PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 7/9/2018
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
HRLM2018-0001: Application to nominate an 1893 Vernacular Wood Frame home located at 1839 South Main Street in the R1-7.2 Zone (Single Family Residential, 7,200 square foot minimum lot size) as a Historic Landmark on the Corona Register of Historic Resources (Applicant: Jon and Rashelle McCarroll).
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend APPROVAL of HRLM2018-0001 to the City Council.
Body
PROJECT SUMMARY
HRLM2018-0001 is an application from property owners Jon and Rashelle McCarroll to nominate their home at 1839 South Main Street to be listed as Historic Landmark-047 (HL-047) on the Corona Register of Historic Resources as Historic Landmark-047 (HL-047). The home is a Vernacular Wood Frame style built in 1893 and sits on an 11,761 square foot lot located on the east side of South Main Street. The property contains a freestanding garage constructed in 1963 which takes access from the alley on the east side of the property. The garage is included on the application for the nomination; however, as detailed hereinbelow, the construction materials are not at parity with the main structure, and therefore, cannot be included as part of the landmark.
The home is currently listed on the Corona Heritage Inventory. Properties that are on the Corona Heritage Inventory are potential resources that may qualify as a historic landmark on the Register by virtue of age (50+ years) or by having significant cultural, historical or architectural value to the City. Heritage properties are given a ranking of high, moderate, or low as to their potential. The subject home currently has a high ranking.
BACKGROUND
According to the materials accompanying this nomination, the subject home was originally built for Mr. John (Johan) Rau, a German immigrant, and his family. Mr. Rau cleared the land and planted citrus while his new home was built. The home design and construction were attributable to “Corona’s own Bloom Brothers: Samuel L. and Eddy Bloom” as one of their first projects. Later the Bloom brothers would build other homes and structures in town, most notably the 1906 Carnegie Library historically located on South Main Street, a Classical Revival building later demolished in 1978, and two other Carnegie libraries in the City of Ontario and the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, the latter reportedly still standing. The succession of owners to the present day is further detailed in the application materials with the most notable length of ownership by the Dillon family at 72 years until 1991. The Dillon family sold their fruit under the Sunkist label.
The Vernacular Wood Frame home was built during the Victorian Era (1860-1900) but without the ornamentation typical of the Queen Anne period (1880-1910). It consists of narrow clapboard siding, wood shingles, plain rectangular window casings, and 1890’s front door with transom window above. Photographs of the home are attached as Exhibits B1 - B7. The home was remodeled in 1919 by the Dillon family, resulting in roof alteration from a hipped roof to a front gable and cross-gabled dormer design and addition of a screened-in sleeping porch among other modifications that remain historically sympathetic. The home was flanked by two palms, which was typical of homes located within acres of groves enabling visitors to find the entrance.
According to city permit records a freestanding garage was constructed on the property in 1963, approximately 70 years after the home was built (Exhibit B-7). The garage was constructed on the northeast corner of the property and is accessible from the alley on the east side of the property. The garage is constructed with stucco walls painted to match the residence with a composition shingle roof and decorative white door. With its construction in 1963, by definition, it is historic. However, since it does not reflect the character and predominant materials of the home, exclusion from the Register is appropriate, but should not affect the owners’ potential tax benefit should they seek a property preservation agreement under the Mills Act.
SATISFACTION OF LISTING CRITERIA
Section 17.63.050 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) lists the criteria that must be satisfied for a landmark to be listed on the Register. Shown below is how the proposed landmark meets these requirements. The data were gathered primarily from documents provided by the applicant.
1. The historic resource has been in existence for a period of at least 50 years, or if less than 50 years old, is of exceptional importance to the community.
Based on independent research prepared regarding the property by the applicant, the home was built in 1893, making it 125 years old. The home was built for John Conrad Rau and his family by Samuel L. Bloom and Eddy Bloom, known as the Bloom Brothers. The Rau home was one of their first projects. The brothers built other homes and structures most notably the 1906 Carnegie Library located on South Main Street and demolished in 1978 and the Carnegie Library on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, California.
2. The historic resource has significant historic, cultural, or architectural value, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, preserve and further the purposes and intent of this Chapter.
The home was built during the Victorian Era but lacked the gingerbread ornamentation of the Queen Anne period, which was popular from 1880-1910. Although, the steep front gable, hipped roof, cross gabled dormers, railed balcony and wrap-around porch were features of Queen Anne homes, the subject home lacked the ornamentation to be classified as a Queen Anne home and instead is classified as a Vernacular Wood Frame home. The subject home has retained much of it original Vernacular Wood Frame architectural character through the quality of its upkeep and integrity of historic design, and its preservation promotes the city’s cultural heritage.
3. The historic resource exhibits the following characteristics:
a. It embodies a distinctive characteristic of a style, type, period or method of construction or a valuable example of the use of materials or craftsmanship.
The home displays several key characteristics of a Vernacular Wood Frame style. Architectural details of the home include a steep front gable roof, shed roof dormers, railed balcony, front porch, narrow clapboard siding, wood shingles, plain rectangular window casings and a 1890’s door with transom window above.
Sometime between 1945 and 1963, the home’s hipped roof was replaced with a new gable roof spanning the entire structure to the sleeping porch making the house two-stories instead of one and one-half story. Additionally, in 1995 a permit was pulled to repair structural damage to the second-story from a fire. The second story was enlarged, the shed roof dormers on the north and south sides were enlarged, and windows were added.
As previously noted, a 528 square foot detached garage is located on the northeast side of the property and is accessible from the alley on the east side of the property. The garage was constructed in 1963 with stucco walls and a composition shingle roof. Since the garage is not physically connected to the home or visible from the public street, it is staff’s opinion that the garage does not detract from the Vernacular Wood Frame style of the home, and therefore, should not affect the home’s potential to be designated as a registered landmark.
If HRLM2018-0001 is approved, the owners intend to enter into a property preservation contract (Mills Act) with the City to enable them to obtain a property tax reduction through the Riverside County Assessor’s office. Participation in this program will allow the owners to reinvest the savings into maintaining and preserving the home.
4. The historic resource has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
By maintaining many of its original architectural features and materials, the proposed landmark has retained its historic integrity, which CMC Chapter 17.63 defines as “the authenticity of a resource’s physical identity as evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance.”
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
In accordance with Section 3.20 of the City’s local CEQA guidelines, HRLM2018-0001 is considered a Class 31 Categorical Exemption (Exhibit C). HRLM2018-0001 promotes the preservation of historic resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings, as applied by CMC Chapter 17.63.
PUBLIC NOTICING
In accordance with Chapter 17.63, the application for HRLM2018-0001 was distributed for comment to the Heritage Room of the Corona City Library, to the Corona Historic Preservation Society (CHPS) and to the Corona History Association (CHA). Additionally, the public hearing notice regarding this nomination was published in The Sentinel Weekly newspaper. Staff has received a letter submitted by CHPS expressing support for the historic landmark nomination (Exhibit D). Lastly, as of the preparation of the staff report, staff has not received any comments from the public regarding the nomination.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The application has met all requirements for placement as a historic landmark on the Corona Register of Historic Resources in accordance with Corona Municipal Code Chapter 17.63; therefore, staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend approval of HRLM2018-0001 to City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid all the required application processing fees
PREPARED BY: LUPITA GARCIA, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER, FOR JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit A - Statements of architectural and historical significance
3. Exhibits B1-B7 - Photographs of property
4. Exhibit C - Environmental documentation
5. Exhibit D - CHPS letter dated June 16, 2018
6. Exhibit E - Aerial map of property
Case Planner: Lupita Garcia (951) 736-2293