REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
March 16, 2017
FROM: JENNIFER K. CLARK, AICP, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: DANIEL ZACK, AICP, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
CONTINUED HEARING to consider adoption of the resolution related to the designation of a property to the Local Register of Historic Resources
1.***RESOLUTION - Designating the David and Frances Bruner Home located at 215 N. Clark Street, Fresno, California to the Local Register of Historic Resources (Council District 7).
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution designating the David and Frances Bruner Home located at 215 N. Clark Street to the Local Register of Historic Resources pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code 12-1603(s), 12-1607 and 12-1609.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The 215 N. Clark Street residence was evaluated with respect to the historic resource criteria of the City of Fresno’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, Article 16 of Chapter 12 of the Fresno Municipal Code, and was publicly noticed in the Fresno Bee as required by the Ordinance. The Historic Preservation Commission held a noticed public hearing on November 14, 2016 and concluded that the property was eligible for listing on the Local Register of Historic Resources. The Commission hereby forwards the nomination to the City Council for consideration.
BACKGROUND
The new owner of the 1922 Craftsman bungalow located at 215 N. Clark Street purchased this working class home in early September. Upon receipt of an Inspection Report that suggested serous structural issues he applied for a demolition permit. Pursuant to the City’s General Plan Policy HCR-2-g, preservation staff reviewed the demolition permit for the potential that the home might be eligible for listing on the Local Register of Historic Resources. Of the 50-75 demolition permits reviewed by staff each year one or two may be reviewed in the field and documented. On rare occasions the property is evaluated on State survey forms and presented to the City’s Historic Preservation Commission for review.
Staff visited the property on September 5th and then again on September 9th to meet with the owner. A staff member from the City’s code division was also present at the September 9th meeting and reviewed the Inspection Report with the owner. Two issues of concern to City staff were that the home seemed to have impeccable integrity to its period of integrity of 1922 with only minor maintenance issues (wiring and plumbing need some attention for example). The home is solid on its foundation and with a little clean-up could be available for rental in an area that badly needs housing for working class families. Stylistically, it is similar to several of the contributing homes in the Huntington Boulevard Historic District.
Additionally, this Craftsman bungalow contributes to the integrity of the block. It is adjacent to the 1899 McKay Home, which is listed on Fresno’s Local Register of Historic Resources (HP#44). On the north side is another pre-1906 Craftsman home that City staff (both Code and Preservation) have worked to secure and preserve. The area is rapidly changing due to expansion by Community Medical Center.
Although modest, the home has architectural merit in its own right, with clipped gables, a decorative brick chimney, concrete brick piers and balustrade beveled to appear like rusticated stone, and original multi-light windows. David Bruner and his wife Frances lived in the house from its construction in 1922 (they are actually shown at the address in 1920) through 1954 when Mr. Bruner, a retired mailman, died.
Fresno’s new Downtown and Neighborhoods Community Plan and development code as recently adopted by the City Council stress the importance of preserving the City’s older neighborhoods as well as the importance of context and adjacency for historic properties.
Local Register Criteria and Protocols
The City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance is found at Article 16 of Chapter 12 of the Fresno Municipal Code. Section 1607 outlines the criteria for designation of a resource to the Local Register of Historic Resources. A “historic resource” is “any building, structure, object or site” which is generally more than fifty years of age and “possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and:
(i) Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(ii) Is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
(iii) Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or
(iv) Has yielded or may be likely to yield, information in prehistory or history.
The City’s criteria for assessing significance are patterned after the National Register of Historic Places (1966 as amended) which uses letters A-D for significance. Fresno’s Local Register is also similar, although not equivalent, to the California Register of Historical Resources which uses a numbering system of 1-4 for criteria. Although the concept of “integrity” is not specifically defined in the City’s Ordinance, it is implicitly understood to follow the National Register which defines “integrity” as “the ability of a property to convey its significance.” “To retain integrity a property will always possess several and usually most, of the aspects.” (“How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation” 1988:44).
The process for designating a historic resource is outlined in FMC 12-1609. In brief, a request to designate a resource to the Local Register may be made by the Council, the Commission, the Secretary to the Commission, the property owner, or an authorized representative of the owner (12-1609(a)). Applications for listing use the state protocol for survey forms with both a DPR 523A (Primary) as well as a DPR 523B (Building, Structure, Object Form) (12-1609(a)(1-9)). A notice must be published in a local newspaper at least ten days prior to the hearing and sent to the property owner as well. Commissioners must also physically visit the property prior to the Commission hearing (12-1609(c)(1)).
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The designation of historic properties is not a “project” for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it will not result in a direct or indirect change in the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because this agenda item does not include a bid or award of a construction services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional impact beyond the expenditure of staff time.
Attachments:
1. Designation Criteria for the Local Register of Historic Resources and Local Historic Districts (FMC 12-1607).
2. Resolution Designating the David and Frances Bruner Home located at 215 N. Clark Street, Fresno to the Local Register of Historic Resources.
3. State of California Primary and BSO Forms for the David and Frances Bruner Home located at 215 N. Clark Street.