ITEM 7-A
COUNCIL MEETING: September 8, 1992 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Appeal of Landmarks Commission Approval of Landmark
Designation LC-04-045, 822-824 Third Street, a
Streamline Moderne Apartment Building Known Historically
as the Vanity Fair Apartments.
Applicant: City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commission
Appellant: Enayatollah Golshani
INTRODUCTION
This report recommends that the City Council deny the appeal and
uphold the decision of the Landmarks Commission to designate the
Streamline Moderne apartment building located at 822-824 Third
Street, known historically as the Vanity Fair Apartments, as a
City Landmark. On May 11, 1992 the Landmarks Commission voted
7-0 to designate this building as Santa Monica's twenty-second
landmark. The appeal filed by the property owner is contained in
Attachment A.
BACKGROUND
Landmarks Commission Action
On March 9, 1992 the Landmarks Commission, at the request of
neighborhood residents, filed a landmark designation application
for this Streamline Moderne apartment building. The landmark
designation application was subsequently prepared with the
research assistance of neighborhood residents. At that time, the
Commission's unanimous vote to file the landmark designation
application was based on the building's architectural merit as a
Streamline Moderne residential structure. However, the
Commission also requested that research be conducted on the
building's history to determine if it was also associated with a
notable Santa Monica resident or with a significant architect or
builder.
The Landmarks Commission conducted a public hearing to formally
evaluate the landmark designation application at the April 13,
1992 Commission meeting. Following consideration of the landmark
application and the public testimony, the Commission unanimously
voted to set the landmark designation public hearing for the next
regular Commission meeting on May 11, 1992.
At the May Commission meeting, the appellant stated that, while
he had no immediate plans to demolish the building, the structure
was in very poor condition and that the continual repairs were
very costly. In response, Commissioners noted that the Landmarks
Ordinance does provide some incentives to preserve designated
structures, such as the elimination of building permit and
administrative planning application fees and the ability to use
the State Historic Building Code rather than the Uniform Building
Code. Prior to the Commission's unanimous decision to designate
the structure, Commissioners praised the architectural quality of
the Vanity Fair Apartments, stating that the building is among
the finest examples of Streamline Moderne architecture in the
City.
Landmark Designation Criteria
The Landmarks Ordinance requires that proposed landmarks be
evaluated against the following criteria:
(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of
the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural
history of the City.
(2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or
other noteworthy interest or values.
(3) It is identified with historic personages or with
important events in local, state, or national history.
(4) It embodies distinguishing architectural
characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style,
method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials
or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an
architectural design, detail, or historical type valuable to
such a study.
(5) It is a significant or a representative example of the
work or product of a notable builder, designer, or
architect.
(6) It has a unique location, a singular physical
characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual
feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
The Landmarks Ordinance permits the approval of a landmark
designation if findings can be made to support at least one of
the six designation criteria. In the case of the Vanity Fair
Apartments, the Landmarks Commission based the building's
landmark designation on three of the six criteria.
Criteria 1: Historical Architectural Significance
Built in 1935, the Vanity Fair Apartments is the oldest known
example of Streamline Moderne residential architecture in Santa
Monica. The building is representative of the shift in
architectural design from the ornate Art Deco style to the
simpler forms and less expensive materials of Streamline Moderne
architecture. At the time of its construction, the Vanity Fair
Apartments were considered a modern, innovative approach to
design. Today, the Vanity Fair Apartments exemplify the
Streamline Moderne era in Santa Monica's architectural history,
marking the beginning of the style's influx into the City.
Criteria 3: Historical Significance
Carl R. Henderson was a locally prominent businessperson as well
as civic leader who was active in Santa Monica realty and
property owner organizations. His service as captain of the
Santa Monica Mounted Police in addition to his interest and
effort in promoting the City Manager form of government for Santa
Monica demonstrates his commitment to the health, vitality, and
future of Santa Monica. Further, his construction of the Vanity
Fair Apartments, noted at the time as a distinctive structure, is
evidence of his desire to improve and contribute to the physical,
as well as functional, appearance of the City.
Criteria 4: Architectural Significance
The Vanity Fair Apartments are a superior example of Streamline
Moderne architecture, a style more typically used for commercial
building design. The building embodies many notable
characteristics of the Streamline Moderne style, including the
stucco clad exterior, the asymmetrical facade, the curved corners
and overall horizontal appearance. Classic Streamline Moderne
details valuable to the study of this architectural period
include the metal balustrades surrounding the balconies, the
horizontal and vertical banding at the northeast building corner,
the light fixtures with curved corners above the front entry of
the apartment units, the curved banding on the front doors, and
the metal frame windows.
Landmark Designation Application
The landmark designation application, contained in Attachment B,
provides a detailed description of the property as well as a
discussion of the building's architectural merit and historical
significance. The building displays many classic Streamline
Moderne design elements, which are further illustrated in the
building photographs contained in Attachment C.
Streamline Moderne architecture emerged from an economic need for
simpler, inexpensive buildings and a growing fascination with
transportation design. The exuberant design of the Art Deco
period, complete with delicate metal work, gold leaf tracings,
and colorful mosaic tiles, was replaced with materials such a
stucco, concrete, and glass. The overall building profile
shifted from a vertical to a horizontal emphasis with a smooth
"wind tunnel" appearance inspired by the industrial designs used
for ships, airplanes, and automobiles.
Streamline Moderne architecture was more commonly used for
commercial building design, however, residential examples do
exist. In Santa Monica, Streamline Moderne architecture is
evident, although the examples are not numerous. Three
residential Streamline Modern buildings were identified in the
Phase I and Phase II Historic Resources Inventory. All three
were constructed between 1937 and 1941. A review of Streamline
Moderne residential buildings identified in the Phase III
Historic Resources Inventory Preliminary Survey as good examples
of the style found that all were constructed in 1937 or later.
Therefore, the Vanity Fair Apartments, with a construction date
of 1935, appear to be the oldest example of Santa Monica's best
Streamline Moderne residential buildings.
Carl R. Henderson, a prominent Santa Monica resident,
businessperson and active civic leader, constructed the Vanity
Fair Apartments. Mr. Henderson's prominence is demonstrated by
his inclusion in the 1941 edition of the Santa Monica Blue Book,
a publication that a provided biographies of notable City
residents. The biography states that, after owning the Santa
Monica Packard Dealership between 1921 and 1931, he became a
local real estate broker and businessperson. He served as
president of the Santa Monica Realty Board, the Santa Monica
Chapter of the Property Owner's Association of California, and
president of the Santa Monica Taxpayer's Association. In
addition, the Blue Book describes the Vanity Fair Apartments as
one of Mr. Henderson's achievements: "He has built several
distinctive apartment buildings in Santa Monica, one of the best
being the Vanity Fair Apartments, erected in 1935, of modernistic
architecture, and one of the first of this type erected in Santa
Monica."
Mr. Henderson's biography was also included in the 1944-1948
edition of the Santa Monica Community Book. This biography
states that "...Mr. Henderson has for a number of years used his
influence to bring about the City Manager form of Government for
Santa Monica which has been so successful in many other
communities." At his death in 1971 the Santa Monica Outlook
described Mr. Henderson as an "active civic leader" and that, in
addition to his real estate activities, he was captain of the
Santa Monica Mounted Police.
Appeal Statement
The appellant states that, since the building is old and subject
to the City's rent control regulations, it is not economically
feasible to maintain the building in good repair. Due to the
cost of basic repairs for items such as the roof, plumbing, and
gas lines, the appellant explains that he will be unable to
maintain the apartment building in a safe condition for more than
a few years. Due to the economic constraints of Rent Control he
states that over the next 10 to 20 years the building will
deteriorate and become unsafe to inhabit. However, no supporting
documentation other than this brief statement of appeal has been
submitted to support either the safety concerns or the economic
hardship complaint. Planning staff has contacted the Rent
Control Board and the owner has not filed an application for a
Category C Removal Permit. Absent this type of information, the
appellant's claim of safety hazards and economic hardship cannot
be justified. The appellant does not challenge the Vanity Fair
Apartments' landmark designation based on the merits of the
application reviewed by the Landmarks Commission.
Pursuant to Section 9612 of the Landmarks Ordinance, the public
hearing for an appeal of a landmark designation must be scheduled
and held before the City Council within 45 days after the notice
of appeal has been filed. However, the appellant of the Vanity
Fair Apartments was out of the country during this 45 day period
and waived his right to an earlier hearing. A copy of the
appellant's statement confirming his agreement to an August 11th
public hearing is contained in Attachment J. His agreement to a
September 8, 1992 public hearing is contained in Attachment K.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommendation presented in this report does not have a
budget or fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council deny the appeal and
uphold the decision of the Landmarks Commission to designate the
building and site at 822-824 Third Street as a City Landmark with
the findings approved by the Landmarks Commission.
Prepared By: Paul Berlant, Director of LUTM
Suzanne Frick, Planning Manager
Amanda Schachter, Associate Planner
Land Use and Transportation Management Department
Program and Policy Development Division
Attachments: A. Appeal Filed by Enayatollah Golshani
B. Landmark Designation Application
C. Building Photographs
D. Landmarks Commission Staff Report, March 9,
1992
E. Landmarks Commission Staff Report, April 13,
1992
F. Landmarks Commission Staff Report, May 11,
1992
G. Landmarks Commission Determination
H. Landmarks Commission Minutes:
March 9, 1992
April 13, 1992
May 11, 1992
I. Correspondence
J. Appellant's Agreement to the August 11th
Public Hearing Date
K. Apellant's Agreement to the September 8, 1992
Public Hearing Date