City Council Meeting: June 26, 2007

Agenda Item: 8-C  

To: Mayor and City Council 

From: Barbara Stinchfield, Community & Cultural Services Director

Subject: Recommendation for a Permanent Location for the Shotgun House on City-owned Property at Norman Place and Second Street and Associated Next Steps

Recommended Action

Staff recommends that the City Council:

· support in concept the potential permanent site of the Shotgun House on Norman Place and Second Street prior to regulatory review by the Planning Commission, Landmarks Commission and California Coastal Commission;

· authorize the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a non-profit organization to relocate the House to the selected property, rehabilitate the House and lease the House from the City for public benefit purposes; and

· direct staff to complete the site improvements as outlined in the staff report to ready the site for acceptance of the House.

Executive Summary

The Shotgun House, a bungalow previously privately-owned and located on Second Street in Ocean Park, received a City Landmark designation in 1998. Subsequently, a series of interim moves to City property were undertaken while private organizations sought funding and a permanent location to preserve the structure as it is the last remaining example of a shotgun-style house in Santa Monica.

In December 2005, the House was moved to 1601 Olympic Boulevard (former Fisher Lumber site) and on December 20, 2006, in response to a request from the Santa Monica Conservancy, the City Council directed staff to:

· pursue ownership of the House with the State of California;

· identify an appropriate site on designated City property for the permanent placement of the House in Ocean Park;

· initiate a process to select a nonprofit organization to raise funds and potentially lease the House for a public benefit purpose; and

· create a lease agreement that clearly delineates responsibilities of both lessor and lessee.

Subsequently, staff provided information to the Attorney General’s office which oversees nonprofit corporations and the distribution of property formally owned by defunct nonprofits. The Attorney General’s Office has not expressed any concerns regarding the City’s desire to exercise ownership. Thirteen City-owned properties within Ocean Park were considered by staff as possible permanent locations for the House. (Attachment A)

All sites with the exception of the parking lot on Norman Place and Second Street were eliminated from further consideration due to various constraints related to land use, parking and accessibility. Funds are available to support site preparation work from savings from the Airport Park capital improvement project which has been completed.

Discussion

Background and Prior Council Actions

The Shotgun House was originally located at 2712 Second Street in Ocean Park. Efforts to preserve the House began in 1998 when the owner of the subject property filed an application for demolition and the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission designated the house a City Landmark. The designation allowed for demolition of the house within 60 days of the hearing date, with the requirement that the applicant submit photographs and floor plans documenting the structure and provide evidence to prove attempts were made to relocate the house. This determination was appealed by both the Ocean Park Community Organization (OPCO) and the Church in Ocean Park. On February 16, 1999, the City Council upheld the Landmarks Commission designation and directed staff to prepare an analysis in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to determine if demolition would create a significant adverse impact on an historic resource. On September 26, 2000, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report and adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations allowing for the demolition of the structure

Subsequently, the House was purchased by the Ocean Park Community Organization (OPCO) in an effort to save it from immediate demolition. In order to provide OPCO with sufficient time to identify a site for permanent relocation, explore reuse alternatives and raise funds for the relocation and rehabilitation efforts, the City administratively approved its temporary relocation to the Santa Monica Airport in July 2002. Despite its best efforts, OPCO’s Shotgun House Relocation Committee was unable to finalize these tasks. Additionally, OPCO became a defunct non-profit organization.

On November 1, 2005, the City Council authorized the temporary relocation of the House to 1401 Olympic Boulevard in order to make way for Airport Park construction. Since December 2005, the House has been stored at this site. On December 20, 2006, the City Council directed staff to pursue ownership of the House; identify an appropriate site on designated City property for the permanent placement of the House in Ocean Park; initiate a process to select a nonprofit organization to raise funds and potentially lease the House for a public benefit purpose; and create a lease agreement that clearly delineates responsibilities of both lessor and lessee.

Policy Considerations for Use of City Property for Relocation of Historic Structures:

The last time the City relocated historic structures to City property was in 1977 when both the California Heritage Museum, historically known as the First Roy Jones House and the Victorian, known historically as the Kyte House were moved from Ocean Avenue to Main Street to create Heritage Square. Preferred current historic preservation approaches related to relocating historic buildings focus on retaining these structures in place whenever possible with relocation of historic buildings considered as a last resort alternative to demolition. It is strongly recognized in the historic preservation field that the value of an historic building is greater than just the structure itself, and of almost equal importance is the building’s relationship to the surrounding landscape and context. Preservationists also recognize that in even the most carefully planned relocations, it is inevitable that some of the building’s historic integrity will be lost. It is for these reasons, combined with the need to strike a balanced approach for the use of City property, that the Council should only consider the relocation of historic structures to City property as a last resort in limited and unique instances where no other sites are available, there is clear and long-term public benefit and alternative approaches such as photographic and measured drawing documentation is not sufficient. As indicated, the Shotgun House was removed from 2712 Second Street in 2002.

House Ownership

The City Attorney provided detailed information to the Attorney General’s Office in October and December 2006 on the ownership issues of the house. To date the State has expressed no concern about the City making a public use of the defunct nonprofit’s property.

Evaluation of Possible Relocation Options

A summary of all sites studied is included in Attachment A and reflects the extent to which each site met the following criteria.

· Supports sound historic preservation practices: The National Trust for Historic Preservation recommends that if it is necessary to relocate a historic building, care should be given to choose a site that is compatible with the style of the house and as near both in location and appearance to the original site. Site orientation, setting and general environmental characteristics should be maintained to the extent possible.

· Promotes public visibility & access & minimizes security needs: The site is easy to access and security can be addressed.

· Consistent with City policies and practices in terms of land use: The site allows for the proposed use by a non-city entity for public purposes and is not subject to tenancy restrictions that would impact relocation.

· Compatible with on-site and adjacent uses: The site is able to accommodate the building and the proposed use with minimal impacts to adjacent uses and is conducive to a productive use of the building.

In addition, in 2002 the OPCO Shotgun House Committee evaluated 15 locations (14 owned by the City and 1 owned by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District) for the possible relocation of the House. Staff used this report (see Attachment B) as a reference in formulating its most recent evaluation of City-owned sites.

Recommended Site

The public parking lot on Second Street and Norman Place is approximately 4700 square feet. It currently provides 7 metered parking spaces plus 4 dedicated parking

spaces for Ocean Park Library staff. Access to the lot is provided by a curb cut on Norman Place. The lot currently contains trash bins for use by building tenants of 2525 Main Street and the Library. A community recycling bin for Second Street neighbors is also located in the lot.

SW view of lot as it currently exists

Preliminary Site Plan

Site Evaluation

Supports sound historic preservation practices:

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recommends that if it is necessary to relocate a historic building, care should be given to choose a site that is compatible with the style of the structure and as near both in location and appearance to the original site. Site orientation, setting and general environmental characteristics should be maintained to the extent possible.

This recommended site on Second Street is two blocks to the north of the original House location. The House would be oriented in an east-west direction which is consistent with its original orientation. The low scale residential character of this block is comparable to the low scale context of the original location. These siting conditions are consistent with sound historic preservation practices.

Promotes public visibility & access & minimizes security needs:

This site is located adjacent to the Ocean Park Library which would enhance its public visibility. Security issues would be addressed with fencing in the front yard as well as targeted lighting on or around the structure. Because it is on a residential street but proximate to Main Street, public visibility would be enhanced through signage that could highlight the cluster of landmark buildings (i.e. Merle Norman Building, Ocean Park Library and the Shotgun House). If a viable organization were identified to program the space, inclusion of the site in public education materials on historic structures in the community would encourage the public’s awareness of the structure and its significance.

Consistency with city policies and practices in terms of land use:

The site is zoned OP-2. A conditional use permit would be required to allow a non-profit entity to occupy the building for meeting and office uses and a variance to relieve the building from providing 2 dedicated parking spaces on-site would be required.

A coastal permit would also be required. Coastal Commission staff have indicated that given the historic preservation goals that would be met by preserving the Shotgun House, they believe that they could support a reduction of the number of parking spaces as long as use of the building during the peak use of other activities in the area is limited so that the building itself doesn’t generate new demand that would impact existing parking.

Compatible with on-site and adjacent uses:

The parking lot would need to be reconfigured resulting in the loss of one space. Site improvements would include the complete reconfiguration of the lot to accommodate a new parking layout, incorporation of landscaping, replacement of a small retaining wall along Norman Place, as well as the construction of a trash enclosure. Based upon the preliminary site plan, the existing New Zealand street trees will need to be removed to accommodate the relocated driveways and a street light will need to be relocated. New street trees could be incorporated.

Potential City Funding

As described above, the parking lot will require site improvements as part of the relocation of the House. Costs associated with these site improvements have been estimated at approximately $84,000. Funding for these improvements is available in C010666.589000. The selected non-profit organization would need to fund the relocation of the building and its rehabilitation including the costs associated with utility connections.

Criteria for Selection of Non-Profit Organization

The following criteria would be used to evaluate responses to the Request for Proposals. Proposals would be evaluated on the extent to which the organization:

· Demonstrates evidence of current non-profit status

· Documents the capacity to raise the necessary funds from non-City sources to relocate and rehabilitate the House for a public benefit purpose.

· Identifies a project team with demonstrated expertise in the following disciplines: preparation of architectural plans including understanding of rehabilitation and adaptive reuse disciplines; construction management; and securing required discretionary approvals from various City departments, City Commissions and the Coastal Commission.

· Proposes a year-round use that results in significant public benefit and is accessible to the community at large through scheduled programming that is not reliant on city resources and identifies realistic estimates of activity, participant levels and peak use plans for the building.

· Proposes a use that builds on the historic nature of the House and incorporates opportunities to educate the public regarding the House and its neighborhood.

· Provides a plan for how the House will be maintained, kept secure and operated once rehabilitation is complete.

· Identifies a reasonable timeline for relocation and rehabilitation including key milestones for house relocation with project completion no later than 24 months from lease execution.

Next Steps

If the Council approves the recommended site for the House, staff intends to issue the Request for Proposal this summer with Council approval of the non-profit in the fall. Staff would work closely with the selected non-profit to develop a timeline to sequence the site improvements in advance of the house move.

Community Input

On June 7, 2007 City staff met with the Main Street Business Improvement Association (the Association) to obtain input regarding the evaluation of the various sites. In addition to hearing from city staff regarding its evaluation and recommendation for the site at Norman Place and Second Street, the Association also heard from a representative of the Santa Monica Conservancy Shotgun House subcommittee. The Conservancy’s representative indicated that the subcommittee voted to recommend the parking lot adjacent to the Main Street Community Gardens as their first choice for the relocation of the Shotgun House and the Norman Place site as their second choice. Their representative indicated that they felt that the visibility of the Main Street location would aid in the ability to raise the funds necessary for the building’s rehabilitation. The Association adopted a motion recommending that the City Council delay selecting a site for the permanent relocation of the Shotgun House to allow for the various interest groups to discuss the feasibility of the Main Street site further. Staff also made a presentation to the Library Board on June 7, 2007 given the close proximity of the proposed site to the Ocean Park Library. The Library Board adopted a motion to support the Norman Place and Second Street site for the Shotgun House. On June 10, 2007 city staff made a presentation to the Ocean Park Association (OPA) regarding the project. OPA also heard from a representative of the Santa Monica Conservancy. Following discussion, OPA adopted a motion in support of the Norman Place and Second Street site, and requested that the City Council fund some of the rehabilitation costs in light of the location.

Regulatory review by both the Planning and Landmarks Commissions would occur following approval of the non-profit organization by the City Council. The selected organization would be responsible for initiating the required regulatory approvals.

Alternatives

If the Council does not approve the recommended site for the House as proposed, it may wish to consider selling the building to a private entity for personal use.

Budget/Financial Impact

The proposed recommendation requires initial one-time funding from the City for site improvements described in this report. Funding is available in C010166.589000. These funds will be moved to account M010876.589000.

Prepared by: Karen Ginsberg

Assistant Director, Community & Cultural Services

Approved ___________________ Forwarded to Council:___________

__________________________ ________________________________

Barbara Stinchfield P. Lamont Ewell

Director, Community & Cultural Services City Manager

Attachment A: Shotgun House-Evaluation of Sites

Attachment B: OPCO Shotgun House Committee Evaluation of Sites