-gabled roof configuration. The modestly overhanging clay tile roof is detailed with wooden brackets and beams in the eaves. Offset to the north, the front-gabled entry bay contains three arched openings, with the entry recessed behind the larger central arch and flat-headed windows topped by lunette transoms comprising the side openings. Two decorative, precast, spiraled pilasters flank the central arch, leading to a gabled vestibule with a wooden ceiling from which an original wrought iron pendant light is suspended. Two fifteen-light doors, each opening to a separate apartment, are set beneath an arched and intricately carved wooden screen that covers an arched and tiled pediment.7 The vestibule and the pathway leading from the sidewalk to it are paved in green tile laid in an alternating square and cartouche pattern which is bordered by polychromatic cement tiles. Three shallow steps rise from pathway to vestibule and are also tiled. There is an ornamental cement plaque inset into the wall near the south end of the central bay projection.
Fenestration in the side bays consists of a pair of double-hung sash windows in the north bay and another pair of double-hung sash windows plus a single window in the larger south bay. Upper sashes are divided into nine lights. Two mature palms rise from the front setback, which has recently been re-landscaped with extensive native and adapted vegetation reflecting a Mediterranean garden tradition. 6 The texture of the stucco is consistent with the extant basement walls of the west addition to the north building. 7 Conversion of the single family residence into two apartments occurred at an unknown date between 1926 and 1944.
Sanborn map (1950) of subject property (outlined in blue. (Chattel 2022)
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Attached to the rear (west) of the original house by a gabled, one-story wing, the east elevation of the second story addition west of the original house is visible from the street above and southwest of the house. It continues the Spanish Colonial Revival theme and is capped by clay tiled front and side gables and a truncated turret atop a rounded bay. Windows are both round- and flat-headed and contain multilight fixed or casement sashes. The upper story of the addition is attached seamlessly to the hypen west and south of the house. The lower story southeast corner apartment features two bays of glass block windows. Entries to individual apartments in this addition vary between multi-paned French doors and paneled wood doors and open onto a patio on the lower level and a second story walkway accessed by an exterior staircase. Wrought iron railings line the walkway and staircase. The lower-level patio is paved in the same green tile with polychromatic borders that characterizes the main entry pathway from the street to the house.
The driveway, recently surfaced in pavers, marks the center of the parcel from the east elevation. It is spanned by the set-back hyphen connecting the rear part of the two-story addition described in the previous paragraph and the two- and three-story sections of the south building in the south portion of the parcel. The ground level of the hypen is the porte cochere, defined by two covered breezeways with arched openings flanking the driveway. The north breezeway contains an entry to apartment in the north building, while the south breezeway leads to a staircase as well as to apartment entries in the south building. The upper story of the hyphen is spanned by an open air balcony walkway which connects to the walkway running along the north side of the second floor of the south building. Both sections of this balcony, along with the exterior staircase leading up to it, feature a metal railing whose X-patterned design suggests the influence of the Hollywood Regency style. The roof of the hyphen is flat, edged by a parapet with clay tile coping. Set two feet from the top of the parapet, a Streamline Moderne molding clad in stainless steel and banded with three-dimensional speed lines wraps the building, continuing as a broad fascia around a rounded, projecting flat canopy offset north from the center of the hyphen. Beneath the canopy, an apartment entry consists of a wood, multi-light door flanked by double-hung sash windows identical to those seen elsewhere in the complex.
The east, street-facing elevation of the south building steps back and up in height, the third floor being the most recessed into the lot. The first story is set back ten feet from the property line behind a garden recently re-landscaped with native and adapted vegetation. The onestory section, shallow in depth, is capped by a side-gabled and tiled roof. Approached by a cement walkway, an apartment entry is sheltered by a tiled shed roof supported by brackets. A wood, multi-light door is framed by two double-hung sash windows with multi-light upper sashes. Flat-roofed, the second floor is fronted by a flat balcony that sits just behind the ridgeline of the first-floor gable. Two bays separated by a raised pier overlook the balcony and are fenestrated with a combination of single-light casements and a tripartite window consisting of fixed and casement sashes. Set further back yet, the third floor utilizes the second-floor roof as roof deck. Hollywood Regency-influenced railings enclose the second and third floor exterior spaces. Fenestration on the third level includes multi-light doublehung and casement windows. A shallow shed roof partially shades these openings.
Clearly visible from the street until barred from further view by the hyphen, the north elevation of the south building parallels the driveway.
This eastern section of the north elevation continues the themes noted on the east elevation, with the previously described stepped back massing and a combination of gabled and flat roofs. Fenestration resembles that displayed elsewhere in the complex, incorporating flatheaded windows regularly alternating with apartment entries and staircases to upper-level apartments. The exterior staircase, Hollywood 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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Regency-railed balcony, and Streamline Moderne molding and canopy described with respect to the hyphen also characterize this elevation. Beyond (west of) the hyphen, the western section of the south building features a short continuation of the two-story apartments.
Three two-car garages cascade down the sloped parcel and face the driveway. Roof decks top the west two garages, overlooked by multilight wood doors and double-hung sash windows with multi-light upper sashes.
The rear, west elevation of the north building overlooks the formal garden. Because of the downward slope of the parcel, a basement level is located above grade on this elevation, making it three stories in height. The expansion of the building over time is clearly evident through the complex roof configuration, projecting and receding massing, and varied, non-rhythmic fenestration. A combination of front-gabled, side-gabled, and flat areas characterizes the roof, with clay tiles covering the gables and edging the parapets. Windows are both flat- and round-headed, either double-hung sash or casements, with both single pane and divided lights utilized. A large, tripartite window near the center of the second level, set beneath a flared expanse of the exterior wall, is clearly an enclosure of an earlier balcony and arcade, whose arched openings are visible beyond the glass. At the north end of this elevation, a 1932 bathroom addition projects out from the northwest corner of the building. Entries to basement apartments open onto the pathway that edges the building. Seamlessly attached to the south end of the upper story, the west elevation of the hyphen features a pair of double-hung sash windows.
The north elevation of the north building and south elevation of the south building face the north and south property lines, respectively, and are mostly utilitarian in appearance. Stairs, a small patio and the entry to an apartment are located off the concrete pathway along the north elevation of the north building. The south elevation of the south building is mostly not visible from the street. Its fenestration echoes that of the north elevation but has no access to the interior. There is a metal gate and concrete paved walkway separating the subject property from the parcel to the south.
Occupying a rectangular footprint approximately equal to that of the north building, more or less 25 percent of the total square footage of the parcel, in the northwest quadrant of the property, the formal garden has clearly been prioritized throughout the evolution of the complex.
It is bounded by the north building on the east, the driveway on the south, and the property lines on the north and west. The garden is bisected east to west by a central concrete pathway that descends the gentle slope of the property in gradual increments on axis with a tiled, Spanish style fountain. Boulders edge the lower portion of the walkway, which empties onto a large stone-paved area. The fountain consists of a lozenge-shaped basin and a vertical, tiled, mummy-shaped slab whose tiled recess contains a mythological beast’s head from which water is intended to spout. The tile work echoes that seen at the entries on the east and south elevations of the north building. The formal garden features mature palms and landscaping with native and adapted plants. On the east elevation of the north building, the tiled path that leads from the sidewalk to the entry patio continues into the interior of the building, this space presumably being an outside porch that is now enclosed.
A one-story, flat-roofed outbuilding is located at the northwest corner of the garden. Clay tile coping marks the roofline of the building, which is sheathed in stucco. Multi-paned casement windows flank the entry, which is located in a cutaway corner on the southeast and sheltered by a small, metal canopy. The appearance of this outbuilding continues the Spanish Colonial Revival theme of the complex. 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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ALTERATIONS
Originally constructed in 1922, the parcel was initially improved with a single, one-story, five-room house with a basement. Over the next twenty-two years and numerous major alterations and additions later, 3014 4th Street evolved into the eclectic complex it is today.
Alterations and additions began occurring soon after the original construction, the first being a garage and second story apartment built on the southeast corner of the parcel in 1925, the seeds of what is now the east end of the south building.
A year later, in 1926, an addition was recorded, with the first floor being 12 by 16 feet and the second floor being 20 by16 feet. These additions are presumed to be related to the existing five-room, one-story house on the north half of the parcel. In 1932, an 8 by 8 feet bathroom addition was incorporated into the northwest corner of the house. In 1939 and 1944, two-story additions were recorded on the parcel. In 1944, a pre-existing garage (presumably, the 1925 building) was converted into a three-room apartment. In 1947, windows and doors were altered. With respect to the site plan in Attachment A, it is concluded that Part A was constructed from 1922 to 1932, Part B was constructed from 1939 to 1944 and Part C was constructed from 1925 to 1944. In the 1980s and 1990s, the complex received new electrical and new plumbing.
Recently completed work to the interior and exterior of the subject property has included reconfiguring and remodeling existing kitchens and bathrooms and extensive rehabilitation of the exterior envelope. The exterior rehabilitation included window repair and in-kind replacement, as necessary, in-kind replacement of the stainless steel speedline fascia/molding detail, new code compliant guardrails that drew inspiration from originals, as well new compatible lighting and apartment numbers. The south elevation of the south building was substantially rebuilt due to structural deterioration. New stucco cladding closely followed the heavily textured precedent. The grounds were extensively landscaped using a Mediterranean-inspired palette that complements the Spanish Colonial Revival, Streamline Moderne and Hollywood Regency character of the buildings. The new paving of the west portion of the driveway to the porte cochere and concrete and stone paving of the rear garden similarly are contemporary and compatible improvements.
A permit was recently approved for structural retrofit of a failing retaining wall at the west property line. On May 12, the wall suffered a critical failure and contractors immediately began work to reinforce the retaining wall in order to protect the life and safety of tenants at the neighboring property. A historic fountain was located within five feet of the failing retaining wall, and approved plans called for:
The contractor shall secure the protection of the fountain during the construction. The fountain either shall be properly protected or alternatively, it shall be relocated and reinstalled after the construction is finished.
Unfortunately, due to the urgent need to stabilize the wall, contractors demolished the fountain basin and salvaged the vertical back portion in order to begin trenching and stabilizing the hillside. Although the approved plans called for the retention of the entire fountain, contractors did not find a way to accomplish that. Chattel was notified of the retaining wall failure and fountain demolition on May 18, oversaw efforts to encapsulate the salvaged portion of the fountain with plywood, retrieve all full and partial tiles that remained after the demolition, and began planning for the reconstruction of the fountain and tiles. As of the submission of this report, the work to retrofit the retaining wall is on going 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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and the back portion of the fountain remains protected onsite. After the retaining wall project has been finished, the owner will prepare plans to reconstruct the fountain and adjacent landscape and apply for a permit to complete the work. 3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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VI. REHABILITATION, RESTORATION, AND MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS This section includes an assessment of existing conditions, that is separated into completed work, ongoing work and recommendations for future work. The property recently underwent a major rehabilitation, which was completed within the last year. Work is ongoing to retrofit a flailing retaining wall at the west property line and salvage the garden fountain. Photographs associated with the completed work demonstrate before and after conditions. The current property owner purchased the subject property in 2011 with the intention of Landmark designation and the applying for a Mills Act contract. All work was reviewed and approved by the City, and a majority of the work was completed in conformance with the Secretary’s Standards. The subject property generally appears to be in good condition. However, physical inspection reveals areas of deterioration, in particular the retaining wall to the west and damaged art tiles, and need for ongoing maintenance.
While all recommended work is important, tasks addressing maintenance of building systems (including structural and electrical) and prevention of deterioration linked to failing retaining wall conditions should be prioritized over more cosmetic tasks (e.g., replacing insensitive contemporary grout at porch). The tables in this section outline recommendations for future work. Further discussion on prioritizing implementation of recommended tasks is included in the Restoration/Rehabilitation and Maintenance Plans submitted as part of the Mills Act contract application.
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COMPLETED WORK
SITE
Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Hardscape Hardscape
includes concrete
walkways,
driveway, and
sidewalk apron
throughout the
site, and the
asphalt portion of
the driveway.
Good:
Hardscape
rehabilitation and
replacement has
been completed
as approved.
Repair concrete in-kind, as
needed.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Landscape Landscape areas
adjacent to the
street and in the
garden at the
west portion of
the site.
Good:
Rehabilitation of
the landscape
has been
completed as
approved.
Currently, part of
the landscape
has been
demolished at the
west portion of
the property as
part of an
approved permit
for seismic
retrofit.
Maintain landscape features
with regular maintenance and
landscaping.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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EXTERIOR
Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Roof The roof consists
of gabled and flat
roof portions. The
gabled roof
portions are clad
with terra cotta
barrel tile and the
flat portions are
clad with .
Good:
Roof material
rehabilitation and
replacement was
completed as
approved..
Regularly remove debris that
accumulate on roof.
Address penetrations in roof at
satellite dish mount to prevent
future leakage.
Regularly inspect portions of
roof that are occupied to ensure
that proper maintenance and
repair is completed.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Exterior
Stucco
Exterior siding
consists of painted
stucco with a
Spanish lace
texture.
Good:
Repair and
replacement of
exterior stucco
siding and
painting all
buildings was
completed as
approved.
Repair stucco in-kind, as
needed.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
3014 FOURTH STREET, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Exterior
sheet metal
Sheet metal
speedlines and
canopies installed
on the exterior of
the structure.
Good:
Existing sheet
metal replaced
the previous
sheet metal,
which was in
poor condition.
Repair sheet metal, as
necessary.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Exterior
Paint
Original window
and replacement
windows consist of
wood sash and
trim that is painted.
Doors consist of
wood and most
have multi-light
glazing, that is
painted. Exterior
stucco is painted.
Good:
All windows,
doors, and
exterior stucco
have recently
been painted,
which was
completed as
approved.
Repaint architectural features,
as needed. Ensure that all
surfaces are appropriately
prepared to receive a new layer
of paint, which would include
removing any dirt or loose and
flaking paint without damaging
historic materials.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Doors and
windows
Original window
and replacement
windows consist of
wood sash and
trim. Doors consist
of wood and most
have multi-light
glazing. .
Good:
rehabilitation and
restoration of
original doors
and windows has
been completed
as approved.
Replacement
wood windows
and doors have
been installed as
approved.
Maintain window and door
materials and hardware, as
necessary.
Ensure that windows and
doors are appropriately
weather stripped.
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SYSTEMS
Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Structural Subject property
includes to
buildings
connected by an
elevated hyphen
that have
interconnected,
wood structural
systems.
Good:
Seismic retrofit for all
structures was
completed as approved.
Engage a structural
engineer to evaluate
structural systems, as
necessary.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Mechanical
- HVAC
Dwellings are
heated and
cooled by minisplits, and
condensers are
located on site
and on the roof.
Good:
Mini-split systems were
installed as approved.
Updated HVAC was
only installed in the 14
vacant units, and will be
updated in the
remaining 7 units upon
tenant turnover.
Engage a qualified HVAC
specialist to perform an
evaluation, as necessary.
Implement tenant turnover
plan to install updated
HVAC as units become
vacant.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Electrical Electrical service
is delivered via
overhead wires
Good:
Electrical was updated
and replaced as
approved.
Engage a qualified
electrician specialist to
perform an evaluation, as
necessary.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Plumbing Plumbing was
updated and
replaced
Good:
Replacement of all
galvanized and
damaged plumbing and
waste lines were
completed as approved.
Engage a plumbing
specialist to evaluate, as
needed.
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ONGOING WORK
SITE
FUTURE WORK
SITE
Retaining
wall
The concrete
retaining wall at
west property line
Poor:
Currently, work is
being completed
to seismically
retrofit a portion
of an existing
concrete retaining
wall at the west
lot line. A permit
was approved for
this work.
Continue to construct the
seismic retrofit of the retaining
wall per approved plans.
Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Hardscape Hardscape
includes
Poor to fair: Reconstruct flagstone garden
patio adjacent to ongoing
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
concrete
walkways,
patios driveway,
and sidewalk
apron
throughout the
site, and the
asphalt portion
of the driveway.
The concrete
patio area in the
garden has been
demolished and
will be replaced
after the
retaining wall
seismic retrofit
has been
completed.
Asphalt driveway
appears to have
portions missing
adjacent to he
garden, surface
damage and
minor cracks.
retaining wall seismic retrofit
after permit approval.
Fill holes and gaps in asphalt,
resurface driveway.
Repair existing hardscape, as
necessary
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Landscape Landscape
areas adjacent
to the street and
in the garden at
the west portion
of the site.
Poor:
Currently, part of
the landscape
has been
demolished at
the west portion
of the property
as part of an
approved permit
for seismic
retrofit.
Reconstruct landscape within
the area adjacent to ongoing
retaining wall seismic retrofit
after permit approval.
Landscape improvements in
this area would include
vegetation and irrigation.
Maintain existing landscape
and irrigation regularly.
Tile walkways,
patios and stoops
Characterdefining tiles are
used as pavers
in two locations
at the property:
the entrance of
two units from
the sidewalk
and a small
stoop.
Fair:
Currently, the tile
demonstrates
cracks and
chips.
Engage a conservator
specialist to repair and
restore all walkway, patio and
stoop tiles. If necessary due
to poor material condition of
tile, source new tile that
matches historic tile and
install after permit approval.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Fountain A characterdefining
fountain was
located at the
west end of the
garden and
within five feet
of the retaining
wall at the west
lot line.
Poor:
Currently, the
fountain was
demolished with
a portion of it
salvaged and
protected onsite.
The salvaged
portion of the
fountain has
been protected
by plywood and
will remain
protected
throughout the
ongoing project.
Engage a conservator
specialist to remove the tiles
from the salvaged portion of
the fountain, repair and
restore all salvaged tiles,
source new tile that matches
historic tile, reinstall new and
restored tiles onto the
reconstructed fountain.
Engage a landscape architect
to design reconstruction the
fountain in concrete based on
sketches, salvaged material
and historic documentation.
Reconstruct the fountain and
install new and restored tiles
after permit approval. Ensure
that the fountain operates as
originally intended.
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Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
South Property
Line Retaining
wall
Retaining wall
on south
property line
Poor:
Concrete
retaining wall at
southern
elevation in poor
condition.
Engage engineer specialists
to evaluate retaining wall at
south lot line and design
structural retrofit.
Complete seismic retrofit after
permit approval.
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EXTERIOR
Feature Description Condition Recommendation(s) Photos
Doors and
windows
Original window
windows consist of
wood sash and
trim. Doors consist
of wood and most
have multi-light
glazing. .
Fair:
A portion of
original windows
and doors
demonstrate
deterioration and
damage around
hardware and
sills.
Rehabilitate original wood
windows and doors, which
would include replacing
hardware.
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VII. CONCLUSION
This Architectural Report documents existing conditions of the multi-family residence at 3014 Fourth Street in Santa Monica, California. It provides demonstration of significant rehabilitation, description of ongoing work, and recommendations for future rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance work in conformance with the Secretary’s Standards. More detailed information on prioritizing future work and associated costs are outlined in the Restoration/Rehabilitation and Maintenance Plans submitted as part of the Mills Act contract application.