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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-04-09 Historic Resources Board Agenda PacketHISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD Regular Meeting Thursday, April 09, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 8:30 AM   Historic Resources Board meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the meeting is located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending in person. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen Media Center https://midpenmedia.org. Board member names, biographies, and archived agendas are available at https://bitly.com/paloaltoHRB. VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/96800197512) Meeting ID: 968 0019 7512 Phone: 1(669)900-6833   PUBLIC COMMENTS Public comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an amount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutes after the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to hrb@PaloAlto.gov and will be provided to the Board and available for inspection on the City’s website three days before the meeting. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing in your subject line. Spokespersons that are representing a group of five or more people who are identified as present at the meeting at the time of the spokesperson's presentation will be allowed up to fifteen (15) minutes at the discretion of the Chair, provided that the non-speaking members agree not to speak individually. The Chair may limit Public Comments to thirty (30) minutes for all combined speakers. The Chair may reduce the allowed time to speak on Study Sessions and Actions Items to two (2) minutes or less to accommodate a larger number of speakers. PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only by email to hrb@PaloAlto.gov at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage devices are not accepted. Signs and symbolic materials less than 2 feet by 3 feet are permitted provided that: (1) sticks, posts, poles or similar/other type of handle objects are strictly prohibited; (2) the items do not create a facility, fire, or safety hazard; and (3) persons with such items remain seated when displaying them and must not raise the items above shoulder level, obstruct the view or passage of other attendees, or otherwise disturb the business of the meeting.  1 Regular Meeting April 09, 2026 CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL   AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS The Chair or Board majority may modify the agenda order to improve meeting management.   PUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public may speak to any item NOT on the agenda. Three (3) minutes per speaker. CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS   1.Historic Resources Board Schedule of Meetings and Assignments​ ACTION ITEMS Public Comment is Permitted. Applicants/Appellant Teams: Ten (10) minutes, plus ten (10) minutes rebuttal. All others: Three (3) minutes per speaker. 2.PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 405 Kipling Street [25PLN-00322] Request to Elevate The Existing Category 4 Historic Resource to a Category 2 Including a Floor Area Bonus Application to Grant 5,000 Square Feet of Bonus Floor Area for Historic and Seismic Rehabilitation. CEQA Status: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Modifications to Existing Facilities). Zone District: CD-C(P) (Downtown Commercial with Pedestrian Shopping Combining District). APPROVAL OF MINUTES Public Comment is Permitted. Three (3) minutes per speaker. 3.Approval of Historic Resources Board Draft Minutes of March 12, 2026 BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS AND AGENDAS Members of the public may not speak to the item(s).   ADJOURNMENT   OTHER INFORMATION The materials below are provided for informational purposes, not for action or discussion during this meeting’s agenda. Written public comments may be submitted in advance and will be provided to the Commission and available for public inspection on the City’s website three days before the meeting.    2 Regular Meeting April 09, 2026 A.Public Comment    3 Regular Meeting April 09, 2026 PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email, teleconference, or by phone. 1.Written public comments may be submitted by email to hrb@PaloAlto.gov. 2.Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Board, click on the link below to access a Zoom-based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully. ◦You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in- browser. If using your browser, make sure you are using a current, up-to-date browser: Chrome 30, Firefox 27, Microsoft Edge 12, Safari 7. Certain functionality may be disabled in older browsers including Internet Explorer. ◦You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you that it is your turn to speak. ◦When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they are called to speak. ◦When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments. 3.Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the teleconference meeting. To address the Board, download the Zoom application onto your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID below. Please follow the instructions above. 4.Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the Board. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted. CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 968 0019 7512 Phone:1-669-900-6833 Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at (650) 329-2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@PaloAlto.gov. Requests for assistance or accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or service.  4 Regular Meeting April 09, 2026 Item No. 1. Page 1 of 1 Historic Resources Board Staff Report From: Planning and Development Services Director Lead Department: Planning and Development Services Meeting Date: April 9, 2026 Report #: 2604-6194 TITLE Historic Resources Board Schedule of Meetings and Assignments  RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Historic Resources Board (HRB) review and comment as appropriate. BACKGROUND Attached is the HRB meeting schedule and attendance record for the calendar year. This is provided for informational purposes. If individual Boardmembers anticipate being absent from a future meeting, it is requested that it be brought to staff’s attention when considering this item.    No action is required by the HRB for this item. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: 2026 HRB Meeting Schedule & Assignments AUTHOR/TITLE: HRB Liaison1 & Contact Information   Steven Switzer, Senior Historic Planner     (650) 329-2321   Steven.Switzer@PaloAlto.gov 1 Emails can be sent directly to the HRB at the following email: HRB@PaloAlto.gov Item 1 Item 1 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 5     Historic Resources Board 2026 Meeting Schedule & Assignments 1 0 7 4 9 2026 Meeting Schedule Meeting Dates Time Location Status Planned Absences 1/8/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 2/12/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular Rohman 3/12/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular Rohman 4/9/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular Willis, Pease (term ended) 5/14/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 6/11/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 7/9/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 8/13/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 9/10/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 10/8/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 11/12/2026 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular 12/10/2025 8:30 AM Hybrid Regular Item 1 Attachment A - 2026 HRB Meeting Schedule & Assignments     Packet Pg. 6     Item No. 2. Page 1 of 10 Historic Resources Board Staff Report From: Planning and Development Services Director Lead Department: Planning and Development Services Meeting Date: April 9, 2026 Report #: 2603-6180 TITLE PUBLIC HEARING / QUASI-JUDICIAL. 405 Kipling Street [25PLN-00322] Request to Elevate The Existing Category 4 Historic Resource to a Category 2 Including a Floor Area Bonus Application to Grant 5,000 Square Feet of Bonus Floor Area for Historic and Seismic Rehabilitation. CEQA Status: Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Modifications to Existing Facilities). Zone District: CD-C(P) (Downtown Commercial with Pedestrian Shopping Combining District). RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Historic Resources Board (HRB) take the following actions: 1. Recommend that City Council reclassify the building from a ‘Contributing Building’ Category 4 resource to a ‘Major Building’ Category 2 resource on the Palo Alto Historic Resources Inventory; and 2. Discuss and provide a recommendation to the Director of Planning and Development Services on project’s conformity with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The project includes a request for review of a reclassification of 405 Kipling Street (APN 120-15- 010, Attachment A), a two-story residential building currently listed as a Category 4 resource on the City’s Historic Inventory, to a Category 2 resource. On June 10, 2025, Page & Turnbull prepared a Historic Resource Evaluation (HRE) on behalf of the City (Attachment B). The HRE concluded that the property meets the criteria to be classified as a Category 2 resource. On December 2, 2025, the owner (Thoits Bros. Inc. via Hayes Group Architects) submitted the reclassification request with a floor area bonus application for Historic and Seismic Rehabilitation. Under Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Section 16.49.040, the HRB may recommend the reclassification of historic resources to the City Council for approval, disapproval, or Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 7     Item No. 2. Page 2 of 10 modification. The HRB is also requested to review the application and provide a recommendation to the Director of Planning and Development Services on the project’s conformity to the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation. BACKGROUND The property at 405 Kipling Street is situated on a flat rectangular corner parcel that is 112 feet deep and 53 feet wide in the Downtown North Neighborhood. The two-story residential building was built by H.L. Upham in 1897 and exemplifies the early Palo Alto Two-Story Square Box building type with stylistic elements of Queen Anne. The property appears to have been minimally altered from its original style, form, and massing. Alterations documented in permit records include repairs at the rear of the building, interior partitions, and window changes. While originally constructed as a single-family residence, the property has undergone several changes in use. By 1901, rooms were rented to lodgers and Stanford University students. Around 1955, William P. Wreden converted the property to commercial use for his antiquarian bookstore, though it is unclear whether the entire building was used or if any residential use remained. By 1970, Chimaera Books and Music occupied both floors. The building remained mixed use until 1999, when Chimaera relocated to Redwood City. Since that time the building has been used for residential use. Two-story massing and hipped roof with front-facing gables at the primary and west facades Full-width front porch Original fenestration pattern, including window and door openings Original wood windows with wood framing, including windows with one-over-one double hung sashes; picture windows with single-lite transom, single-lite wood sash with casement operability, and a multi-light glazed porch window Original wood doors Wood shiplap siding Fish scale wood shingles and carved wood decorative corbels at the gable ends Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 8     Item No. 2. Page 3 of 10 c) Zoned Residential Transition (RT-35 and RT-50) in the South of Forest Area Phase 2 (SOFA 2)1 area. Further, Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) Section 18.18.070 provides the following for Historic Rehabilitation Bonuses: A building that is in Historic Category 1 or 2, and is undergoing historic rehabilitation, and is also in Seismic Category I, II, or III, and is undergoing seismic rehabilitation, shall be allowed to increase its floor area by 5,000 square feet or 50% of the existing building, whichever is greater, without having this increase count toward the FAR… Pursuant to PAMC Chapter 18.18, an application for such floor area bonus was filed on December 2, 2025, stating the amount of such bonus applied for (5,000 square feet) to be used for transfer. The application also included a historic structure report, prepared by a qualified expert, the City’s consultant, Page & Turnbull, at the applicant’s expense, in accordance with the standards and guidelines of the California State Office of Historic Preservation. The project’s compliance with the SOI Standards is detailed in the following section. Following this hearing, the project will go before the City Council for final decision on the reclassification and whether the project conforms to the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (36 CFR §67,7). A written certification will be issued stating total floor area bonus which is eligible for transfer to another site pursuant to the provisions of PAMC Chapter 18.18 following the reclassification of the historic resource. The certification shall be recorded in the office of the County recorder and a copy shall be provided to the applicant. Project Description The following project description is based on the project plans submitted on February 18, 2026 (Attachment C). The project includes the following seismic upgrades: Remove unreinforced masonry foundation and replace with new concrete foundation compliant with PAMC Chapter 16.42 Seismic Rehibition Requirements. The project includes the following historic rehabilitation work: Remove Air Conditioner from the gable window opening along Kipling Street and replace with a new window within the existing window opening. Remove non-historic aluminum windows and siding at rear façade, and replace with double hung painted wood windows and wood shiplap siding. o Rehabilitate existing wood-sash windows and doors Repair to be undertaken in accordance with Preservation Brief 9: The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows and Preservation Brief 10: Paint Removal from Historic Woodwork. 1 SOFA 2 webpage link: https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/planning-amp-development- services/file-migration/current-planning/forms-and-guidelines/south-of-forest-coordinated-area-plan-phase-2.pdf Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 9     Item No. 2. Page 4 of 10 o Routine maintenance to include paint removal, removal and repair of sash including reglazing where necessary, repairs to the frame and operating hardware, and repainting. o Repair exterior wood components as needed based on evaluation of existing condition, including railings, columns, decking, and ceilings of the front porch; siding, cornices, window and door casings and surrounds; and other functional and decorative elements Remove damaged or deteriorated paint using the gentlest method possible prior to repainting. o Repair of wood elements may include patching, splicing, consolidating, and reinforcement using recognized preservation measures, and limited replacement in kind of extensively deteriorated features, missing components, or when replacement can be based on documentary of physical evidence . o New work shall match the old in material, design, scale, color, and finish. Replace asphalt shingle roofing with new asphalt shingle roofing. New detached accessory structure to include two long-term bike parking stalls and trash enclosure. Materials would include wood siding with metal roofing. Additional areas of work include: New pavement for the rear parking lot with new landscaping and fencing. Providing two short-term bike parking racks. ANALYSIS The attached Historic Resource Evaluation (Attachment B) considered the current historic status, summary of the historic context for the property, and an evaluation of the property’s individual eligibility for listing on the California Register of Historic Resources (CRHR). The Historic Resource Evaluation, dated June 10, 2025, found 405 Kipling Street appears eligible for elevation to Category 2 historic resource. Criteria for Designation The criteria used to designate historic structures, sites, and districts to the local inventory is provided in PAMC Section 16.49.040. The following table summarizes how the project meets the applicable qualifying criteria. CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION ANALYSIS Criterion 2: The structure or is particularly representative of an architectural style or way of life important to the city, state or nation. 405 Kipling Street is an early example of the Two-Story Square Box house type in Palo Alto’s Downtown North neighborhood. The Two-Story Square Box is a Palo Alto residential house type that mixed familiar forms and finishes of the Colonial Revival, Queen Anne Free Classic, and sometimes Craftsman styles in later examples. 405 Kipling Street does meet the requirements of Criterion 2. Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 10     Item No. 2. Page 5 of 10 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION ANALYSIS Criterion 5: The architect or building was important. H.L. Upham was a builder of merit who made important contributions to the early built environment of Palo Alto. Upham designed and built numerous larger high-style residences in Palo Alto, including many Two- Story Box house types. The subject building is a minimally altered example of H.L. Upham’s contributions to the high-quality housing stock during Palo Alto’s early period of development. 405 Kipling Street does meet the requirements of Criterion 5. Criterion 6: The structure or site contains elements demonstrating outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship. The building’s wood windows and shiplap siding are common in buildings constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, elements such as the molded cornice and eave returns, decorative carved corbels, fish scale cladding, Tuscan columns, and multi-lite porch window are examples of attention to architectural design, detail, materials, and craftsmanship implemented by builder-of- merit H.L. Upham. 405 Kipling Street does meet the requirements of Criterion 6. The subject building is a meritorious work of local builder H.L. Upham, and is an early example of a Queen Anne style Two-Story Square Box house type within Palo Alto. In conclusion, 405 Kipling Street meets Criteria 2, 5, and 6 in consideration for eligibility as a Category 2 historic resource. The period of significance is 1897, the year that the property was built. Bonus Floor Area Application PAMC 16.49.050 provides, in part, that in evaluating applications, the HRB shall consider the architectural style, design, arrangement, texture, materials and color, and any other pertinent factors. The prime concern should be the exterior appearance of the building site. The proposed alterations should not adversely affect the exterior architectural characteristics nor the historical or aesthetic value of the building and its site. The following table summarizes the project’s compliance with the SOI Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Properties. # STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION ANALYSIS 1 A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: Although the property was built as a single family residential property, it is currently used as a multi unit residential property with Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 11     Item No. 2. Page 6 of 10 # STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION ANALYSIS changing uses throughout the years of occupancy. The use has not changed the exterior appearance of the building. The proposed project would retain the current use and retain distinctive materials, features, spaces, or spatial relationships. 2 The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: The proposed project does not propose to remove or replace any historic features of the building. Proposed work would be limited to the removal and replacement of the existing non- historic features, the in-kind replacement of damaged historic features, and patching, repairing, and repainting existing historic materials as needed based on their current condition. Only non-historic and utilitarian features are proposed for removal, including landscaping features, fencing, aluminum sliding windows at the rear façade. Areas of non- original siding, trim, and decking would be replaced to match the original materials. As such, the historic character of the building would be retained and preserved to a high degree. Therefore, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 2. 3 Each property shall 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 architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: The project does not propose any changes to the property that would be conjectural, based on features from other historic properties, or which would create a false sense of historical development. Areas of patching or in-kind replacement would be based on the existing materials present on the historic building and would not be conjectural. New features that will be installed to replace existing non-historic features such as the new window at the gable roof end where an AC unit once was, new windows at the rear to replace aluminum non-historic windows. These features will have simple, contemporary designs that do not mimic historic designs or features. Therefore, as planned, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 3. 4 Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐N/A Explanation: No alterations that occurred after the subject property’s original construction in 1897 have acquired significance in their own right. As Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 12     Item No. 2. Page 7 of 10 # STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION ANALYSIS discussed under Rehabilitation Standard 2, proposed changes to non-original elements are limited to removing or replacing non-historic or utilitarian features that do not have historic significance. Therefore, as planned, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 4. 5 Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: As proposed, the project would preserve all of the distinctive features, finishes, construction techniques, and examples of craftsmanship that characterize the Two-Story Box house type of 405 Kipling Street. The character- defining features of the building which convey the techniques and craftsmanship of its construction include its two-story massing and hipped roof with front-facing gables at the primary and west facades, full-width front porch, original fenestration pattern, including window and door openings, original wood windows with wood framing, including windows with one-over-one double hung sashes; picture windows with single-lite transom, single-lite wood sash with casement operability, and a multi-light glazed porch window, original wood doors, wood shiplap siding, fish scale wood shingles and carved wood decorative corbels at the gable ends. As discussed under Standard 2, the proposed project would retain all historic features. The only materials or features that will be removed are non- historic alterations. The project would, therefore, maintain the historic character of the building to a high degree. As all original and historic features and examples of craftmanship would be preserved, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 5. 6 Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: As proposed, the project would undertake an assessment of all historic wood windows and doors, entrances and porches and associated features, and functional and decorative wood components in order to outline areas of repair. The proposed project would follow the guidance of the National Park Service (NPS) in Preservation Brief 9: The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows and Preservation Brief 10: Paint Removal from Historic Woodwork to ensure that all Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 13     Item No. 2. Page 8 of 10 # STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION ANALYSIS proposed treatments prioritize repair over replacement. In areas where replacement may be necessary due to the level of deterioration, the project would replace materials or features in kind to match the existing features in look, texture, design, and materials. Therefore, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 6. 7 Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: The proposed project would use physical treatments recommended by the NPS for cleaning wood and removal of paint on historic wood windows, doors, siding, and other wood components. As the proposed project would follow the provided technical guidance of Preservation Briefs 9 and 10, the proposed project would use the gentlest methods possible. Thus, the project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 7. 8 Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken. ☐ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☒ N/A Explanation: The proposed project would not undertake ground-disturbing excavation work. Therefore, Rehabilitation Standard 8 would not be applicable to the project. 9 New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: The proposed project does not include the construction of any new additions to the building. Exterior alterations are limited to the replacement of existing non-historic features with new more compatible features such as the wooden windows. New construction is limited to a detached trash enclosure that also houses two long term bike spaces. The new wood windows and replacement wood shiplap siding would be more compatible with the historic design of the house than the existing non-historic aluminum windows. Lastly, the new fencing would also be of compatible wood construction, and the horizontal orientation of the wood slats will identify it as a contemporary alteration. As all of the proposed alterations and new construction would only impact non-historic features and the proposed replacements features would be both compatible with and differentiated from historic elements, the historic integrity of the property would be retained and protected. Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 14     Item No. 2. Page 9 of 10 # STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION ANALYSIS Therefore, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 9. 10 New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall 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. ☒ CONSISTENT ☐ NOT CONSISTENT ☐ N/A Explanation: Proposed new construction would be limited to a detached trash enclosure and covered bike storage structure not impacting on the essential form or the historic property. Related construction work is also limited to non-historic areas where previous additions occurred. All of the new features could be removed in the future without impacting the essential form and integrity of the property. Therefore, the proposed project complies with Rehabilitation Standard 10. As the above analysis demonstrates, the project as currently designed complies with the guidance of the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation. The proposed project is consistent with nine of the ten Standards for Rehabilitation with one standard, standard eight, that does not apply to the project. As such, the proposed project would be consistent with the Standards and the historic building at 405 Kipling Street would not be negatively impacted by the proposed project and would continue to express its historic significance and integrity. As proposed, the project would be consistent with the SOI Standards for Rehabilitation. FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT There is no significant fiscal or resource impact associated with this application. The City’s consultant costs and staff time to process this application were paid for by the property owner. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The Palo Alto Municipal Code requires notice of this public hearing be published in a local paper and mailed to owners and occupants of property within 600 feet of the subject property at least ten days in advance. Notice of a public hearing for this project was published in the Daily Post on March 27, 2026, which is 13 days in advance of the meeting. Postcard mailing occurred on March 25, 2026, which is 15 days in advance of the meeting. Public Comments As of the writing of this report, no project-related, public comments were received. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The subject project has been assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. Specifically, the project is categorically exempt from the provision of CEQA in accordance with the Class 1 (Existing Facilities) exemption (CEQA Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 15     Item No. 2. Page 10 of 10 Guidelines Section 15301) because the scope of work is limited to minor exterior alterations of an existing building. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS ATTACHMENTS Author and HRB Liaison3 & Contact Information Steven Switzer, Senior Historic Planner     (650) 329-2321   Steven.Switzer@PaloAlto.gov 3 Emails can be sent directly to the HRB at the following address: HRB@paloalto.gov Item 2 Item 2 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 16     7 7-11 93.0' 37.5' 105.5' 37.5' 105.5' 37.5' 105.5' 37.5' 105.5' 93.0' 105.5' 93.0' 105.5' 168.0' 112.5' 168.0' 112.5' 50.0' 57.0' 71.5' 43.0'50.0' 88.0' 125.0' 93.0' 30.0' 75.0'40.0' 112.5' 40.0' 112.5'50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 36.0' 95.0' 36.0' 95.0' 39.0' 37.5' 18.0' 75.0' 57.0' 112.5' 107.0' 107.0' 50.0'107.0' 107.0' 25.0' 125.0' 37.5' 25.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 14.0'17.5'36.0' 130.0' 50.0' 218.0' 218.0' 45.0' 112.5' 45.0' 112.5' 45.0' 105.5' 110.0'100.0' 25.0' 37.5' 37.5' 112.5' 30.0' 75.0' 30.0' 75.0' 50.0' 112.5' 112.5'40.0' 112.5' 40.0' 112.5'60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 50.0' 35.0' 62.5' 35.0' 62.5' 83.0' 62.5'83.0' 62.5' 118.0' 62.5' 118.0' 62.5' 118.0' 100.0'118.0' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 130.5' 93.0' 112.5' 93.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5'53.0' 112.5' 53.0' 112.5' 65.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 112.5' 100.0' 130.5' 130.5' 130.5' 405 437 463 480 530 405 431 433 437 440 336 360 425 489- 499 411 411 421 340 344 348 325 327 333 335 337 425 419 405 401 450 407 423 443 451 463 440 430 431 444 351349 361 457 451 465 420 430 342 340 338 450 KIPLING STREET LYT T O N A V E N U E WAVERLEY STREET COWPER STREET KIPLING STREET UNIVERSITY AVENUE LAN E 3 0 Lot T This map is a product of the City of Palo Alto GIS This document is a graphic representation only of best available sources. Legend Project Site 0' 70' Attachment A Location Map 405 Kipling Street CITY OF PALO ALTO I NCO R P O R A TE D CALI FORNIA P a l o A l t o T h e C i t y o f APRI L 1 6 189 4 The City of Palo Alto assumes no responsibility for any errors ©1989 to 2016 City of Palo Alto sswitze, 2026-04-01 08:32:10 (\\cc-maps\Encompass\Admin\Personal\Planning.mdb) Item 2 Attachment A - Location Map     Packet Pg. 17     405 KIPLING STREET HISTORIC RESOURCE EVALUATION PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA [24402.04] PREPARED FOR THE CITY OF PALO ALTO June 10, 2025 Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 18     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL i June 10, 2025 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Summary of Findings ................................................................................................................................. 2 II. EXISTING HISTORIC STATUS ............................................................................................................. 3 National Register of Historic Places ......................................................................................................... 3 California Register of Historical Resources ............................................................................................. 3 California Historical Resource Status Codes ........................................................................................... 3 Palo Alto Historic Inventory ....................................................................................................................... 4 Palo Alto Historic Survey Update .............................................................................................................. 5 III. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................ 6 Primary (South) Façade .............................................................................................................................. 6 West Façade ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Rear (North) Façade.................................................................................................................................... 8 East Façade .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Site Features .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Surrounding Neighborhood .................................................................................................................... 10 IV. HISTORIC CONTEXT ....................................................................................................................... 12 Palo Alto History ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Downtown North Neighborhood ........................................................................................................... 14 H.L. Upham, Architect and Builder ......................................................................................................... 16 V. SITE HISTORY .................................................................................................................................. 20 Site Development ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Known Ownership and Occupant History ............................................................................................. 22 VI. EVALUATION .................................................................................................................................. 27 Palo Alto Historic Inventory ..................................................................................................................... 27 Integrity ...................................................................................................................................................... 29 VII. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 32 VIII. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 33 IX. APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................... 35 Appendix A – Preparer Qualifications .................................................................................................... 35 Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 19     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 1 June 10, 2025 I. INTRODUCTION This Historic Resource Evaluation (HRE) has been prepared at the request of the City of Palo Alto for the property at 405 Kipling Street (APN 120-15-010) to determine whether 405 Kipling Street, which is currently a Category 4 building in the Palo Alto Historic Inventory, is eligible for elevation within the Palo Alto Historic Inventory as a Category 2 resource. The subject property is 53 feet wide by 112.5 feet deep with frontage along Kipling Street to the south and Lytton Avenue to the west (Figure 1). The subject block is located in the Downtown North neighborhood of Palo Alto in a commercial CD-C (P) zoning district and is bounded by Cowper Street to the northeast, Lytton Avenue to the northwest, University Avenue to the southeast, and Kipling Street to the southwest. The building was constructed by prominent local builder H.L. Upham for Norris H. Smith as a residence and was completed in 1897 (Figure 2). 405 Kipling exemplifies the early Palo Alto “Two-Story Square Box” building type with Queen Anne stylistic elements. Figure 1. City of Palo Alto parcel map. Subject property indicated by blue outline. Source: City of Palo Alto, Online Parcel Reports, 2025. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 20     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 2 June 10, 2025 Figure 2. Bird’s-eye view of 405 Kipling Street, indicated by red shading. Source: Google Earth, 2022. Edited by Page & Turnbull. Methodology This report follows a standard outline used for Historic Resource Evaluation reports, and provides a summary of the current historic status, a building description, and a historic context for 405 Kipling Street. The report includes an evaluation of the property’s individual eligibility for elevation to a Category 2: “Major Building” in the Palo Alto Historic Buildings Inventory. Page & Turnbull prepared this report using research collected at various local repositories, including the Palo Alto Development Services, Palo Alto Historical Association (PAHA), as well as online sources including Palo Alto Stanford Heritage (PAST), Ancestry.com, and Newspapers.com. Key primary sources consulted and cited in this report include Palo Alto building permit applications, city and county directories, and historical newspapers. Page & Turnbull staff conducted a site visit to 405 Kipling Street on May 7, 2025. All photographs within this report were taken at that time, unless otherwise noted. Summary of Findings 405 Kipling Street is eligible for elevation within the Palo Alto Historic Resources Inventory from a Category 4: “Contributing Building” to a Category 2: “Major Building” of regional importance. The period of significance is 1897, the year that the property was built. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 21     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 3 June 10, 2025 II. EXISTING HISTORIC STATUS The following section examines the national, state, and local historic status currently assigned to the commercial building at 405 Kipling Street. National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (National Register) is the nation’s most comprehensive inventory of historic resources. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service and includes buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts that possess historic, architectural, engineering, archaeological, or cultural significance at the national, state, or local level. 405 Kipling Street is not currently listed in the National Register. California Register of Historical Resources The California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) is an inventory of significant architectural, archaeological, and historical resources in the State of California. Resources can be listed in the California Register through a number of methods. State Historical Landmarks and National Register-listed properties are automatically listed in the California Register. Properties can also be nominated to the California Register by local governments, private organizations, or citizens. The evaluative criteria used by the California Register for determining eligibility are closely based on those developed by the National Park Service for the National Register of Historic Places. 405 Kipling Street is not currently listed in the California Register. California Historical Resource Status Codes Properties listed or under review by the State of California Office of Historic Preservation are listed within the Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD) and are assigned a California Historical Resource Status Code (Status Code) of “1” to “7” to establish their historical significance in relation to the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) or California Register of Historical Resources (California Register).1 Properties with a Status Code of “1” or “2” are either eligible for listing in the California Register or the National Register, or are already listed in one or both of the registers. Properties assigned Status Codes of “3” or “4” appear to be eligible for listing in either register, but normally require more research to support this rating. Properties assigned a Status 1 California State Office of Historic Preservation, Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD), Santa Clara County, updated September 2022. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 22     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 4 June 10, 2025 Code of “5” have typically been determined to be locally significant or to have contextual importance. Properties with a Status Code of “6” are not eligible for listing in either register. Finally, a Status Code of “7” means that the resource has not been evaluated for the National Register or the California Register, or needs reevaluation. 405 Kipling Street is listed in the BERD database for Santa Clara County with a status code of 5S2, meaning it is “Recognized as Historically Significant by Local Government” and within that categorization, it is considered “Individually eligible for local listing or designation.” The most recent update to the BERD database was in September 2022. Palo Alto Historic Inventory The City of Palo Alto’s Historic Inventory lists noteworthy examples of the work of important individual designers and architectural eras and traditions as well as structures whose background is associated with important events in the history of the city, state, or nation. The inventory is organized under the following four categories: ▪ Category 1: An “Exceptional Building” of pre-eminent national or state importance. These buildings are meritorious works of the best architects, outstanding examples of a specific architectural style, or illustrate stylistic development of architecture in the United States. These buildings have had either no exterior modifications or such minor ones that the overall appearance of the building is in its original character. ▪ Category 2: A “Major Building” of regional importance. These buildings are meritorious works of the best architects, outstanding examples of an architectural style, or illustrate stylistic development of architecture in the state or region. A major building may have some exterior modifications, but the original character is retained. ▪ Category 3 or 4: A “Contributing Building” which is a good local example of an architectural style and relates to the character of a neighborhood grouping in scale, materials, proportion or other factors. A contributing building may have had extensive or permanent change s made to the original design, such as inappropriate additions, extensive removal of architectural details, or wooden façades resurfaced in asbestos or stucco. 405 Kipling Street is currently listed in the City of Palo Alto Historic Inventory as a Category 4: “Contributing Building.” It was surveyed for the Historic Resources Inventory and added to the local register in 1985. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 23     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 5 June 10, 2025 Palo Alto Historic Survey Update Between 1997 and 2000, a comprehensive update to the 1979 Historic Inventory was undertaken by historic preservation firm Dames & Moore.2 The goal of this update was to identify additional properties in Palo Alto that were eligible to the National Register. This effort began with a reconnaissance survey of approximately 6,600 properties constructed prior to 1947. The reconnaissance survey produced two Study Priority lists. Approximately 600 properties were identified as Study Priority 1, indicating they appeared individually eligible for listing in the National Register under Criterion C (Architecture). Approximately 2,700 properties were id entified as Study Priority 2, representing those properties that did not appear individually eligible to the National Register under Criterion C (including common local building types) but retained high integrity. 3 The reconnaissance survey was followed by an intensive -level survey of all Study Priority 1 and 2 properties. Historic research was conducted on the owners, architects/builders, and past uses of the Study Priority 1 properties. Research also informed the preparation of historic context statements on topics such as local property types, significant historical themes, and prolific architects and builders, in order to identify any potential significant associations of Study Priority 2 properties. In January 1999, Dames & Moore prepared an interim findings report that listed preliminary evaluations of the National Register and California Register eligibility of Study Priority 1 and 2 properties. 291 properties were found potentially eligible as individual resources to the National Register and California Register. 1,789 further properties were found potentially eligible to the California Register only. Because the survey focused on determining National Register eligibility, the project did not finalize the preliminary evaluations regarding potential California Register eligibility. As 405 Kipling Street was already listed on the Palo Alto Historic Inventory at the time of the Palo Alto Historic Survey Update, it was not documented in the Palo Alto Historic Survey Update. 2 Dames & Moore, Michael Corbett, and Denise Bradley. “Final Survey Report – Palo Alto Historic Survey Update: August 1997- August 2000.” Prepared for the City of Palo Alto Planning Division, February 2001. 3 Ibid., 2-5. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 24     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 6 June 10, 2025 III. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION The subject property at 405 Kipling Street is a two-story residential building in Palo Alto’s Downtown North neighborhood. It is situated on a flat, rectangular parcel. The subject building was built by H.L. Upham in 1897 and exemplifies the early Palo Alto Two-Story Square Box building type with stylistic elements of Queen Anne. It is rectilinear in plan and is constructed of wood frame on a brick wall foundation with shiplap wood siding and wood fish scale shingles at the gable end. The building is capped by a compound roof with a front-gabled bay and hipped portion. The cornice features a slightly projecting boxed eave with a plain frieze board and eave returns at the front gabled end. There is a wood water table that continues across all facades and wood trim at each corner. Typical windows throughout are original one-over-one double-hung wood sash windows with wood framing and simple wood sills, unless otherwise noted. Primary (South) Façade The primary (south) façade of 405 Kipling Street fronts Kipling Street and features an asymmetrical fenestration pattern and massing (Figure 3).4 Figure 3: Primary façade of 405 Kipling Street, looking north. The main entrance to the building is accessed from a set of wood steps with a wood railing, which leads to a partially glazed wood front door (Figure 4). The front door is recessed beneath a full- width front porch that is capped by a hipped roof and is supported by Tuscan columns with a simple 4 The property is not oriented along direct cardinal directs. For the sake of clarity, northeast will be referred to as north, northwest will be referred to as west, southwest will be referred to as south, and southeast will be referred to as east. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 25     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 7 June 10, 2025 wood balustrade and rectangular balusters. There is a multi-lite glazed window at the furthest north column bay of the front porch facing Lytton Avenue (Figure 5). A typical window is located at the right (east) side of the front door, and a larger picture window with a single -lite transom at the left (west) side. Figure 4: Detail view of primary entrance to 405 Kipling Street. Looking northeast. Figure 5: Detail view of multi-light glazed porch window at the northernmost porch bay. Looking northwest. The second story features a prominent front gabled projecting bay over the front door, with two recessed portions on either side. The furthest right (east) portion is recessed slightly further and has no openings. The front-gabled bay has a pair of typical windows, and another typical window is placed at the leftmost (western) side of the second story. The front gabled bay is characterized by eave returns with a decorative carved corbel beneath each return, and a small single-lite window (currently infilled with an air conditioning unit). West Façade The west façade faces Lytton Avenue and is characterized by an angled two-story bay with a front- facing gable at its left (north) end (Figure 6). The fenestration pattern is mirrored from the first and second stories, with a typical window at the furthest right (south) side of both stories (Figure 7). The two-story bay features a central picture window flanked on either side by typical windows. At the gable end, there is a small single-lite window within a triangular pediment with raking cornice. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 26     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 8 June 10, 2025 Figure 6: West façade, looking southeast. Figure 7: Oblique view of the west façade, looking south. Rear (North) Façade The rear north façade faces a semi-enclosed rear surface parking area (Figure 8). It features a one- story rear addition at the first story and a hipped projecting bay with recessed façade plane at the second story. Figure 8: Rear north facade of 405 Kipling Street, looking southwest. The one-story addition at the first story is capped by a shed roof. The east-facing façade of the rear addition features a non-original two-lite vinyl slider window at the left (south) side and two single-lite fixed windows at the right (north) side (Figure 9). The west-facing side of the rear addition has three multi-lite wood windows. At the east-facing side of the rear addition, there is an elevated vinyl door (Figure 10). The second story of the façade features a pair of multi-lite wood sash windows at the Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 27     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 9 June 10, 2025 furthest left (east) side, along with two typical windows. At the roof above the recessed portion, there is a small skylight. Figure 9: Detail view of the west façade of the rear addition, looking southeast. Figure 10: Oblique view of the east façade of the rear addition, looking northwest. East Façade The east façade of 405 Kipling Street faces the neighboring property at 411 Kipling Street and has an asymmetrical fenestration pattern (Figure 11). At the first story, there is a recessed portion beneath the front porch that features a typical window. Moving north along the main section of the façade, there is a pair of small wood-sash casement windows, followed by a pair of typical windows (albeit with ogee lugs), and a wood-sash picture window. At the second story of the recessed façade furthest to the left (south), there is a typical window. There is another pair of typical windows at the mezzanine floor on the furthest left (south) side, beneath a small pair of wood casement windows. Moving north along the second story, there is another pair of typical windows and one single typical window. Figure 11: Oblique view of the east façade, looking north. Figure 12: Detail view of fenestration at the first story of the east façade, looking west. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 28     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 10 June 10, 2025 Figure 13: Oblique view of the east façade, looking west from the rear parking area. Site Features At the rear of the property, there is a large paved area for surface parking (Figure 14). Along the east façade, there is a small landscaped garden with a sitting area (Figure 15). Figure 14: Rear surface parking area, looking southeast. Figure 15: Garden along the east façade with sitting area. Surrounding Neighborhood The subject block is located in the Downtown North neighborhood of Palo Alto and borders the commercial corridor of University Avenue to the east. Overall, buildings in the Downtown North area along University Avenue include mixed-use retail, offices, hotels, restaurants, and a theater (Figure 16). Sections of extant early 20th century housing, such as the subject property along Kipling Street, have survived commercial development and provide a contrast to the larger commercial scale and higher density of University Avenue and sections of Lytton Avenue and Cowper Streets (Figure 17). Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 29     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 11 June 10, 2025 Figure 16. Commercial buildings along University Avenue near the subject property. Figure 17. Context view of the neighboring late 19th- century and early 20th-century residential housing stock along Kipling Street. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 30     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 12 June 10, 2025 IV. HISTORIC CONTEXT Palo Alto History The earliest known settlement of the Palo Alto area was by the Ohlone people. The region was colonized in 1769 as part of Alta California. The Spanish and Mexican governments carved the area into large ranchos which contained portions of land that became Palo Alto including Rancho Corte Madera, Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas, Rancho Rincon de San Francisquito, and Rancho Riconada del Arroyo de San Francisquito.5 These land grants were honored in the cession of California to the United States, but parcels were subdivided and sold throughout the nineteenth century. The current city of Palo Alto contains the former township of Mayfield, which was located just southwest of Alma Street, and was established in 1855. Starting in 1876, the railroad magnate and California politician Leland Stanford began to purchase land in the area for his country estate, and in 1882 he purchased an additional 1,000 acres adjacent to Mayfield for his horse farm.6 Stanford’s vast holdings became known as the Palo Alto Stock Farm. On March 9, 1885, Stanford University was founded on land of the Palo Alto Stock Farm through an endowment act by the California Assembly and Senate. Figure 18. Detail of “Official Map of Santa Clara, California” by Herrmann Brothers, 1890. Note that University Park on this map is present day Palo Alto. Source: Library of Congress. 5 Ward Winslow and Palo Alto Historical Association, Palo Alto: A Centennial History (Palo Alto, CA: Palo Alto Historical Association, 1993), 12-17. 6 Ibid, 35. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 31     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 13 June 10, 2025 Originally looking to connect Stanford University as a part of the already established town of Mayfield, Stanford asked residents of Mayfield to make the town a temperance town. Their refusal in 1886 caused Stanford to found the town of Palo Alto with aid from his friend, Timothy Hopkins of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Hopkins purchased and subdivided 740 acres of private land, that was known initially as University Park (or the Hopkins Tract) (Figure 18).7 This land was bounded by the San Francisquito Creek to the north and the railroad tracks and Stanford University campus to the south. A new train stop was created along University Avenue and the new town flourished in its close connection with the university. University Park, under its new name of Palo Alto, was incorporated in 1894. In its early years, Palo Alto was a temperance town where no alcohol could be served. The residents were mostly middle and working class, with a pocket of University professors clustered in the neighborhood deemed Professorville. The development of a local streetcar in 1906 and the interurban railway to San Jose in 1910 facilitated access to jobs outside the city and to the University, encouraging more people to move to Palo Alto.8 In July 1925, Mayfield was officially annexed and consolidated into the city of Palo Alto.9 Like the rest of the nation, Palo Alto suffered through the Great Depression in the 1930s and did not grow substantially. World War II brought an influx of military personnel and their families to the Peninsula; accordingly, Palo Alto saw rapid growth following the war as many families who had been stationed on the Peninsula by the military, or who worked in associated industries, chose to stay. Palo Alto’s population more than doubled from 16,774 in 1940 to 52,287 in 1960.10 Palo Alto’s city center greatly expanded in the late 1940s and 1950s, gathering parcels that would house new offices and light industrial uses and lead the city away from its “college town” reputation. Palo Alto annexed a vast area of mostly undeveloped land between 1959 and 1968. This area, west of the Foothill Expressway, has remained protected open space. Small annexations continued into the 1970s, contributing to the discontinuous footprint of the city today. Palo Alto remains closely tied to Stanford University; it is the largest employer in the city. The technology industry dominates other sectors of business, as is the case with most cities within Silicon Valley. Palo Alto consciously maintains its high proportion of open space to development and the suburban feeling and scale of its architecture.11 7 City of Palo Alto, Comprehensive Plan 2030 (adopted by City Council, November 13, 2017), 16, accessed online November 30, 2020, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/62915. 8 Dames & Moore, “Palo Alto Historic Survey Update,” 1-4. 9 City of Palo Alto, Comprehensive Plan 2030, 16. 10 “City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County,” Bay Area Census, accessed August 27, 2019, http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/PaloAlto50.htm. 11 City of Palo Alto, Comprehensive Plan 2030, 11-20. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 32     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 14 June 10, 2025 Downtown North Neighborhood The current Downtown North neighborhood is located in the northern portion of the original University Park tract platted by Timothy Hopkins. It was the core part of the early city, along with today’s University South neighborhood. The neighborhood is bounded by Alma Street to the south, San Francisquito Creek to the west, Middlefield Road to the north, and University Avenue to the east. University Avenue, which has historically been the main commercial corridor in Palo Alto, divides the Downtown North and University South neighborhoods. The 1895 Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map illustrates that stores were located along University Avenue and were particularly concentrated at its southwestern end, near the railroad, where a large lumberyard stood (Figure 19). Residences were scattered along the street just east and west of University Avenue on Hamilton and Lytton Avenues. A few churches, hotels, and boarding houses also stood among many vacant lots. Figure 19. 1895 Sanborn Fire Insurance Co. map of Palo Alto showing the street layout within the core of the city. The future location of the subject property is marked by the red star. Source: Digital Sanborn Maps, San Francisco Public Library By 1901, Palo Alto had grown beyond its original core. Houses filled the lots on the blocks around the railroad, while scattered residential development extended up to and beyond Middlefield Road. Institutions, such as schools and Palo Alto’s first public library, had been built in the area. As noted earlier, the development of the streetcar in 1906 and later the interurban rail in 1910 along University Avenue helped spur commercial development. The relocation of displaced San Francisco residents following the 1906 earthquake to surrounding towns such as Palo Alto also resulted in increased residential and commercial development. During the first decade of the 20th century, the residential area of Downtown North appears to have been built out with one- and two-story Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 33     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 15 June 10, 2025 residences, as the downtown commercial area prospered and expanded, and the University Avenue corridor became a desirable location for the growth of Palo Alto’s commercial interests.12 In the post-World War II period, Palo Alto’s population boomed and the city annexed more land, resulting in the construction of additional smaller commercial hubs which dissipated some of the concentration of commercial activity on University Avenue and Downtown North. During this period, some of the commercial development along University Avenue spread out onto perpendicular streets toward Lytton, replacing earlier residential buildings. Two-Story Square Boxes The Two-Story Square Box is a vernacular building type identified in the 1997-2000 Palo Alto Historic Survey, completed by Dames & Moore. It was one of three propert y types identified as potentially eligible for the National Register using the Multiple Property format. According to the survey, Two- Story Square Boxes were among the predominant forms of detached residences that housed middle- and working-class people during the early development of Palo Alto, ca. 1890-1910. It states: Distinct from the one-story square cottage in the early development of the city is another common building type, the 2-story square box. These are two-story wood frame structures that are square or rectangular in plan and appear square from the street. They are variously ornamented with Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Renaissance, and Prairie Style details. Next to the square cottages, these were the most common building type in the early years of Palo Alto until the bungalow was built in large numbers after 1906. Some of these were large houses. Others were built as rooming houses, flats, or duplexes and were designed to resemble single -family houses. Collectively, together with the square cottages, these buildings strongly convey the character of Palo Alto in its early years.13 The historic context included in the Dames & Moore survey noted that the early houses in Palo Alto were predominantly variations of Square Cottages or Two-Story Square Boxes. The designs for these modest buildings were not usually the product of professional architects; rather local builders would construct a traditional residence from a pattern book or published design and modify various architectural features to personalize the building.14 12 The 1924 Sanborn Map shows a variety of uses including a mixture of dwellings, stores, institutional, and light industrial uses. 13 Dames & Moore, “Final Survey Report – Palo Alto Historical Survey Update: August 1997-August 2000,” prepared for the City of Palo Alto Planning Division (February 2001), 5-7. 14 Dames & Moore, 1-2. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 34     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 16 June 10, 2025 The Dames & Moore survey does not provide a list of character -defining features, eligibility criteria, or integrity thresholds for the Two-Story Square Box property type. It does list a series of residences throughout the city that the survey identified as Two-Story Square Boxes eligible for the National Register. While somewhat varied in their plans and architectural features, Two-Story Square Boxes typically have hipped, cross gabled, or front gabled roofs and are two-and-one-half stories tall. Front- or cross-gabled examples tend reflect a holdover of Victorian or vernacular Greek Revival influence, whereas examples with a hipped roof typically reflect interpretations of the Prairie and Craftsman style. For most Two-Story Square Boxes in Palo Alto, the main entrance is often located within an off-centered recessed porch with simplified balustrade and columns. The primary façade can also feature an angled bay and/or a projecting volume with its own front-gabled roof. Hipped dormer windows are sometimes found at the front hip of the main roof. While ornamentation and decorative features added to these buildings were usually inspired by the popular architectural styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these features were often modest and contributed to overall vernacular composition. The proliferation of the Two-Story Square Box as a primary residential building type in early Palo Alto resulted in a large number of these house types that remain extant. Examples can be found throughout the Palo Alto neighborhoods of University Park, University South, Downtown North, and Professorville. H.L. Upham, Architect and Builder Henry L. Upham (ca.1859-1927) was a prolific contractor and designer in the Palo Alto area who constructed many buildings in the formative years of the city during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.15 Upham was a native of Massachusetts. He was married to Mary A. Upham, a native of Illinois, who was recorded as unemployed in the 1910 Census. They had one daughter, Augusta, and lived together at 443 Kipling Street, which Upham built in 1897 in the Shingle style as a personal residence for the family. Following a fire in 1915, the Upham residence at 443 Kipling was remodeled extensively in the Pueblo Revival style. H.L. Upham is credited with building, and in some cases designing, many properties throughout Palo Alto. His projects were mostly residential, with many high-style Queen Anne and Shingle style examples conforming to the “One-Story Square Cottage” or “Two-Story Square Box” typology (as the Dames & Moore historic resources survey of 1997-2000 categorized them). He also designed and built other examples of Revival styles and commercial properties, but these appear to be less common. In some archival sources, he is attributed as the architect, but it is unclear whether he was formally licensed to practice architecture. Upham and fellow local builder P.P. Quinn collaborated on 15 “Henry L. Upham Dies at Decoto,” Palo Alto Daily Times, May 18, 1927, 1. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 35     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 17 June 10, 2025 many projects during the 1890s under the partnership of Quinn & Upham, however, limited biographical information is available about P.P. Quinn. Other prominent residential examples of the work of H.L. Upham in Palo Alto include: • Sanford House at 450 Kingsley Avenue (Category 2) Frank McMurray, architect, H.L. Upham and P.P. Quinn, builders, 1894. • Newcomer House, 1055 Forest Avenue (Category 4) architect: H.L. Upham, 1896, H.L. Upham and P.P. Quinn, builders. • 353 Melville Avenue (Category 3), architect and builder: H.L. Upham, 1897 • Former Cashel Brothers Plumbing shop at 200 Homer Avenue (Category 2) builder: H.L. Upham, 1905. Figure 20. Sanford House at 450 Kingsley Avenue (1894), Frank McMurray, architect, H.L. Upham and P.P. Quinn, builders. Source: City of Palo Alto, Historic Resources Inventory form, 1978. Figure 21. Newcomer House, 1055 Forest Avenue (Category 4, Palo Alto Historic Inventory) architect: H.L. Upham, architect and builder with P.P. Quinn, 1896, Source: Palo Alto Stanford Heritage. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 36     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 18 June 10, 2025 Figure 22. 353 Melville Avenue, architect: H.L. Upham, builder, G.W. Mosher, 1897. Source: Google Maps, 2022. Figure 23. Former Cashel Brothers Plumbing shop at 200 Homer Avenue (1905), builder: H.L. Upham. Source: City of Palo Alto, Historic Resources Inventory form, 1978 and Palo Alto Stanford Heritage. H.L. Upham built several other houses along Kipling Street near the subject property that remain extant and have since been listed on the Palo Alto Historic Inventory, including16: • 443 Kipling (Category 4) H.L. Upham, built as a personal residence for his family in 1897, remodeled extensively ca.1915 after a fire (Figure 24 Figure 25). • 430 Kipling (Category 3) H.L. Upham, builder, 1897 (Figure 26). • 421-423 Kipling (Category 3) H.L. Upham, builder, 1900 (Figure 27). 16 Information gathered from entries at Palo Alto Stanford Heritage website, which compiled data from the Palo Alto Historic Inventory. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 37     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 19 June 10, 2025 Figure 24. The subject block of Kipling Street ca.1900, showing 443 Kipling Street (built 1897 by H.L. Upham as a personal residence, since remodeled extensively). Source: Palo Alto Historical Association and Palo Alto Stanford Heritage. Figure 25. 443 Kipling Street today (following extensive remodeling). Category 4. Source: Google Maps, 2022. Figure 26. 430 Kipling (Category 3) H.L. Upham, builder, 1897. Source: Google Maps, 2022. Figure 27. 421-423 Kipling (Category 3) H.L. Upham, builder, 1900. Source: Google Maps, 2022. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 38     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 20 June 10, 2025 V. SITE HISTORY Site Development The subject building at 405 Kipling Street was constructed in 1897 for Norris H. Smith by designer/builder H.L. Upham and builder P.P. Quinn.17 Prior to the construction of the subject property in 1897, the area that today comprises Palo Alto’s Downtown North was still mostly rural. The subject street was originally named Margaret Street (sometimes spelled Marguerite) but was renamed Kipling Street ca. 1899.18 By 1901, the surrounding parcels on the subject block had been platted and mostly built out with one- and two-story wood frame buildings. The 1901 Sanborn map shows the subject property as a two-story wood-frame residence with a roughly rectilinear footprint, open-air front porch, bay window at the west façade, and a small one-story outbuilding in the rear yard (Figure 28). The remaining empty parcels were infilled with mostly one- and two-story wood frame buildings in the following years. By 1924, the rear outbuilding was removed, and a one-story addition was added to the rear façade (Figure 29). It was common for houses of this style and construction period to have a rear sleeping porch or “wash porch” for laundry that was added shortly after construction. Figure 28: Sanborn Perris Map Company fire insurance map of Palo Alto, 1901. Page 11. The subject property is outlined in red. Source: Historical Information Gatherers. Edited by Page & Turnbull. Figure 29: Sanborn Map Company map of Palo Alto, 1924. Page 12. The subject property is outlined in red. Source: Historical Information Gatherers. Edited by Page & Turnbull. 17 “Brief Mention.,” The Palo Alto Times 5, no. 21 (May 21, 1897): 3. 18 “Town Trustees,” The Palo Alto Times, December 5, 1899, 1–2. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 39     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 21 June 10, 2025 Figure 30: Sanborn Map Company map of Palo Alto, 1948. Page 12. The subject property is outlined in red. Source: Historical Information Gatherers. Edited by Page & Turnbull. The property appears to have been minimally altered from its original style, form, and massing. Alterations documented in permit records include repairs to the rear steps and landing in 1964 , installation of a skylight at the rear façade in 1991, and interior changes to partitions involving the conversion of interior units from commercial use to residential use in 1991.19 Several alterations appear to have been made to the rear addition at an unknown date, including the replacement of original multi-lite slider (or possibly fixed) windows with wood sash single -lite windows, covering outer windows with vertical wood siding, and removal of the stairs and landing.. A small vinyl casement window was also installed to the left of center of the rear addition’s north facade. Throughout decades of retail occupancy, 405 Kipling has been adorned with various commercial signs, but all have since been removed (Figure 31 and Figure 32). No other alterations were uncovered through the course of research. 19 Chimaera Books and Music continued to occupy at least one or more commercial units through 1999. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 40     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 22 June 10, 2025 Figure 31. Inventory photograph of 405 Kipling Street, 1978. Source: PAHA. Figure 32. View of 405 Kipling, undated. Source: PAHA. CONSTRUCTION CHRONOLOGY The following table provides a timeline of construction activity at 405 Kipling Street, based on building permit applications on file with the Palo Alto Development Services and the Palo Alto Historical Association. Cancelled, expired, and temporary permits – along with any permits referencing interior, electrical or plumbing work – are not included. TABLE 1. PERMIT HISTORY FOR 405 KIPLING STREET. Date Filed Permit App. # Owner Contractor/ Architect Work 4/23/1964 23822 William P. Wreden P.J. Weriderth Repair rear steps and landing. 06/19/1991 91000-00000- 01435 Not specified. Not specified. Re-roof. 10/18/1991 91000-00000- 02738 Not specified. Not specified. Interior partition remodeling and installation of a skylight at the roof of the rear façade. 11/21/1991 91000-00000- 03059 Not specified. Not specified. Convert to single-family residence. Known Ownership and Occupant History The following tables provide a summary of the ownership and occupancy history of 405 Kipling Street, beginning with the year of construction, compiled using building permit applications and plans from the Palo Alto Department of Building Inspection, records from the Palo Alto Historical Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 41     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 23 June 10, 2025 Association, newspaper articles, city directories, and other public records available through Ancestry.com. The property was built as a single-family residence in 1897. As early as 1901, rooms were rented to lodgers and students of Stanford University.20 Around 1955, the property was converted to commercial use by William P. Wreden and occupied by his antiquarian bookstore, William P. Wreden Books & Manuscripts. Research could not confirm whether Wreden’s store occupied one or both stories of the property, or whether any residential units/rooms were in use at that time. By 1970, Chimaera Books and Music and World’s Indoor Records took over occupancy of the commercial units at both the first and second stories.21 The building continued to be used for both residential and commercial purposes through at least 1999. Currently, the building appears to be used primarily for residential occupancy. TABLE 2. OWNERSHIP HISTORY FOR 405 KIPLING STREET. Date(s) Owner(s) Occupation 1897-1899 1897-1929 Norris H. Smith Celia D. Smith Mining pioneer Housekeeper, rental property owner ca. 1936-1952 Harry W. Cowell Emma Cowell Carpenter Homemaker 1955-1970 William P. Wreden Book dealer and rancher ca.1970s Roy P. Bennett III Owner of World’s Indoor Records 20 “News of the Town.,” Palo Alto Times, July 31, 1903, 5. 21 Times Tribune Staff, “Patrons Rallying for Store: New Lease May Force Chimaera to Relocate,” The Peninsula Times Tribune, April 15, 1984, 19. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 42     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 24 June 10, 2025 TABLE 3. KNOWN OCCUPANT HISTORY FOR 405 KIPLING STREET. Date(s) Occupant(s) 1955-1970 William P. Wreden Books & Manuscripts Pinole Land & Cattle Co. Pinole Mercantile Co. General Merchandise 1970-1999 Chimaera Books and Music Ca.1970s World’s Indoor Records 1994 John Chiffauer and Mark Vandeloo 1995-1996 Kewin Brody and Robin Vasan 1996-1997 Olivier Courteilli and Adam Polinko 1998 Olivier Polinko and Donald Wheeler 1999-2000 Susan C. Chapman, David Fallas, Miiri Kotche, Mary Nicoletti, and Sam Triki ca. 2010 Marion Silies 2012 David Fallas, Kanee Farmer, Jennifer Larsen, Maia Highsmith, Edith Lindner SELECT OWNER AND OCCUPANT BIOGRAPHIES The following biographies were prepared for the first owner and the longest owners or occupants of 405 Kipling Street. Norris H. and Celia Smith (ca. 1839-1929) Norris H. Smith and his wife, Celia, were the original owners and occupants of 405 Kipling Street. A native of Ohio, Norris Smith arrived in California in 1852 and was a pioneering miner in Siskiyou County.22 While living in Siskiyou County, he served on the Board of Supervisors and was a long -time member of the Republican Party. Later in life, he also served as a director of the Palo Alto Building and Loan Association. In 1867, Smith moved to Palo Alto and commissioned the subject building as a personal residence at 405 Kipling Street (then Margaret Street). He died in 1899 after occupying the residence for only two years; however, his wife, Celia continued to own and reside at the property until her death in 1929.23 Research did not uncover any further biographical information on Celia Smith, except that she worked as a housekeeper and rented out spare rooms in the house to students and local lodgers.24 22 “Death of N.H. Smith,” The Palo Alto Times 9, no. 29 (September 8, 1899). 23 “Pioneer of City Taken by Death,” The Palo Alto Times, March 3, 1929, 1. 24 “In the Superior Court of the County of Santa Clara, State of California.,” The Palo Alto Times, October 17, 1899, 7; Palo Alto city directories, various years. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 43     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 25 June 10, 2025 William P. Wreden (1910-1995) William Wreden was a prominent antiquarian book dealer in Palo Alto who operated William P. Wreden’s Antiquarian Books & Manuscripts at the subject building from ca. 1955-1970. Wreden also operated several other personal business ventures from the subject building, including his family’s ranching and merchandise companies based in San Luis Obispo County. William Wreden was born in Petaluma and raised in San Francisco, graduating from Galileo High School and later Stanford University in 1934.25 In 1937, he started an antiquarian book dealing business, which was originally housed in Burlingame until a fire destroyed most of his collection in 1953. Following these events, Wreden moved the bookstore to 405 Kipling in Palo Alto, where he continued to own and operate the property until 1970. Wreden died in 1995.26 Chimaera Books and Music (ca. 1970-1999) 405 Kipling was the longtime home of Chimaera Books and Music, a beloved Palo Alto legacy business. Founded in 1970 by Walter Martin, Chimaera Books catered to a clientele that included residents of Palo Alto, international book collectors, Stanford graduate students, and professors, among others (Figure 33 and Figure 34).27 The bookstore sold new and used books along with records, and it occupied both the first and second stories of the building.28 Despite the store’s devoted patrons, Martin was forced to shutter the bookstore and relocate the business to Redwood City in 1999 following increases in rent.29 25 “William Wreden,” Telegram-Tribune, February 11, 1995, C–12. 26 Liz Manning, “Wreden’s Celebrates 50 Years,” Times Tribune, December 25, 1988, 15. 27 Bob Lyhne, “Book Collecting: The Endless Scavenger Hunt,” The Peninsula Times Tribune, May 27, 1978. 28 Times Tribune Staff, “Patrons Rallying for Store: New Lease May Force Chimaera to Relocate.” 29 Megan Lindow, “Chimera Takes Flight from Palo Alto: Longtime Used-Book Store Driven out by High Rent, Parking Woes,” Palo Alto Online, October 27, 1999. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 44     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 26 June 10, 2025 Figure 33. Walter Martin, owner of Chimaera Books, in front of the store at 405 Kipling Street, 1978. Source: The Peninsula Times Tribune. Figure 34. Advertisement for Chimaera Books at 405 Kipling Street, 1977. Source: PAHA. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 45     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 27 June 10, 2025 VI. EVALUATION Palo Alto Historic Inventory The Palo Alto Historic Inventory is the official list of sites, structures and districts designated by the City Council as possessing significant historical and/or architectural value. Originally adopted in 1979, the Inventory has been updated and added to over time. Any individual or group may propose designating a historic structure, site, or district to the Inventory according to the procedure found in the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Municipal Code Section 16.49.040). Properties nominated for designation are recommended by the HRB and decided upon by the City Council. The following Criteria for Designation, along with the definitions of historic categories and districts in Section 16.49.020, is used to designate historic structures, sites and districts to the historic inventory: 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 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. Properties listed in the Palo Alto Historic Inventory are organized under the following Historic Categories: • Category 1: An "Exceptional Building" of pre-eminent national or state importance. These buildings are meritorious works of the best architects, outstanding examples of a specific architectural style, or illustrate stylistic development of architecture in the United States. • Category 2: A "Major Building" of regional importance. These buildings are meritorious works of the best architects, outstanding examples of an architectural style, or illustrate stylistic development of architecture in the state or region. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 46     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 28 June 10, 2025 • Category 3 or 4: A "Contributing Building" is a good local example of an architectural style and relates to the character of a neighborhood grouping in scale, materials, proportion or other factors. 405 Kipling Street does appear eligible for elevation to Category 2 as a "Major Building" of regional importance in the Palo Alto Historic Resources Inventory. The subject building meets the following Criteria for Designation: • Criterion 2: The structure or is particularly representative of an architectural style or way of life important to the city, state or nation. 405 Kipling Street is an excellent extant example of the Two-Story Square Box house type in Palo Alto’s Downtown North neighborhood. The Two-Story Square Box is a Palo Alto residential house type that mixed familiar forms and finishes of the Colonial Revival, Queen Anne Free Classic, and sometimes Craftsman styles in later examples. The subject building is an early extant example of this important building type . • Criterion 5: The architect or building was important. H.L. Upham was a builder of merit who made important contributions to the early built environment of Palo Alto. Upham designed and built numerous larger high-style residences in Palo Alto, including many Two-Story Box house types. The subject building is a minimally altered extant example of H.L. Upham’s contributions to the high-quality housing stock during Palo Alto’s early period of development. • Criterion 6. The structure or site contains elements demonstrating outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship. While the building’s wood windows and shiplap siding were common in buildings constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, elements such as the molded cornice and eave returns, decorative carved corbels, fish scale cladding, Tuscan columns, and multi - lite porch window are examples of attention to architectural design, detail, materials, and craftsmanship implemented by builder-of-merit H.L. Upham. 405 Kipling was home to the local independent bookstores William P. Wreden Antiquarian Books & Manuscripts from 1955-1970, and Chimaera Books and Music from 1970-1999. While these businesses were both long-standing and beloved by the community, research did not demonstrate that they had a significant impact on local history and thus would not be eligible under Criterion 1. The property also does not appear eligible under Criterion 3, as the building is an example of the Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 47     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 29 June 10, 2025 common Two-Story Box house type, and this building type has many extant examples and would likely not be considered rare. Lastly, the subject building does not appear to meet Criterion 4, as its early use as a single-family residence would not be considered rare today. In conclusion, 405 Kipling Street meets Criteria 2, 5, and 6 in consideration for eligibility as a Category 2: “Major Building.” The period of significance is 1897, the year that the property was built. Integrity To qualify for listing in any local, state, or national historic register, a property or landscape must possess significance under at least one evaluative criterion as described above and retain integrity. Integrity is defined by the California Office of Historic Preservation as “the authenticity of an historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance,” or more simply defined by the National Park Service as “the ability of a property to convey its significance.”30 In order to evaluate whether the subject property retains sufficient integrity to convey its historic significance, Page & Turnbull used established integrity standards outlined by the National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation . Seven variables, or aspects, that define integrity are used to evaluate a resource’s integrity —location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. A property must possess most, or all, of these aspects in order to retain overall integrity. If a property does not retain integrity, it can no longer convey its significance and is therefore not eligible for listing in local, state, or national registers. The seven aspects that define integrity are defined as follows: Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred; Setting addresses the physical environment of the historic property inclusive of the landscape and spatial relationships of the building(s); Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of the property; 30 California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance Series No. 7: How to Nominate a Resource to the California Register of Historical Resources (Sacramento: California Office of State Publishing, September 4, 2001), 11; and National Park Service, National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995), 44. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 48     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 30 June 10, 2025 Materials refer to the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form the historic property; Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory; Feeling is the property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time; and Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and the historic property. LOCATION The subject property retains integrity of location. The subject building has remained situated at its location of original construction since 1897. SETTING 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of setting. The subject building is a surviving property on a residential block of Kipling Street that has retained the majority of its original early 20th-century housing stock, despite commercial development of Palo Alto’s downtown core over time. The surrounding properties that neighbor 405 Kipling are mostly relatively unaltered and together express a high level of integrity of setting. DESIGN 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of design. There have been minimal exterior alterations, apart from a rear addition that was added prior to 1924. The residence retains its original form as a Two- Story Square Box building type with Queen Anne character-defining features that include Tuscan columns, front-gabled bays with eave returns and ornamental carved corbels, a molded cornice with wide frieze band, and fish scale shingle siding. MATERIALS 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of materials. Very few of the original features appear to have been altered, removed, or replaced. The primary exterior building materials include original wood shiplap cladding, fish scale shingle siding, wood windows and doors, and original leaded glazing. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 49     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 31 June 10, 2025 WORKMANSHIP 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of workmanship. Features providing evidence of period workmanship and construction methods include original wood windows with one-over-one double hung sashes, shiplap siding, fish scale shingles at the gable ends, a multi-light glazed porch window, Tuscan columns, and carved decorative corbels. While the Two-Story Square Box building type is typically more modest than other contemporaneous high-style house types, the subject property reflects a high level of workmanship in its decorative detailing and materiality. FEELING 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of feeling. The building retains the feeling of its original design and materiality as a Queen Anne style house constructed in 1897, as its design, materiality, and workmanship remain highly representative of its original construction. The exterior of the building has been minimally altered, and the rear addition has not diminished the residence’s form, height, massing, or materiality such that its feeling is impaired. ASSOCIATION 405 Kipling Street retains integrity of association. The subject building was originally constructed as a single-family residence and situated in a largely residential setting with other properties of similar scale along neighboring blocks of Lytton Avenue, Cowper Street, and University Avenue. Since its original construction, the building has functioned first as a single-family residence, followed by multi-family residential property, and from 1955 onwards as a two-unit commercial space with additional residential units. While the property’s use has changed over time, the exterior of the building has not been altered to reflect these changes, and the building still reflects its original residential appearance. The property also retains its association with builder of merit H.L. Upland, as it continues to retain most of its original materials and Queen Anne design characteristics. Therefore, integrity of association has been maintained. Overall, 405 Kipling Street retains all seven aspects of integrity. Character-Defining Features For a property to be eligible for local, state, or national historic designation, the essential physical features (or character-defining features) that enable the property to convey its historic identity and reason for significance must be evident. These distinctive character -defining features are the physical traits that commonly recur in property types and/or architectural styles, or that convey an association with significant persons or patterns of events. Characteristics can be expressed in terms such as form, proportion, structure, plan, style, materials, and spatial relationships. To be eligible, a Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 50     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 32 June 10, 2025 property must clearly contain enough of those characteristics, and these features must also retain a sufficient degree of integrity. The character-defining features of 405 Kipling include, but are not limited to: • Overall form and massing, including two-story height and hipped roof with front-facing gables at the primary and west facades • Full-width front porch with Tuscan wood columns and wood balustrade with rectangular balusters • Original fenestration pattern, including window and door openings • Original wood windows with wood framing, including windows with one-over-one double hung sashes; picture windows with single-lite transom, single-lite wood sash with casement operability, and a multi-light glazed porch window • Original wood doors • Wood shiplap siding • Fish scale wood shingles at the gable ends • Molded cornice • Eave returns at the front-facing gable of the primary façade • Triangular pediment with raking cornice at the gable end of the west façade • Carved decorative corbels at both gable ends • Wood trim at the building’s corners Non character-defining features of 405 Kipling include: • Non-original rear addition (added between 1901 and 1924) • Non-original windows, doors, or openings • Interior spaces VII. CONCLUSION This HRE finds that 405 Kipling Street appears eligible for elevation to Category 2: A "Major Building" of regional importance on the Palo Alto Historic Buildings Inventory. The subject building is a meritorious work of an important local builder H.L. Upham, and is an early and excellent extant example of a Queen Anne style Two-Story Square Box house type within Palo Alto’s urban core that demonstrates outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials , or craftsmanship. The period of significance is 1897, the year that the property was built. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 51     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 33 June 10, 2025 VIII. REFERENCES Published Works & Reports California Office of Historic Preservation. Technical Assistance Bulletin No. 7: How to Nominate a Resource to the California Register of Historical Resources. Sacramento: California Office of State Publishing, September 4, 2001. California Office of Historic Preservation. Technical Assistance Bulletin No. 8: User’s Guide to the California Historical Resource Status Codes & Historic Resources Inventory Directory. Sacramento: California Office of State Publishing. November 2004. National Park Service. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995. Truman, Benjamin Cummings. Tourists’ Illustrated Guide to the Celebrated Summer and Winter Resorts of California: Adjacent to and Upon the Lines of the Central and Southern Pacific Railroads. San Francisco: H. S. Crocker, 1883. Newspapers & Periodicals “Brief Mention.” The Palo Alto Times 5, no. 21 (May 21, 1897): 3. “Death of N.H. Smith.” The Palo Alto Times 9, no. 29 (September 8, 1899). “Henry L. Upham Dies at Decoto.” Palo Alto Daily Times, May 18, 1927, 1. “In the Superior Court of the County of Santa Clara, State of California.” The Palo Alto Times, October 17, 1899, 7. Lindow, Megan. “Chimera Takes Flight from Palo Alto: Longtime Used-Book Store Driven out by High Rent, Parking Woes.” Palo Alto Online, October 27, 1999. Lyhne, Bob. “Book Collecting: The Endless Scavenger Hunt.” The Peninsula Times Tribune, May 27, 1978. Manning, Liz. “Wreden’s Celebrates 50 Years.” Times Tribune, December 25, 1988, 15. “News Briefs.” Daily Palo Alto Times, January 15, 1936, 2. “News of the Town.” Palo Alto Times, July 31, 1903, 5. “Pioneer of City Taken by Death.” The Palo Alto Times, March 3, 1929, 1. “Times Building Record.” The Palo Alto Times 5, no. 21 (May 21, 1897): 1. Times Tribune Staff. “Patrons Rallying for Store: New Lease May Force Chimaera to Relocate.” The Peninsula Times Tribune, April 15, 1984, 19. “Town Trustees.” The Palo Alto Times, December 5, 1899, 1–2. “William Wreden.” Telegram-Tribune, February 11, 1995, C–12. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 52     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 34 June 10, 2025 Public Records California State Office of Historic Preservation, Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD), Santa Clara County, updated September 2022. Archival Records 443 Kipling Street, ca. 1900. c 1900. Photograph. Guy Miller Archives. Palo Alto Historical Association. https://cdm16865.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/PAHA/id/6986/rec/10 . Northway, Linda. 405 Kipling Street, 1985. 1985. Photograph. Palo Alto Historical Association. https://cdm16865.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/PAHA/id/6987/rec/2. The Grolier Club. “Guide to the William P. Wreden Collection,” 2025. https://www.grolierclub.org/default.aspx?p=v35ListDocument&ID=756771893&listid=11461 &listitemid=148939&ssid=322536&dpageid=&listname=. Internet Sources “1940 United States Federal Census.” Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Ancestry.com. Accessed November 17, 2023. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-00336- 00271?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=LdJ148&_phstart=successSource&pId =70748082. 1950 United States Federal Census. National Archives and Records Administration, 1950. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/260065847:62308. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 53     Historic Resource Evaluation 405 Kipling Street 24402.04 Palo Alto, CA PAGE & TURNBULL 35 June 10, 2025 IX. APPENDICES Appendix A – Preparer Qualifications This Historic Resource Evaluation was prepared by Page & Turnbull of San Francisco, California. Page & Turnbull staff responsible for this report include: Christina Dikas, Principal-in-charge; Barrett Reiter, Senior Associate and project manager; Clare Flynn, Senior Associate, project reviewer; and Samantha Purnell, Cultural Resources Planner, primary author, all of whom meet or exceed the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Architecture, Architectural History, or History. Item 2 Attachment B - Historic Resource Evaluation     Packet Pg. 54     ATTACHMENT C Project Plans In order to reduce paper consumption, a limited number of hard copy project plans are provided to Board members for their review. The same plans are available to the public, at all hours of the day, via the following online resources. Directions to review Project plans online: 1. Go to: https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Planning-Development- Services/Development-Services/Palo-Alto-Permit-View 2. Scroll down to find “405 Kipling Street” and click the address link. 3. On this project specific webpage, you will find a link to the project plans and other important information. Project Website: https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Current- Planning/Projects/405-Kipling-Street Item 2 Attachment C - Project Plans     Packet Pg. 55     Item No. 3. Page 1 of 1 Historic Resources Board Staff Report From: Planning and Development Services Director Lead Department: Planning and Development Services Meeting Date: April 9, 2026 Report #: 2604-6206 TITLE Approval of Historic Resources Board Draft Minutes of March 12, 2026 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Historic Resources Board (HRB) review and approve the attached meeting minutes. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: March 12, 2026 Draft HRB Minutes AUTHOR/TITLE: HRB Liaison1 & Contact Information Steven Switzer, Senior Historic Planner (650) 329-2321 Steven.Switzer@PaloAlto.gov Item 3 Item 3 Staff Report     Packet Pg. 56     City of Palo Alto Page 1 HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD Regular Meeting Draft Minutes: March 12, 2026 Council Chambers and Hybrid 8:30 a.m. Call to Order / Roll Call The Historic Resources Board (HRB) of the City of Palo Alto met on March 12, 2026, in Council Chambers and virtual teleconference at 8:30 a.m. Present: Vice Chair Willis, Board Member Eagleston-Cieslewicz, Board Member Ulinskas, Board Member Pease, Councilmember Keith Reckdahl Absent: Chair Rohman. Vice Chair Willis welcomed all to the meeting. The clerk called roll and declared there was a quorum. Public Comment There were no requests to speak. City Official Reports 1. Historic Resources Board Schedule of Meetings and Assignments Historic Preservation Planner Steven Switzer announced that upcoming meetings are included in Attachment A. Staff will update planned absences as they are made aware of them. HRB recruitment was extended until April 8 to solicit more applications. The Certified Local Government Annual Report is due April 24. The State Historic Preservation Conference takes place May 6-9 in Riverside. The May date for the Palo Alto Historic Awards is TBD and staff will coordinate with the board offline to set the date. Vice Chair Willis shared that PAST Heritage is giving their annual awards at the Historical Association Meeting on Sunday, May 3. Action Items 2. Historic Resources Board Discussion and Review of Certified Local Government (CLG) Annual Report Covering the 2024-2025 Reporting Period Mr. Switzer presented background on the CLG program, which was established by the National Historical Preservation Act of 1966 and encourages direct participation of local governments in preservation efforts. Palo Alto has been a CLG since 1992. This annual report covers October 2024 to September Item 3 Attachment A - March 12, 2026 Draft HRB Minutes     Packet Pg. 57     City of Palo Alto Page 2 2025, during which time there were 9 meetings and 5 serving members. The report in the packet is a draft and any additional trainings should be reported to staff. Mr. Switzer shared that the State changed the format from a Word document to a fillable PDF, which affects readability. Many ordinances are carried over from previous report years and most changes are member trainings and meeting dates. Vice Chair Willis expressed frustration that the HRB did not review the Julia Morgan project. Mr. Switzer reassured the Board that the standard process was followed, which was for the building permit to be reviewed by staff. Had it been a larger type of development, it would have warranted review by HRB. Vice Chair Willis responded that Julia Morgan was a significant architect in the area and stated the need for a better answer when asked why the HRB allowed the Julia Morgan building to be modified or half demolished. Vice Chair Willis requested that when a significant building is proposed to be modified in the future, that at least a courtesy notice be given to the HRB of who reviewed it, what they found, and who to contact with concerns. Mr. Switzer explained the Julia Morgan project process further. There was an inquiry regarding it and Historic Resources evaluation and documentation were provided via email to the Board, which Mr. Switzer offered to provide again. Mr. Switzer acknowledged the desire for notification of building permits or processes that are handled at the staff level. In the Historic Preservation Ordinance, some items do not get elevated to the Board level, such as the Julia Morgan, which was a building permit and not a discretionary process. The level of work was at the rear of the building and was an addition, so it was determined by Page & Turnbull and the historic preservation consultant to not need review by the HRB. Mr. Switzer offered to further discuss the Julia Morgan building process offline and/or agendize it for future discussion. Returning to the CLG, Board Member Eagleston-Cieslewicz asked whether the Section 2 and 3 responses are the same as last year's, which Mr. Switzer confirmed. Regarding a question from Board Member Ulinskas, Mr. Switzer clarified that the document's mention of the Historic Preservation Planner refers to his specific role, whether filled by him or a future person in that role. Vice Chair Willis wondered about the best way to review the unreadable sections of the report and suggested the language be sent to the Board in a readable format, perhaps sending last year's report wherever the language remains unchanged. Mr. Switzer agreed that next steps on the CLG Report draft are to send the language in a readable format to the Board for review. The Board Members asked about new HRB member qualifications. Mr. Switzer explained they are required to be a licensed historian or have a background in history or architecture. The city clerk is handling the recruitment and member requirements are listed in HRB's Administrative Code 2.27.010. The Board is no longer required to have a member who owns a historic house as of a 2024 update that reduced the board from 7 members to 5 and changed requirements due to recruitment concerns. Board Member Ulinskas asked about Item 4 and Mr. Switzer explained that there is a Seismic Advisory Group that kicked off during the reporting period. The group has been evaluating current ordinance and updating requirements or incentives to have buildings improved, such as unreinforced masonry or other Item 3 Attachment A - March 12, 2026 Draft HRB Minutes     Packet Pg. 58     City of Palo Alto Page 3 historic buildings that are at various levels of compliance to modern building codes. The City is evaluating what changes, if any, can be made to create a better-built environment. MOTION: None Approval of Minutes 3. Approval of Historic Resources Board Draft Minutes of February 12, 2026 Vice Chair Willis requested a few corrections to the minutes. At the second motion, Geddes was called Councilmember instead of Board Member. The line, "Board Member Pease wanted to have that conversation and take the decision," should say make, not take. MOTION: Moved by Board Member Eagleston-Cieslewicz, seconded by Board Member Ulinskas. VOTE: The motion passed 4-0. Chair Rohman Absent. Comments, Questions, and Announcements Board Member Pease acknowledged a public comment about the Mills Act and asked how response to that will be handled. Mr. Switzer shared that the City does not currently have a Mills Act program but 1 property, the Squire House, is under the Mills Act. The public commenter was given that information and told that if they want to participate in the Mills Act, it can be taken up with the City Council. Vice Chair Willis voiced frustration at the lack of progress on their inventory and expressed the need for a retreat where the Board can sit down and hash out a work plan they can all live with and act upon. Vice Chair Willis requested that the inventory index and what goes on it be agendized for the next meeting. The current index is a list of addresses and should be more than that to be useful. Mr. Switzer recommended that a retreat not be scheduled until the ongoing recruitment of 3 new Board Members is concluded. A recruitment is in progress for a Planning and Development Services Department intern. The intern could assist with making the historic inventory more user friendly. Vice Chair Willis agreed the retreat should be scheduled with the new members but wondered if a ballpark date could be set to help get it on the calendar and make it happen. Mr. Switzer offered that the retreat could be a special meeting or take place at a regularly scheduled meeting. A special meeting could be held in the board chambers or in a conference room. Vice Chair Willis suggested the retreat be a special meeting at a different time and stated it would be nice to have other preservationists talk to the group, such as the president of PAST Heritage or others. Vice Chair Willis agreed that a more casual environment like a conference room is important for having serious discussions about priorities. A time later in the day may work better but perhaps the morning is Item 3 Attachment A - March 12, 2026 Draft HRB Minutes     Packet Pg. 59     City of Palo Alto Page 4 easiest. Vice Chair Willis opined that last year's retreat was not functional and did not accomplish what was needed. Board Member Ulinskas recommended that Page & Turnbill be part of the retreat because they are a big part of historic evaluation and could help the Board better understand their role and that of the HRB. Mr. Switzer reiterated that topics for a future retreat are Board composition, ordinance and how historic reviews are approached, how consultant work ties into that, and the work plan for the HRB. Mr. Switzer pointed out that it may be difficult to set a date without knowing the 3 new board members' schedules. Vice Chair Willis asked about the timeline from the end of the application period to appointment of new members. Mr. Switzer explained that the city clerk handles the appointments and offered to address the question with the clerk's office and relay the answer to the Board. Board Member Eagleston-Cieslewicz added that the timeline includes an interview as well. Board Member Pease shared that this was his last meeting with the Board and expressed thanks, appreciation, and respect to everyone present. Board Member Pease stated the commitment of the Board in the current economy and environment is impressive. He highlighted the Board's work on the inventory and incentivizing people to list their homes, hoping this continued work stops the momentum of things disappearing and preserves them because how Palo Alto looks attracts people to the area. Board Member Ulinskas expressed appreciation for Board Member Pease's creativity and thoughtfulness in collaborating on the incentives research. Board Member Ulinskas hoped something could happen with the document they created because there were some excellent ideas. Board Member Pease shared that the Fry Site data they captured has no home and suggested the museum could record and archive it because it may become important to a future restoration. Mr. Switzer thanked Board Member Pease for his service and encouraged him to continue his position until a replacement board member is appointed. Board Member Pease responded that he cannot continue his position for personal reasons. Vice Chair Willis asked for an update on the awards. Mr. Switzer explained that contacts have been acquired and staff is working to get attendance and secure a space. In the effort to choose a date, Mr. Switzer offered to send out a poll for board member availability and invite past members as well. Adjournment MOTION: Board Member Pease moved to close the meeting, seconded by Board Member Ulinskas. VOTE: Passed 4-0. Meeting adjourned at 9:20 a.m. Item 3 Attachment A - March 12, 2026 Draft HRB Minutes     Packet Pg. 60