HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 233-07City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
9
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT
MAY 14, 2007 CMR:233.07
564 UNIVERSITY AVENUE: RECOMMENDATION FROM
THE HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD AT THE REQUEST
OF AIDA MERRILL, OWNER, TO RECLASSIFY A
CATEGORY 4 BUILDING ON THE CITY OF PALO ALTO’S
HISTORIC INVENTORY TO CATEGORY 2 PURSUANT TO
MUNCIPAL CODE CHAPTER 16.49 (HISTORIC
PRESERVATION ORDINANCE)
RECOMMENDATION
The Historic Resources Board (HRB) and staff recommend that the City Council
reclassify the property located at 564 University Avenue as a significant building in
Category 2 consistent with the definition of Historic Category 2 in Municipal Code
Section 16.49.020(b).
BACKGROUND
The two-and-a-half story residential building at 564 University Avenue was constructed
by one of Palo Alto’s earliest builders, A. N. Mills, in 1904. As the last remaining
residence in the commercial zone of University Avenue, the house is a surprising sight on
its retail block. The house achieves architectural distinction through its classical
symmetry and its powerful presence produced on the front facade by the full-width
overhanging second floor enhanced by projecting corner bays and a pyramidal roof
containing a prominent third-floor dormer. The house exhibits an unusually high degree
of integrity throughout having undergone almost no alteration since 1904. The architect
of the house has not yet been determined, and the builder may have taken the design from
a pattern book of the period. It is remarkable that the house has survived intact in an area
of University Avenue where all the surrounding original houses were demolished decades
ago for commercial buildings. It is also notable that the original owning family retained
the house until recently.
The house is historically significant for its first owner, pioneer Palo Alto resident Thomas
Forbes, and for its initial use as a rooming house located on the University Avenue
streetcar line. During the early 20th century, a number of boarding houses and rooming
houses were built in Palo Ako along streetcar lines to provide respectable housing in
CMR:233:07 Page 1 of 3
conveniently located safe neighborhoods adjacent to public transit for moderate and low
income residents who could not afford automobiles. During its first four decades, 564
University provided such housing to a number of diverse short-term renters. The
importance of this type of housing to the early social history of Palo Alto was not fully
understood in 1980 when the City Council originally designated the property in the lesser
Category 4.
During the 1950s and 1960s, when the downtown commercial district was expanding
eastward, the use of the house changed from wholly residential to primarily commercial.
The variety of small business tenants included some essential community services.
Subsequently, in the 1970s, two of Thomas Forbes’ children moved into the house and
remained as the sole.residents until their deaths (see Attachment A). In 2006, the house
was purchased by the current owner who plans to restore it for commercial use and to
design a historically appropriate front garden in consultation with staff at Gamble
Gardens.
HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION
The HRB, at its meeting on April 4, 2007, reviewed the application to reclassify 564
University Avenue to Category 2. Staff, in its presentation to the HRB, observed that
good architecture typically combines unity of design with elements of dramatic contrast
and that 564 University accomplishes this feat by combining an overall unified
symmetrical style with two dramatically contrasting elements: the long open porch of
calm and cordial character and the overhanging second floor whose powerful massing
and comer bays thrust forward toward the viewer on the sidewalk. These two contrasting
features are tied together by the row of simple classical porch columns. Staff also noted
the significant early use of the building as a modest cost rooming house conveniently
located on a major streetcar line.
The HRB concurred with staff’s conclusions on the significance of the property and,
based on consideration of the definitions of the Historic Categories and the criteria for
designation in Municipal Code Chapter 16.49, unanimously voted (7-0-0-0) to
recommend to the City Council the reclassification of 564 University Avenue as a
Category 2 historic building (see Attachment B).
RESTRICTIONS ON DOWNTOWN PROPERTIES IN CATEGORY 2
If the City Council elects to reclassify the property in Category 2, the following
regulations would apply:
Upon designation in Category 2, demolition of the building at 564 University Avenue
in the downtown CD zone would be prohibited unless certain economic and safety
findings were made as set forth in PAMC 16.49.060.
Upon designation in Category 2, review of proposed alterations or additions to the
building by the Historic Resources Board would be required as provided in PAMC
16.49.050 (a)(1)(A).
CMR:233:07 Page 2 of 3 -~
Upon designation in Category 2, the building would be subject to maintenance
regulations for downtown historic structures as Set forth in PAMC 16.49.080, and
enforcement provisions as set forth in 16.49.090.
RESOURCE IMPACT
There is no direct impact on City resources associated with the action recommended in
this staff report.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation does not represent any change to existing City policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Category reclassification of a Historic Inventory property is not a project under the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), per Section 21065.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Historic Resources Board staff report of April 4, 2007..
Attachment B: Minutes of the HRB Meeting of March 19, 2003.
PREPARED BY:
DENNIS BACKLUND
Historic Preservation Planner
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:,~.i..,:, ~~ E~~~~-~?E~VI~
Dil’ector of Planning and Community
Environment
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
EMIL’~r~ARRI~ON
Assistant City Manager
Historic Resources Board
Aida Merrill
Ann Hawkinson Architecture
CMR:233:07 Page 3 of 3
Attachment A
Historic Resources Board
Staff Report
1
Date:April 4, 2007
To;Historic Resources Board
From:
Subject:
Dennis Backlund,
Historic Preservation Planner
Department: Planning and
Community Environment
564 University Avenue [07PLN-00056]: Application by Aida L.
Merrill, owner, for Historic Resources Board review and
recommendation to the City Council regarding a proposal to reclassify a
Colonial Revival residential building, constructed in 1904, and located in
the CD-C(P) zone district, from Category 4 on the City’s Historic
Inventory to Category 2, as provided in Municipal Code Chapter 16.49
(Historic Preservation Ordinance).
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Historic Resources Board recommend that the City Council
reclassify the residential building at 564 University Avenue as a significant building in
Category 2 consistent with the criteria for designation of historic structures in Municipal
Code Section 16o49.040(b), and the definition of Category 2 in Section 16.49.020(b).
THE COLONIAL REVIVAL RESIDENCE
Significance of the Colonial Revival Style
The Colonial Revival style has two aspects, what it seemed to be to those who developed
it, and what it now appears to be in the context of long-range architectural developments
that occurred subsequently. The Colonial Revival originally developed as a reaction to
the flamboyant excesses of the Queen Anne style and the elaborate conventions of
Victorian society. The reaction took the form of a revival of the simple styles and
classical detailing of Colonial American architecture. What was distinctly contemporary
about the Colonial Revival was that it represented the formalized approach to the
"simpler life" movement of the turn-of-the-twentieth century (as opposed to the informal
back-to-nature approach represented by the Craftsman style). From the standpoint of the
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 1
twentieth-first century, the Colonial Revival, with its characteristics of simplicity,
rationality, and classicism, is significant as a step toward Modernism. In summary, the
Colonial Revival is important as a transitional style that adds to our understanding of the
preceding Victorian age and the subsequent Modern period.
The Historic Residence
With its broad overhanging second floor enhanced by projecting square end bays, flamed
by the regularly spaced supporting columns below, and crowned by the large roof dormer
situated above on the pyramidal hipped roof, the house contributes a powerful presence
on University Avenue that dominates the surrounding commercial buildings (see
Attachments A and B). Significant features include the boxy shape of the house, the full-
width open front porch with low solid walls, the paneled soffits, the dentil frieze under
the eaves, the ornamental brackets supporting the front square bays, the narrow lap siding,
the three-sided bay window on the fight elevation, and the wood entry steps located
between a pair of low wood cheek walls. The fenestration consists of variously sized
double-hung windows; certain of these on the front fagade are dramatically large and
contribute to the power of the overall design. The paneled front door with a square pane
of glass appears to be original. The house retains a high level of integrity on all
elevations. The enclosure of the rear porch appears to have occurred long ago. The HRB
may wish to compare 564 University with two National-Register-eligible houses in the
downtown area that are in the same style: 904 Bryant Street at the corner of Channing
and 245 Ramona Street near Everett Avenue.
Staff has recommended that the house be designated to the Historic Inventory in Category
2, the definition of which focuses on architectural significance. Because the architectural
elements of the house are organized under the pyramidal roof in a manner that conveys a
strong sense of unity (for example, the regular rhythm of the second floor windows) while
at the same time drama is conveyed by the contrast of the projecting dominance of the
second floor and the cordial airiness of the full-width open porch below) staff concluded
that the house is a significant example in Palo Alto of the Colonial Revival box and
qualifies architecturally for reclassification in Category 2. The house is also significant as
the last remaining residence on University Avenue’s commercial district (the previous
longest residential survivor in the commercial area, Leland Hall, was demolished in 1935
to make way for the building that today houses the Apple store). It is extraordinary that
564 University has survived amongst commercial buildings for 103 years virtually intact,
and remained in the original owning family until up to last year. As Sanborn maps show,
the house was one of the first on this block--and now it is the last (see Attachment C).
The Builder
564 University Avenue was built in 1904 by the Palo Alto contractor A. N. Mills.
According to a notice in the Palo Alto Times on February 5, 1904, "Thomas Forbes has
given the contract to A. N. Mills for the erection of a residence on University Avenue
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 2
between Cowper and Webster streets. The building will cost $4000. It is rumored that
Tom will install a bride there when the home is completed" (see Attachment D). On
January 4, 1905, the Palo Alto Times cited, "Thomas Forbes, 2-story residence,
University near Webster, $4100" as one of the buildings erected in Palo Alto during 1904
(see Attachment E). A.N. Mills arrived ir~ Palo Alto in 1903 during a building boom in
the new city. Little is known so far of his personal life except that he was a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, America’s largest fraternal society at the time.
We may assume that he was a friend of the builder John Dudfield of the well-known
Dudfield Lumber Company located at Forest Avenue and Alma Street because when
Mills suddenly died in 1917 at the age of 55, he was staying for the weekend in John
Dudfield’s cabin in Pescadero (see Attachment F). Mills appears to have inspired his son,
Curtis, to follow him in the building profession because there is a permit citation in the
January 14, 1925 issue of the Palo Alto Times indicating that Curtis Mills built a house at
1175 Greenwood Avenue for Mary Mills (this citation along with the permit listing for
534 Forest strongly suggests that Mary Mills was a member of the A. N. Mills family).
In preparation for this report, staff surveyed more than 9000 permit citations in the Palo
Alto Times and found only five buildings built by A. N. Mills in addition to 564
University (however, most permit citations during the period of Mills’ career do not
indicate the builder or the architect). The five buildings are:
534 Forest Avenue: Mills built this two-story Colonial Revival house in 1904 for
Mary Mills, possibly his wife or mother. Mills lived in this house from 1904 until
around 1915. The house is still standing and is mostly intact except that the walls
have been coated in stucco and there is some alteration to the front porch that
occurred when the house became a duplex at a date unknown.
175 Webster Street: Mills built this two-and-a-half story Colonial Revival house
for J. W. Brister in 1904. It survives essentially intact except for some sensitive
remodeling in the rear. The house was recently restored and is a neighborhood
landmark.
401 Webster Street: Mills built this large two-story Colonial Revival house for W.
S. Slade, a barber, in 1904. The house was asymmetrical with a complex
pyramidal roof system that is visible in historic aerial photographs. The house was
demolished around the 1970s to make way for the Webster House retirement
community.
623 Alma Street: Mills built this Armory building in 1910. It was demolished by
the 1940s or before to make way for the large automobile businesses that located
on this block.
1312 Cowper Street: Mills built this restrained Classical Revival bungalow for W.
W. Colquhoun in 1911. The house survives intact and is a contributor to the
Professorville Historic District.
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 3
History of Use
The Palo Alto City Directory listings for 564 University show that Thomas Forbes was a
long-time resident at 474 Everett Avenue and built 564 University not for himself but for
multi-family rental housing located on the soon-to-be-completed streetcar line that ran
down University Avenue to Stanford Universi~. The streetcar line opened in 1906.
The Owner of 564 Universi _ty
Thomas Forbes (1869-1946) was the son of Richard Forbes (1821-1899), a native of
Ireland who came to Palo Alto in 1899 to spend his last months in the home of his son,
Thomas. Thomas was born in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and came to Palo Alto as a
pioneer resident in 1898. In about 1902 he married Winifred Hughes (1879-1946), and
they had four children, Theresa (1911-1978), Thomas A., Joseph Henry, and James
Richard. The fact that the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of patriarch
Richard Forbes are almost always named after each other suggests a very closely-knit
family, and, indeed, in 1945 there was an article in the Palo Alto Times entitled "Pioneer
Forbes family holds reunion." Thomas Forbes was a gardener and a construction worker,
and he was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, the third largest fraternal
society in America at the time. The Modern Woodmen assisted its membership in
planning for financial security through providing life insurance and other financial
services. Thomas’s daughter Winifred grew up to become a librarian at Stanford
University from the late 1920s to 1941 when she took a position until 1946 at the library
of the University of California, Los Angeles. Thomas Forbes remained in the family
home at 474 Everett until his death in 1946 (see Attachments G, H, and I).
The Occupants of 564 Universi .ty
The Palo Alto City Directories from 1904 to 1978 reveal that564 University was built as
a rooming house. There are many short-term occupants who are clearly unrelated. The
house performed an essential service by providing moderate-cost housing to those
following ordinary respectable professions (e. g. accountants), to the retired, to widows,
and to students. Also, several realtors lived there. From 1950 to 1963 Theresa Forbes
lived at 564 University from time to time, the first member of the Forbes family to live in
the house. A significant change of use occurred between 1952 and 1966 when the house
was rented to a number of commercial businesses (the interior of the house was
remodeled to accommodate these commercial uses, and a number of features of this
remodeling survive). The businesses included The Sitter Service Agency (a prominent
baby sitter service),. National Distributors Company, Kelley-Reeves Photographers (see
Attachment J), Food Packet Company, and Louise Thompson Real Estate. After 1966 the
commercial uses departed and the use reverted to housing for diverse individuals
including Theresa Forbes. Between 1971 and 1977, a period of decline in Palo Alto’s
downtown, the house was often vacant. Then in 1977 Theresa Forbes and her brother
Thomas A. Forbes Jr. became the sole occupants of the house. For the first time the
house built by the Forbes family more than 70 years earlier became the Forbes family
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 4
home. Theresa died in the house in 1978, and it is reported that Thomas A. Forbes lived
alone in the house until his death in recent years.
Criteria for Designation and Definition of Historic Category 2
Chapter 16.49, Section 16.49.040 (b) of the Municipal Code provides general criteria that
apply to all historic designations in Palo Alto. The criteria are:
1.The structure or site is identified with the lives of historic people or with important
events in the city, state or nation;
2.The structure or site is particularly representative of an architectural style or way of
life important to the city, state or nation;
3. The structure or site is an example of a type of building which was once common,
but is now rare;
4. The structure or site is connected with a business or use which was once common,
but is now rare;
5. The architect or building was important;
6. The structure or site contains elements demonstrating outstanding attention to
architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship.
Chapter 16.49, Section 16.49.020 (b) (definitions of the Categories) establishes the level
of importance of properties that meet the general criteria for designation. The focus of
the definitions of the Categories is on architectural significance. Category 2 structures are
defined as follows:
"Category 2: ’Major building’ means any building or group of buildings of major
regional importance, meritorious works of the best architects or an outstanding
example of an architectural style or the stylistic development of architecture in the
state or region. A major building may have some exterior modifications, but the
original character is retained."
HISTORIC EVALUATION OF 564 UNIVERSITY AVENUE
Based on an analysis of the criteria for designation and the definition of Historic Category
2 found in Municipal Code Chapter 16.49, staff concludes that the Colonial Revival
house at 564 University Avenue meets the criteria for designation and best fits the
definition of a Category 2 building in that:
It is identified throughout its long history with the Palo Alto pioneer family of Thomas
Forbes. (Criterion 1);
It represents the development of one of the most important architectural styles in early
Palo Alto, the Colonial Revival, a style that was commonly seen in the early 20th
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 5
century (as evidenced by historic aerial photographs) but is becoming much more rare,
as examples are demolished or significantly altered (Criteria 2 and 3);
With respect to Criterion 4, the origina! use of the building as multi-family housing
located on a public transit line is still somewhat rare (but will become less so as
contemporary transit-oriented development expands in the city);
The builder of the house, A~ N. Mills, was an early local contractor. (Criterion 5);
The house demonstrates outstanding attention to architectural design and detail as
discussed on page 2 of this report (Criterion 6).
The house is consistent with the definition of a Category 2 building in that it retains
integrity with respect to its most important original features, and represents a meritorious
Colonial Revival residential design in the Bay Area regional context. Also, it was built
by one ofPalo Alto’s earliest local contractors, A, N. Mills.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A:
Attachment B:
Attachment C:
Attachment D:
Attachment E:
Attachment F:
Attachment G:
Attachment H:
Attachment I:
Attachment J:
Current Photograph of the House.
Historic Inventory Form for 564 University Avenue.
Sanborn Maps depicting 564 University Avenue, 1904-1949.
Permit Citation, Palo Alto Times, February 5, 1904.
Permit Citation, Palo Alto Times, January 4, 1905.
Obituary Notice for A. N. Mills, Palo Alto Times, March 5, 1917.
Obituary Notice for Thomas Forbes, Palo Alto Times., March 26, 1946.
Obituary Notice for Winifred Forbes, Palo Alto Times, June 24, 1946.
Palo Alto Times Articles on the Forbes Family, 1945-1978.
Palo Alto City Directory_ Advertisement, 1962.
COURTESY COPIES
Aida Merrill
Anne Hawkinson
PREPARED BY:
Dennis Backlund,
Historic Preservation Planner
REVIEWED BY:
JULIE CAPORGNO
Chief Planning and Transportation Official
564 University Avenue Reclassification Page 6
Attachment A
Historic Resources Board
Meeting of April 4, 2007
Item # 1
564 University Avenue
Photograph of the Property
Submitted by the Applicant
Attachment B
City of Palo Alto
Historic Resources Inventory Detail
Date: 25-Jan-95
Historic Building Inventory ID:416
location
status
ownership
description
Historic name:
Common or current name:
Number & street: 564 University Avenue
City: Pato Alto
Alternate Address:
Past Address:
ZIP:County: Santa Clara
Category:4
Historical District:
Owner: Thomas Forbes
Address: P.O. Box 1021
City: Palo Alto, CA
[] National Registry
[] State Registry
~ public ~ private
ZIP: 94302
Present: Residential
Original: Residential
Past: Office space rented
This two-story building with recessed ground-floor porch and square second floor corner bays and towers
is a multiple unit building type which appears several times in the city. The image is a fusion of the
Colonial Revival and the Mission Revival modes.
Photo Date: 1978 Property Size frontage: 50
depth: 100
acreage:
Condition: excellent
Alteration: Unaltered
Surroundings:
[] Open []
[] Scattered Buildings []
[] Densely Built []
Other:
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Threats:
[] None Known
[] Vandalism
[] Private Developmen
Other:
[] Public Works
[] Zoning
page 911
description
(cont.)
significance
Architect:
Builder: A.N Mills
Date: 1904
(~) factual
Notes:
Featu res:
[] Barn
[] Carriage House
OtherFeatures:
estimated
Exterior Material: wood
Other Material:
Original Site: original
Theme: architecture
[] Formal Garden [] Outhouse [] Watertower
[] Windmill [] Shed [] None
The structure is interesting as a competent and essentially unaltered representative of a common building
type. Thomas Forbes, the original owne.r, was a gardener and construction worker who came to Palo
Alto in 1898.. A daughter, Winifred Theresa, was a Stanford and UCLA librarian. For a time in the 50s’
and 60s’, part of the building was rented for offices, but for most years since it was built, it has been the
Forbes residence.
SOUrCeS P.A. City Directories; P.A. times 2/~f/04, 12/20/04, 1/4/05, 3/26/46, 6/24/46, 11/24/49, 4/10/78;
interview 1984, Thomas Forbes. QJs"
preparation Organization:
By: Historic Resources Board; P.A. Hist. Assn.
Date: 1978, 1984
DB Record Date: 8/5/94
Address: 250 Hamilton Avenue
City: Palo Alto State: CA ZIP: 94301
Phone:
page 912
Attachment C ;
!
Sanborn Map
1904
,"2,qO "’
Sanborn Map
1908
Sanborn Map
1919
W EBSTER-=
II
jl
iI
II
Sanborn Map
1924
193
/
Attachment D
~elegat’es__~re~i:
Itate Federatlo~
meet’ tit" Sacra-
kin and Mrs.
Attachment E
~ M: Whitney,coitager,Ash~by
w/Geo.FN. Young, 2-story.’residen
~"ffVlrs. Fraser, l-story.residance,
t,]E. E. Slade~ ~-story residence, ’
~m. Haynes; ~-st~y residence,~. W. Campbell, cottag~
~. O. Hathaway, .resid~ph’e,. W
~R. L. Handy, r~a_dence~ Co~
~homas Kane, addition, tO
~.
City Hall, Rains strd~-,’.;.
Vandervoort & Co,,
P6ter Mulle~, sto~es, High
H, W. Simkins, Higk street.
. Fra~¢r~_Lt~ ~all Asso’ciation }
Total ...................
:.I
Attachment F
[FUR
APPLIANCES
Electric Co.
MOOTHART
Palo Alto 2~3514
HOME?
me, or wt~h
r mortgage, .....
~lestate loans (including fhose
[1 typea of improved property--
fls, stores, industrial and other
cr~d range krnds. ’ .......
ranqed through thi~ bank affords
~e, highly experiencedcounsel,
t your personal requirements.,
{~’bank you will find a cooperative, com-
e! America always welcomes the opportuo
~clng ~ervtce to the realtor, the seller, and
profemsor, who took on Poli~l~
citizenship and now represents
hk~ nation as ~ ambassador at
Washington,
Russla opposed havll~g the
council take ~p the Iranian ca~e,
at lea~t in so tar a~ it was pre-
~ented by complaints Iottgedwltli the p e ac e.enforcement
agency by Iranian Ambassador
Husseln Ale. In sharp opposition,
Secretary of State Byrncs tot
the United States and Sir A!ex-
ander Cadogan for. B~ltain, de-
clared the case must be heard.
Gromyko said there was no
need even to place th~ Iranian
case or~ the counc~l agenda for
further discus!on because It has
been settled by an agreement be-
tween Moscow and Tehran.
DEATHS
DUNCAN--In.I’al~ Alto, Calif., M~ireh
25, 1946. I-larrlette Coppee Duncrtn,
wife of the late Murray Morrl~ Dun-
can; loving mother of William
]9uucan, Paulln~ D. Gtrvlu, and th,~
late IIelen D. Hyde; grandmother
XVllllam Duncan Jr,, l~obert E. Gir-
via, 5hlrray "’D. Olrvln, Helen
Glrvln, Harrlette H. Rowland~,
san H, PartitA, Josepl~ Hyde Jr,, A
native of Philadelphia, t)~,, aged
~’car~. Friends are invited to attend
the funeral re:trices at 10,,,0 a..m.XVednemtay, March 27th ~t. Trinity
Episcopal Church, Menlo l~ark.
torment private, ~olle~ & Hapgood
~0rvlce,
FORBIdS--In Pale Alto, California,
51onday, Marcl~ 25, ~9.t6. Thomas
,Forbes, husband of ~Vinifred
],’Orhe~ and father of Miss Therem~
]Corbel, ..fa.mes I(,, Joseph I.T., and
Thomas A. Forbea; brother of Mrs.M~ry hlll~on, Mrs, Margaret Per-
.....Grandfather. of Gerald’. ~,- ~.d..,Tames.
Forbe~ Jr, A aative of New Brun~.
~vlck, No~’a~Scotl~, aged 77 y~ara. A
m~mber of Modern ~Voodmen of
Amertc~. Frlend~ are tnvtt~d to
tend th~ fllneral tomorrow
day) morning at St, Thoma,~ Aqul-
na~ Church ’with ~ requiem ma~s
commeoclng at 9:30 o’clock, later-
meat Santa, Clar~ Catholic
etery oppoMte Clty }Iall Park.
HIGHT--In Pale Alto, California,
Monday, Me, tell 25, 1946. Bruce
Hight St., husband of Nettle
Hight, ~nd father of Mrs, Ca.role J.
Peteruen, Lt, Sterling J(., and
](. Hight Jr,; ~on of Mrs. Esther
Hight; brother of Mrs. Ruth
Manu~, A native of California, aged
5~ years, Funeral plnn~ will benounced I~ter, ~h’iends may call
Tl~neY’m Lytton Avenue opposite
CILy Hall Pa~’k.
Ut"uce
Attachment G ~rpasse
Bruce K. Higt~t, 52, .rathe:
~ruce K. Hight Jr., died .sudd~
today at hh~. borne, 2019
~treeL South p. alo Alto.
Hight, who had llvcd In
clnity all his life, wag man
of tl~e fr~flt and vegetable
part~ment at Llddtcoa~’s.
He was born .in San Jose.
Surviving Mr. Hight are
wife, Mrn. Nettte E. Hight,
the following children’ B
Jr., of San Francisco, Mrs. Er
A. Peter,sen of Pale Alto, a~
S~erling K. Hight, mcmber
army air corps, stationed at
coma, Wash. HLs mother,
Esther Hight, and ~ sister,
Glenn W. McManus, poth r(
in. Pale Alto.
Funeral arrangements
not yet been completed. Frl,
may call at the Tinney Fur
Home.
Mrs. Arsberq’
will’be b oucjht her
-Following funeral services
cremation In Nashville, T
last Wednesday, the ashes of
Carl Luca~s hlsberg, who
that city on the 19t!~, are
brougl~t here for inurnme~
Alia Mesa Memorial Park.
service, was conducted by
Rev. John H. Leith.Mrs. Alsberg, widow of
Dr. Al~berg of the Stanford
Research Institute, is survlw
a brother, William H. Peebl
niece;-Mrs:-Gortnne-P:-Ande
a nephew;Edgar-B: Peebles
an adopted brother, J.’M..
all residents of Nashville.
ENLOE SEARCIt CONTIN
Search continued today l~
bay waters off .Coyo!~e Point
Marco, for the body Of
Ethel Enloe, wl]lle the bo(
her husband, Dr, N. T. En!o
San Marco osteopath, was
to Chlco for funeral and
services. Boil] were killed Su
morning when the ph~sir
small plane plunged into
bay shortly after taking el
Chico.
INJURED IN CRASH
:Hyrum Taylor, 45, o.fSan
, °~ather DlVlne ~S the
Amouf~ those ~,n, om Mr, ~
:]ntervlewed-wore ~’ ~h~"mo~ a~~
tute ~lltlcal Judge in ~erl~,"
J~e~ A. Farleyl, President~ ’:~o h~ grown tremen~aou~y ~mce ~ saw him ~
’ but who i$ "t~ing ~ do ~ much
too l~;" Che~ter ~owle~,
. W~iace, ~ohn Foater D~lles’,
.orcllo La Ouardia, "the mos
dramatic public figure ~ t~kedto, Evel~ Wal~h McLean,
wea~g the Hope diamond[ Dr.
Osc~ Lange, the PolMh.apokes~-
..... m~ In theUN~ the Spanish
gmba~Rdor, who vroved Rdep~
at .parrying questions; Oener~
.Elsenhower, for whom he
....... rre~ed unqU~ified.,., admiration
,as "the biggest man" he hadt~ked ~th, Sumner Welles, Jo~saph Da~es, ~d TWgve Ltet
.....reta~.gener~ of the .United
tion~ Security Gouncg,..
In concluMon Mr. Gro~ ~d
that "while ~ce may be made
by the diplo’.~-td~ ~ ~tHpe~
se~, its’ end; ~.-~ ~II
on the m~u~:-~ ~ple~k~
you an~m~ ~ 0Joseph ~.
of th~ O~:~L~ ~buue and
ehai~n of ~-~ C~for~ Btate
Centennial C o m m i s s i o n,
~crlbed the. work of the commi~-
slon in ~ousin~ interest In thehlsforY of Callfo~la by
of centennial celebrationsof ear-ly events, the establishment ~d
recond[tl~nlng of historicM mon-
uments, ~nd .the cozrectlon of
erroneous h~stor[cal information,
........... "Re~ardlee~ ..... of ¯where-we’r~
from, we’re all Californians and
we Should be proud of Callfor-
nis’s hls~ry,"he"~Md. He told
~of sev~ral-cent~nnlal~ to
., brated In ~e future--the" raising of the Amerlc~ flag’
Callfornla,.July 7; the foundlzg
....... of-.~the--flrst-n ~w~aperT-Au-gus t-
15; the gold rush In 1849; and
’the admission bf California to
’ ~tatehood In 1850,
.President Donald B, ~esldder
¯ of 8f~Oford greeted the editors
at the conference luncheon Sat-
’ urdayt
Two local
motorcycle accident
Two young PMo A]~
kcyclls~ were i~Juved yesterday
.... :Laftern~n on the Stanford cam-
pus When the machine on which
they were Hdlng got out of con-
trol and swc~ed off the mad
June-
the l~t~ H~rmon Martin SOge.
.Mother of ~Ir~.’T. N. Wyman
Pale Alto. A native of
80 year~. Private (u~em{
Chapel of ~oller & Hapgood, corner
o~ University Avenue alld Cowper
Street. Interment Alt~ MO~R
mortal P~rk,
’~ -:- ~ ,._2~- . ,,. --~.-~
SUMMER
two years: SlOe was 67 "
’ i~lissF6rbes,of.5~ "
Attachment I
" Pibneer Forbes "~mily
:Nr.?.~fid M~,.~am~ Forbes and
"th~ir,~n., fro~Salin~g:~ Mr. and
~.~ -.., .:~ ".. ..-: ..... ,_.:Menlo .,P~rk~. Mis~ Ther es~: Forbes,
Of ~.os ~lg~i~, forme?ly ~ mem-
. S~f, ~nd " cp!. ’.T/5 Thomas
Fdrbes,: who i~. home a:t~r 21
:.m~hs 0.f w~r service.
TH~: thre’e:.~6n.~re sons und
Mi~s.For~es ~" daughter 0f the
, pionee:t P~0 .Altan~[~The. ~enidr
M~’~::Fpr~s..h~}ped.’in the con-
:s~O~:of,, S~nfo~d UniVersity
bhildih~:..: ~ . h~.".}iVgd here
} .CurpOt:~i ’EOrbes ~ ~ clerk
:in’the p~lo A!to .po~t office be-
~ ~bfb ’he::.:~¢n~: .ifitd~ the service:a:d’ ~s.b~;. Oh."m~il duty in
’the :urmY: ..H~". W~ tb re~ort to’ C~mp":Hobd,: TeX::~ }oliowing his
U!
Attachment J
28 PHOTOGRAPHERS
I][[VES PHOTOG-i]APH[l!S
COMMERCIAL PHOTOG:RA~PHy
564 University Ave.Palo Alto Tel. 323-0808
annex
industrial
photofinishing
&
photography
3890 el cczmino real tel. de 1-7999
Out-@ Town C;ty Director;es
This ;s a part of our serv;~e
to local City Directory use~
MEETINGS ARE CABLECAST LIVE ON GO VERNMENTACCESS CHANNEL 26
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
REGULAR MEETING - 8:O0 AM
City Council Chambers
Civic Center, First Floor
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
ROLL CALL:
Board membem:
Michael Makinen, Chair
Patricia DiCicco, Vice-Chair
Martin Bernstein
Beth Bunnenberg
Carol Murden
Susan Haviland
Roger Kohler
City Council Liaison:
John Barton
Staff:
Julie Caporgno,
Chief Planning and Transportation Official
Dennis BacMund,
Historic Preservation Planner
Diana Tamale, Staff Secretary
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. None.
A GENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS. None.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES. Approval of minutes of Historic Resources Board
meetings of January 17 and March 21, 2007.
Historic Resources Board Action: Boardmember Bernstein moved, seconded by
Boardmember Bunnenberg, to approve the minutes of January 17, 2007 as presented by staff.
Vote: 6-0-1-0 (Haviland abstained)
Historic Resources Board Action: Chair Makinen moved, seconded by Boardmember
Haviland, to defer the approval ofminmes of March 21, 2007 to the next meeting so staff can
incorporate needed corrections and additions for the Board’s review.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Public Hearing
1,564 University Avenue [07PLN-00000-00056]: Review of a proposed reclassification from
Category 4 on the Historic Inventory to Category 2.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommended that the Historic Resources Board recommend that the City Council
reclassify the residential building at 564 University Avenue as a significant building in Category
2 consistent with the criteria for designation of historic structures in Municipal Code Section
16.49.040(b), and the definition of Category 2 in Section 16.49.020(b).
In its presentation to the Board staff observed that good architecture typically combines unity of
design and dramatically contrasting elements. In the case of 564 University Avenue symmetry
unifies the design of the house while dramatic contrast is provided by the calm and cordial
character of the ample open front porch on the one hand and the forceful character of the
overhanging second story and its projecting comer bays on the other hand. Staff also noted that
564 University Avenue was built to provide moderate and low cost housing adjacent to a major
streetcar line to serve those who could not afford cars. Staff stated that this type of housing was
an important element of early 20th century social history because it sheltered those who provided
essential basic services to the community. Staff also recalled that the Dames & Moore historic
survey of the late 1990s found most of the City’s intact early boarding and rooming houses that
had been built on streetcar lines to be eligible for the National Register under Criterion A
(significant events), and staff also noted that the important contribution of early rooming houses
to the development of Palo Alto was not understood in 1980 when the house was designated in
the lesser Category 4.
The HRB concurred with staff’s conclusions about the significance of the house, and expressed
its appreciation of the applicant’s plans to preserve and restore the property. The applicant stated
that the currently empty front yard, w.ould be replaced by a garden designed appropriately for the
period of the house with advisory assistance from the staff of Gamble Gardens.
Historic Resources Board Action: Boardmember Kohler moved, seconded by
Boardmember Murden, to recommend that the City Council reclassify the propertyin
Category 2.
Vote: 7-0-0-0
STATUS REPORTS ON HISTORIC PROJECTS/SITES
STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS
BOARD ITEMS
CORRESPONDENCE
REPORTS FROM OFFICIALS
BOARD MEMBER Q UES TIONS, COMMENTS, AND/OR ANNOUNCEMENTS
Page 2 of 3
*Historic Resources Board representative at City Council meetings:
Project Representative Meeting Dates
Agenda changes, additions and deletions. The agenda may have additional items added to it up until 72 hours prior
to meeting time.
Questions. If interested parties have any questions regarding the above applications, please contact the Planning Division at (650) 329-2441. The
files relating to these items are available for inspection weekdays between the hours of 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and staff
reports will be available for inspection at 2:00 PM the Friday preceding the heating.
ADA. Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services, or programs or who would like
information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact: ADA Coordinator, City of
Palo Alto, 650-329-2550 (Voice) or 329-1199 (TDD), ada@cityofpaloalto.org
Page 3 of 3