RLY AGENDA REPORT. Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Item Number: F-i. To: Honorable Mayor & City Council. From: Mark Odell, Urban Designer.

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1 RLY Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Item Number: F-i AGENDA REPORT To: From: Subject: Honorable Mayor & City Council Mark Odell, Urban Designer APPROVAL OF TWO RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING, RESPECTIVELY, THE GINDI BIRNKRANT HOUSE AT 604 ALPINE DRIVE AND THE J.B. HURD RESIDENCE AT 626 NORTH CAMDEN DRIVE AS LOCAL LANDMARKS AND PLACING THE PROPERTIES ON THE BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES; AND THE COUNCIL WILL ALSO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF TWO CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS, PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. Attachments: 1. Resolution Designating the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive as a Local Landmark 2. Resolution Designating the J.B. Hurd Residence at 626 North Camden Drive as a Local Landmark 3. Cultural Heritage Commission Reports and CHC Resolutions No. 70 and 71 Recommending Landmark Designation of the two properties (excluding exhibits) RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council, on the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and with each of the property owners express agreement, adopt two resolutions designating, respectively, the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive and the J.B. Hurd Residence at 626 North Camden Drive as Local Landmarks and placing the two properties on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Page 1 of 10

2 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive INTRODUCTION Currently thirty-eight (38) properties in Beverly Hills are designated as local Landmarks listed on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties (viewable at The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) has recommended that the City Council designate two additional historic properties as local historic landmarks in accordance with the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). Designating these properties as landmarks would recognize them as important to the history of the City and help to ensure protection of these resources by requiring City review of any significant future work done to the property, including renovations, additions, and any potential demolition. Listing these properties on the City s Register of Historic Properties would also enable the property owners to be eligible for current and future incentives offered to local landmarks, including the ability to request a Historic Incentive Permit, a Mills Act contract for possible property tax relief, or both. BACKGROUND The Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive 604 Alpine Drive The residence at 604 Alpine Drive was designed by Master Architects Conrad Buff III and Donald Hensman architects in 1979 for Mr. and Mrs. William Birnkrant. Conrad Buff III, FAIA (August 5, ) was born in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles and Donald C. Hensman, FAIA ( ) was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Hollywood. These modernist architects graduated from the USC School of Architecture and went on to form a noted mid century modern Southern California architectural firm. The Pasadena-based design firm was Page 2 of 10

3 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive formed as a result of the early collaboration of the two architects in architecture school. The firm was known for its early post-and-beam designs and later recognized for their expressive architectural massing and the interplay between indoor and exterior environments. These two noted architects continued to develop and perfect their unique modernist style with many praiseworthy commissions, including the design for numerous homes in the Poppy Peak National Register Historic District in Pasadena, as well as homes and commercial structures in Northern and Southern California. Based on the City Landmark Assessment Report and other evidence, the subject property appears to satisfies the following Landmark Criteria (pursuant to BHMC ) in support of its landmark nomination: A.1 (exceptional significance), A.2 (artistic value and architectural style), A.3 (integrity), A.4 (historic value), and B.6 (voluntary designation). Findings justifying landmark nomination are contained in Section 7 of the resolution in Attachment 1. At its July 11, meeting, the Cultural Heritage Commission, with the consent of the property owners, voted unanimously to nominate the landmark and to commence designation proceedings for the subject property. The J.B. Hurd Residence at 626 North Camden Drive 626 North Camden Drive The residence at 626 North Camden Drive was designed and built by master builder Ray P. Stahmann in 1941 for Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Hurd, pursuant to a review of the original building permits for this property. The design of the residence is a 1940 s interpretation of the French Revival architectural style. The front façade facing Camden Drive features an L-shaped massing and irregular composition. The exterior surface is covered in whitewashed brick at the ground floor, Page 3 of 10

4 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive and vertical wood bead board planks at the second story, separated by a soldier course brick stringcourse. Bay windows with standing seam metal roof elements can be found at the ground floor and multi-pane casement windows are located on all elevations. Both the main residence and the garage structure feature highly pitched hipped roofs with flared eaves. The J.B. Hurd Residence has been assessed for eligibility as a Local Landmark under Beverly Hills Municipal Code (BHMC) Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32 (Historic Preservation Ordinance). A City Landmark Assessment Report prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting provides background information and historic assessment of the property, and concludes that the property appears to be eligible as a local landmark. City staff peer-reviewed the submitted report, conducted a site visit of the property, and drafted findings in support of the property s landmark eligibility under BHMC Section (Landmark Designation Criteria). The resolution in Attachment 2 recommends that the City Council designate the J.B. Hurd Residence as a Landmark and place it on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. At its July 11, 2018 meeting, the Cultural Heritage Commission, with the consent of the property owners, voted unanimously to nominate the landmark and to commence designation proceedings on the subject property. DISCUSSION Acting upon Landmark Nomination applications filed on behalf of the owners, the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) initiated nomination proceedings for the properties located at 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive at a formal hearing on July 11, At this meeting the Cultural Heritage Commission considered Landmark Assessment Reports regarding eligibility of the properties prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay Consulting. Preliminary Evaluations for both properties, acknowledging the residences eligibility for designation had also been prepared by the Director of Community Development (pursuant to the requirements in BHMC A.3). The Commission found that each of the properties were eligible under landmark criteria (Beverly Hills Municipal Code ) and adopted Resolutions CHC 70 and CHC 71 respectively, nominating the Gindi-Birnkrant House and the J.B. Hurd Residence for inclusion onto the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Landmark Eligibility The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance enables the City Council to designate local landmarks. The subject properties have both been assessed for their eligibility for designation as Beverly Hills landmarks. The Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Reports provide the background and findings to justify each property s eligibility under Landmark Designation Criteria of the Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC ), to which the property is subject. Eligibility is summarized for each property in Table 1 (below). Page 4 of 10

5 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive Table 7. Summary of Local Landmark Criteria Eligibility Criterion Gindi-Birnkrant House J.B. Hurd Residence A.1 It is at least forty-five (45) Yes Yes years of age, or is a property of extraordinary The subject property was built The residence was designed significance; in (completed in 1 980), and built by Ray P, Stahmann and, therefore, is not yet 45 in 1941 and the building is years of age. However, it was approximately 77 years old as designed by recognized master of architects Conrad Buff Ill, FAIA and Donald C. Hensman, FAIA, in the Late Modern style. As such, the property reflects a pivotal period in the history of the firm s work that represented a marked transition from the earlier post-and-beam designed buildings popular in the 1950s and 1960s, to more modular designs constructed beginning in the mid-i 970s. Because the property has a unique direct association with master architects Buff & Hensman it possesses extraordinary significance. A.2 It possesses high artistic Yes Yes or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive The subject property embodies The subject property is a very characteristics of an the distinctive characteristics of good example of the French architectural style or the Late Modern style, as Revival (Eclectic) style, architectural type or uniquely envisioned by the incorporating many of the architectural period master architect team of Buff & architectural features Hensman. The form, volume, associated with the design workmanship, proportion and idiom. As adapted to a singlescale, and material family residence, the styling specifications incorporated into reflects several French the overall design of the architectural influences, property appear to possess including the materiality, scale, high aesthetic value and massing, and siting. Due to its uniquely represent the design, workmanship, and particular design intent of the architects. physical attributes it clearly embodies the distinctive character of a particular style, period of time, and architectural type. Page 5 of 10

6 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive Criterion Gindi-Birnkrant House J.B. Hurd Residence A.3 It retains substantial Yes Yes integrity from its period of significance The period of significance for The period of significance for the subject property is 1979, the subject property is 1941, when construction began. Most which is when construction of of the property remains the home was completed. Most substantially intact, particularly of the property remains along the street-facing (primary) substantially intact, particularly elevation on Alpine Drive. The along the street-facing (primary) important features of design, elevations on North Camden materials, location, setting, Drive and Elevado Avenue. workmanship, feeling, and The important features of association from this period are design, materials, location, still evident on the publicly visible elevations, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from this period are still evident on the publicly visible elevations. A.4 It has continued historic Yes Yes value to the community such that its designation The property continues to have Due to its distinctive as a landmark is historic value to the community architectural style and key reasonable and as a superior example of a Late design features associated with necessary to promote Modern design as interpreted the French Revival (Eclectic) and further the purposes for a single-family property type style the subject property has of this article located in Beverly Hills. and continues to convey historic value to the community. B.1 It is listed on the National No No Register of Historic Places The subject property is not The subject property is not listed on the National Register. listed on the National Register. B.2 It is an exceptional work No No by a Master Architect The property was designed by The property was built by the Master Architects Buff and local builder Ray P. Stahmann. Hensman, but there is no Moreover, there is no evidence evidence to indicate that the to indicate that the building is building is an exceptional work, associated with the work of a pursuant to the requirements Master Architect. set forth in the Municipal Code. Page 6 of 10

7 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive Criterion Gindi-Birnkrant House J.B. Hurd Residence 13.3 It is an exceptional work No No that was owned and occupied by a person of The archival research does not The archival research does not great importance, and indicate the property was indicate the property was was directly connected to owned or occupied by a owned or occupied by a a momentous event in person of great importance, person of great importance, the person s endeavors as defined in BHMC as defined in BHMC or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraphs, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous B.4 It is an exceptional No No property that was owned and occupied by a person The research information The research information of great local prominence uncovered for this property uncovered for this property during the assessment of its during the assessment of its historical significance does not historical significance does not indicate that the property was indicate that the property was owned and/or occupied by a owned and/or occupied by a person of great local person of great local prominence, as defined in prominence, as defined in BHMC BHMC , 13.5 It is an iconic property No No The property does not appear The property does not appear to meet the definition of iconic to meet the definition of iconic property, as defined in BHMC property, as defined in BHMC B.6 The landmark Yes Yes designation procedure is initiated, or expressly The landmark designation The landmark designation agreed to, by the procedure has been expressly procedure has been expressly owner(s) of the property. agreed to by the owner(s) of the agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. property. Page 7 of 10

8 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive Criterion Gindi-Birnkrant House J.B. Hurd Residence All criteria in Section A met? Yes Yes At least one criterion in Section B met? Yes Yes Does the subject property satisfy all the requirements in Beverly Hills Municipal Code to be considered an eligible property for landmark nomination and designation? Yes Yes By satisfying all criteria in Section A and at least one criterion in Section B, the subject properties both meet the necessary requirements for local landmark designation. With City Council designation, the properties would be added to the Local Register of Historic Properties (in the order of their nomination by the CHC), listed as follows: Property Name Proposed Local Landmark Designation The Gindi-Birnkrant House, 1979 No. 39 The J.B. Hurd Residence, 1941 No. 40 Future Regulation and the Secretary of the Interior s (SO!) Standards Given the ongoing need of property owners to adapt to changing tenant and market needs, it is important to consider the impact of any historic registry listings on the functional activities of properties. The effect of listing onto the City s Register of Historic Properties is not intended to freeze a property in time without any opportunity for future adaptations, but rather to provide reasonable guidelines to inform any future alterations, additions and/or adaptations in a way that allows for change without destroying historic integrity. Page 8 of 10

9 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive In order to allow historic properties to be adapted to modern needs, the Secretary of the Interior s (SQl) Standards for Rehabilitation are used as criteria to review changes to historic properties. The SQl Standards have purposefully been crafted to allow flexibility for historic buildings to be adapted over time to meet changing needs in a way that allows ongoing functionality of historic buildings without unnecessarily destroying historic fabric. There are ten guiding Standards to be applied in the rehabilitation of historic properties. The SQl Standards for Rehabilitation assume that at least some repair or alteration of a historic building will be needed over time in order to provide for efficient contemporary use; however, these repairs and alterations must not damage or destroy original materials, features or finishes that are important in defining the historic character of the resource. The Standards allow for modernization of landmarks and are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility. As local historic landmarks, any future proposed exterior work on the properties would be subject to additional historic review and would be subject to approval and issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness1 (pursuant to BHMC ) to ensure that the Secretary of the Interior s Standards are followed and to ensure that future alterations are appropriate for the historic properties. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY Designation of the properties as local historic landmarks is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan, including General Plan Policy HP 1.3 Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources, which encourages designation of local landmarks. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION Designations of the properties as local historic landmarks were 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. It has been determined that the landmark designations would not have a significant environmental impact and are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections (b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the designations will have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by the resolutions, and any future development would require separate environmental analysis when the details of such proposals are known. Further, the landmark designations of the properties are actions of the City to protect and preserve historic resources. 1 A Certificate of Appropriateness is a certificate issued to approve alteration, restoration, construction, removal, relocation in whole or in part, or demolition of a designated landmark or property within a historic district (BHMC ). Page 9 of 10

10 Meeting Date: October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Drive and 626 North Camden Drive PUBLIC COMMENT Both property owners indicated their support of the landmark designations during the Cultural Heritage Commission application and review process. As required by the City s Historic Preservation Ordinance, notice of the public hearing for consideration of landmark designation by City Council was provided to the property owner ten (10) days in advance. As of the writing of this agenda report, no public comments have been received regarding the Council agenda item. FISCAL IMPACT Landmark designation of a property in Beverly Hills does not create a direct fiscal impact. Designating a property as a local landmark deems it eligible for historic preservation incentives at the local level. This includes general eligibility to apply for a Mills Act contract2, which may result in a fiscal impact by way of reduced property tax revenue to the City and the Beverly Hills Unified School District. The cumulative fiscal impact of the Mills Act program was considered by the City Council when it reviewed and approved a three-year extension of the Pilot Mills Act Program through the end of The established annual cap on lost property tax to the City is not to exceed $100, in a single year, and not to exceed $1,000, projected over the ten year term for Mills Act contracts with the City. The corresponding impact on Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) funding through lost property tax revenue is set at $80, per annum and not to exceed $800,000 when projected over ten years. Any awarding of contracts to the subject properties would need to fall within the approved limits of the current Mills Act program, and would be subject to review and approval by the City Council. No further fiscal impact is anticipated to result from the landmark designation of the properties. Susan Healy Keene, AICP Director of Community Development 2 Subject to minimum program requirements, such as a $7.5 M cap on the tax assessed value of participating properties (with a possible exemption for exceptional significance). Page 10 of 10

11 City Council Agenda Report October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Dr. and 626 N. Camden Dr. Attachment I Resolution Designating the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive as a Local Landmark

12 RESOLUTION NO. 1 $-R A RESOLUTION Of THE COUNCIL Of THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING THE GINDI BIRNKRANT HOUSE AT 604 ALPINE DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS, AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND PLACING THE PROPERTY ON THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES Section 1. Article 32 of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code authorizes the City Council to designate local landmarks and historic districts and to place those properties and geographical areas on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Section 2. On January 10, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission preliminarily considered the single-family residence located on the property at 604 Alpine Drive in Beverly Hills, pursuant to Section l a.5 (Landmark or Historic District Designation Proceedings; Preliminary Hearing) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, and concluded that the Gindi Birnkrant House warranted formal consideration by the Commission for inclusion on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Thereafter, the Director of Community Development issued a Preliminary Evaluation pursuant to Section A.3 (Preliminary Evaluation) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, finding that the property appeared to be an eligible property based on available evidence at the time. Section 3. On April 11, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission conducted a Preliminary Hearing and found, based on the Preliminary Evaluation issued by the Director, the

13 historical evaluation submitted on behalf of the property owner, and other evidence, that sufficient evidence existed to conclude that the subject property merits formal consideration of landmark designation. Section 4. On July 11, 2012, the Cultural Heritage Commission considered a City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the Gindi-Birnkrant House prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, and other evidence provided during the proceedings and adopted Resolution No. CHC 70 recommending that the City Council designate the Gindi Birnkrant House as a Local Landmark to be included on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. The list of recommended character-defining features to be preserved is itemized in Section 7 of CHC Resolution No. 70 and included in Section 8 of this resolution. Section 5. On October 9, 2018, the City Council considered the property for landmark designation along with the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and adopted this resolution. The Council based its action on the findings of fact and reasons listed in the City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the J.B. Hurd Residence by Ostashay and Associates Consulting, and other evidence. Section 6. BACKGROUND. The subject property is located along the east side of North Alpine Drive just north of Carmelita Avenue in the Central Area of Beverly Hills. With approximately 5,811 square feet of space the dwelling is situated on lot 2, block 1 of Tract No The parcel has a rectangular shape that measures roughly 85 feet at its west and east ends, 2

14 183 feet along its northern line, and 182 feet along the southern lot edge. The front (primary) elevation of the house faces west onto Alpine Drive with garage access from the alley at the rear. The residence at 604 North Alpine Drive was designed by noted architects Buff & Hensman in 1979 for Mr. and Mrs. William Birnkrant, pursuant to a review of the original building permits for the property. The building design for the residence represents the later work of the master architect team and the overall verticality of the structure is emphasized with the incorporation of vertically-oriented re-sawn redwood cladding. The verticality of the building is further expressed as the interior wall planes appear to break the solidity of the façade to demarcate window openings and give focus to the main entry for the structure off the west elevation. The overall building plan is a modified H shape and asymmetrical in composition. The modular framing is apparent in the rhythm of the redwood cladding, laminated beams, and boxing of the large framing members. The design plan contributes to the simplicity and restraint of the Late Modern style, yet imbues a sense of elegance and grandeur. The flat roof of the house with parapet embodies the concepts of open space, verticality, structural modularity, simplicity of form and palette, straightforward use of materials, and overall unity of design. Attention to details unites outdoor and indoor spaces. The interior space is further delineated by using changes of floor level and volume. The house was designed with the main sleeping quarters at the upper level and the lower level planned to physically separate the family and adult areas with the quarry tile paved entry passage acting as the central partition area. There are also two fireplaces/chimneys incorporated in the house, one of slump stone within the west 3

15 wall of the first floor den area and the other integrated into the south wall of the family room off the kitchen to the northeast. To the west, north, and south the walls have a limited number of windows to prevent excessive heat gain during hot weather. At the west elevation and along the southern wall of the house are a series of decorative stained glass windows that were designed by artist Judy Jensen. Jensen worked with Buff & Hensman on approximately 15 residential projects from the mid s into the early 1 980s. Her dramatic stained glass windows were also used to the same effect as in those the artist designed for Donald Hensman s own home, Dornus Salaris, in With the west (primary) elevation fronting Alpine Drive, the Gindi-Bimkrant House has a typical setback and is laid out on the site with the primary entry door centrally placed between a series of building forms (modules) comprised of large redwood clad walls devoid of fenestration, varying level planter boxes integrated with the building walls, a wide slump stone engaged chimney, extended redwood clad soffits, and offset fenestration of varying size, shape, and type. Entry by guests and the homeowner is through the recessed double doors, which originally utilized an intercom and door release system from within the interior. The intercom system panel, bronze mail slot, and period-font metal address signage that reads 604 are still intact on the exterior of the building adjacent the front door. The house opens up to the rear (east) of the site, back yard and pooi, and to the detached offset garage structure to the north. The verticality of the east (east) elevation is enhanced by a sequence of two-story high redwood clad pilasters that frame large panes of fixed glass within the two large framing modules at the north and south ends of this facade. Storefront type bronze color aluminum framed glass doors open out from the living room module (south), family room 4

16 module (north), and the central recessed access point of the house. A series of attached redwood covered planters extend off the rear wall plane at varying intervals on both the first and second floors. An exterior cantilever redwood deck balcony extends over the rear central access point of the house to provide some shade and an exterior transitional point between the two large farming modules to the north and south. The south (side) elevation is primarily devoid of fenestration but for the four narrowframed decorative stained glass windows centrally placed between horizontally set redwood siding. The remaining wall plans along this elevation are sheathed in long planks of tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding; some of which are currently peeling off the wall and have water damage. The north side of the house features a varying two-story wall plane of vertical clad tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding set between horizontal redwood clad walls and recessed planters. There are also a series of full louvered utility doors, secondary access doors, rectangular shape solar bronze aluminum framed slider windows, and a wood fence with gate along this elevation. The detached garage is rectangular in shape with a flat roof, parapet, and is also sheathed in tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding. It was remodeled and enlarged by Buff & Hensman in 1979 to complement the style, materials, and design of the newly built custom home. Portions of this building have been modified since it was remodeled in 1979; hence, it is considered a secondary accessory structure. Pedestrian doors punctuate the south elevation of the structure with vehicular access from the alley. 5

17 Landscape and hardscape features of the site include the original quarry tile paving at the front door entrance, rectangular shape concrete slab stepping pads between the driveway and front door, metal bullet canned ground spot lights along the front perimeter of house, quarry tile paving at the rear central access point double doors, and concrete paved walkways with salt finish. A grassy lawn, some shrubs, and swimming pool also landscape the backyard area. A review of building permits confirms the property was constructed in 1979 and ultimately completed in Limited permitted work has been conducted on the exterior of the dwelling, as evident on the permits listed below. Some interior modifications, primarily water damage repair work, have also been conducted on the interior of the structure. Hence, from the exterior the main house has remained relatively unchanged since it was built. Upon inspecting the garage structure it appears it has undergone some minor exterior alterations. Section 7. FINDINGS AND DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR ATTRIBUTES JUSTIFYING LANDMARK DESIGNATION. The City Council finds, pursuant to the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance, that the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive satisfies the necessary requirements for designation as a local landmark based on the following: The Gindi-Birnkrant House is eligible under significance criterion A. 1. It is at least forty-five (15) years of age, or is a properly of extraordinwy signflcance. The subject property was built in 1979 (completed in 1980), and, therefore, is not yet 45 years of age. It was, however, designed by recognized master architects Conrad Buff III. FAIA and Donald C. Hensman, FAIA, in the Late Modem style. As such, the property reflects a pivotal period in the 6

18 history of the firm s work that represented a marked transition from the earlier post-and-beam designed buildings popular in the 1 950s and 1 960s, to those with massive pilasters and modular wall systems constructed beginning in the mid-i 970s. Because the property has a unique direct association with master architects Buff & Hensman it possesses extraordinary significance. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Gindi-Birnkrant House is individually eligible under significance criterion A.2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectitral period. The subject property embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Late Modem architectural style, as uniquely envisioned by the master architect team of Buff & Hensman. The form, volume, workmanship, proportion and scale, and material specifications incorporated into the overall design of the property appear to possess high aesthetic value and uniquely represent the particular design intent of the architects. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Gindi-Birnkrant House is eligible under significance criterion A.3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of sign flcance. The period of significance for the subject property is 1979, when construction began. Most of the property remains substantially intact, particularly along the street-facing (primary) elevation on Alpine Drive. The important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from the period of significance are still physically and visually evident on the publicly visible elevations. Therefore, the property retains substantial integrity and satisfies this criterion. 7

19 The Gindi-Birnkrant House is eligible under significance criterion A.4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the pwposes of this article. The property is considered to have historic value to the community as a superior example of a Late Modem design as interpreted for a single-family property type located in Beverly Hills. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Gindi-Bimkrant House is eligible under significance criterion B.6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was initiated by and expressly agreed to by the owners of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Section 8. CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED. Use and development of the Gindi-Birnkrant House shall be governed by the Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment ofhistoric Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the 501 Standards). These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The key features that should be preserved are as follows. The character-defining features associated with the 604 Alpine Drive residence are those exterior features on the main house that reflect and define its association with master $

20 architects Buff & Hensman and its Late Modem architectural style. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: Bold geometric forms; modular building composition; irregular H shape footprint Vertical emphasis, modularity, simplicity of form, lack of ornamentation Asymmetrical façades and arrangement of features (doors, windows, solid to void patterns) along the primary (west) elevation flat roof with parapet with galvanized metal caps Fenestration pattern, size, shape, length and width, placement, type, framing color, and materials Storefront type bronze color aluminum framed glass doors (single, double) Stained glass windows at west (front) and south (side) elevations Exterior re-sawn tongue and groove redwood cladding material set in vertical and horizontal directions (size, length, shape, profile, width, texture, color, material, placement, form and shape) Extended, monumental soffits, fasciae, pilasters, and chamfers Recessed, extended and engaged redwood clad planters Section 10. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR FUTURE PROPOSED CHANGES PURSUANT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE (Section ). The Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOI Standards and Guidelines) are incorporated as reference. These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities 9

21 that justify its listing as a landmark. The guidelines and standards are an aid to public and private property owners, and others, formulating plans for new plantings, constructions, for rehabilitation or alteration of existing landscapes, associated structures, and for site development. The guidelines pertain to buildings of all occupancy and construction types, sizes and materials, and pertain to construction on exterior of existing buildings as well as new, attached, or adjacent construction. The $01 Standards and Guidelines are also designed to be standards that City Staff and the Cultural Heritage Commission shall apply when making decisions about Certificates of Appropriateness as required by the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance. The location and boundaries of the delineated resource are the property boundaries. Section 11. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. Designation of the Gindi-Birnkrant House as a local historic landmark was 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. It has been determined that designation of the Gindi Birnkrant House would not have a significant environmental impact and is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the designation of the Gindi-Birnkrant House may have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by this resolution, and any future development proposed pursuant to this resolution will require separate environmental analysis when the details of those proposals are known. further, designating the Gindi-Birnkrant House is an action of the City to protect and preserve an historic resource. 10

22 Section 12. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY. Designation of the Gindi-Binthant House as a local historic landmark is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan. General Plan Policy HP Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources encourages the establishment of programs encouraging the nomination of landmarks. Section 13. The City Council hereby designates the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive as a local landmark included on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties as Landmark No. 39, for the reasons set forth in this resolution. Section 14. The record of proceedings for designation of the Gindi-Birnkrant House as a local landmark included on the City s Register of Historic Properties is maintained by the City as part of the official records of the Community Development Department at 455 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, I/I /1/ 11

23 Section 15. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of the Resolution and shall cause the Resolution and his certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills. The City Clerk shall also cause the Resolution to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county of Los Angeles as authorized by Section 3215 I of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the City of Beverly Hills Municipal Code. Adopted: ATTEST: JULIAN A. GOLD, M.D. Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California (SEAL) BYRON POPE City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO CONTENT LA RENCE S. WIENER MAHDI ALUZRI City Attorney City Manager SAN HEALY KEN Director of Community Development Exhibit A City Landmark Assessment & Evaluation Report by Ostashay & Associates Consulting, dated July

24 EXHIBIT A

25 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION REPORT JULY 2018 GINDI-BIRNKRANT HOUSE 604 North Alpine Drive, City of Beverly Hills, CA Prepared for: City of Beverly Hills Community Development Department Planning Division 455 Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA Prepared by: Jan Ostashay, Principal Ostashay & Associates Consulting P0 BOX 542, Long Beach, CA 90801

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27 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION REPORT Gindi-Birnkrant House 604 North Alpine Drive Beverly Hills, CA APN: INTRODUCTION This landmark assessment and evaluation report, completed by Ostashay & Associates Consulting (OAC) for the City of Beverly Hills, documents and evaluates the local significance and landmark eligibility of the single-family residence located at 604 North Alpine Drive, in the City of Beverly Hills. Included in the report is a discussion of the survey methodology used, a summarized description of the subject property and its historical integrity, a brief contextual history of the property, a review of the local landmark criteria considered in the evaluation process, a formal evaluation of the property for local significance, photographs, and any applicable supporting materials. METHODOLOGY The landmark assessment was conducted by Jan Ostashay, Principal, of Ostashay & Associates Consulting. In order to identify and evaluate the subject property as a potential local landmark, an intensive-level survey was conducted. The assessment included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and its annual updates, the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register), and the California Historic Resources Inventory System (CHRIS) maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in order to determine if any evaluations or survey assessments of the property had been previous performed. For this current landmark assessment a site visit was performed and a review of as-built architectural plans, building permits, tax assessor records, and historic aerial photographs was conducted to document the property s existing condition and assist in evaluating the property for historical significance. The City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria were employed to evaluate the local significance of the structure and its eligibility for individual designation as a City of Beverly Hills Landmark. In addition, the following tasks were performed for the study: Searched records of the National Register, California Register, and OHP Historic Resources Inventory. Conducted site-specific research on the subject property utilizing architectural plans, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (not available for this property), city directories, Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 1

28 FINDINGS newspaper articles, historical photographs, aerial photographs, and building permits, among other available resources. Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation, designation assessment procedures, and related programs. Evaluated the potential historic resource based upon criteria established by the City of Beverly Hills and utilized the OHP survey methodology for conducting survey assessments. The Gindi-Birnkrant House located at 604 N. Alpine Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for individual designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). This property appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. of the City s Landmark Designation Critera. BACKROUND INFORMATION The subject property is located along the east side of North Alpine Drive just north of Carmelita Avenue in the flats area of Beverly Hills. With approximately 5, 811 square feet of space the dwelling is situated on lot 2, block 1 of Tract No The parcel has a rectangular shape that measures roughly 85 feet at its west and east ends, 183 feet along its northern line, and 182 feet along the southern lot edge. The front (primary) elevation of the house faces west onto Alpine Drive with garage access from the alley at the rear. The immediate neighborhood in which the property is located contains parcels improved with single-family homes of varying size and style that were built in the 1920s through to the last decade. The 604 North Alpine Drive property has not been previously identified, documented, or evaluated under any of the City s previous historic resources survey efforts. In addition, it is not included in the State s CHRIS list and is not recorded in the National Register or California Register. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION The residence at 604 North Alpine Drive was designed by noted architects Buff & Hensman in 1979 for Mr. and Mrs. William Birnkrant, pursuant to a review of the original building permits for the property. The building design for the residence represents the later work of the master architect team and the overall verticality of the structure is emphasized with the incorporation of vertically-oriented re-sawn redwood cladding. The verticality of the building is further expressed as the interior wall planes appear to break the solidity of the façade to demarcate window openings and give focus to the main entry for the structure off the west elevation. The overall building plan is a modified H shape and asymmetrical modular in composition. The modular framing is apparent in the rhythm of the redwood cladding, laminated beams, and boxing of the large framing members. The design plan contributes to the simplicity and Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 2

29 restraint of the Late Modern style, yet imbues a sense of elegance and grandeur. The flat roof house with parapet embodies the concepts of open space, verticality, structural modularity, simplicity of form and palette, straightforward use of materials, and overall unity of design. Attention to details unites outdoor and indoor spaces. The interior space is further delineated by using changes of floor level and volume. The house was designed with the main sleeping quarters at the upper level and the lower [eve! planned to physically separate the family and adult areas with the quarry tile paved entry passage acting as the central partition area. There are also two fireplaces/chimneys incorporated in the house, one of slump stone within the west wall of the first floor den area and the other integrated into the south wall of the family room off the kitchen to the northeast. To the west, north, and south the walls have a limited number of windows to prevent excessive heat gain during hot weather. At the west elevation and along the southern wall of the house are a series of decorative stained glass windows that were designed by artist Judy Jensen. Jensen worked with Buff & Hensman on approximately 15 residential projects from the mid 1970s into the early 1980s. Her dramatic stained glass windows were also used to the same effect as in those the artist designed for Donald Hensman s own home, Domus Solaris, in With the west (primary) elevation fronting Alpine Drive, the Gindi-Birnkrant House has a typical setback and is laid out on the site with the primary entry door centrally placed between a series of building forms (modules) comprised of large redwood clad walls devoid of fenestration, varying level planter boxes integrated with the building walls, a wide slump stone engaged chimney, extended redwood clad soffits, and offset fenestration of varying size, shape, and type. Entry by guests and the homeowner is through the recessed double doors, which originally utilized an intercom and door release system from within the interior. The intercom system panel, bronze mail slot, and period-font metal address signage that reads 604 are still intact on the exterior of the building adjacent the front door. The house opens up to the rear (east) of the site, back yard and pool, and to the detached offset garage structure to the north. The verticality of the east (east) elevation is enhanced by a sequence of two-story high redwood clad pilasters that frame large panes of fixed glass within the two large framing modules at the north and south ends of this facade. Storefront type bronze color aluminum framed glass doors open out from the living room module (south), family room module (north), and the central recessed access point of the house. A series of attached redwood covered planters extend off the rear wall plane at varying intervals on both the first and second floors. An exterior cantilever redwood deck balcony extends over the rear central access point of the house to provide some shade and an exterior transitional point between the two large farming modules to the north and south. The south (side) elevation is primarily devoid of fenestration but for the four narrow-framed decorative stained glass windows centrally placed between horizontality set redwood siding. The remaining wall plans along this elevation are sheathed in long planks of tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding; some of which are currently peeling off the wall and have water damage. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 3

30 The north side of the house features a varying two-story wall plane of vertical clad tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding set between horizontal redwood clad walls and recessed planters. There are also a series of full louvered utility doors, secondary access doors, rectangular shape solar bronze aluminum framed slider windows, and a wood fence with gate along this elevation. The detached garage is rectangular shape with a flat roof, parapet, and is also sheathed in tongue and groove re-sawn redwood siding. It was remodeled and enlarged by Buff & Hensman in 1979 to complement the style, materials, and design of the newly built custom home. Portions of this building have been modified since it was remodeled in 1979; hence, it is considered a secondary accessory structure. Pedestrian doors punctuate the south elevation of the structure with vehicular access from the alley. Landscape and hardscape features of the site include the original quarry tile paving at the front door entrance, rectangular shape concrete slab stepping pads between the driveway and front door, metal bullet canned ground spot lights along the front perimeter of house, quarry tile paving at the tear central access point double doors, and concrete paved walkways with salt finish. A grassy lawn, some shrubs, and swimming pool also landscape the backyard area. A review of building permits confirms the property was constructed in 1979 and ultimately completed in Limited permitted work has been conducted on the exterior of the dwelling, as evident on the permits listed below. Some interior modifications, primarily water damage repair work, have also been conducted on the interior of the structure. Hence, from the exterior the main house has remained relatively unchanged since it was built. Upon inspecting the garage structure it appears it has undergone some minor exterior alterations. Relevant permits for the property recorded with the City of Beverly Hills include the following: YEAR DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1923 Single-family residence and garage 1935 Private garage with four spaces 1976 Swimming pooi 1979 New single-family residence (demo existing residence) 1979 Masonry walls and concrete walkways 1979 Remodel, addition to existing garage 1984 Re-roof 1986 Re-roof 1995 Repair work, water damage at garage 2010 Repair drywall, water damage 2010 Replace 15 can lights No other building permits were located in the City s on-line permit files, and visual inspection of the exterior of the property confirms no major exterior alterations have been made. The limited modifications and work as noted above have not significantly compromised the property s original architectural design, historical integrity, or important character-defining features. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N, Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 4

31 HISTORICAL CONTEXT Beverly Hills. The early settlement and development of Beverly Hills began on what was called Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. This land was originally claimed by Mexican settlers Maria Rita Valdez and her husband Vicente Valdez around Aptly named The Ranch of the Gathering of the Waters, the swamps or cienegas that characterize the natural landscape were created by rain run off flowing out of Coldwater and Benedict Canyons. Vegetable farming, sheep herding, bee keeping and the raising of walnut trees were the primary agricultural activities within the rancho lands during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several attempts at subdividing and establishing communities on the ranch lands were attempted during the 1860s and 1880s, but ended in failure. In 1906, the Amalgamated Oil Company reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Burton Green played a leading role in formulating the plans for a garden city, located between Whittier Drive on the west, Doheny Drive on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and the foothills above Sunset Boulevard to the north.2 The syndicate hired notable California park planner, Wilbur F. Cook, Jr., to plan the new community. Cook had worked with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted prior to moving to Oakland in 1905 to establish his own firm. Comprised of Beverly in the commercial triangle between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Beverly Hills north of Santa Monica Boulevard, the new community was one of the earliest planned communities in southern California. Prompted largely by concern over the water and school systems, residents voted to incorporate in 1914 and created the new City of Beverly Hills. The original boundaries of the City were much the same as they are today, except for the area south of Wilshire Boulevard, annexed in 1915, and Trousdale Estates, annexed in Most of the City was open land at the time of incorporation with development scattered around Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, Crescent Drive, and the downtown triangle.3 The architecture of Beverly Hills in the years following the City s founding was dominated by the Craftsman, Mission Revival, and Period Revival styles like Tudor Revival, Georgian, and Beaux-Arts Classicism. With Beverly Hills establishing itself as a haven for movie stars in the 1920s, the architectural character of the city began to realize a varying degree of extravagance in the design of its housing stock. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s sophisticated period revival styles dominated the domestic architecture of the City, including Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, French Normandy, Tudor Revival, and the like. By the mid to late 1930s Beverly Hills became one of the areas in southern California most closely connected with the development of the Hollywood Regency style. Born of the meeting of Moderne sleekness with the elegance of early nineteenth century architectural forms, it used simple, primary forms and blank wall surfaces to project exclusivity and sophistication.4 Beverly Hills domestic architecture in the post-world War II era saw the incorporation of Revival references in its new Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey , pg. 5. pp Ibid, pg. 11. Ibid. pg. 17. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report pages

32 housing stock, and also the introduction of contemporary, luxury designs reflective of the Midcentury Modern idiom. Architects like Robert D. Farquhar, Gordon Kaufmann, Wallace Neff, Ralph C. Flewelling, Paul R. Williams, Gerard R. Colcord, Roy Sheldon Price, and Elmer Grey among others left their mark on Beverly Hills residential, commercial, and institutional built environment and their single-family residential designs embodied the styles most closely associated with Beverly Hills as a place of luxury and sophistication. The personal residences of real estate magnates, oilmen, and Hollywood producers mingled with those of movie, radio, and television stars drawing tourists as well as would-be residents to the rainsertpidly growing, largely affluent community of Beverly Hills. By the end of World War II, much of Beverly Hills was fully developed but was still growing in density, resulting in the subdivision of some large estates and the demolition of older building stock for new residential and commercial development. The city s commercial district gained a number of professional occupants and Beverly Hills became less of a bedroom community to Los Angeles and more of a destination in and of itself. Single-family residential development continued to feature Period Revival styles, although the 1950s saw the beginning of the Modern movement in the city. In 1955, the Trousdale Estates neighborhood, just north of the subject property, was created from the subdivision of the former Doheny family ranch land. The most common styles of architecture associated with the new homes being constructed included Mid-century Modern, Contemporary Ranch, and Hollywood Regency. Many of the newer homes were designed by notable master architects such as Cliff May; Buff, Straub and Hensman; Lundberg, Armet & Davis; Welton Beckett; Paul Laszlo; James Dolena; John Elgin Woolf; Paul R. Williams; and Harold Levitt. Modernism was also the prevailing style of multi-family residential properties as well as commercial office buildings. The stucco box apartment house vernacular of the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by its flat surfaces, aluminum framed windows, flat stone covered roofs, integrated parking, and decorated by abstract trim, was as prominent in new construction in Beverly Hills as it was elsewhere in Southern California. By the 1960s, apartment buildings had grown larger, occupying parcels assembled from several lots and constructed over underground parking. Notable multi-family and commercial examples of Mid-century Modernism began to dot the areas south of Santa Monica Boulevard, along Wilshire Boulevard, and in the vicinity of Olympic Boulevard and neighboring streets. By the 1980s, new construction in Beverly Hills was scattered throughout the city on undeveloped properties in the hills and on redeveloped parcels in the residential and commercial sections of the flats. Beverly Hills pattern of increasingly dense urbanization has continued into the present. Some of the City s older housing stock, particularly in the residential section of the flats, has been replaced with Late Modern style, Post-Modern, or monumental contemporary style residences designed by noted architects of world-renowned recognition. Nonetheless, in considering the City s overall development its long lineage of high quality residential and commercial architecture serves as a physical manifestation of the City s unique and diverse architectural heritage. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 6

33 604 North Alpine Drive. Prior to the Buff & Hensman designed residence occupying the parcel, a one-story, wood-frame house with detached garage occupied the site. Designed in a U shape plan with classic Colonial elements and a complex gable roof it was built in 1922 for then owner L. Williams of Los Angeles, a speculative real estate investor. William and Janet Birnkrant purchased the property after they were married in Wanting something more contemporary and modern they hired architect Rex Lotery to remodel and enlarge the house in Ten years later the Birnkrants hired architects Buff & Hensman to design a totally new two-story, single-family dwelling. The remodel and enlargement of the existing garage was also part of their scope, according to permit history and the original design plans. The house dating from 1922 was demolished in the spring of 1979 followed by the construction of the new modern dwelling. With an estimated value of $300,000, according to the original permit, the custom-designed house reflected the classic Buff & Hensman s Late Modern style. The Birnkrants owned and occupied the subject property for just over 25 years. In 1995, Elie and Sharon Gindi purchased the dwelling. They remain the current owners and occupants of the residence today. In designing the property, the architectural team was concerned with what Hensman called material vocabulary. In the 604 North Alpine Drive residence, this was achieved through the use of a limited palette of materials, including slump stone brick, bronze-framed solar glass, and the extensive use of clear cut horizontal and vertical re-sawn redwood siding, tongue and grooved to permit blind nailing for the exterior walls. The combination of natural materials incorporated throughout the house was to form a serene and simultaneously dramatic environment. The subject property was designed and constructed following a pivotal period in the history of the firm s work that represented a marked transition from their earlier post-and-beam buildings popular in the 1950s and 1960s, to those with massive pilasters and modular wall systems constructed beginning in the mid-1970s. This change in the firm s approach to design was due in part to the fact that the post-and-beam technique had more or less run its course in popularity. It was; however, largely due to a response to the introduction of stricter building codes in the early 1970s, such as fire safety and Title 24 that required greatly increased energy efficiency in building construction.5 Buff & Hensman, Architects. Conrad Buff III ( ) and Donald C. Hensman ( ) were among the most respected and influential Modern architects working in California during the second half of the twentieth century.6 The two men met at the Architecture School of the University of Southern California (USC), where they were both students and later faculty in the 1950s, during one of the program s most dynamic and influential periods. After forming a partnership in 1952, they soon became masters of the post-and-beam method of construction that helped define an entire aesthetic associated with California houses in the post-world War II years. From 1957 to 1962 the firm also included architect Calvin Straub, hence, the partnership was referred to as Buff, Straub and Hensman. Straub left the firm to accept a Hensman, Donald C. and James Steele, ed. Buff and Hensman, USCArchitectural Guild Press, p Hensman, Donald C. and James Steele, ed. Buff and Hensman, USCArchitectural Guild Press, p. 8. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 7

34 teaching position at Arizona State University and the firm was renamed back to Buff & Hensman. The firm was later referred to Buff, Smith & Hensman when Dennis Smith became the last person to become a partner with the company. He became a partner in 198$ and president in 1997 when Donald Hensman retired. Under their partnership of nearly 40 years they produced designs for numerous residential, commercial, and institutional projects throughout Southern California. The firm s office was located in Pasadena and is responsible for a total of 44 projects in that city, along with a handful in Beverly Hills. Their work in Beverly Hills was primarily residential and reflected their classic post-and-beam modernist designs as well as their later Late Modern vocabulary from the 1970s and early 1980s. Over the course of their career, the firm won more than 40 awards from the American Institute of Architects (AlA). Buff also won the AlA s first Outstanding Craftsmanship Award in 198$ for furniture design. The architects had also been noted participants in the John Entenza s Case Study House Program, a mid-century experiment and competition in modern architectural design, having designed two houses under the program. They had also designed a new Governor s Mansion, commissioned by outgoing Governor Ronald Reagan and in which the new Governor, Jerry Brown, refused to live.7 In 1980, Conrad Buff was awarded his AlA fellowship; Don Hensman was similarly honored in 19$;. Late Modernism. Late Modernism emerged in the late-1960s and early 1970s, as a reaction against orthodox Modernism. Southern California s liberal social climate of the 1960s and its temperate physical climate allowed for the type of architectural experimentation associated with Late Modernism. More refined than Brutalism, less picturesque than Postmodernism, Late Modernism was the architectural style of choice for corporate headquarters, office buildings and even residential housing built in the 1970s and 19$Os. Late Modernism took Modern architecture to an extreme order to overcome its monotony and perceived banal, cost effective buildings. This exaggeration of design along with a tendency toward repetition and the incorporation of sculptural forms that broke apart the box form and treated it as a sculptural object are two important aspects of Late Modern architecture. Along with precision assembly, the incorporation of fine materials, plus open plans and spaces the buildings of this period asserted the primacy of the rectangular form, a lack of ornamentation, flat roofs, and expanses of glass skin or other repetitive wall cladding. Unlike the straightforward, functionalist simplicity of International Style and Mid-century Modernism, Late Modern buildings exhibit a more deliberate sculptural quality with bold geometric volumes, uniform surfaces such as glass skin, concrete, stone, or textured wood; and a sometimes exaggerated expression of structure and systems. Late Modern designed buildings also featured hooded or deeply set windows; solar vision glass of brown, brown, black or blue; bold geometric massing with wide dramatic chamfers, overhanging soffits or fasciae; and large expanses of unrelieved wall surfaces. 7Register, Kathy. Renowned architect Buff dies at 62, Pasadena Star-News, October11, 1998, and Hensman, Donald, James Steele (ed), Buff & Hensman, Architectural Guild Press, Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 8

35 HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE CONSIDERATION FRAMEWORK City of Beverly Hills Landmark Criteria. The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Municipal Code Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32; BHMC ) authorizes the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to recommend the nomination of properties as local landmarks to the City Council. The Council may designate local landmarks and historic districts by the procedures outlined in the ordinance. The Preservation Ordinance also establishes criteria and the process for evaluating and designating properties as potential local landmarks. An eligible property may be nominated and designated as a landmark if it satisfies the following requirements: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements: 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance; 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period; 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance; and 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements: 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect; 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous; 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence; 5. It is an iconic property; or 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. Historical Integrity. Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance. In addition to meeting the criteria of significance, a property must have integrity. Integrity is the authenticity of a property s physical identity clearly indicated by the retention of characteristics that existed during the property s period of significance. Properties eligible for local landmark Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 9

36 designation must meet at least two of the local landmark designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their historical significance. Both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources recognize the seven aspects of qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity. To retain historic integrity a property should possess several, and usually most, of these seven aspects. Thus, the retention of the specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its significance. The seven qualities that define integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The seven qualities or aspects of historical integrity are defined as follows: Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a 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 a property s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. EVALUATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Evaluation Criteria. In analyzing the historical significance of the subject property, criteria for designation under the City s local landmark program was considered. Additionally, consideration of historical integrity and the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) survey methodology was used to survey and assess the relative significance of the property. Application of City Landmark (Significance) Criteria. Based on the current research and the assessment herein the property located at 604 North Alpine Drive appears to satisfy the necessary City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria. The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria, as follows: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements (BHMC (A)): 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 10

37 The subject property was built in 1979 (completed in 1980), and, therefore, is not yet 45 years of age. It was; however, designed by recognized master architects Conrad Buff Ill, FAIA and Donald C. Hensman, FAIA, in the Late Modern style. As such, the property reflects a pivotal period in the history of the firm s work that represented a marked transition from the earlier post-and-beam designed buildings popular in the 1950s and 1960s, to those with massive pilasters and modular wall systems constructed beginning in the mid-1970s. Because the property has a unique direct association with master architects Buff & Hensman it appears to have extraordinary significance. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period. The subject property embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Late Modern style, as uniquely envisioned by the master architect team of Buff & Hensman. The form, volume, workmanship, proportion and scale, and material specifications incorporated into the overall design of the property appear to possess high aesthetic value and uniquely represent the particular design intent of the architects. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance. The period of significance for the subject property is 1979, when it was constructed. Only minor changes have occurred to the exterior of the property since it was erected and so it appears to be substantially intact overall, particularly on its primary elevations facing Alpine Drive. The property appears to retain all seven qualities of historic integrity, including location, design, workmanship, materials, setting, feeling, and association. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. The property continues to have historic value to the community as a superior example of a Late Modern design as interpreted for a single-family property type located in Beverly Hills. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements (BHMC (B)): 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The subject property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 11

38 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect. The subject property was designed by master architects Buff & Hensman in the Late Modern idiom. Buff & Hensman are included in the City s List of Master Architects. The 604 North Alpine Drive residence is an extant later example of their distinctive portfolio of architectural work. In our research; however, no information was found to indicate the property was published in any architectural journals or trade magazines, received an architectural award, discussed or photographed in a monograph on the architects work or career, photographed by the architectural photographer Julius Shulman, or published in the Los Angeles Times. Therefore, the property does not appear to satisfy the term of exceptional work as defined in the City s Historic Preservation ordinance and does not appear to satisfy this criterion. 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous. The archival research data reviewed on the property did not indicate that it was owned and occupied by a person(s) of great importance. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. In reviewing archival research data on the history of the property there was no indication that it was owned and occupied by a person(s) of great local prominence. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 5. It is an iconic property. There is no indication that the property should be considered iconic within the city. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was expressly agreed to by the owner of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Character-defining Features. Every historic property is unique, with its own identity and its own distinguishing character. A property s form and detailing are important in defining its visual historic character and significance. It is a property s tangible features or elements that embody its significance for association with specific historical events, important personages, or distinctive architecture and it is those tangible elements; therefore, that should be retained and Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 12

39 preserved. Character refers to all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic property. According to National Park Service Brief; 7, Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character, character-defining features include the overall shape of a property (building, structure, etc.), its material, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features (as applicable), as well as the various aspects of its site and immediate environment (form, configuration and orientation). The Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties defines historic character by the form and detailing of materials, such as masonry, wood, stucco, plaster, terra cotta, metal, etc.; specific features, such as roofs, porches, windows and window elements, moldings, staircases, chimneys, driveways, garages, landscape and hardscape elements, etc.; as well as spatial relationships between buildings, structures, and features; room configurations; and archaic structural and mechanical systems. Identifying those features or elements that give a historic property visual character and which should be taken into account and preserved to the maximum extent possible is important in order for the property to maintain its historical significance. The character-defining features associated with the 604 North Alpine Drive residence are those exterior features on the main house that reflect and define its association with master architects Buff & Hensman and its Late Modern architectural style. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: Bold geometric forms; modular building composition; irregular H shape footprint Verticality emphasis, modularity, simplicity of form, lack of ornamentation Asymmetrical façades and arrangement of features (doors, windows, solid to void patterns) along the primary (west) elevation Flat roof with parapet with galvanized iron caps Fenestration pattern, size, shape, length and width, placement, type, color/tint, and materials (glazing and framing) Solar bronze fenestration and bronze color aluminum frames Storefront type bronze color aluminum framed glass doors (single, double) with bronze solar glazing Stained glass windows at west (front) and south (side) elevations Exterior re-sawn tongue and groove redwood cladding material set in vertical and horizontal directions (size, length, shape, profile, width, texture, color, material, placement, form and shape) Extended, monumental soffits, fasciae, pilasters, and chamfers Recessed, extended and engaged redwood clad planters Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 13

40 Front entry intercom system panel, bronze mail slot, and period-font metal address signage 604 Engaged slump stone chimney at west (front) elevation (material, size, pattern, color, texture, width and height, construction, and end cap) Quarry tile paving at front and rear doors of house; rectangular shape concrete slab stepping pads between driveway and front door CONCLUSION The single-family dwelling located at 604 North Alpine Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32). This site appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 14

41 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com. United States Census records (database on-line): 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940; World War I draft registration records; World War Il draft registration records; city directory files. Provo, Utah. Aldington, Peter. Architecture and the Landscape Obligation, in Post-War Houses, Twentieth Century Architecture 4, The Journal of the Twentieth Century Society. nd. Beverly Hills Public Library, Historical Archives Collection. Buff, Conrad. Interview by Dan McMasters, Los Angeles Times, Home Section, February 1, Clark, Alson. The Golden Age of Modernism: Pasadena s Contribution, Unpublished for Pasadena Heritage, Crosse, John. Buff & Hensman: An Annotated and Illustrated Bibliography (Uncorrected Proof- Not for Sale), Playa del Rey, California: modern-ism Press, Daley, Victoria; Natalie Shivers and Michael Dawson. Balcony Press, L.A. s First Moderns. Glendale, CA: Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. Architecture in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books, Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, Handlin, David P. American Architecture, London, England: Thames and Hudson, Ltd., nd. Hensman, Donald C., FAIA. Interview by Sarah Cooper, Pasadena Historical Society and Friends of the Pasadena Public Library, Hess, Alan. The Ranch House, New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Ltd., Hines, Thomas S. Architecture of the Sun: Los Angeles Modernism , New York, New York: Rizzoli, Images Publishing Group, Hise, Greg. Magnetic Los Angeles, Baltimore, Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press, Historic Aerial Images, Accessed at Historic Resources Group and Pasadena Heritage. Cultural Resources of the Recent Past Historic Context Statement Report: City of Pasadena, Hollywood, California: Historic Resources Group, GindiBirnkrant House, 604 N, Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 15

42 Jencks, Charles. Late-Modern Architecture. New York, New York: Rizzoli, Jencks, Charles. The New Moderns: From Late to Neo-Modernism. New York, New York: Rizzoli, Jencks, Charles. The Story of Post-Modernism: Five Decades of the Ironic, Iconic and Critical. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley, Johnson Heumann Research Associates. Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Final Report. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, Jones & Stokes, ICF. City of Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Report, Survey Area 5: Commercial Properties. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June 2006, rev. April Kappe, Shelly. Calvin Straub (Buff, Straub, and Hensman), Toward a Simpler Way of Life. Robert Winter, ed. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, Leibowitz, Ed. Epitaph: Donald Hensman, , Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles, California, March Los Angeles County Tax Assessor Information. Los Angeles Public Library. On-line historical and image database archives and files. McAlister, Virginia. A Field Guide to American Houses, New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopt, 1984, McCoy, Esther. Arts and Architecture Case Study Houses, in Elizabeth Smith, Blueprints for Modern Living, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, Mellors, Anthony. Late Modernist Poetics: From Pound to Prynne, Manchester, United Kingdom: Manchester University Press, Ovnick, Merry. Los Angeles: The End of the Rainbow, Los Angeles, California: Balcony Press, 1994 PCR Services. Historic Resources Survey, Part I: Historic Resources Survey Update and Part II: Area 4 Multi-Family Residence Survey. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times ( ). Rifkind, David and Elie G. Haddad. A Critical History of Contemporary Architecture: Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., Salisbury, Laura. From Late Modernism to Postmodernism. University Press, Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Beverly Hills. 1922, 1950, Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 16

43 Serraino, Pierluigi and Julius Shulman. Modernism Rediscovered, Cologne, Germany: Taschen, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 15. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 16, Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 24, Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief 17. Architectural Character Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character rev. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief 22. Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties that Have Achieved Significance Within the Past Fifty Years Washington, D.C.: 1990; 1996; National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1979, rev. Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Early Beverly Hills. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Beverly Hills Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780, A Guide to the Styles, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, Gindi-Birnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 17

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45 APPENDIX Location Map Site Map Assessor Parcel Map San born Fire Insurance Map (1950 paste-up) Original Permit Architectural Plan Photographs Gindi8irnkrant House, 604 N. Alpine Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 18

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47 1:9,028 Notes 604 North Alpine Drive Beverly Hills, CA -. 7, Legend 1 F ? 4- F. /..; F -, E z ly Hills o 1- i,, F I ZDEVERLY5I Aoi 0 0 z Alden Dr Alden W:3 RD ST. V. 0. z E 0 z I _7 surton:wyz F V V --a 0 This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable. THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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49 RD. COUliT Of S fp 74I 1 0 Cl) m (I) 0 0 C Cl) Cl) m a) Cl, 0 c3) 0 z -e CD c3 -.. CD OJ U) 0 OELE5. CL oo% t-10- i907 i37 CD -1 Z4 O FOR PREV. ASSMt 137

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51 V.V IXATE VV.AcHncT?Uff V V.i4C.O. V BUILDING DEPARTMENTUSEONLY BEVERLYHiLLS,CAUFORNI)1 let rzf PL.AN CHECK FEE 67 iy3. BUILDING PERMIT FEE. jy N. AlpIne l 11i%tdf tc b. $ /io! - h1.p-! I. AS A jf arscnipylou I t. t L TOTAL FEE $ /.//,L oiwonc New- ene.sincle APPLICATION APPROVED RY 2 fan.?.l 2_stpr weiing.arj Li Ti L RUILDIN OTT PE anew e oviaion PLAN ON FILE PLAN ON RACK NO PLANS AREAOP NO. OF DWELL. UHIT5 exilting garaè.. r?ode: S in fziii li Mr and Mrs..WlUai Birnk ant RODRISS_6O4N.-.A)pinr -- OWNER S. - CITY AND BH-9O2E 2 S 44 ZONE PHONE CONTRACTOR owner CTORI ES HIOHl CONTRACTOR S ADDRESS FRONT ii) floe C CITY AND!. SET SACK ST RACK I.. R..d ZONK PARK SPACER PARK SPACES PROVIDED IlANCE rug t4cer QUIRKD -, fl/covenant APORERS PHONE I ADDRESS UC. NO.. LIC. 4O. CITY PHONE s.u,rior Q-,7GO--0q ooo & Henthi4ri, Architect 945 N STATE - tsty STAVE.. CITYI If LIC.NO., Ltt,NO. I.IC.UO. V.. L HV important. V Application is hereby made to iwiolrictir Eulldtng and Saf.ty for a permlt iubjacito the condltipns!and restricttons set,fort on the front and rear faces of tills application I I I 1. I certify that In doing the work Specified reini wilvnot employ any parson In violation of tile labor code of the State of California relating to worker s compensation insurance. V 2. EaCh person upon whose behalf this application is made and each person at whose reajbstahd or whose beflfttyiork is performed Under or pursuant to any permit issued as a reuit of this application agrçi to, apd Shall, indemnly and häid harmless the City of Beverly Hills, its otficets, agents end employees in accordance)4ith the Ørovlslons ofsectlgj of th Beverly Hills Municipal Code. j V 3. Any Permit issued as a result of this apptlfitloi becomes nuiland votdlt work..4 ot commerce In HUNDRED TWENTY (120) DAYS from date of isstjance of such permit,.. I. H f SIGNATURE CF,f APPLICANT. V APPCICXtION FOR PERMIT - bffccbpy r E- tjt L 4 * 2r

52

53 - - U U S E T sris P 7 N E P114 SNN1 II4PL$ -.4 NI 5116NN7 PLT P4.AN 4 NMLITIN P AN FUNPA1IN PLAN FRAMING PLAN PP3MIN PLAN 4 b - A-I FI.1 A1_ PI A N A-L SNNI1rS pp PLAN 33 SATANIN N IN AN R A P1. AN 3-0 euil,3 sgcrc,is 4,N PR ST A - R.4PiZNrALN.71CNi_,_ IHrIcIU. RrAI1. PLAN 3-7 SBCON2 C LCC KCRIZONTALVE3TICAL _d INTRcIC.c LTNIL WLAN AS APLaN OO$, FOIJNOATON NLEVATION PLANS,. NP 1444,L HSThS , 4IN4 CA 54IOAARN PlO 5CP PRICICA MIS S SNCONS A CO F, L SIR PLAN T AO5 flconp F AlA R NP ALATIAS plan A I A S I S N N 0 s-.4 N N P NO P I A N M7IrN plan IMLONANI SAL) 4441CC 0.44 NipI 4p_ I., U N fl _I i l S T P L N N9O31 1 C In N

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55 PHOTOGRAPHS: 604 North Alpine Drive PHOTO - 1: Modular front facade, looking northeast PHOTO - 2: Front (west) elevation, looking southeast PHOTO - 3: C Front (west) entry door area, looking east 4 PHOTO - 4: Original concrete slab payers w/salt finish 4 a It 1k PHOTO - 5: Period address signage and mail slot PHOTO -6: Push button entry door mechanism

56 8: t PHOTOGRAPHS: 604 North Alpine Drive PHOTO - View of southern bay at rear (east) elevation PHOTO -9: View of northern bay at rear (east) elevation PHOTO - 10: First floor of central bay at rear elevation PHOTO - 11: Panoramic view of rear (east) elevation and backyard area, looking northwest

57 PHOTOGRAPHS: 604 North Alpine Drive PHOTO - 13: South (side) elevation, looking west + PHOTO - 14: South elevation, stained glass detail < PHOTO - 15: North (side) elevation, looking west PHOTO - 16: Southeast corner of parcel at backyard PHOTO - 17: South (side) elevation of garage PHOTO - 1$: Front (west) elevation of garage

58 OSTAS HAY & ASSOCIATES CONSULTING PD BOX 542 LONG BLACH, CA

59 City Council Agenda Report October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Dr. and 626 N. Camden Dr. Attachment 2 Resolution Designating the J.B. Hurd Residence at 626 North Camden Drive as a Local Landmark

60 RESOLUTION NO. l$-r A RESOLUTION Of THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING THE J.B. HURD RESIDENCE AT 626 NORTH CAMDEN DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS, AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND PLACING THE PROPERTY ON THE CITY Of BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER Of HISTORIC PROPERTIES Section 1. Article 32 of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code authorizes the City Council to designate local landmarks and historic districts and to place those properties and geographical areas on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Section 2. On July 11, 2012, the Cultural Heritage Commission preliminarily considered the single-family residence located on the property at 626 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, pursuant to Section A.5 (Landmark or Historic District Designation Proceedings; Preliminary Hearing) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, and concluded that the J.B. Hurd Residence warranted formal consideration by the Commission for inclusion on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Thereafter, the Director of Community Development issued a Preliminary Evaluation pursuant to Section A. 3 (Preliminary Evaluation) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, finding that the property appeared to be an eligible property based on available evidence at the time. Section 3. On July 11, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission conducted a Preliminary Hearing and found, based on the Preliminary Evaluation issued by the Director, the historical evaluation submitted on behalf of the property owner, and other evidence, that sufficient evidence existed to conclude that the subject property merits formal consideration of landmark designation.

61 Section 4. On July 11, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission considered a City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the J.B. Hurd Residence prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, and other evidence provided during the proceedings and adopted Resolution No. CHC 71 recommending that the City Council designate the J.B. Hurd Residence as a Local Landmark to be included on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. The list of recommended character-defining features to be preserved is itemized in Section 7 of CHC Resolution No. 71 and included in Section $ of this resolution. Section 5. On October 9, 2012, the City Council considered the property for landmark designation along with the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and adopted this resolution. The Council based its action on the findings of fact and reasons listed in the City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the J.B. Hurd Residence by Ostashay and Associates Consulting, and other evidence. Section 6. BACKGROUND. Constructed in 1941, the property is a two-story, singlefamily residential building designed in the French Revival (Eclectic) style. The building is located at the southeast corner of North Camden Drive and Elevado Avenue. The large parcel contains a two-story, single-family residence oriented west toward Camden Drive. The front half of the property is bordered by a low-rise painted brick wall that is intersected by a series of tall brick piers that are capped with lanterns and in which wrought iron railings are set. The rest of the parcel is enclosed along the perimeter and rear alley by a tall painted brick wall. The front yard on Camden Drive contains a semi-circular, concrete and brick paved driveway and mature landscaping with various trees, shrubs, and lawn. The detached multi-car garage, which a portion is utilized as a pool cabana, is offset at the northeast corner of the parcel and is accessed via a concrete driveway from Elevado Avenue. Occupying the eastern portion of the lot is a good size 2

62 backyard that is bounded by the building on the east and north. The backyard features a brick paved patio terrace and pooi deck and contains a swimming pooi, a pooi cabana (south side of garage), and abundant landscaping and grassy lawn. Completed in 1941, the J.B. Hurd Residence is a large home showcasing an early 1940s interpretation of the French Revival style. An example of the asymmetrical subtype of the style, the building has an irregular, L shape plan. The stylistic signature of a high, side-facing hipped roof crowns the main volume that is intersected by a series of smaller hipped roofs, including one over an extended front bay. Composition shingles cover the steeply pitched roof with flared eaves. As viewed from the street, the lower story is veneered in white washed brick laid in running bond, while the upper is clad with wide vertical-laid wood plank bead board. A pronounced brick stringcourse of turned soldier course orientation separates the stories. Fenestration along the first level includes a large curved bay window with elongated multi-pane casements set under a metal standing-seam accent roof at the north end and a canted bay with a large multi-pane fixed focal window and side casements capped with a bell-cast standing seam metal accent roof to the far south. Centrally placed along the front façade is the recessed entry that is defined by a series of brick steps, landing, and monumental front door assembly. Set back within the wood paneled entry vestibule is a multi-panel wood door with decorative bronze door knob and speak easy peep hole that is capped by a wood-frame transom window with decorative stained glass. A highly ornate molded segmental pediment door surround frames the entry vestibule and demarcates it as the main entry to the house. Second story windows on the primary elevation consists of cut-away segmental wall dormers set within flat wood surrounds that feature a molded blind transom with upper fan-light detail. The architectural details along the front façade wrap around to the north (side) end of the dwelling as well as a portion of the rear (east) elevation. Such features on these wall planes 3

63 include a large canted bay window with metal standing seam roof (glazing and internal framing replaced), cut-away segmental wall dormer windows, brick cladding at the first floor and vertical wood bead-board siding at the second level, ornate brick stringcourse, and in-laid brick (rack) quoin corner detail, as well as an engaged brick chimney. Off the backend of the house a one story room addition was added in This portion of the house is sheathed in stucco and is punctuated by elongated casement type fenestration that complements the original window frames of the house. Near the axis of the L shape building plan is a set of multi-pane French doors with paired louvered shutter doors that open to a brick paved patio deck that is partially covered by a half hip roof supported by decorative posts with filigree. Interestingly, these posts are emblematic to master architect Paul R. Williams design features. Fenestration along portions of the backside of the house consists of multi-pane windows of varying size set within simple wood casings with wood sills and surrounds. The stringcourse is also extended around the building s rear wall planes; however, it is a simpler, thinner detail than on the primary elevations of the house. The south side of the house, which abuts up to a neighboring residence, is also sheathed in smooth stucco with the simpler banded stringcourse running between the first and second floors. There are numerous window openings (multi-pane, wood casings and sills), a secondary access door, and an extended one-story polygon shape bay wing along this elevation. The multifaceted stucco sheathed bay has brick base walls; a series of casement windows set atop the brick walls; and a semi-bell cast roof with molded fascia. extended eaves, and compositional shingle covering. A concrete paved narrow walkway, some landscaping, utilities, and brick wall with gate are also along this side of the house. At the northeast corner of the parcel, a stucco sheathed garage capped with a high-pitched hipped roof with flared, extended eaves is situated. A portion of this structure was converted to 4

64 use as a pooi cabana sometime after 1969, when the pooi was installed. The building is punctuated by multi-pane fenestration and a multi panel wood door on its south side (facing the pool). A second pedestrian door with brick steps, landing, and metal railing is off the west elevation. The north side of the garage contains large garage doors that open onto a short concrete paved driveway and Elevado Avenue. Section 7. FINDINGS AND DESCRIPTION Of PARTICULAR ATTRIBUTES JUSTIFYING LANDMARK DESIGNATION. The City Council finds, pursuant to the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance, that the residence satisfies the necessary requirements for designation as a local landmark based on the following: The J.B. Hurd Residence is eligible under significance criterion A. 1. It is at least forty-five (45,) years ofage, or is a property ofextraordinary sigi4flcance. The subject property was built in 1941, thus in 2018 it is 77 years old. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The J.B. Hurd Residence is eligible under significance criterion A.2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics ofan architectural style or architectural type, or architectural period. The subject property is a very good example of the French Revival (Eclectic) style, incorporating many of the architectural features associated with the idiom. As adapted to a single-family residence, the styling reflects several French influences with its high-pitched complex hipped roof; quoin details; decorative beltcourse feature; window type and treatment; dormer style and placement; entry door elaborations; sheathing material; and scale, massing, and siting. Because of its design, workmanship, and materials it clearly embodies the distinctive character of a particular style, period of time, and architectural type. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The J.B. Hurd Residence is eligible under significance criterion A.3. It retains substantial integrity from its period ofsignficance. The period of significance for the subject 5

65 property is 1941, which is when construction of the home was completed. Most of the property remains substantially intact, particularly along the street-facing (primary) elevations on North Camden Drive and Elevado Avenue. The important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from this period are still evident on the publicly visible elevations. Therefore, the property retains substantial integrity and satisfies this criterion. The J.B. Hurd Residence is eligible under significance criterion A.4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and fitrther the purposes of this article. Because of its distinctive architectural style and key design features associated with the French Revival (Eclectic) style the subject property has and continues to convey historic value to the community. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The J.B. Hurd Residence is eligible under significance criterion 3.6. The landmark designation procedure is initiatecl or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s of the property The landmark designation procedure was initiated by and expressly agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Section 8. PRESERVED. CHARACTER DEFNING FEATURES THAT SHOULD BE Use and development of the J.B. Hurd Residence shall be governed by the Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein refeffed to as the SOl Standards). These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The key features that 6

66 should be preserved are as follows. The character-defining features associated with the 626 North Camden Drive property are those exterior features on the property that reflect and define its French Revival (Eclectic) architectural style and property type as a single-family dwelling. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: Location, massing, scale and proportion, and siting of the main residence on the parcel Primary elevations defined as west and north facades Building configuration with setbacks from North Camden Drive and Elevado Avenue Complex high-pitched hipped roof with flared extended boxed eaves and cut-away segmental (arched) wall dormers on west, east, and north elevations Brick (running bond) clad first floor; wide vertical wood bead board siding at second level above beltcourse (material, type, design, pattern, style, overall appearance) Fenestration (size, material, type, shape, location/placement, mullion profile, individual panes): recessed multi-pane casement windows; multi-pane fixed pane and/or pivot or other type; multi-pane bay windows with metal standing seam roof caps; multi-pane dormers with decorative blind wood panel transoms and segmental (arched) shaped hoods; wood molded surrounds; rowlock brick sills; vertical running bond brick lintels; louvered wood shutters (noting inset window frames have been replaced in-kind) Front door assemble: multi-panel wood front entry door with decorative bronze door knob and speak easy peek hole; upper wood-frame transom window with decorative stained glass; molded wood door surround; deeply recessed entry vestibule of panel wood with bronze mail slot; highly decorative segmental pedimented door surround Decorative running bond brick stringcourse wrapping building (turned soldier course orientation) In-laid brick (rack) quoin detail at building corners and some window openings Decorative brick chimneys (two separate chimneys, size, shape, height, brick pattern, material, cap detail treatment. location/placement) Decorative brick planters along front (west) façade 7

67 Multifaceted (polygonal), one-story bay wing extension with brick walls, multi-pane casements, stucco sheathing, and bell-cast roof with molded fascia and extended eaves off south (side) elevation Paved front entry stoop, landing, and steps (size, placement, shape, height, pattern. design, and width) Section 9. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS F OR FUTURE PROPOSED CHANGES PURSUANT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. The Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOI Standards and Guidelines) are incorporated as reference. These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The guidelines and standards are an aid to public and private property owners, and others, formulating plans for new plantings, constructions, for rehabilitation or alteration of existing landscapes, associated structures, and for site development. The SOI Standards and Guidelines are also designed to be standards that City Staff and the Cultural Heritage Commission shall apply when making decisions about Certificates of Appropriateness as required by the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance. The location and boundaries of the delineated resource are the property boundaries. Section 10. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. Designation of the J.B. Hurd Residence as a local historic landmark was 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. It has been determined that 8

68 designation of the J.B. Hurd Residence would not have a significant environmental impact and is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be said with certainty that there is no possibility that the designation of the J.B. Hurd Residence may have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by this resolution, and any future development proposed pursuant to this resolution will require separate environmental analysis when the details of those proposals are known. Further, designating the LB. Hurd Residence is an action of the City to protect and preserve an historic resource. Section 11. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY. Designation of the J.B. Hurd Residence as a local historic landmark is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan. General Plan Policy HP Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources encourages the establishment of programs encouraging the nomination of landmarks. Section 12. The City Council hereby designates the J.B. Hurd Residence as a local landmark included on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties as Landmark No. 40, for the reasons set forth in this resolution. Section 13. The record of proceedings for designation of the J.B. Hurd Residence as a local landmark included on the City s Register of Historic Properties is maintained by the City as part of the official records of the Community Development Department at 455 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California,

69 City Section 14. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of the Resolution and shall cause the Resolution and his certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills. The City Clerk shall also cause the Resolution to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county of Los Angeles as authorized by Section 3215 I of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the City of Beverly Hills Municipal Code. Adopted: ATTEST: JULIAN A. GOLD, M.D. Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California (SEAL) BYRON POPE City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO CONTENT LAURENCE S. WIENER MAHDI ALUZRJ City Attorney City Manager USANHEALYKE E Director of Community Development Exhibit A Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report by Ostashay & Associates Consulting, dated July

70 EXHIBIT A

71 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION REPORT JULY 2018 J.B. Hurd Residence 626 North Camden Drive, City of Beverly Hills, CA Prepared for: City of Beverly Hills Community Development Department Planning Division 455 Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA Prepared by: Jan Ostashay, Principal Ostashay & Associates Consulting PC BOX 542, Long Beach, CA 90801

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73 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION REPORT i. B. Hurd Residence 626 North Camden Drive Beverly Hills, CA APN: INTRODUCTION This landmark assessment and evaluation report, completed by Ostashay & Associates Consulting (OAC) for the City of Beverly Hills, documents and evaluates the local significance and landmark eligibility of the single-family residence located at 626 North Camden Drive, in the City of Beverly Hills. Included in the report is a discussion of the survey methodology used, a summarized description of the subject property and its historical integrity, a brief contextual history of the property, a review of the local landmark criteria considered in the evaluation process, a formal evaluation of the property for local significance, photographs, and any applicable supporting materials. METHODOLOGY The landmark assessment was conducted by Jan Ostashay, Principal, of Ostashay & Associates Consulting. In order to identify and evaluate the subject property as a potential local landmark, an intensive-level survey was conducted. The assessment included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and its annual updates, the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register), and the California Historic Resources Inventory System (CHRIS) maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in order to determine if any evaluations or survey assessments of the property had been previous performed. For this current landmark assessment a site visit was performed and a review of as-built architectural plans, building permits, tax assessor records, and historic aerial photographs was conducted to document the property s existing condition and assist in evaluating the property for historical significance. The City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria were employed to evaluate the local significance of the structure and its eligibility for individual designation as a City of Beverly Hills Landmark. In addition, the following tasks were performed for the study: Searched records of the National Register, California Register, and OHP Historic Resources Inventory. Conducted site-specific research on the subject property utilizing architectural plans, Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, city directories, newspaper articles, historical JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 1

74 FINDINGS photographs, aerial photographs, and building permits, among other available resources. Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation, designation assessment procedures, and related programs. Evaluated the potential historic resource based upon criteria established by the City of Beverly Hills and utilized the OHP survey methodology for conducting survey assessments. The J.B. Hurd Residence located at 626 North Camden Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for individual designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). This property appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. of the City s Landmark Designation Critera. BACKROUND INFORMATION The subject property is located at the southeast corner of North Camden Drive and Elevado Avenue in the flats area of Beverly Hills. With 5,537 square feet of space the two-story residence is situated on lot 15, block 60 of the Beverly Hills tract. The parcel has a rectangular shape that measures roughly 90 feet at its west end, 100 feet along its east side, 180 feet along its northern line, and 176 feet along the southern lot edge. The property fronts onto Camden Drive with garage access off Elevado Avenue. An alley abuts the parcel to the east. Outside of the subject property, which was built in 1941, the immediate neighborhood is primarily developed with single-family homes of varying size and style that were built in the 1920s and within the last few decades or so. The 626 North Camden Drive property has not been previously identified, documented, or evaluated under any of the City s previous historic resources survey efforts. In addition, it is not included in the State s CHRIS list and is not recorded in the National Register or California Register. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION The large parcel contains a two-story, single-family residence oriented west toward Camden Drive. The front half of the property is bordered by a low-rise painted brick wall that is intersected by a series of tall brick piers that are capped with lanterns and in which wrought iron railings are set. The rest of the parcel is enclosed along the perimeter and rear alley by a tall painted brick wall. The front yard on Camden Drive contains a semi-circular, concrete and brick paved driveway and mature landscaping with various trees, shrubs, and lawn. The detached multi-car garage, which a portion is utilized as a pool cabana, is offset at the northeast corner of the parcel and is accessed via a concrete driveway from Elevado Avenue. Occupying the eastern portion of the lot is a good size backyard that is bounded by the building on the east and north. The backyard features a brick paved patio terrace and pool deck and i.e. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 2

75 contains a swimming pooi, a pool cabana (south side of garage), and abundant landscaping and grassy lawn. Completed in 1941, the J.B. Hurd Residence is a large home showcasing an early 1940s interpretation of the French Revival style. An example of the asymmetrical subtype of the style, the building has an irregular, L shape plan. The stylistic signature of a high, side-facing hipped roof crowns the main volume that is intersected by a series of smaller hipped roofs, including one over an extended front bay. Composition shingles cover the steeply pitched roof with flared eaves. As viewed from the street, the lower story is veneered in white washed brick laid in running bond, while the upper is clad with wide vertical-laid wood plank bead board. A pronounced brick stringcourse of turned soldier course orientation separates the stories. Fenestration along the first level includes a large curved bay window with elongated multi-pane casements set under a metal standing seam accent roof at the north end and a canted bay with a large multi-pane fixed focal window and side casements capped with a bell-cast standing seam metal accent roof to the far south. Centrally placed along the front façade is the recessed entry that is defined by a series of brick steps, landing, and monumental front door assembly. Set back within the wood paneled entry vestibule is a multi-panel wood door with decorative bronze door knob and speak easy peep hole that is capped by a wood-frame transom window with decorative stained glass. A highly ornate molded segmental pediment door surround frames the entry vestibule and demarcates it as the main entry to the house. Second story windows on the primary elevation consists of cut-away segmental wall dormers set within flat wood surrounds that feature a molded blind transom with upper fan-light detail. The architectural details along the front façade wrap around to the north (side) end of the dwelling as well as a portion of the rear (east) elevation. Such features on these wall planes include a large canted bay window with metal standing seam roof (glazing and internal framing replaced), cut-away segmental wall dormer windows, brick cladding at the first floor and vertical wood bead board siding at the second level, ornate brick stringcourse, and in-laid brick (rack) quoin corner detail, as well as an engaged brick chimney. Off the backend of the house a one-story room addition was added in This portion of the house is sheathed in stucco and is punctuated by elongated casement type fenestration that complements the original window frames of the house. Near the axis of the L shape building plan is a set of multi-pane French doors with paired louvered shutter doors that open to a brick paved patio deck that is partially covered by a half hip roof supported by decorative posts with filigree. Interestingly, these posts are emblematic to master architect Paul R. Williams design features. Fenestration along portions of the backside of the house consists of multi-pane windows of varying size set within. simple wood casings with wood sills and surrounds. The stringcourse is also extended around the building s rear wall planes; however, it is a simpler, thinner detail than on the primary elevations of the house. The south side of the house, which abuts up to a neighboring residence, is also sheathed in smooth stucco with the simpler banded stringcourse running between the first and second floors. There are numerous window openings (multi-pane, wood casings and sills), a secondary access door, and an extended one-story polygon shape bay wing along this elevation. The multifaceted stucco sheathed bay has brick base walls; a series of casement windows set atop i.b. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 3

76 the brick walls; and a semi-bell cast roof with molded fascia, extended eaves, and compositional shingle covering. A concrete paved narrow walkway, some landscaping, utilities, and brick wall with gate are also along this side of the house. At the northeast corner of the parcel, a stucco sheathed garage capped with a high-pitched hipped roof with flared, extended eaves is situated. A portion of this structure was converted to use as a pool cabana sometime after 1969, when the pool was installed. The building is punctuated by multi-pane fenestration and a multi panel wood door on its south side (facing the pool). A second pedestrian door with brick steps, landing, and metal railing is off the west elevation. The north side of the garage contains large garage doors that open onto a short concrete paved driveway and Elevado Avenue. A review of building permits affecting the exterior of the property indicate that it has undergone some modifications since it was built in Recorded with the City of Beverly Hills include the following: YEAR DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1940 Single-family residence 1940 Private garage 1961 Landscape, patio roof, tool shed, patio terrace, fence 1964 Room addition 1969 Swimming pooi 1969 Garage remodel 1981 Recover wood shingle roof with compositional shingles 1986 Bathroom remodel 1988 New driveway at front of house 1996 Kitchen remodel; window replacement 2007 Re-roof guest house, remove fe) wood shakes for comp shingles 2011 Re-roof main house 2013 Remodel guest house 2014 Front and side yard 6 -O masonry walls 2015 Rear yard masonry wall 2017 Replace (58) windows and (3) doors on house Notable modifications to the residence have included removal of the original wood shingles on the house and garage with compositional shingles in 1981, the removal of the front yard (softscape and hardscape) for the installation of a paved circular driveway at the front of the house in 1988, and the replacement of all windows on the house with compatible type fenestration within the original openings in 2017 (retaining original wood casings, sills, lintels and molding trim). Most of the alterations as listed above appear to have been changes sympathetic to the property s overall architectural qualities or were made along secondary elevations out of view from the public right-of-way. Such evident changes have not significantly compromised or J.B. Hurd Residence, 626 N, Camden Drive city Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 4

77 radically altered the dwelling s original architectural design, historical integrity, or important character-defining features. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Beverly Hills. The early settlement and development of Beverly Hills began on what was called Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. This land was originally claimed by Mexican settlers Maria Rita Valdez and her husband Vicente Valdez around Aptly named The Ranch of the Gathering of the Waters, the swamps or cienegas that characterize the natural landscape were created by rain run off flowing out of Coldwater and Benedict Canyons. Vegetable farming, sheep herding, bee keeping and the raising of walnut trees were the primary agricultural activities within the rancho lands during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several attempts at subdividing and establishing communities on the ranch lands were attempted during the 1860s and 1880s, but ended in failure. In 1906, the Amalgamated Oil Company reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Burton Green played a leading role in formulating the plans for a garden city, located between Whittier Drive on the west, Doheny Drive on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and the foothills above Sunset Boulevard to the north.2 The syndicate hired notable California park planner, Wilbur F. Cook, Jr., to plan the new community. Cook had worked with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted prior to moving to Oakland in 1905 to establish his own firm. Comprised of Beverly in the commercial triangle between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Beverly Hills north of Santa Monica Boulevard, the new community was one of the earliest planned communities in southern California. Prompted largely by concern over the water and school systems, residents voted to incorporate in 1914 and created the new City of Beverly Hills. The original boundaries of the City were much the same as they are today, except for the area south of Wilshire Boulevard, annexed in 1915, and Trousdale Estates, annexed in Most of the City was open land at the time of incorporation with development scattered around Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, Crescent Drive, and the downtown triangle.3 The architecture of Beverly Hills in the years following the City s founding was dominated by the Craftsman, Mission Revival, and Period Revival styles like Tudor Revival, Georgian, and Beaux-Arts Classicism. With Beverly Hills establishing itself as a haven for movie stars in the 1920s, the architectural character of the city began to realize a varying degree of extravagance in the design of its housing stock. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s sophisticated period revival styles dominated the domestic architecture of the City, including Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, French Normandy, Tudor Revival, and the like. By the mid to late 1930s Beverly Hills became one of the areas in southern California most closely connected with the development of the Hollywood Regency style. Born of the meeting of Moderne sleekness with the elegance of early nineteenth century architectural forms, it used simple, primary forms Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey , pg. 5. pp Ibid, pg. 11. JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 5

78 and blank wall surfaces to project exclusivity and sophistication.4 Beverly Hills domestic architecture in the post-world War H era saw the incorporation of Revival references in its new housing stock, and also the introduction of contemporary, luxury designs reflective of the Midcentury Modern idiom. By the end of World War II, much of Beverly Hills was fully developed but was still growing in density, resulting in the subdivision of some large estates and the demolition of older building stock for new residential and commercial development. The city s commercial district gained a number of professional occupants and Beverly Hills became less of a bedroom community to Los Angeles and more of a destination in and of itself. Single-family residential development continued to feature Period Revival styles, although the 1950s saw the beginning of the Modern movement in the city. In 1955, the Trousdale Estates neighborhood, just north of the subject property, was created from the subdivision of the former Doheny family ranch land. The most common styles of architecture associated with the new homes being constructed at that time included Mid-century Modern, Contemporary Ranch, and Hollywood Regency. By the 1980s, new construction in Beverly Hills was scattered throughout the city on undeveloped properties in the hills and on redeveloped parcels in the residential and commercial sections of the flats. Beverly Hills pattern of increasingly dense urbanization has continued into the present. Some of the City s older housing stock, particularly in the residential section of the flats, has been replaced with Late Modern style, Post-Modern, or monumental contemporary style residences designed by noted architects of world-renowned recognition. Nonetheless, in considering the City s overall development its long lineage of high quality residential and commercial architecture serves as a physical manifestation of the City s unique and diverse architectural heritage. 626 North Camden Drive. On September 11, 1940, two permits for 626 North Camden Drive were obtained from the City of Beverly Hills by contractor Ray P. Stahmann. The first was for a two-story residence with brick veneer and stucco exterior walls, wood shingle roof, one brick chimney, and a cost of24,000. The second permit was for a garage with stucco exterior walls and wood shingle roof costing $2,000. The owners of the property at the time were Mr. J. B. Hurd and his wife, Martha. Raymond Paul Stahmann ( ) was a local general contractor and builder who also had experience as a draftsman. Intermittently he partnered with James R. Moiso ( ), a building contractor, who together worked on a number of development projects in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Flintridge, and elsewhere. Stahmann s portfolio of work included small and large residential structures as well as commercial buildings of varying size designed in a variety of Period Revival styles. From a composition and stylistic perspective Stahmann appears to have been influenced by the work of many noted architects of the period, including Harry E. Werner, Roland Coate, Wallace Neff, and Paul R. Williams as some of his designs incorporate signature elements of their work. Ibid. pg. 17. JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 6

79 Besides the 626 North Camden Drive property, Stahmann s work in Beverly Hills includes his own house at 250 North Crescent Drive (1924, relocated in 1959) where he is listed on the permit as the owner, contractor, and architect; a private residence at 1021 Chevy Chase Drive (1925, demolished); a Spanish Colonial Revival style residence at 520 North Camden Drive where is he noted on the permit as the architect and contractor (1928); another Spanish Colonial Revival style dwelling at 704 North Bedford Drive where he listed on the permit as owner, contractor, and architect (1929); a commercial building called the Eddie Schmidt Building where credit is given to both Moiso and Stahmann as the contractor and designer (1934); and an additional residential project by Moiso and Stahmann at 630 North Maple Drive (1937, demolished). The original owner of the property, Joubert Bryan Hurd, was a general shipping agent for the Matson Steamship Company and travelled frequently because of his position. He and his wife Martha and their small child Barbara relocated from London, England to Beverly Hills in the late 1930s so that he could manage the company s Southern California office in downtown Los Angeles. While residing at 523 North Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, they commissioned contractor, builder, and designer Ray P. Stahmann for a new house on the corner lot at Elevado Avenue and Camden Drive. This part of Camden Drive was mostly built out by the 1930s. The 626 North Camden Drive lot was one of only a few undeveloped lots remaining at the time. The house was completed in early 1941 and complemented the neighborhood in size, scale, and architecture. The Hurd s resided there only a few years before J.B. Hurd was relocated once again. The Hurd s then sold the property to Legene S. Barnes and his wife Mildred. L.S. Barnes, as he was professionally referred to, was the president of the Elbe Oil Land Development Company in Los Angeles. Barnes made his money in the mining business during the early years of the 20th century, and then shifted to the oil business. The Elbe Oil Land Development Company operated wells throughout California. After almost ten years of ownership L.S. Barnes, by then a widower, sold the subject property to Victor and Sylvia Krone (maiden name Safren) in They in turn transferred the property to family member Laurie B. Gilbert (maiden name Safren) and her husband Ross a month later. The Gilberts divorced and the property was then sold in 1959 to Chester and Beverly Firestein. Chester Lee Firestein (1930- ) is the grandson of Max Factor, Sr. ( ), the founder of the cosmetics line Max-Factor & Company, and son of Max ( ) and Cecelia Firestein (daughter of Max Factor, Sr.). Chester L. Firestein was involved with the company on many levels and by the early 1960s he was vice-president and director of marketing. By the late 1960s, he had been elected to the board, made executive vice president, and was made a member of the company s executive committee. In 1973, following the death of his brother Alfred Jay Firestein, Chester became the company s president. He resigned three years later in 1976, to devote his time to his personal interests. Only a few years later he went on to become chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the First Beverly Bank in Beverly Hills. Of civic mind, Chester L. Firestein also served on the City s Traffic and Parking Commission from 1977 to In 2013, the Firesteins sold the 626 North Camden Drive property to Global i.b. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 7

80 Consolidated Properties, LLC, a real estate investment and development company. The property was resold four years later to Mr. Alan Joelson and his wife, Yasmina. French Revival Style. The period between World War I and World War II was one of intense building activity in the southern California region, including Beverly Hills. A wide range of revival styles were incorporated into the design of the buildings constructed during this period. The eclectic revival styles included the Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, French Revival and French Eclectic, Chateauesque, English and Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Egyptian Revival, Monterey among others. Many of these styles were popular both as residential and commercial styles, with a few, particularly the Egyptian Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and French Eclectic styles, being used often for use in small and large scale apartment buildings. The French Revival or French Eclectic style was popular throughout the United States beginning in the 1920s and continuing through the early 1940s. The style is intended to mimic the design of country manor houses and vernacular farmhouses of northwest France, especially from the Brittany and Normandy regions. The style may also be mixed with English Cottage and English Tudor Revival styles. It is likely that part of the popularity of this design is attributed to the many American servicemen stationed in France during World War I. The style is generally recognizable by its prominent roof treatments, which is usually configured with tall, steeply pitched hips, gables or mansard type often with flared eaves. Dormers, typically hipped, gabled, or rounded, are often present and may be positioned to intersect the cornice. Multi-paned casement, double or single-hung windows are also common. Full-length casement windows with shutters (French doors) are sometimes used. Lead or stained glass windows may be employed to accent an interior or exterior feature. The French Revival designs may be either symmetrical or asymmetrical depending on the roof type and massing. Tall chimneys further accent the verticality of the roof treatment. Exterior walls of properties designed in this style are clad in stone, brick, or stucco and on occasion feature half-timbering treatments. Some of the more informal examples of the style have front entry doors set in simple arched openings. Front entries may also be surrounded by quoining and recessed with doors of vertical plank, stained or beveled glass panels set as pairs or singular. In the late-1930s and early 1940s, French Revival designs, like most traditional styles, took on a more modern and sophisticated appearance through simplification of details, surfaces, and volumes, allowing the style to be communicated through a few carefully chosen signature elements. HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE CONSIDERATION FRAMEWORK City of Beverly Hills landmark Criteria. The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Municipal Code Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32; BHMC ) authorizes the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to recommend the nomination of properties as local landmarks to the City Council. The Council may designate local landmarks and historic districts by the procedures outlined in the ordinance. The Preservation Ordinance also establishes criteria and the process for evaluating and designating properties as potential local landmarks. JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 8

81 An eligible property may be nominated and designated as a landmark if it satisfies the following requirements: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements: 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance; 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period; 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance; and 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements: 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect; 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous; 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence; 5. It is an iconic property; or 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. Historical Integrity. Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance. In addition to meeting the criteria of significance, a property must have integrity. Integrity is the authenticity of a property s physical identity clearly indicated by the retention of characteristics that existed during the property s period of significance. Properties eligible for local landmark designation must meet at least two of the local landmark designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their historical significance. Both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources recognize the seven aspects of qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity. To retain historic integrity a property should possess several, and usually most, of these seven aspects. Thus, the retention of the specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its ib. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 9

82 significance. The seven qualities that define integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The seven qualities or aspects of historical integrity are defined as follows: Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a 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 a property s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. EVALUATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Evaluation Criteria. In analyzing the historical significance of the subject property, criteria for designation under the City s local landmark program was considered. Additionally, consideration of historical integrity and the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) survey methodology was used to survey and assess the relative significance of the property. Application of City Landmark (Significance) Criteria. Based on the current research and the assessment herein the property located at 626 North Camden Drive appears to satisfy the necessary City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria. The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria, as follows: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements (BHMC (A)): 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance. The subject property was completed in 1941, and is over 45 years of age. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period. The subject property is a very good example of the French Revival (Eclectic) style, incorporating many of the architectural features associated with the idiom. As adapted to a single-family residence, the styling reflects several French J,B. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Ev&uation Report page 1D

83 influences with its high-pitched complex hipped roof; quoin details; decorative beltcourse feature; window type and treatment; dormer style and placement; entry door elaborations; sheathing material; and scale, massing, and siting. Because of its design, workmanship, and materials it clearly embodies the distinctive character of a particular style, period of time, and architectural type. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance. The period of significance for the subject property is 1941, which is when the subject property was completed. The publicly visible portions of the property, comprising the front (west) facade along North Camden Drive and north elevation along Elevado Avenue are substantially intact. Those important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from this period of significance are still evident on those elevations publically visible. Hence, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. Because of its distinctive architectural style and key design features associated with the French Revival (Eclectic) style the subject property has and continues to convey historic value to the community. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements (BHMC (B)): 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The subject property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect. In reviewing the original building permit on file for the 626 North Camden Drive property there is no architect associated with this property. The building contractor was Ray P. Stahmann, a general contractor with drafting experience. He is known to have been the designer of many other dwellings in Beverly Hills and elsewhere in Southern California so it may be assumed he designed the subject property. Stahmann is not included in the City s Master Architect List and there is no information to indicate he should be considered a master at this time. In addition, upon conducting archival research on the property there is no evidence to associate the property as the work of any master architect, including Paul R. Williams. Therefore, the property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. J.B. Hurd Residence, 626 N, Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 11

84 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous. The archival research data reviewed on the property did not indicate that it was owned and occupied by a person(s) of great importance. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. In reviewing archival research data on the history of the property there was no indication that it was owned and occupied by a person(s) of great local prominence. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 5. It is an iconic property. There is no indication that the property should be considered iconic within the city. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was expressly agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Character-defining Features. Every historic property is unique, with its own identity and its own distinguishing character. A property s form and detailing are important in defining its visual historic character and significance. It is a property s tangible features or elements that embody its significance for association with specific historical events, important personages, or distinctive architecture and it is those tangible elements; therefore, that should be retained and preserved. Character refers to all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic property. According to National Park Service Brief 1 7. Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character, character-defining features include the overall shape of a property (building, structure, etc.), its material, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features (as applicable), as well as the various aspects of its site and immediate environment (form, configuration and orientation). The Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties defines historic character by the form and detailing of materials, such as masonry, wood, stucco, plaster, terra cotta, metal, etc.; specific features, such as roofs, porches, windows and window elements, moldings, staircases, chimneys, driveways, garages, landscape and hardscape elements, etc.; as well as spatial relationships between buildings, structures, and features; room configurations; J.B. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 12

85 and archaic structural and mechanical systems. Identifying those features or elements that give a historic property visual character and which should be taken into account and preserved to the maximum extent possible is important in order for the property to maintain its historical significance. The character-defining features associated with the 626 North Camden Drive residence are those exterior elements on the property that reflect and define its French Revival (Eclectic) architectural style. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: Location, massing, scale and proportion, and siting of the main residence on the parcel Primary elevations defined as west and north facades Building configuration as L shape with setbacks from South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard Complex high-pitched hipped roof with flared extended boxed eaves and cut-away segmental (arched) wall dormers on west, east, and north elevations Brick (running bond) clad first floor; wide vertical wood bead board siding at second level above beltcourse (material, type, design, pattern, style, overall appearance) Fenestration (size, material, type, shape, location/placement, mullion profile, individual panes): recessed multi-pane casement windows; multi-pane fixed pane and/or pivot or other type; multi-pane bay windows with metal standing seam roof caps; multi-pane dormers with decorative blind wood panel transoms and segmental (arched) shaped hoods; wood molded surrounds; rowlock brick sills; vertical running bond brick lintels; louvered wood shutters (noting inset window frames have been replaced in-kind) Front door assemble: multi-panel wood front entry door with decorative bronze door knob and speak easy peek hole; upper wood-frame transom window with decorative stained glass; molded wood door surround; deeply recessed entry vestibule of panel wood with bronze mail slot; highly decorative segmental pedimented door surround Decorative running bond brick stringcourse wrapping building (turned soldier course orientation) In-laid brick (rack) quoin detail at building corners and some window openings Decorative brick chimneys (two separate chimneys, size, shape, height, brick pattern, material, cap detail treatment, location/placement) Decorative brick planters along front (west) façade Multifaceted (polygonal), one-story bay wing extension with brick walls, multi-pane casements, stucco sheathing, and bell-cast roof with molded fascia and extended eaves off south (side) elevation Brick (basket weave pattern) paved front entry stoop, landing, and steps (size, placement, shape, height, pattern, design, and width) JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 13

86 CONCLUSION The single-family dwelling located at 626 North Camden Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32). This site appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 14

87 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com. United States Census records; death records; birth records, voter registration records, military draft registration records, city directory listings (on-line databases). Provo, Utah, Anderson, Robert S. Beverly Hills: The First 100 Years. New York: Rizzoli, Beverly Hills Public Library, Historical Archives Collection. Basten, Fred E. Beverly Hills: Portrait of a Fabled City. Los Angeles: Douglas-West Publishers, Basten, Fred E. Max Factor s Hollywood: Glamour, Movies, Make-up, Santa Monica, California: General Publishing Group, Basten, Fred E. Max Factor: The Man Who Changed the Faces of the World, New York, New York: Arcade Publishing, Benedict, Pierce E., ed. History of Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills: A.H. Cawston, Davis, Genevieve. Beverly Hills: An Illustrated History. Northridge, California: Windsor Publications, Inc., Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. Architecture in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books, Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, Grimes, Theresa and Mary Jo Winder. Residential Period Revival Architecture and Development in Pasadena from , prepared for the City of Pasadena, Historic Resources Group and Pasadena Heritage. Cultural Resources of the Recent Past Historic Context Statement Report: City of Pasadena, Hollywood, California: Historic Resources Group, Johnson Heumann Research Associates. Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Final Report. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, Jones & Stokes, ICF. City of Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Report, Survey Area 5: Commercial Properties. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June 2006, rev. April Los Angeles County Tax Assessor Information ( Los Angeles Public Library. On-line historical and image database archives and files. JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 15

88 McAlister, Virginia. A Field Guide to American Houses, New York, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984, NETRonline. Historic Aerials by NETR Online, Nationwide Environmental Title Research, LLC, Ovnick, Merry. Los Angeles: The End of the Rainbow, Los Angeles, California: Balcony Press, 1994 PCR Services. Historic Resources Survey, Part I: Historic Resources Survey Update and Part II: Area 4 Multi-Family Residence Survey. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June Polk s City Directories, City of Beverly Hills. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times ( ). Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Beverly Hills. 1922, 1950, Thomas; Erika. Max Factor and Hollywood: A Glamorous History, Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 15. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 16, Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 24, Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief 17. Architectural Character Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character rev. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief 22. Guidelines for Evaluating and Nominating Properties that Have Achieved Significance Within the Past Fifty Years Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, 1979, rev. 1990; 1996; Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Early Beverly Hills. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, JR. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 16

89 Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Beverly Hills Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780, A Guide to the Styles, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, J.B. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 17

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91 APPENDIX Location Map Site Map Assessor Parcel Map Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Building Permits (original) Photographs i.b. Hurd Residence, 626 N. Camden Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 18

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93 Legend D Parcels Notes 626 N. Camden Drive Beverly Hills, CA.0 0 I C,, I 7, WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere Latitude Geographics Group Ltd. This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and is for reference only Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, Current, or otherwise reliable THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

94 N N N

95 ]L 7f wi rxr1 F 74/7/i 4Ap COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES CALIF t3so. I 1 CODE - &EVERLY HILLS M.S EVERIy MS. IILLs FOR PREy. A5SMT SEE

96 > UI 7 ELEVADO 2158 z U z w0

97 -. All Applications must be filled our by Applicant PLANS AND SPEClFtCAT and other data must also be I DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS Application for the Erection of Buildings ZONE &L_PfflE DISTIUCT me_. GROUP I B1VISION_/ TO THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS: Application It hereby made to the Council of the City of Beverly 1(111., through the office of the Chtef Inspector ot Buildings for a permit In stxordance ivit), the dewription and for the purpose hereinafter set forth. Thu application Ii made subject to the following con. ditions, ichich shall be deemtd conditions entering Into the exercise of the permit: FIRST: That the permit does not grant any right or privilege to erect any building or other structure herein described, or any portion thereof, upon any street, alley, or other public place or portion thereof. SECOND: That the permit does not grant any right or privilege to use any building or other steucture therein described, at any portion thereof, for any purpose that in. or may hereafter be prohibited by ordinance of the City of Beverly liols. THIRD: That the granting of the permit does not affect or prejudice soy claim of title to, or right of potteosion in, the property described in such permit. FOURTH: Applicant agrees to hold the City of Beverly hills, and all officers and employees harmless from all costs and dsmsgeo, per Sec. 6, Ord. 151 LotNo L.S.. BIo... rract...&..mt- Description of Work. Lfts.ce...C..,)_ , Street and i.dtqa.. J)J.,.,.. (I.ocatian of Property) (USE INK OR INDJW. PENCil.) Purpose of Build... No. of Rooms 1.2 No. of Families 1.. Owner s Name...,t.LJ. 1k1.P Vl_ Phone.. Owner saddress 3.. Architect s Name Phone.. Contractor s Name... RL.JE %CéJL42.R.t). Phe..c4 41- Cototractor s Addrcts.PJ flncludisg Plumbing Gs Fitting, Sewer,, EtectricI VALUATION OF PROPOSED BLDG.t tp iti I.. ç State how many buildings NOW on lot....t,lc?j How used?.zez. 1, I Clear Height of Ceiling: Bath, Toilet..2.Z....Ltvong Rooms Halls Ce1lir,...t.. : Areas: 1st..2nd flr..%.7 dl...3r2 fir,mm..4th fir...,-...5th Total ttoor _Nn. of Stories., 2 Heiht to Highest Point... Size of Lct...9S x..lz4...area of LotjsLtsCPer Cent of Area Covered by All Building (Fill out Item 3 no Ho. 12 in case of Courts, Apartments, Hotels only.) f Including balconies, bays, potthe,) Set Back from Property Line cisimne 1, eec 5 Front Rear 14. Foundation Material Ca.qe.c!t.. Footing Width Depth Below Natural GrounLLi 15 Height of Foundation Above Fmtshed Grade..... Wall Width..7 Mud Sills Joist Clearance from Graund...tLGirders...skkx......Posts UnUer Girderi.:. 17 Chsmney Matcna1.ric k,n0 of Inlets to Flue...i...Sszes, Flues 7.x.. F Thickness of 18 Materials of Exterior Walls..IL&..ieeer 5/e atertat of Inenor Wall Surfaces. 19. Walls have 1 hollow... Construction (other than stut i) Vii1 Provisions of State Housing Act be complied with? (If Groups H. & EXTERiOR Studs f...interior BEARING Studs. Interior Non-Bea1n x...3 Ceiling Joists -..j..i Roof Rafters x.. FIRST FLOOR JOISTLJa... Second Floor Joists...x...L!...RoIaLeriaL..JLt Location of Sewer 4W..Depth of Sewer Y.4.Sewer Length.C tfallei I have carefully examined and read the above apptication and know the same to be trut and cot..., provisions of tho Ordinances and Laws governing Building Construction will be complied with, whether herjriopeci.. or not. (Sign Here).. -, (OnatrorAuthorjesd Agent) lpermit Nt3I[ ft Spe to rechecked Stamp here,heu permit I Issue,.

98 V V V V V V Architec V V any purpose Property Ceiling: V (State 11b,.k J item into the tie. 4th building V V fownerorauthoehed. - ) V V V.: any - V V V p V I All Applications must be fillcd out by Applicant PLANS AND SPECIFICKE and àrber diita müst also be 1)EPARTMENT OF BUILt IN S Applicxffon for the Erection of Buildingà ZON./_PJBE DISTfflC3_TYPE GROUP_J_DWISION_f. TO THE CITY COUNCIL OP THE CITY OF BEVERLY IHLLS: Application is hereby made to the Council of the City of Beverly Ilills, through the office of the Chief Inspector of Building. for a - permit in.ccnrdane with the description and tot the purpose hereinafter set forth. This application it mode subject to the following con dittan,, which shall be deemed conditions entering exercise of the permit: - FIRST: That the permit does not grant any right or privilege to erect any or other structure herein described, or p thereof, upon any street, alley, or other public place or portion thereof. V SECOND: That the permit does not grant any tight or privilege to use any building or other structure therein described, or any thereof, for that Ii, or may hereafter be prohibited by ordinance nf the City of Beverly THIRD: That the granting of the permit does tint affect or prejudice any claim of title to, or right of possession In, the p described In such permit. FOURTH: Applicant agrees to hold the City of Beverly , and.11 officers and employees harmless from all cost, and di per Sec. 6, Otd. itt Lot No...Biock...h.. Tract... ese&jif.t& 7 Z1/_ Description of ISY...t. ta_v Street and (Location of Property) (USE INK OR INDELIBLE CXL) I. Purpose of Building No. of Rooms?1n 1 Famtlies.. 2. Owner s Name. t/c..t 3, Owner s Address iv: Phone 4 Name Phone 5. Corstractor s Name?t4.qiflrtL.tfl..Phone.C.( V6 Contractor saddeesa.. V Gss 7. = VALUATION OF PROPOSED BLDG. Including PlumbIng, 1d Fitting, or Sewers, Electric Itsating and - :- 8 State how many buildtngs NOW on lot.... How usc1d? Vof 9. Clear Height Bath, Tollet..2..C...Livino Rooms Halls Celli.. - V V Law) 10. Areas: 1st Ar.2nd fir.._..z...3rd fir firz VV It. Total floor......no. of Stories...J......Hcight to HigheitPotnL Size of Lot..?C.. x C...Area of Lot t..c er Cent of Area Covered by All Buildings... Vt (Fill out S on No. 12 in case of Courts, Apartments, Hotel. only,) I Including balconies, bay,, porches, I 13. Set Back from Line cblmne)s, steps, 5 Front.../...0 Rear Foundation Material.. acrel%.. Footing Width C Z Depth Below Naturat Ground dlt 15 Height of Foundattan Aboyc Fmttbed Gr d Wnll Width Mud $ill... t6 Joist Cleaiance trom tr ers..... Posts UnSet Glrde 17 Chimney Material No of Inlets to Flue... er,,.....stzes, Fiu&...x Thickness of C _. Matenai of Interior W ail Stirfacea 18?ifatcrsals of Exterior Walls.. Z tc,u.cc_ci.. Construction (other than studs) 19 Welts have...e). hollow snares Woll 20 Will Provisions of State Housing Act be complied with? (If Groups H & I ) f 21 EXTERIOR Studs 2..,.A $..INTERIOR BEARING Studs Interior Non T Joists...2 x... Roof Raftcrs..3 x...first FLOOR1 Second For Joints. Roof MateaL...aj....,...Ceiling 22 Location of Sewer Y..?.3. Nsa?4 of j4o%...dcpth of Sewer Y $ Sewer Length f Falt r :1-- have.carefuliy examined and read the above application and know the same to betrueand Vdorrect,andt provisions of the Ordinances and Laws governing Building Construction will be complied with; whether herein r or not II-T:- - 1 (Sign Here)..7,*4 CFOR DEPARTMENT USE ONLYI - V V!!hd Stanip here when pemitii imes

99 6: PHOTOGRAPHS: 626 North Camden Drive PHOTO - 1: Front façade at entry gate, looking southeast PHOTO - 3: Front (west) elevation w/ driveway, looking east * PHOTO -4: Main entry at front (west) elevation * /1rr1 PHOTO - 5: Front (west) façade details over entry PHOTO - Front façade details adjacent main entry *photo credit: MLS.COM (including cover photo)

100 11: PHOTOGRAPHS: 626 North Camden Drive PHOTO - 7: Rear elevations, looking west PHOTO -8: Oblique view, north (right) and east (left) elevations PHOTO -9: Rear of house and patio, looking south PHOTO - 10: View of backyard from rear patio, looking southeast ; PHOTO - Garage/swimming pool cabana, looking northeast * PHOTO - 12: Garage from Elevado Avenue, looking south * *photo credit: ML5.COM (including cover photo)

101 OSTAS HAY & ASSOCIATES CONSULTING PD BOX 542 LONG BEACH, CA

102 City Council Agenda Report October 9, 2018 Landmark Designations 604 Alpine Dr. and 626 N. Camden Dr. Attachment 3 Cultural Heritage Commission Reports and CHC Resolutions No. 70 and 71 Recommending Landmark Designation of the two properties (excluding exhibits)

103 Report Cultural Heritage Commission 455 N. Reeford Drive Beverly Hills, CA TEL. (310) FAX. (310) Attachment(s): 1. Resolution, including City Landmark Assessment Report (by OAC July 2018) as an Exhibit Report Author and contact Information: Reina Kapadia, AICP Associate Planner (310) rkapadiabeverlyhills.org 13 Ostashay & Associates Consulting (Exhibit A of Attachment 1) provides background information Preservation Ordinance). A City Landmark Assessment Report prepared by Jan Ostashay of REPORT SUMMARY The Gindi-Bimkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive has been assessed for eligibility as a Local Landmark under Beverly Hills Municipal Code (BHMC) Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32 (Historic Register of Historic Properties Gindi-Birnkrant House as a Landmark and place it onto the Beverly Hills Recommendation: Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council designate the Project Applicant: Sharon and Elie Gindi, property owners as a local landmark for inclusion onto the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Landmark Nomination of the Gindi-Birnkrant House at 604 Alpine Drive Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Cultural Heritage Commission will Landmark Nomination 604 ALPINE DRIVE - GINDI-BIRNKRANT HOUSE Properties. Pursuant to the provisions set forth in the California also consider adoption of a Categorical Exemption for this project. Subject: Meeting Date: July11, 201$ VRLYRLY r City of Beverly Hills Planning Division

104 (ii\rly Cultural Heritage Commission Report 604 Alpine Dr. July11, 2018 and historic assessment of the property, and concludes that the property appears to be eligible as a local landmark. City staff peer-reviewed the submitted report, conducted a site visit of the property, and drafted findings in support of the property s landmark eligibility under BHMC Section (Landmark Designation Criteria). The resolution in Attachment recommends that the City Council designate the Gindi-Birnkrant House as a Landmark and place it on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. 1 BACKGROUND The Cultural Heritage Commission first considered the project at its April 11, 2018 regular meeting. At that meeting, the Commission voted to initiate landmark proceedings on the property and conducted a Preliminary Hearing (pursuant to the requirements in BHMC ), finding that the property appeared to be eligible as a landmark under the criteria in BHMC Following the Commission s initiation and preliminary hearing on the property, the City s historic consultant, Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting, completed a landmark assessment and evaluation report on the subject property (Exhibit A of Attachment 1) finding that the property appears to be eligible for local listing. DISCUSSION The residence at 604 Alpine Drive was designed by Master Architects Conrad Buff Donald Hensman architects in 1979 for Mr. and Mrs. William Birnkrant Conrad Buff (August 5, 1926 Hensman, FAIA - Ill III, and FAIA 1989) was born in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles and Donald C. ( ) was born in Omaha, Nebraska and grew up in Hollywood. These modernist architects graduated from the USC School of Architecture and went on to form a noted mid-century modern Southern California architectural firm. The Pasadena-based company formed as a result of the early collaboration of the two architects in architecture school. Based on the City Landmark Assessment Report and other evidence, the subject property appears to satisfies the following Landmark Criteria (pursuant to BHMC ) in support of its landmark nomination: A.1 (exceptional significance), A.2 (artistic value and architectural style), A.3 (integrity), A.4 (historic value), and B.6 (voluntary designation). Findings justifying landmark nomination are contained in Section 7 of the resolution in Attachment 1. Pursuant to Preservation Brief 17 from the National Park Service, identifying those visual and tangible aspects of the historic building that help to convey an understanding about the significance of the resource is essential in the defining the character-defining features as they relate to the preservation of a historic site. These prominent features, such as types of construction materials, construction methods, the delineation of spaces, architectural styling, etc. are key features that give a building its visual character and without these elements, the essential aspects of its historic nature may be irreparably damaged. Below is a summary of the character-defining features for the subject property (also found in Section 7 of the resolution in Attachment 1). 14

105 Cultural Heritage Commission Report 604 Alpine Dr. July 11,2018 The character-defining features associated with the Gindi-Birnkrant House are those exterior features on the property that reflect and define its Late Modern architectural style. Such features include, but are not limited to the following; Bold geometric forms; modular building composition; irregular H shape footprint Verticality emphasis, modularity, simplicity of form, lack of ornamentation Asymmetrical façades and arrangement of features (doors, windows, solid to void patterns) along the primary (west) elevation Flat roof with parapet with galvanized iron caps Fenestration framing pattern, size, shape, length, color, placement, and type Storefront type bronze color aluminum framed glass doors (single, double) Stained glass windows at west (front) and south (side) elevations Exterior re-sawn tongue and groove redwood cladding material set in vertical and horizontal directions (size, length, shape, profile, width, texture, color, material, placement, form and shape) Extended, monumental soff its, fasciae, pilasters, and chamfers a Recessed, extended and engaged redwood clad planters Bronze mail slot, and period-font metal address signage 604 Engaged slump stone chimney at west (front) elevation (material, size, pattern, color, texture, width and height, construction, and end cap) Quarry tile paving at front and rear doors of house; rectangular shape concrete slab stepping pads between driveway and front door ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Designation of the Gindi-Birnkrant House property at 604 Alpine Drive, Beverly Hilts as a local historic landmark was 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. It has been determined that designation of the subject property at 604 Alpine Drive would not have a significant environmental impact and is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the designation of the Gindi-Birnkrant House property at 604 Alpine Drive may have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by this resolution, and any future development proposed pursuant to this resolution will require separate environmental analysis when the details of those proposals are known. Further, designating the Gindi Birnkrant House property at 604 Alpine Drive is an action of the City to protect and preserve a historic resource. PUBLIC OUTREACH AND NOTIFICATiON On June 25, 2018, the owner of the subject property was notified in writing, via U.S. mail and e mail, that the Cultural Heritage Commission would consider Landmark Nomination for the 15

106 Cultural Heritage Commission Report 604 Alpine Dr. July 11,2018 subject property at the Commission meeting this report, no on public comments have been received. July 11,2018. As of the time of publication of Type of Notice Required Period Actual Period Required Actual Date Date Newspaper Notice n/a n/a n/a n/a Mailed Notice (Property Owner only) 15 Days 16 Days 6/26/18 6/25/18 Property Posting n/a n/a n/a n/a Agenda Posting 72 Hours Website (Agenda) 72 Hours 8 8 Days 7/8/18 7/3/18 Days 7/8/18 7/3/18 GENERAL Designation PLAN of principles, and standards State, and Local CONSISTENCY the subject property as a local historic landmark of of of Designation encouraging the nomination the General Plan. General Plan Policy is consistent with HP 1.3 Historic Resources encourages the establishment landmarks. the objectives, Promote National, of programs RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Commission adopt the attached resolution approving the landmark nomination for the Gindi-Birnkrant House property at 604 Alpine Beverly Hills and forward the recommendation to the City Council for approval. Drive, NEXT STEPS Should the Cultural Heritage Commission act to recommend landmark designation property, staff will forward the Commission s recommendation to the the Gindi-Birnkrant House property at 604 the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Alpine Drive City of the Council to designate as a local landmark and to place it on 16

107 Report Cultural Heritage Commission 455 N. Rexford Drive Beverly Hills, CA TEL. (310) FA)( (310) Recommendation: Project Applicant: Drive as a local landmark for inclusion onto the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Pursuant to the provisions set forth in the California Alan and Yasmina Joelson, property owners Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council designate the J.B. Hurd Residence as a Landmark and place it onto the Beverly Hills Attachment(s): 1. Resolution, including City Landmark Assessment Report (by OAC July 2018) as an Exhibit Report Author and Contact Information: Re)na Kapadia, AICP Associate Planner (310) rkapad)abeveriyh)ils.org North Camden Drive Register of Historic Properties also consider adoption of a Categorical Exemption for this project. Landmark Nomination 626 NORTH CAMDEN DRIVE J.B. HURD RESIDENCE Landmark Nomination of the J.B. Hurd Residence at 626 North Camden Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Cultural Heritage Commission will Subject: Meeting Date: July11, 2018 City of Beverly Hills Planning Division