Agenda - City of Santa Monica

HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW: 1318-1322 2 nd Street
(east) facade (primary elevation) is divided at the floor plate by a pronounced stringcourse. A simple
articulated boxed cornice terminates the flat roofed building. The central entrance to the courtyard is
flanked by two wall planes with canted corners that provide access to the first floor commercial units. A
third unit along this elevation is accessible from the far south end of the street façade. Flagstone
veneer covers the baseboard of the entrance façade at the sidewalk. The upper level of the east
elevation is punctuated by four horizontally oriented metal framed tripartite windows of similar size.
Sheathed in stucco the north, south, and east elevations are devoid of fenestration. Over the years,
little if any significant exterior modifications have occurred to the building.
The property located at 1318-1322 2 nd Street (APN 4291-014-005) was initially identified and evaluated
in 1998 as part of the historic resources inventory update efforts of the Central Business District and the
Third Street Promenade (final report dated 1998 by Tearnen, Bricker, and Field). At that time, the
property was found to be a contributor to the Central Business District historic district and was
documented on a State DPR523A inventory form. The DPR523 form prepared for this survey did not
indicate that the property was individually significant. The subject property was later re-evaluated for
historical significance as part of the city-wide historic resources inventory update survey performed in
2007 (final report dated 2010 by ICF International). In concluding that assessment, the property
continued to appear eligible for local listing as a contributor to the previously identified “Central
Business District” and as such a new DPR523 inventory form was prepared. The new DPR523 form
prepared for that survey assessment did not indicate that the property was individually significant.
Upon recordation on the inventory form, the property was assigned a California Historical Resource
Status Code of 5D3 (5D3: appears to be a contributor to a district that appears eligible for local listing or
designation through survey evaluation).
In reviewing the previous survey findings for this property it can be concluded that the building was
found to lack sufficient historical and architectural significance to merit individual eligibility on the
National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historical Resources, or as a local City of
Santa Monica landmark since such recognition was never indicated on the DPR523 forms.
Historical Assessment
In assessing the property’s current historic status it was noticed that the overall integrity and
composition of the Central Business District appeared questionable. In addition to evaluating the
significance of the subject property OAC, therefore, conducted a preliminary cursory investigation of the
Central Business District to ascertain if it was still a valid historic district with sufficient contributing
properties to comprise a qualified historic district, as defined by the City’s historic preservation
ordinance (Santa Monica Municipal Code 9.36, Landmarks and Historic Districts) and the National Park
Service technical bulletin entitled National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria
for Evaluation (see Attachments A and B). The following information is presented as part of the
evaluation process for the subject property.
The Central Business District was originally surveyed for historical significance in 1983 as part of Phase
1 of the City’s overall historic resources survey efforts, and the area was re-surveyed in 1986 during
Phase 2 of the historic survey update process. The City-eligible Central Business District is roughly
bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Second Street to the west, Colorado Avenue to the south,
and Seventh Street to the east. The Third Street Promenade is located within the boundaries of the
Central Business District.
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