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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-07-15 City Council (11)City of Palo Alto C ty Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 7 FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: PLANNING AND COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT DATE:JULY 15, 2002 CMR:333:02 SUBJECT:423 KIPLING STREET: RECOMMENDATION FROM TI-I~ HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD AT THE REQUEST OF THE OWNERS, THE ORWITZ FAMILY, TO RECLASSIFY A CATEGORY 3 BUILDING ON THE CITY OF PALO ALTO’S HISTORIC INVENTORY TO CATEGORY 2 PURSUANT TO MUNICIPAL CODE CHAPTER 16.49 (HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE) RECOMMENDATION The Historic Resources Board (HRB) and staff recommend that the City Council honor the owner’s request to reclassify the building located at 423 Kipling Street as a significant building in Category2 based on findings that the building meets the definition of a Category 2 building and all six local criteria for historic designation as set forth in Chapter 16.49. BACKGROUND This Victorian former residence was designed and built by Henry L. Uphamin 1900 as the home and funeral parlor of Josiah Roller, .whose firm eventually became Roller and Hapgood, a prominent funeral service that still operates in Palo Alto. The building’s complex design combines a low-sloped one-story section at the front with a steeply gabled two-and-a-half story section that contains telescoping gables and staggered miniature attic windows. These diverse design elements work together to produce an illusion of soaring verticality despite the modest height of the structure (see Attachment A). An examination of 423 Kipling in the context of Upham’s other residential work in Palo Alto reveals that dramatic illusional strategies are characteristic of his designs, and constitute the essence of his highly original approach to Victorian residential architecture (see Attachment B). CMR:333:02 Page ! of 3. The building maintains a high level of historic integrity. The only changes that appear to have occurred within the last 50 years are the addition of a second front entry door to serve the upper floors, and concrete entry steps and metal railings on the front and right facades. The historic character-defining features of the building include the overall form composed of one-story and two-and-a-half story sections,, the telescoping gables, the varied decorative fenestration, and the front porch columns and Wood railings. DISCUSSION The property owner has indicated that the primary purpose of the proposal to reclassify the building in Category 2 is to provide an increased measure of recognition and protectiori for the historic property. Designation in Category 2 would also make the property, located in the CD zone, eligible for certain development-based incentives for preservation and rehabilitation. ~ The-incentives, set forth in Municipal Code Section 18.49.060 and Chapter 18.87, include a floor area bonus, parking’ exemptions,, and participation in the Transfer of Development Rights program. Regulatory consequences to this property if the Council chooses to accept the Board’s recommendation include: Upon designation in Category 2, demolition of the building at 423 Kipling Street, would be prohibited unless certain conditions were met as set forth in PAMC 16.49.060. Upon designation in Category 2, Architectural Review Board ~review of proposed alterations or additions to the building would be required to include referral to the Historic Resources Board for recommendations, as provided in PAMC 16.49.050 (1)(1). Upon designation in Category 2, the building would be subject to maintenance regulations for historic structures as set forth in PAMC !6.49.080 and the enforcement provisions set forth in 16.49.090. HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION The HRB, at its meeting on June 26, 2002, reviewed the application for the historic designation of the building at 423 Kipling Street (see Attachment C). The HRB unanimously voted (6-0-0-1, Mario absent) to support the staff recommendation for the reclassification of 423 Kipling as a Category 2 historic building and to forward the Board’s recommendation to the City Council. The Boa rd’s recommendation was based on consideration of the definitions of the Historic Categories and the criteria for designation found in Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.49. CMR:333:02 Page 2 of 3 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Current Photograph of the Building at 423 Kipling Street. Attachment B" Historic Resources Board staff report of June 26, 2002. Attachment C: Verbatim Minutes of the HRB Meeting of June 26, 2002. PREPARED BY:~ DENNIS BACKLUND Historic Preservation Planner DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:/~TE~VEr ~J6LIE Director o’f Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY Assistant City Manager Historic Resources Board Dorothy L. Orwitz, 11349 Marjon Drive, Nevada City, CA 95959 Linda Palley, 103 Providence Mine Road, Suite 204, Nevada City, CA 95959 David Bubenik, 420 Homer Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301 CMR:333:02 Page 1 of 3 Attachment A 423 Kipling Street Built in 1900 Attachment B Historic Resources Board 3 Staff Report Date: To: June 26, 2002 Historic Resources Board From:’ ¯ Subject: Dennis Backlund, Historic Preservation Planner Department: Planning and Community Environment 423 Kipling Street [02-HRB-03]: Application by Dorothy L. Orwitz, property owner, for Board review of a proposal to reclassify a Category 3 building on the City’s Historic Inventory .to Category 2, and Board recommendation to the City Council 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 Historic Inventory property located at 423 Kipling Street as a significant building in Category 2 consistent with the criteria for designation of historic structures in Municipal Code Section t6.49.040(b), and the definition of Historic Category 2 in Section 16.49.020(b). THE HISTORIC PROPERTY ¯ The Building ¯ Initially¯ constructed in 1900, the building is a 2,032 square-foot, two-and-a-half story former residence located on a 5,625 square-foot lot at 423 Kipling¯ Street in downtown Palo Alto between University and Lytton Avenues. The lot is located in Block 30 of the original Map of the University Park of 1889. Between the year of that map and the publication of the Plat of the Town of Palo Alto in 1894, Block 30 was bisected by Kipling Street,¯ the development of which was underway by 1897. The building was identified as an important historic resource in the City’s first historic survey 0f 1978-79 and was included as a Category 3 structure in the original Historic Inventory adopted by the City Council in 1980. s:\plan\plandiv\hrb\staffreport\HRB staffrep, template Page 1 In massing and wall treatment, the house at 423 Kipling Street appears to be one of the most complex and original Victorian designs in Palo Alto. It is described on the City of Palo Alto’s Historic Inventory form.as "anunusually sculptured approach to composition [which] has resulted in a powerful and memorable design...This two-story design is composed of a series of colliding gable forms whose imagery derives from the Queen Anne and Classical Revival styles. Tuscan porch columns and a staggered attic window pattern animate the fagade (see Attachment A). The fenestration of the house is unusually varied: most of the windows are double-hung of widely-different sizes and shapes, and. two of them on the street-facing fagade have diamond-shaped panes in the upper frame. There are several small fixed windows on the front, right, and rear facades which contain either lozenge-shaped panes, square Or vertically-oriented multi-panes, or plain undivided glass. There is a full-width one-story back porch structure on the rear fagade enclosed with fixed multi-pane windows between classical pilasters, The rear door is very narrow, and although it is more than a foot above grade, there is no evidence that steps down to grade ever existed. There isanother early doornear the rear of the right facade that opens to a concrete landing with metal railings that appears to be a Circa-1950s alteration (see Attachment B). The A rch itect Henry L. U.pham, the architect of 423 Kipling Street, is one of the earliest figures in the history of Palo Alto. His localcareer dates back to 1894 when he was cited in the Palo Alto Times as a foreman employed by Peninsula contractor P.P. Quinn. The two men ¯ became partners in 1896, and in 1897, with Upham as architect and Quinn as contractor, they built the prominent two-story downtown Victorian house at 405 Kipling Street which is listed on the Historic Inventory. Upham designed a number Of other residential buildings from 1897 on, and eight of these are listed on the Historic Inventory (730 ¯ Bryant, 1001-09 Forest-- the original Queen Anne design--, 1055 Forest, 3 81 Hawthorne, .423 Kipling, 443 Kipling, 353 Melville, and 936-3 8 Scott Street). The Inventory cites¯ Upham as the builder of three other houses on the Inventory whose architects are still. unknown (200 Homer, 249 Kipling, and 430 Kipling). ~Fhe latter house, 430 Kipling, was, in staffs opinion, very likely designed by U.pham because it exhibits his characteristic complex massing and detail as indicated in the Historic Inventory’s .description of this house: "an illusionist facade whose shallow planes imply greater depth than actually existsY The illusion of greater than actual depth is also characteristic of 423 Kipling Street. Upham’s highly original approach to Victorian architecture in Palo Alto is indicated by the Historic Inventory’s descriptions of those residential buildings known to have been designed by Upham, for example: 730 Bryant ("an unusual and inventive assemblage of forms and decorative devices"), and 936-38 Scott ("unusual and inventive version 0f the Queen Anne style" with an "emphatically vertical design" and "two staggered stair s:\plan\plandivkhrb\staffreportkHRB staffrep, template Page 2 windows" with "decorative ornamentation" that "animates the fagade"). ,An inventive assemblage of forms and decorative devices and an emphatic verticality and staggered window approa.ch is also characteristic of Upham’s design for 423 Kipling Str.eet. Staff believes that further research should be conducted on several circa-1900 houses on the Historic Inventory whose architects are unknown but whose design, strategies are strongly reminiscent of Upham’s workto determine if additional buildings can be attributed to Upham, for example, 390 Leland ("the playful and unlikely game of scale") and 181 Tasso ("an inventive manipulation of familiar elements and forms"). In any case,.the status of Henry L. Upham as an important and highly original Victorian-era architect appears to be established, and in staffs opinion, the house at 423 Kipl~ng~ exemplifies his significant contribution to the architecture of early Palo Alto. History of Use The Historic Inventory form (see Attachment A) indicates that 423 Kipling Street was built for the important early funeral director Josiah W. Roller as his residence and undertaking parlor. Roller’s firm is still operating prominently in Palo Alto more than a century later. In 1924 an early connection with Stanford University was established when the house was.briefly occupied by the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After residential use up to 1954 the house was occupied by commercial uses, the most important being the dental office of Samuel D. Orwitz, for many years one ofPalo Alto’s major medical services. Tlze Historic Setting ¯ The house at 423 Kipling is situated in the middle of the most significant surviving turn- of-the-20th century block in downtown Palo Alto. The block contains seven houses, six of which are listed on the Historic Inventory. The seventh-house, 437 Kipling, was evaluated as appearing eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the City’s historic survey that was Completed in 2000. Alterations The house at 423 Kipling retains a very high level of integrity on the exterior~ Theonly important exterior alteration that has occurred was the introduction of a second front entry door to separate the second floor from the first. This alteration occurred at an undetermined time in the past. Staff examined both entries inside and outside and .determined that the entry on the left is the original because the interior °molding around the entry matches the molding around the interior historic doors. The interior molding around the right entry door is uncharacteristic of the house due to its extreme simplicity. The other exterior alterations are minor and reversible including concrete steps and metal railings at the front and right facade entries (see Attachment B). s:\plan\plandiv~arb\staffreportkHRB staffrep, template Page 3 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION AND DEFINITIONS OF HISTORIC CATEGORIES Because the building at 423 Kipling Street has already been designated to the Historic Inventory and retains a high level of integrity, it may be presumed to still meet atl six of the City’s Criteria for Designation. Howev.er, staff has. provided the Board with recommended findings under the Criteria. To be reclassified to Category 2, the house must also meet the definition of a category 2 building provided in Municipal Code 16.49 which requires major architectural significance. Criteria for Designation and Definition of Historic Category 2 Chapter 16.49, Section 16.49.040(b) provides general crit6ria 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 i6.49.020(b) (definitions of the Categories) establishes the level of significance of properties ,that meet the general criteria for designation. The focus of the definitions iofthe 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 inthe state or region. A major building may have some exterior modifications, but the original character is retained." HISTORIC EVALUATION Based on an analysis of the criteria for designation and the definition of Historic Category 2 found in MC Chapter 16.49, staff concludes that 423 Kipling Street continues to meet all six criteria for designation, and now best fits the definition of a Category 2 building in that: it represents the earliest development of the Current downtown area (Criterion 1); it s:\plan\plandiv~hrb\staffreport~IRB staffrep, template Page 4 represents a basically intact exampleof a once-typical form of residential building, a simplified version of the Queen Anne and Classical Revival house (Criteria 2 and 3); its history represents once-coi-nmon services in the central downtown area that are now typically located outside downtown (Criterion 4); it retains nearly all of its outstanding design and details (Criterion 6); and its architect, Henry L..Upham, is of great local ¯ significance (Criterion 5).. The building is consistent with the definition of a Category 2 building in that it retains a high level of integrity and represents an original.approach to the residential architecture of the Victorian era which is significant regionally. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Historic Inventory Form for 42.3 Kipling Street. Attachment B: Current Color Photo Survey of423 Kipling Street (HRB Members only). COU-RTESY COPIES Linda Palley Orwitz Family Trust 103 Providence Mine Road, Suite 204 Nevada City, California 95959 Dorothy L. Orwitz 11349 Marjon Drive. Nevada City, California 95959 David Bubenik 420 Homer Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 s:\plan\plandiv~arb\stafffeportkHRB staffrept template.Page 5 ,=;late of California -- The R~rc~ [~ILPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HISTORIC R-ESOURCES INVENTORY II)ENTI FICATION Ca, t, Attachment A UTM.Q " Lat Lon Adm~ T2’T3 Me.Yr. ___NR ~ SHL~ Era S~J ~ Cat HABS HAER Fed 2. l-hstoric nan,!, il known: Cily: Po~Lo J~to 4, Present owner, if known: .421-L~23 .Kip3_t~g (A05 K.tpling Group,) ’ZIP:County: Address:_..~033 Na~ket StCo,, PrivateCity,F _" S C , .O .ZIP:Ownership is:Public[--~ Present Use:Ooi~mercial Original Use’ Residerrbial Other past uses ,M0;vtuaryj DESCRIPTION . . 6.Briefly describe the prese’nt physical.’appearance of the’ si~e or structure and describe .any major alterations from its originM condition: This two-Story design is comuo~ed of ,a series of .colliding gable forms whose imagry derives from the Queen Anne and Classical Revival stzles. Tuscan porch. columns and a staggered attic window pattern animate the facade. One of the group of early Pale Alto houses surviving in the .commercial zc~e. 7.Locational sketch ’map.(dra .w and label site a~d surrounding streets, roads, and prominent landmarks): ~NORTH Approximate properW size: " . Lot size (in feet) Frontage, 50 ’.Depth 112~L- . or aplll (}x. 9.Condition: (check one) a. Excellent d, Deteriorated [--’] b. Go.od [~ c. Fair [~ " e. No longer in existence L-~ 10, Is the feature a, Altered? [~ b. Unaltered?. 11., Surroundings: (Check mo~e than oneif necessary} a, Open land ~ b, Scattered buildings D c. Densely built-up E~ d. Residential D e. Comme’cial ~] ’f. Industrial [~] g. Other [~ 12.Threats to site: a. None known r--] b. Privat~ development c. Zonin~ [~ d. P0blic Work spmiect ,;. V o,~o,,.~,~ r.-] ,. o,~,:, i I NO TE. The following (Items 14-19} are for structure~ ]4 Pr,nar¥ ext=.’r,~r budding malerial; a. Stone [--] I. Other 15. I~’hestructure: a. On its orJginal site? [] b. 16. Year ol initial construction 1900 This dateis: a. Fa~ual 17. Architect {if known): H;]’,, Unknown? D b; Estimated e. Wood 18. L~,ud(J~.r (il’.knowr’~): ...~[~, ~ 19. Retaled features: ,. Barn L~.j b. Carriage house h. Other [] e, Formal garden(s) i. None -IGNIFICANCE 20. I~ ,.,lly ~1,=1~.’. h=sturlc:al ,mdlor archit6ctural iml~rlan~e (include date~, ~vents, ~nd persons associated with the site when known): An unusually .sculptured a~roach to comoosition has resulted in a powerful and memora01e design. The house was built as residence and undertaking parlor for Josiah W. Roller, whose mortuary was established in 1899. His father was a mason £rom Scotland who worked on the Stanford University construction. Roller, with his son ~rthur, joined v~ith ~ank Hapgood in 1912 to form the mortuary firm of koller and Hapgood, which is still active in Palo Alto. In 192A the house was briefly occupied by t~e Phi Sigma Kappa faternity0 Then, for a decade, it was the home of ~rs. Catherine Goin and her daughter ~h%ybelle, a San Marco teacher. ~s. M.I. (Irene) Williams occupied the house from 1939"195A, after which it wag ~iven over to commercial uses, most notably the dental office for the Samuel D. Orwit~ firm. 21. Main theme of thu h~storic re~Jrce: (Check only one): ~. Ar~t~it~re [.-~ b. Arts & Leisure 22. Suurces: List books, documents, surveys, personal inter,,~ws, arid their dat~=s:. ]~ o,~, Ci~-.v D:J.rector’i es ¯c. Alto CommunJ.t.y Book (P,A,, 3.952)~ p. 20?-2og;int, erv£ew 198L~ tLobert R.ol’l.er 23 Dale form prepared:_.1978’ 1983By (name): Addre.s~.50 Hamilton Ave Historic Resources Board CiW Palo Alto, Ca 94301 Phorll,"Organization: ZIP: (State Use Only) City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 Attachment C HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD Draft Verbatim Minutes June 26, 2002 423 Kipling Street [02-HRB-03]: Application by Dorothy L. Orwitz and the Orwitz Family Trust, property owners, for Board review of a proposal to reclassify a Category 3 building on the City’s Historic Inventory to Category 2, and Board recommendation to the City Council as provided in Municipal Code Chapter 16.49 (Historic Preservation Ordinance). Chair Bernstein: Now, we’re moving to Item #3, Public Hearings. 423 Kipling Street, application by Dorothy L. Orwitz, property owner, for Board review of a proposal to reclassify a Category 3 building on the City’s Historic Inventory to Category 2, and Board recommendation to the City Council as provided in Municipal Code Chapter t6.49 (HistoricPreservation Ordinance). Does staff have a presentation for us? Staff Caporgno: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Dennis will give a presentation. I don’t believe that the applicant is here today so it’s just going to be Dennis explaining what their desires are. Staff Backlund: The property owners and the attorney’s office that is handling the family trust are all located in Nevada City. So they told me because of the distance they would leave it up to the City of Palo Alto to administer this [application] for the Board. As you saw in the staff report, we are recommending that the request of the owner be honored, and that findings can be made for that in relation to our Historic Preservation Ordinance. We gave the criteria and the definition of a Category 2 building on page 4 of the staff report. Our ordinance, as we know, is an old ordinance of 1980, and it has some former characteristics of ordinances principally in that the definition of a Category 2 building is almost entirely architectural rather than [also including] associations with events and persons--although we know from the Packard Garage that buildings have been designated just from the standpoint of common sense .where there are overwhelming events and persons, so we can justify a Category 1 or 2. But in the case of this house, we do make the finding in the staff report that the house does meet the definition of a Category 2. In fact, it emerged in the course of the Dames & Moore survey, with informal comments from the consultant, that very many, actually virtually all of our Category 3 resources and a good many Category 4 resources appear in an informal sense (that is, not written up) to be eligible for the National Register, which would correspond to Categories 1 and 2. And we recall that when the original survey was done in 1978-1980, the consultants, Beach and Boghosian, did not originally Set up a Category system. Their job was to identify the most significant resources in City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 the City and they formed a master list that had several hundred and included the recommendation for two historic districts that were eventually designated in Professorville and on Ramona Street. The Category system came along at the end of the process and involved persons [volunteers] in addition to the consultants. And, over the years, it has been a very common thing that historic resources become more significant; they become more rare, properties of the same type are demolished, or there are earthquakes, this and that happens. And that’s why the State Office of Preservation recommends that you update your survey about every 5 years, if a City can do that, with some buildings being removed because things have happened to them, but buildings that nothing has happened to like this one [423 Kipling Street] are probably eligible for upgrades. And this is over 20 years later, and we did make the finding that it is eligible for an upgrade primarily under architecture because of the work that Henry Upham did On this building, and we looked, perhaps for the first time, at Henry Upham in context. We looked at this house in the context of his other productions and compared the [Inventory] language on other productions by Upham that are on our Inventory. And we found that there is a certain characteristic to his work which is a rather idiosyncratic and highly original approach to Victorian architecture that is illusionistic. The buildings appear to be other things than they actually are, usually more impressive and complex in what they convey to .the eye. He arranges spaces and elements so that they come together in perception to convey a complexity that he wants to convey. When we look at this big photo on the wall [of the Council Chamber]--and I also provided it as photo # 1 in your photo survey--you can see that the impression is given that this house sort of recedes upward to a very great height. But if you look at the photograph closely, you can see that probably any 2 1/2 story house of today is just as big or bigger than this is. The dimensions are really quite modest and very pedestrian related. And yet, it also conveys the feeling that it has a strong verticality that ascends kind of cathedral-like way up into the sky. And yet, we can also see that this isn’t really so. And that there is a lot of complexity to this one-story element that terminates at the front in the porch and how that relates to the 2 1/2-st0ry elements that are behind it with the telescoping gables. This kind of approach is very characteristic of Upham (as we tried to present in the staff report). We also suggested that there are certain addresses on .the Inventory where the architect is not indicated in the records that were looked at when those Inventory forms were written, but when you look at the [architectural] forms of these residences, there are close similarities to the idiosyncratic approach of U.pham. Staff thought it would be a very worthy project to pursue some of these homes to see whether his output can be verified in a more extensive way, just like 539 Alma extended the work that we know of by Birge Clark and his father. Staff concluded that Henry Upham is probably one of the most significant Victorian architects on the Peninsula because of this illusionistic and highly original approach to massing and the arrangement of elements to convey a complexity even greater than what may be there. So, we regarded this house as exemplifying the approach of Upham, and we regarded him as significant City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 on the Peninsula and in the Bay Area for this kind of achievement. So we thought that this house does become eligible for findings under Category 2, and that it has a regional significance through the architect and his approach to Victorian architecture. And, therefore, we made the recommendation for Category 2. If Category 2 hadincluded events and persons, we could probably make findings there, too, especially under Criterion 2 of the California Register and Criterion B of the National Register for persons in that this buildingwas built as the home and undertaking parlor of Mr. Roller who began one of the most long-lasting and significant businesses here in town. And the current location of that funeral home is in a really stunning and, we think, very significant ranch-style modernist.building on Middlefield Road that staff believes--before very many more years have passed--will itself be eligible under architecture as a historic structure, and under persons for the association with Roller and Hapgood. But this [423 Kipling Street] appears to be their original parlor in Palo Alto. Then through a short usage as a fraternity house, it also has links with Stanford University. And then with the Orwitz family which was a significant local medical business. So, in several ways, we felt that this house makes solid findings for an upgrade and re- classification to Category 2 and recommend that you so recommend to the City Council. Thank yOU. Chair Bernstein: Thank you, Dennis, for that enlightening report. Next in our presentation process is the applicant presentation. Is there a presentation by the applicant? None? All right. And next, HRB questions for the applicant or staff. Seeing none, next: public comments. Anyone from the public who would like to speak on this agenda item? I see none. Next would be motions/recommendations by the Board. Beth. Vice-Chair Bunnenberg: I would very much like to support this application to re-designate this as a Category 2 house. And actually I do think there’s very strong support under Criterion 2 of the City’s current Historic Ordinance because this structure really is very representative of an architectural style or way of life in the City, state or nation. This home was built and designed as a combination home and funeral home. Now, for instance, the City Directory in 1907 lists as the oecupants, Mr. and Mrs. Roller and a student named Miss J. J. and a student, Arthur. So this was the family home and it also was a business, the funeral business. Interestingly enough, just down the street, lived H. L. Upham. He lived about 3 or 4 doors from the Rollers. This house wa~ built as a business as well and maybe because of that it is a little larger and slightly grander in scale than some of the other houses on the street. And I would point out that there is in our language now, the usage "funeral home" or "funeral parlor" and that means that some room or rooms in a home are used for the purpose of a funeral. And so, in that it’s entered our language as a specific type of architecture, I think this definitely meets this criterion. And then to be able to find a home built for this purpose existing on the same site with as much City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 integrity as this building has, I feel very strongly that it needs to be Category 2. It was probably not so obvious in 1978 (I believe [the year] was) when this was put on the Inventory. But as ’ Dennis pointed out, by this time, many, many, many structures that were built this way have been demolished. So I think it’s very unique. Chair Bernstein: Thank you, Beth. Any other Board Members who would like to speak or make a motion regarding this agenda item? Susan. BM Haviland: Actually I had a question. I was curious as to what the applicant’s intentions were for the building in the future. Do you happen to know this? Staff Bacl~lund: I asked why Category 2 was being proposed and the answer I received from the attorney for the family trust is that the family was considering selling the property and they would like to have the protection of a Category 2 before it is sold to a new owner. They had virtually never changed the exterior and they are fond of it. And they are aware that as a Category 2 building in the downtown CD zone, demolition is prohibited even if it is a home: This [building] was most recently in commercial usage. It’s been abandoned for a number of years but will probably continue in commercial usage. But even if it was residential, it would be "demolition prohibited" except by special act of the City Council, and they [the owners] would like to acquire that protection. BM Haviland: So the zoning is commercial? Staff Backlund: The zoning is commercial. BM Haviland: So if it were rehabbed, would a Category 2 make this property eligible for Federal tax credits? Do you happen to know? Staff Backlund: Yes, for Federal tax credits it would need to be actually listed on the National Register. Someone would need to undertake the registration process. BM Haviland: And there’s been no determination that this property is eligible for the National Register, or has that been made? Staff Backlund: No, because Dames & Moore’s task in 1997-2000 was to update the Inventory by finding further resources that had not been identified at all, not to reclassify those already on the Inventory. BM Haviland: Thank you very much. Chair Bernstein: Carol. City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 BM Murden: I would be glad to make a motion that we recommend to the City Council that 423 Kipling Street be designated a Category 2 building for the reasons given in the staff report. Chair Bernstein: Do I have a second? Vice-Chair Bunnenberg: Second. Chair Bernstein: Itis been moved.and seconded. Comments. from Board Members? Carol. BM Murden: I would just make another comment. Another house that I’m sure Upham designed--he certainly built it--is at 731 Emerson. And if my memory serves correctly, that is a house that is on the list of potentially eligible houses for the National Register. He designed this for himself in--I think it was built in 1896--and he lived there until he moved to 433 Kipling. Staff Backlund: That one has a very complex approach to roof lines. BM Murden: It does. It uses the Victorian elements but it is a more complex house. Staff Backlund: A very personal kind of structure. BM Murden: Yes, right. It has exactly the same sort of style to it [as 423 Kipling Street]. I also have a couple of articles at home which I will fax to you concerning deaths in the Upham family, and they did continue to use Rolle) as their undertaker. Chair Bernstein: Roger. BM Kohler: I would just like to comment on this street: the Board has reviewed two other projects, actually 4 in total including this one. Zibibbo has been renovated andis now active; and the building that’s closest to what’s now the Apple store is now a residence, and it’s been updated, although not exactly the way they said they were going to..amd then I think next door to that house was the one that was brought before us for renovation and it was never done, and the architect informed me that, in part, because of the requirements that the ARB put on them, they decided not to go through with the project. And so, this is actually a very important street in town, and I wish I would have brought my photograph that I have [from] 1946-47. It shows the overall site of Palo Alto from an aerial photo vantage where the major part of University Avenue was surrounded with houses of this nature, and they were all being used in combination as residences and commercial uses. Of course, all those were torn down and we have all these nice, brand new, great looking buildings in their place. City of Palo Alto HRB Meeting - 423 Kipling Street June 26, 2002 6 So, this whole little street is actually kind of a mini-historic district, this whole side of the street and part of the other, the Zibibbo side. So, I will support themotion and I think it’s very worthwhile. One last political comment, that under the current 2-story guidelines manual, this kind of house is discouraged. This type of home is being discouraged in the guidelines for proper design in Palo Alto. So I think that’s a very interesting sidelight. Chair Bemstein: All right. We have a motion to recommend approval of 423 Kipling to be a Category 2 structure. Any other comments before we vote? Susan. BM Haviland: Just one other comment is that the house at 731 Emerson, which has been scrupulous, ly maintained over the years, I think that it can give an indicationof what a house like this can look like and how it can contribute so greatly to neighborhood ambience, even though it’s been given a commercial use. And I heartily agree with Roger. I think it does need to be pointed out that houses like this are being actively discouraged in Palo Alto these days by the new zoning ordinance. I.think there are many of us who have a deep feeling of regret and chagrin about that. Chair Bernstein: All right. We’re ready to vote. All those in favor of the motion say aye. All: Aye. Chair Bemstein: Opposed? It passes unanimously. Thank you very much, Dennis and Julie, for this: Historic Resources Board Action: Murden, seconded by Bunnenberg, moved the staff recommendation that the building at 423 Kipling Street be reclassified by the City Council as a Category 2 building on the City’s Historic Inventory for ~he reasons given in the staff report. Vote: 6-0-0-1 (Mario absent)