California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan

Transcription

1 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 1 California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan Figure 1 Route 66 near Amboy Figure 2 Old Spanish Trail mural in Barstow Figure 3 Railroad preceded Route 66 Figure 4 West of Ludlow, looking southeast STEWARDSHIP STRATEGIES (PRELIMINARY DRAFT) The following stewardship strategies are proposed for consideration by the Route 66 Ad Hoc CMP Planning Committee (AHPC) as part of the April 28, 2014 web meeting. The proposed stewardship strategies are based on issues identified in public outreach conducted during initial phases (November 2013 through March 2014 of the project (bus tour, small group meetings and conference calls, public meetings, and web-based meeting). Significance Statement United States Highway 66, popularly known as Route 66, is significant in American history as one of the earliest and most important highways linking the Midwest and California. The designation of Route 66 in 1926 signified the nation s growing commitment to improved transportation arteries and increased influence of the automobile on American lifestyles. From 1926 to 1937, Route 66 was transformed from interconnecting segments of paved, gravel and dirt roads into one continuous paved highway connecting Chicago, Illinois on the east to Santa Monica, California on the west. With Route 66 s growing prominence, hundreds of businesses were created along the highway to cater to travelers and tourists. As a result, Route 66 had a transformative effect on the American landscape through which it passed. This landscape continues to provide a visual narrative history of America s automobile culture of the 20th century and its legacy of related commerce and architecture. Route 66 was listed on the 2008 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the complex challenges of preserving not only an iconic cultural landscape, but a historic American experience. Other recognitions include: State of California legislature designated the route in 1991 as Historic Highway Route 66 and installed markers identifying the route as such Congress passed Public Law to preserve the cultural resources of the Route 66 corridor and to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance including cooperation among Federal agencies San Bernardino County designated Historic Route 66 (National Trails Highway or Main Street) from Oro Grande northeast and east to the Arizona state line,excepting those areas with incorporated cities, as a County Scenic Route. Based upon the 2011 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form: U.S. Highway 66 in California (MPDF) and other related documentation, the alignment of Historic Route 66 should be considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places Figure 5 Amboy Crater Photo courtesy of Bob Weeks, BLM Stewardship Issues In summary, key stewardship issues associated with the broad desert context of the corridor include the following: The background, middle and foreground landscape settings of the Route 66 corridor from Needles to Barstow have not changed much since the road was

2 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 2 Figure 6 View from Danby Rest Area looking north Figure 7 View from Goffs Road looking north Figure 8 View from Ludlow Dairy Queen looking north Figure 9 View from Ludlow former Main Street Figure 10 Roy s Motel and Cafe, Amboy designated as Route 66 in the 1920 s, especially in areas east of Ludlow. However many features of historic and cultural interest along the roadside of the corridor are disappearing at a fairly rapid rate since I-40 was built. There are extensive lands within the viewshed that are preserved through legislative actions. Mojave National Preserve is located to the north along the eastern end of the corridor, and multiple wilderness and wilderness study areas are found along the route. In addition, there are areas that are managed primarily to protect sensitive plants or wildlife by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and recognized in various Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) documents released to date as Areas of Environmental Concern. (See Protected Lands Map at: lardnerklein.com/cart66cmp/draftreportmaps/cart66_protec_041514x.pdf) The proposed Mojave Trails National Monument would include protection for the area between the Mojave Preserve and Route 66 (Goffs Road alignment). Scenic and conservation values associated with the vastness of the desert landscape, its ephemeral qualities such as desert light and color, wildflower blooms, night sky, and its geologic significance and interest were strongly expressed throughout the public outreach process. The cultural significance of Route 66 is primarily associated with its long history as a travel corridor including the Mojave Road, the Old Spanish Trail, the railroad, the National Trails Highway, Route 66, and the construction of I-40. Portions of the Historic Route 66 context appear to be eligible for nomination as a rural historic landscape (east of Ludlow and west of Needles along the Goffs Road route) 1. As part of the Desert Renewable Energy and Conservation Plan (DRECP), BLM will adopt Visual Resource Management Objectives that will establish scenic protection levels VRM Class I - IV. In this system, VRM Class I is the highest level of protection and restricts development that would impact scenic quality, while VRM Class IV has a low level of protection and can allow significant change to scenic conditions. This appears to be the primary management tool that BLM has to conserve scenic and historic values associated with the Route 66 context. In areas within the viewshed of Route 66 where the DRECP will encourage the future siting of renewable energy projects (in progress), design guidance will be needed to reduce potential visual contrast and impacts to scenery. High-voltage electric transmission line corridors (either the expansion of existing or the introduction of new corridors in designated areas) represent a significant level of change that may occur to the context of Route 66. Existing off-premise sign (billboard) regulations for San Bernardino County and the City of Needles provide the necessary controls to meet the requirements of National Scenic Byway designation. The City of Barstow allows off-premise signs for four types of commercial and manufacturing zoning districts. However, existing City of Barstow ordinances limit off premise signs to 600 apart and only on vacant and undeveloped parcels. There are very few locations in Barstow where new billboards can be installed. The following key issues and concerns are associated with the roadside features along Route 66 (primarily related auto and tourism businesses): The cultural features of Historic Route 66 are in a variety of conditions from 1 A rural historic landscape is a geographical area that historically has been used by people, or shaped or modified by human activity, occupancy, or intervention, and that possesses a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of areas of land use, vegetation, buildings and structures, roads and waterways, and natural features (

3 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 3 Figure 11 Route 66 Motel, Barstow Figure 12 Union 76 Station, Needles relatively good to poor. Priorities/decisions will need to be made as to which features should be stabilized, which can be rehabilitated or adaptively re-used and which should be let go and interpreted using photographs or other means. The US Highway 66 MPDF provides historic contexts for use in nominating properties for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The four contexts identified include: 1. Development of U.S. Highway 66 in California, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, California, U.S. Highway 66 as a Migratory Route, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, California, Auto and Tourism Businesses on U.S. Highway 66, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, California, Recreation and U.S. Highway 66, San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, California, While there are some roadside features that would qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, others do not retain enough integrity to be designated. According to the MPDF, the relative scarcity and lack of comparable properties should be used to inform the degree of alterations acceptable while still retaining historic integrity. Where roadside features no longer exist or have deteriorated beyond recognition, interpretive information can be used to describe these features as they existed during the heyday of the route (to be discussed at the May 2014 web-meeting on Visitor Experience). Figure 13 Whoop-di-doos east of Daggett Figure 14 Existing timber bridge rail with C shaped metal approach rail Figure 15 Underside view of existing timber bridge structure The following key issues and concerns are associated with Historic Route 66 and its transportation and bridge features 2 : Although the MPDF is not explicit about the eligibility of the alignment of Route 66 for listing on the National Register, the general consensus of preservation professionals is that the alignment itself is National Register eligible. Transportation and related roadside features (such as wooden trestle bridge structures or roadside architectural features), however, will need to be evaluated separately for eligibility. The relatively large number of bridges between Daggett and Mountain Springs Road is a significant issue that could potentially alter the quality of the travel experience and the historic significance of the route. The County of San Bernardino maintained portion of historic Route 66 from Daggett to Mountain Springs Road contains a staggering number of aging timber trestle bridges (128) that are 80-years (+/-) old. In comparison, there is an estimated total of only thirty 80-year (+/-) old bridges currently carrying automobile and truck traffic on U.S. Highway 66 across all other U.S. Highway 66 states and counties (including Los Angeles County, California) combined. According to San Bernardino County s latest analysis related to the maintenance and/or replacement of these bridges, the following provides accurate information about the number and condition of the bridges: There are 136 bridges and large culverts on historic Route 66 between Daggett and Mountain Springs Road. Of this total, 128 are timber trestle bridges/structures constructed during the period of time from 1929 to Four (4) are reinforced concrete bridges, three (3) are pipe culverts, and one (1) is a concrete box culvert. 2 Information about the condition of the bridges provided by San Bernardino County as part of the ongoing work of their cultural resource consultant, Roger Hatheway (2014)

4 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 4 Figure 16 Timber trestle bridge at Avon Wash Figure 17 W -shaped bridge rail with white finish near Amboy Figure 18 View of bridge rail and abutment walls at Amboy bridge Figure 19 I-40 closure at Ludlow required detour on Route 66 The County of San Bernardino currently maintains these 128 bridges. 3 Of these 128 timber trestle bridges 127 are on National Trails Highway (NTH), and one timber trestle bridge is on Ludlow Road, an original portion of the California U.S. Highway 66 alignment immediately to the west of Crucero Road. Of the 127 timber trestle bridges/structures on NTH, 31 are not eligible for federal historic bridge repair and/or replacement funding as they are less than 20 feet in length and are officially classed as culverts and not bridges. By the mid-1940s, the State of California recognized the need to rebuild its aging timber trestle highway bridges statewide, and several articles were published by the Division of Highways detailing the need for reconstruction. At this time, the State of California clearly recognized that all U.S Highway 66 timber trestle bridges between Daggett and Mountain Springs Road were quickly approaching the end of their design and economical service life. Seventy years later, the County of San Bernardino is attempting to maintain the same bridges a very expensive and difficult task. California s State Historical Building Code ( AboutUs/shbsb/shbsb_health_safety.aspx) provides a tool for historic preservation All state agencies that enforce and administer approvals, variances, or appeals procedures or decisions affecting the preservation or safety of the historical aspects of qualified historical buildings or structures shall use the alternative provisions of this part and shall consult with the State Historical Building Safety Board to obtain its review prior to undertaking action or making decisions on variances or appeals that affect qualified historical buildings or structures. Two potential issues and/or concerns with the utilization of the California State Historical Building Code on Historic Route 66 have been raised as they apply to historic roads. First, if any given bridge on historic Route 66 has been determined to not qualify as eligible for the NRHP, then it cannot be regarded as an historic property. Thus, the historic building code would not appear to apply. Second, FHWA s funding process utilizes NEPA and Section 106 guidelines. Therefore, the legal mechanism providing for the utilizing of a State Code on a federal project may not be clearly defined. Route 66/National Trails Highway is used by the California Highway Patrol and by Caltrans as an alternate or emergency route when the I-40 is closed due to a crash or other maintenance needs, thus it retains an important emergency transportation function in addition to its historic, scenic, recreational, and local uses. The alignment has never been officially designated as such by the State of California despite repeated requests to do so by the County of San Bernardino and, as such, it is not regarded as eligible for receipt of either federal or state funding targeted specifically for emergency detour routes. Nearly all of the distinct segments of the road with I-40 access have some bridges that are weight limited and San Bernardino County is faced with a 3 Timber trestle highway bridges were commonly built nationwide for the first two decades of the twentieth century. Beginning about 1920, however, they began to be regarded by many highway design engineers as temporary structures, although they continued to be used in specific locales due to the fact that they could be erected quickly and inexpensively. A 1920 book, by Milo S. Ketchum, C.E., entitled The Design of Highway Bridges of Steel, Timber and Concrete, states that Timber Highway bridges were formerly quite generally used, and are still in use for temporary structures and in localities where transportation is difficult and where suitable timber is available. In very simple terms, timber trestle highway bridges were built nationwide with a limited anticipated lifespan.

5 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 5 Figure 20 Existing high voltage electric transmission lines east of Daggett difficult challenge of keeping the road open to all vehicles. A consulting firm for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works is currently preparing a study evaluating the manner in which the State inspects and evaluates bridges on historic Route 66 in San Bernardino County, and how this translates into the posting of load limits. A study evaluating the individual NRHP eligibility of all of the 136 bridges and large culverts between Daggett and Mountain Springs Road on historic Route 66 is currently being prepared as part of the County of San Bernardino s Dola and Lanzit Bridge replacement projects. Figure 21 Renewable energy projects and utility corridors in the California Desert District as of March 2014 Stewardship Strategies (Draft for AHPC Discussion on 4/28/14) 1. Management Framework Establish a management framework for guiding potential conservation and preservation strategies. The management framework should include: 1.1. A definition of the corridor (see link to Map 1) as including the primary travel route, the lands that can be seen from Route 66 (viewshed) and related sites and attractions including side trips 1.2. Establishment of landscape management units as a means of organizing and applying proposed stewardship practices in a wholistic manner across landscapes with similar characteristics. The following units are proposed: Colorado River (east of Needles) Needles US 95 and Goffs Road to Essex Goffs (historic community) Fenner (I-40 interchange) Essex to Amboy Essex (historic community) Chambless (historic community Amboy/Amboy Crater Amboy Crater to Ludlow Ludlow Ludlow to Newberry Springs Newberry Springs Newberry Springs to Daggett Daggett Daggett to Barstow Barstow Figure 22 View south near Amboy Road towards pending Wind Energy Facility testing site as identified on the map in Figure 21 Figure 23 Current BLM Visual Resource Inventory (VRI)classes (2011), which are defined as a BLM process for inventorying scenic resources on BLM-administered lands, provides BLM managers with a means for determining relative visual values. A VRI consists of a scenic quality evaluation, sensitivity level analysis (the relative degree of user interest in visual resources and concern for changes in the existing landscape character) and delineation of distance zones. Based on these three factors, BLM-administered lands are placed into one of four visual resource inventory classes. The values along Historic Route 66 are primarily VRI Class III and IV with some VRI Class II, adjacent to wilderness areas, with Wilderness Areas defined as VRI Class I. The scenic corridor associated with Route 66 is not included in the sensitive class determinations from the 2011 report. VRI classes are used to determine Visual Resource Management Classes.

6 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 6 Figure 24 Goffs Figure 25 Best management practices should be applied to all renewable energy projects proposed for the Route 66 corridor viewshed ( blm/wo/minerals REALTY AND_ RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/energy/ renewable_references.par.1568.file.dat/ RenewableEnergyVisualImpacts_BMPs.pdf) Figure 26 Existing zoning map for Ludlow showing the existing boundaries of the CH and CR zones (red outline) 2. Strategies for Preserving the Context of Route Use Bureau of Land Management Visual Resource Management Objectives to guide land use decisions on federal lands (including renewable energy, utility, mining, etc.) that reflect the international recognition and high degree of interest in the preservation and enhancement of Historic Route 66 for heritage-based tourism and economic development. The following are general recommendations for incorporating the goal of preserving the historic context of Route 66 into the DRECP: Wilderness Areas, Mojave Preserve, ACEC areas, National Monuments (VRM Class I) Needles to Colorado River (VRM Class III) Goffs Road (south side) to east of Ludlow (VRM Class II) Ludlow to Newberry Springs, mid and background, (VRM Class III) Newberry Springs to Barstow, north side (VRM Class IV) and south side east of transmission line crossing (VRM Class III) 2.2. For private lands and lands within identified communities use the recently adopted San Bernardino County solar ordinance and develop a scenic resource management protocol that functions in a complementary manner to the BLM VRM system as part of the upcoming update to the Renewable Energy Element for the County General Plan to ensure that Route 66 is duly considered in land use decisions that permit commercial and/or industrial scale energy development within the viewshed of Route 66. Suggest the County use Bureau of Land Management VRM Level II and/or III as the minimum standard outside of existing communities and previously developed areas including utility corridors, to ensure that the setting of Route 66 be conserved Work with BLM and San Bernardino County to apply design guidelines adapted from the BLM s recently completed Best Management Practices for Reducing Visual Impacts of Renewable Energy Facilities on BLM-Administered Lands, to reduce the visual contrast of renewable energy projects within the viewshed of Route 66 (up to 20 miles distance) including ancillary facilities such as fencing, roadways, maintenance buildings, lighting, and other visible elements (guidelines to be discussed at upcoming meetings) Identify distinct boundaries around existing communities and consider establishing new or additional policies and eventually ordinances that facilitate heritage based tourism business development within those communities (as part of current comprehensive plan rewrites for San Bernardino County and Barstow). Note that smaller unincorporated communities such as Goffs, Essex, Amboy or Ludlow) are currently delineated by commercial zoning categories Consider additional off-premise sign regulations in Barstow if needed to demonstrate that the proposed route for National Scenic Byway designation is in compliance with all existing local, State, and Federal laws on the control of outdoor advertising. 3. Strategies for Preserving Historic Route 66 and Directly Related Features 3.1. Using the Multiple Property Document Form (MPDF), currently in final draft form, to seek nomination of the route for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (East of Ludlow to Needles) incorporating the results of the ongoing San Bernardino County study evaluating the individual NRHP eligibility of all of the 136 bridges and large culverts between Daggett and Mountain Springs Road on Historic Route 66.

7 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 7 Figure 27 Former Roadrunner Cafe near Chambless Figure 28 Former Whiting Brothers Garage, Newberry Springs 3.2. West of Ludlow, consider seeking designation for discrete elements that still retain integrity or whose rarity would contribute towards its eligibility Support the ongoing state and county efforts to use a comprehensive treatment plan meeting the Secretary of Interior s Guidelines for Rehabilitation as the best approach to retaining the character defining features of the entire system of berms, dips and bridges that are unique to this section of Historic Route Keep Historic Route 66 open to those vehicles that can safely cross bridges to maintain opportunities for heritage tourism related businesses Utilize volunteers, students and/or consultants to prepare National Register nominations for individual properties eligible within the MPDF. Such nominations may include thematic nominations (e.g Needles Motels) Identify properties worthy of stabilization and rehabilitation and provide methods available for their conservation and/or adaptive reuse Encourage the establishment of locally designated community heritage opportunity areas and/or recognition programs in Barstow (Main Street) and Needles (Front Street and Broadway routes) to bring more awareness to historic resources associated with Historic Route 66 and to establish policies that help preserve and enhance Route 66 related resources. Figure 29 Former store and hotel in Daggett Resource Inventory Maps Supporting draft inventory maps (11 x 17) can be viewed using the following links: Map 1: Corridor Route Location ( draftreportmaps/cart66_corridordef_032414r.pdf) Map 2: Land Ownership ( LandOwn_032414r.pdf) Map 3: Historic Features (3 panels) West panel: ( Themes_West_032414r.pdf) Central panel: ( Themes_Mid_032414r.pdf) East: ( Themes_East_032414r.pdf) Map 4: Natural Resources: ( Map 5: Recreational Resources Rec_032414r.pdf) Definitions: Bureau of Land Management Objectives for Visual Resource Management Classes. VRM Class I Objective: To preserve the existing character of the landscape. Allowed Level of Change: This class provides for natural ecological changes; however, it does not preclude very limited management activity. The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be very low and must not attract attention. VRM Class II Objective: To retain the existing character of the landscape. Allowed Level of Change: The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be

8 CART 66 CMP: Needles to Barstow Ad Hoc Planning Committee Discussion Draft (4/20/14) Page 8 low. Management activities may be seen, but should not attract the attention of the casual observer. Any changes must repeat the basic elements of form, line, color, and texture found in the predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape. VRM Class III Objective: To partially retain the existing character of the landscape. Allowed Level of Change: The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be moderate. Management activities may attract attention, but should not dominate the view of the casual observer. Changes should repeat the basic elements found in the predominant natural features of the characteristic landscape. VRM Class IV Objective: To provide for management activities which require major modification of the existing character of the landscape. Allowed Level of Change: The level of change to the characteristic landscape can be high. Management activities may dominate the view and may be the major focus of viewer attention. However, the impact of these activities should be minimized through careful siting, minimal disturbance, and repeating the basic elements of form, line, color, and texture within the existing setting. NOTES: Development of solar facilities Under the BLM s existing policies and procedures, the BLM will generally use the following guidelines when processing pending applications: Pending applications that meet the criteria for High Potential for Conflict described in IM (BLM 2011b) are likely candidates for denial. High Potential for Conflict describes more complex projects that will require a greater level of consultation, analysis, and mitigation to resolve issues or that may not be feasible to authorize, including: - Lands near or adjacent to lands designated by Congress, the President, or the Secretary for the protection of sensitive viewsheds, resources, and values (e.g., all areas administered by the NPS, USFWS Refuge System, specially designated units of the National Forest System, and the BLM National Landscape Conservation System [NLCS] 6), which may be adversely affected by development; - - Lands currently designated as Visual Resource Management (VRM) Class I or Class II in BLM land use plans; Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States (FES 12-24; DOE/EIS-0403), July 2012, p1-13 United States Department of the Interior Best Management Practices for Reducing Visual Impacts of Renewable Energy Facilities on BLM-Administered Lands. Bureau of Land Management. Cheyenne, Wyoming. 342 pp, April. Prepared by: Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, P.C. in association with: MIG, Inc., Thomason and Associates, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation or cart66cmp@lardnerklein.com Bureau of Land Management For more information about the corridor management plan: California Desert California Historic Route 66 Association: or cahistoricrt66@aol.com Lardner/Klein Landscape District Architects, Doran PC Sanchez / BLM Barstow Field Office / / dasanche@blm.gov