4.3 CULTURAL and HISTORIC RESOURCES

Transcription

1 4.3.1 Environmental Setting 4.3 CULTURAL and HISTORIC RESOURCES a. Regional Resources Prehistoric Resources. At the time the first European settlers came into the area, the region was occupied by the Chumash, a diverse population living in autonomous settlements along the California coast from Malibu Creek to the southeast and Estero Bay in the north, including the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz, and as far as Tejon Pass, Lake Casitas and the Cuyama River inland (Kroeber 1925; Horne 1981; Landberg 1965; Leonard 1971; Grant 1978; Rogers 1929; Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History 1986; Miller 1988; and, Gibson 1991). Chumash society became increasingly complex over the last 9,000 years (Wallace 1955, Warren 1968). Warren revised Wallace's scheme to include variants and traditions enhanced by radiocarbon dates. King (1982) proposed sequences based on changes in ornaments, beads and other artifacts. After A.D. 1000, changes in bead types suggested the evolution of new economic subsystems that contributed to the highly developed economic system observed by early Spanish explorers. Some Chumash villages contained as many as 1,000 people, although were probably more typical. Interior villages may have contained populations varying from 15 to 250 people, much smaller than the coastal villages. Ethnographic accounts by early Spanish chroniclers described Chumash villages as having hemispherical houses, sometimes arranged in streets, with one or more sweathouses, a gaming field, cemetery area with a religious shrine, and a ceremonial area. Smaller activity areas, including gathering and processing stations, roasting ovens, and hunting sites, rockshelters, and quarries, were located in proximity to the main village. The Protohistoric Chumash society was one of the most complex non-agricultural societies documented. The area inhabited by the Chumash measured about 200 miles by 70 miles, comparable to the smallest states of the eastern U. S. The total Chumash population included between 15,000-20,000 people. The Chumash did not have standing armies or full time police. However, despite its small size, Chumash society developed many discriminate subsystems which included institutions that maintained regional, political, and administrative organizations; a market economic system; and a complex belief system. Chumash society was similar in scale to other societies which occupied the more densely populated areas of western North America before European colonization. Spaniards observed forty-nine Chumash Indian villages in the Santa Maria area when they first visited the area briefly in the late 1700's. Historic Resources. The Santa Maria Valley first attracted European settlers in the late 1700s after the establishment of Mission San Luis Obispo and Mission La Purisima in Lompoc. Many settlers were the recipients of land for settlement from the government, and the area s rich soil available for various agricultural processes continued to attract settlers to the area through the mid 1800 s. In the late 1870 s, four of the valley s well-known settlers (Rudolph Cook, Isaac Fesler, Isaac Miller, and John Thornburg) each donated a section of their land to be used as the location for a 4.3-1

2 new town known as Grangerville. Today s intersection of Broadway and Main Street marks the corners of these four pieces of land. Grangerville eventually took on the name Central City but was renamed Santa Maria in 1885 because mail from this Central City kept going to Central City, Colorado. The discovery of oil led to a population surge that finally resulted in Santa Maria becoming incorporated as a general law city in Oil exploration began in the valley in the late 1800s. By 1901, William Orcutt and his company, Union Oil, were leasing more than 70,000 acres of land for oil exploration and processing. At the time of incorporation, the City population was estimated to be 1,000 persons, and presumably, 97%of the population was dependent on agriculture for survival. The first U.S. Census showed that rapid (126%) population growth occurring during the five-years between the incorporation and the 1910 Census. The near simultaneous construction of U.S. 101, the Twitchell Reservoir, and the Santa Maria River levee were also major historic milestone events for Santa Maria. The design of U.S. 101 bypassed the Downtown with a 4-lane highway ribbon that skirted down the eastern edge of the City s 4-square mile boundary. The road gave travelers four interchanges, but the bypass became detrimental to many Downtown businesses. The Reservoir, on the other hand, stabilized the groundwater basin to a point where the aquifer never felt serious damage from saltwater intrusion. Furthermore, the levee prevented most of the flooding in the City and opened up areas to development that were otherwise ruined regularly by the Santa Maria River flooding. These engineering marvels opened new land areas for development because they removed natural constraints (access and flooding) to the land located north of the City. In the 1970s, great deliberation and heated discussions led to the Redevelopment of the old Downtown. The U.S. 101 bypass of the City business districts of Main Street and Broadway had started a long decline in the central business districts. As the decline affected local businesses, the Urban Renewal policies of the 1960s enabled the City to form a Redevelopment Agency to stop the decline and transform the blighted Downtown into a state of the art enclosed shopping mall. Consequently, in 1975, the Santa Maria Town Center Mall (SMTC) opened with three levels of free parking, a Sears, and Gottschalks anchoring about 400,000 square-feet of retail space on 16 acres. Then, in , the Town Center West (TCW) added a 3rd and 4th major tenant space with a second free parking structure, a bridge over Broadway connecting the SMTC to the TCW, and plans for a 5th major department store. In August 1954, the City began to annex surrounding portions of land, spilling over its original four square-mile boundary. By the year 2005, the Santa Maria City limits had expanded to cover more than 21.4 square miles. Since 1957, the City s population has more than doubled, with the 2000 Census reporting the population as 77,423 persons. As of January 2008, Santa Maria s population is 91,100 (California Department of Finance, January 2008). b. Project Area Resources. The California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) cultural resource record search and assessment was prepared by the Central Coast Information Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara on February 6, 2007 for the 295 acre Specific Plan site

3 Prehistoric Resources. The City Conservation and Open Space Element indicates that the Specific Plan site is in an area of negligible sensitivity for archaeological resources. The CHRIS searched for all known previous cultural archeological surveys that were conducted within the plan area. The search found zero archaeological sites and three previous cultural resources surveys within the plan area. Historical Resources. The CHRIS searched the inventories for the State Historic Property Data Files, National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Determined Eligible Properties, California Historical Landmarks, California Points of Historic Resources, California OHP Archaeological Determinations of Eligibility, and the Caltrans State and Local Bridge Surveys yielded zero property evaluations within the search area. Several historical structures are located within the planning area and provide context and reference for the Specific Plan area s architectural and cultural character, see Figure The following describes the principal structures and their features. The First United Methodist Church Built in 1922, the architecture of this Church at 311 South Broadway is representative of the Spanish Renaissance period and remains the home of the church bell salvaged from the ship Anna Lyle on December 25, 1876, at Point Sal by the Charles Clark family. Saint Peter s Episcopal Church Completed in 1932, this Church is located at 402 South Lincoln Street. The committed efforts of the Women s Guild raised money to build this English Country style building over a twentyyear time period. Originally, the church had only four stained glass windows, but throughout the years, parishioners donated the remaining windows, deciding on their theme as each donation was made. In many ways, these windows represent the community, their spirit, and beliefs. The Martin Luther Tunnell Home Built in 1868, this Home at 428 South Lincoln Street is believed to be one of the oldest homes still standing in Santa Maria. Originally, this two-story house stood on the 160-acre Tunnell Homestead that has now become the campus for Allan Hancock Community College. The home was moved to its present location in 1905 after George Tunnell sold it to the Crakes family. The Minerva Club Designed by Julia Morgan (the architect responsible for the design of Hearst Castle) in 1927, this craftsman style building has served as a clubhouse for the women of Santa Maria throughout the decades. The building includes many of the typical design elements of Julia Morgan s work: natural dark wood; large decorative hardwood trusses on the ceiling; long, narrow windows; and colored handcrafted tiles. The Santa Maria Inn Opened in May of 1917 at 801 South Broadway, the Inn originally offered 24 rooms, 24 baths, a dining room, and a kitchen. Today, the Inn has 166 rooms and includes the Tap Room and an old English pub. The Inn still evokes the old country inn feel that Frank J. McCoy envisioned for his business almost a century ago

4 Santa Maria Downtown Specific Plan Source: Draft Downtown Specific Plan, April / Historic Structure Location Map Scale in Feet Figure 4.3-1

5 The Santa Maria Valley Railroad Constructed in 1911 at 625 South McClelland Street, the original railroad ran from Guadalupe to the Cat Canyon oil fields. The existing building was built in 1925 by Captain G. Allan Hancock, and at one time contained the Little Theatre and KSMR, the first radio station in Santa Maria. The construction of this railroad to Guadalupe led to the distribution of the Santa Maria Valley s crops throughout the rest of the country via the Union Pacific Railroad. Santa Maria High School Located at 901 South Broadway, this school opened in Considered one of California s oldest school buildings, the building has many Spanish architectural elements. Unfortunately, much of the façade of the building and the 100-foot tall bell tower have been removed due to the Fields Earthquake Act. The Reuben Hart Home Built in 1877 at 412 South McClelland Street, this vernacular-greek revival style Hart Home has been moved twice from its original location at the corner of Broadway and Church Street. Hart is often considered the father of Santa Maria, and today his home houses the Natural History Museum. The Landmark Building Originally built in 1907 for Henrietta Louise Newlove Martin, her husband Robert Franklin Martin, and their 8 children, this two-story, thirteen-room home was purchased by the Santa Maria Club in the 1920 s. It has been said that the original Santa Maria Style Barbecue can trace its origin to the annual Stag Barbecue, put on by the Santa Maria Club at this Landmark Building. The building traded hands and was completely renovated in Since then, it has served primarily as a restaurant. City Hall After the 1933 Santa Barbara earthquake, the City commissioned this new City Hall to comply with stricter requirements for public buildings. Designed in 1934 by Santa Maria s first architect, Louis N. Crawford, Santa Maria s City Hall blends Moorish influences into the California mission style. Located at 110 East Cook Street, the building, with its distinctive blue and yellow tiled tower, arched entrances, clay-colored roof, and wood-beamed ceiling, was featured in the April 1940 issue of Life Magazine. The Haslam Building This building on the corner of Main and Lincoln was originally built for the I.O.O.F, the Odd Fellows of Santa Maria, in 1906 in the distinctive style typical of Odd Fellows Lodge buildings of that time. William Haslam was the first tenant, and he occupied the ground floor. In 1977, the W. Haslam Co. purchased the building from the Odd Fellows. Currently, it is still owned by the family, although there is no longer a Haslam s Store and the ground floor at 126 W. Main is commercial retail use. The Coca Cola Bottling Company Built in 1938, this Company is located at 120 East Jones Street. Built in the art-deco/art modern style, the building has a glass block façade, which was considered very modern and advanced for its time. Serving as a bottling facility for the Coca Cola Company until 1976; the building 4.3-5

6 today is a center for non-profits serving Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The site includes the Children s Discovery Museum, constructed in The Heritage Walk Construction for this walkway began in early 1990, with a grand opening ceremony in November of The Walk is just south of Main Street, stretching from Broadway to Pine Street. The corridor is 30 feet wide and is furnished with special benches, a special street sign, and bordered by large paved terracotta tiles which have been privately purchased and custom imprinted. As part of the opening ceremony of Heritage Walk, a time capsule was buried and is to be uncovered in the year The John Long House This Victorian-style residence was built in 1884 and was the home of blacksmith John Long, who owned a blacksmith shop on the corner of East Main Street and McClelland Street. In 2004 the home was relocated from 419 S. McClelland St. to its current location at 615 S. McClelland Street. The building currently houses the administrative offices of the Recreation and Parks Department. c. Regulatory Setting California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). The California Register is an authoritative guide in California to be used by state and local agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify the state s historical resources and to indicate which properties are to be protected, to the extent prudent and feasible, from substantial adverse change (Public Resources Code Section (a)). The CRHR is overseen and administered by the State Historical Resources Commission. The criteria for listing resources on the CRHR are based on those developed by the National Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places with modifications in order to include a broader range of resources which better reflect the history of California. A resource is considered historically significant if it: Is associated with events or patterns of events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history and cultural heritage of California and the United States. Is associated with the lives of persons important to the nation or to California s past. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses high artistic values. It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the State and the Nation. California Public Resources Code. Section of the California Public Resources Code (PRC) stipulates that it is contrary to the free expression and exercise of Native American religion to interfere with or cause severe irreparable damage to any Native American cemetery, place of worship, religious or ceremonial site, or sacred shrine. Section of the PRC prohibits excavation or removal of any vertebrate paleontological site or historical feature, situated on public lands, except with the express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction over such lands. PRC requires reasonable mitigation of adverse impacts to paleontological resources from development on public land. Penal Code Section 623 spells out regulations for the protection of caves, including their natural, cultural, 4.3-6

7 and paleontological contents. It specifies that no material (including all or any part of any paleontological item) will be removed from any natural geologically formed cavity or cave. State Health and Safety Code. If human remains are discovered or exposed during construction, State Health and Safety Code Section requires that no further disturbance shall occur until the County Coroner has made the necessary findings as to origin and disposition pursuant to Public Resources Code Section If the remains are determined to be of Native American descent, the coroner has 24 hours to notify the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC). The NAHC will then contact the most likely descendent of the deceased Native American, who will serve as a consultant on how to proceed with the remains (i.e., avoid, rebury) Impact Analysis a. Methodology and Impact Criteria. The following impact criteria were dismissed within the City s Initial Study as being less than significant relative to the proposed project: Directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature; or Disturb any human remains, including those interred outside of formal cemeteries. For the purposes of this project, the following impact criteria derived from the State CEQA Guidelines and included in the City s Initial Study for this project will be applied to determine whether a significant impact would occur: Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource as defined in ; Cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of an archaeological resource pursuant to ; Under CEQA, an impact on a historical resource is considered significant if the impact lessens the integrity of the qualities of the property that qualify it for the CRHR. If the proposed project may cause damage to a significant historical resource, the project may have a significant effect on the environment. Section of the CEQA Guidelines pertains to the determination of the significance of impacts to archaeological and historic resources. Direct impacts may occur by: (1) Physically damaging, destroying, or altering all or part of the resource; (2) Altering characteristics of the surrounding environment that contribute to the resource s significance; (3) Neglecting the resource to the extent that it deteriorates or is destroyed. Indirect impacts primarily result from the effects of project-induced population growth. Such growth can result in increased construction as well as increased recreational activities that can disturb or destroy cultural resources; or (4) The incidental discovery of cultural resources without proper notification. Indirect impacts result primarily from the effects of project-induced population growth. Such growth can result in increased construction as well as increased recreational activities that can disturb or destroy cultural resources

8 b. Project Impacts and Mitigation Measures Impact CR-1 Development under the Specific Plan may affect the integrity of identified historical sites in the downtown area, depending on the location and type of development proposed within the downtown area. Discussion of Impact. As described in section b above, the City has locallydesignated 13 historic resources within the Specific Plan area. Future development within the area would generally not affect these structures. However, it is possible that direct impacts could occur to these buildings, either through demolition or remodeling, if any proposed development contemplates these actions. Indirect impacts could also occur if the areas adjacent to these structures are disturbed in such a way as to potentially impact the historic integrity of these structures. Adopted Policies and Regulations that Mitigate Impacts. The Resources Management Element of the City s General Plan includes the following goals and policies that relate to cultural resources, with which future projects must comply: GOAL 4 HISTORICAL. Preserve cultural and archaeological resources to assure that future generations maintain a strong sense of value. POLICY 4. Preserve and identify cultural and archaeological resources that define the historical significance of the and the Santa Maria Valley. CEQA provides guidelines for mitigating impacts to historical resources in Section For buildings and structures, maintenance, repair, restoration, preservation, conservation, or reconstruction consistent with the Secretary of Interior s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties is considered mitigation of impacts to a less than significant level (14 CCR (b)(1)). Simply documenting a historical resource, however, will not mitigate the effects of demolition to a less than significant level (14 CCR (b)(2)). Project Elements that Mitigate Impacts. The Specific Plan includes the following design requirements to address potential impacts to onsite historic resources. Building Mass and Articulation (Specific Plan) Existing historic or older structures with architectural details or ornamentation shall be retained, restored, or replicated whenever possible. Structures constructed adjacent to historic structures shall incorporate similar materials, details, accents, and architectural styles whenever possible. Additional Mitigation Measures Required Through the CEQA Process. No further mitigation measures would be required. Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures. With implementation of the requirements under state law, as well as local General Plan direction, combined with design requirements within he proposed Specific Plan, impacts would be reduced to a less than significant level

9 Impact CR-2 Although no prehistoric resources have been identified in the downtown area, ground disturbance associated with new construction could uncover previously unknown buried archeological deposits and/or human remains. Discussion of Impact. Future development that would be allowed under the Specific Plan could result in the discovery of previously unidentified buried archeological deposits and/or human remains in development areas of the Specific Plan. This is based on the fact that the Santa Maria Valley supported prehistoric human activity, and that resources have been discovered elsewhere in the valley. At the same time, the likelihood that such resources would be discovered in the downtown area are relatively low, since the entire area has been disturbed, graded, compacted, and covered with development. Moreover, the area had previously supported agricultural uses before urbanization, which had disturbed the land and any potential cultural resources that may have been present at one time. The Native American Heritage Commission responded to the NOP for this EIR, and noted that the Sacred Lands File Check for this area had been completed, and no sites had been indicated. Adopted Policies and Regulations that Mitigate Impacts. The Resources Management Element of the City s General Plan includes the following goals and policies that relate to cultural resources, with which future projects must comply: GOAL 4 HISTORICAL. Preserve cultural and archaeological resources to assure that future generations maintain a strong sense of value. POLICY 4. Preserve and identify cultural and archaeological resources that define the historical significance of the and the Santa Maria Valley. State Health and Safety Code Section requires that, if human remains are unearthed, no further disturbance shall occur until the County Coroner has made the necessary findings as to origin and disposition pursuant to Public Resources Code Section If the remains are determined to be of Native American descent, the coroner has 24 hours to notify the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC). The NAHC will then contact the most likely descendent of the deceased Native American, who will serve as a consultant on how to proceed with the remains (i.e., avoid, rebury). CEQA provides guidelines for mitigating impacts to archaeological resources in Section Preservation in place is the preferred manner of mitigating impacts (14 CCR (b)(3)). Preservation in place may be accomplished by planning construction to avoid the resource, incorporating sites within parks or open space, covering sites with chemically stable and culturally sterile fill, or deeding the site into a permanent conservation easement. When data recovery excavation of an archaeological site is the only feasible mitigation, a detailed data recovery plan must be prepared and adopted prior to any excavation. The Native American Heritage Commission responded to the NOP for this EIR, and described the procedures that would apply to the addressing resources, if they are discovered as a result of future development. This includes: 4.3-9

10 The preparation of a mitigation plan and evaluation of such sites pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section (f). Monitoring, if needed, would be conducted by a certified archaeologist and a culturally affiliated Native American representative. The mitigation plan, if needed, would be prepared in consultation with a culturally affiliated Native American representative; The disposition of human remains, if any, shall be conducted per the Health and Safety Code, as described above. Project Elements that Mitigate Impacts. The proposed project does not include mitigative elements that address this impact to prehistoric resources. Additional Mitigation Measures Required Through the CEQA Process. No additional mitigation measures are required beyond the standard requirements described above. Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures. With implementation of the standard required mitigation measures, impacts would be less than significant. c. Cumulative Impacts. Development under the proposed Specific Plan in conjunction with buildout of the City has the potential to cumulatively impact cultural and historic resources. Existing General Plan policies are intended to fully protect known archaeological resources, and onsite monitoring and proper handling of potentially uncovered resources would address this impact to a less than significant level. Cumulative impacts to such resources would therefore be addressed on a case-by-case basis as projects are considered. Cumulative impacts would therefore be less than significant through the implementation of City and State regulations. d. Use with Later Activities. Later Activities which implement the Downtown Specific Plan will be examined in the light of the Program EIR (SCH# ) to determine whether an additional environmental document will be prepared. (1) If a Later Activity would have effects that were not examined in the Downtown Specific Plan Program EIR (SCH# ), a new Initial Study will need to be prepared leading to either an EIR or a Negative Declaration. (2) If the finds that pursuant to Section 15162, no new effects could occur or no new mitigation measures would be required, the may approve the Later Activity as being within the scope of the Santa Maria Downtown Specific Plan covered by the Program EIR (SCH# ), in which case no new environmental document will be required. The Later Activity will be within the scope of the Cultural and Historic Resources analysis if: Historic structures are rehabilitated in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings or the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for

11 Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (1995), Weeks and Grimmer (per CEQA Guidelines Section (b)(3)); and Impacts to previously unidentified cultural resources are addressed in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section (f). (3) The shall incorporate the following mitigation measures, relative to Cultural and Historic Resources into the Later Activity: There are none because the Final Program EIR concluded that Aesthetic impacts were less than significant. (4) The will use a written checklist to document the above evaluation