REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
THROUGH: ASHLEY ATKINSON, Assistant Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: LISHA CHEN, Historic Preservation Specialist
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
HEARING to consider adoption of a Resolution designating a property to the Local Register of Historic Resources.
1. RESOLUTION - Designating the Property Located at 914 F Street to the Local Register of Historic Resources (Council District 3)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution designating the property located at 914 F Street to the Local Register of Historic Resources pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code SEC.12-1607 and 12-1609.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The owner of the property located at 914 F Street requested, in writing, that the property be considered for listing on Fresno’s Local Register of Historic Resources. The property was evaluated with respect to the Fresno Municipal Code SEC. 12-1607 historic resources designation criteria. The Historic Preservation Commission held a noticed public hearing on August 26, 2024, 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
An application of designation was filed by the property owner to designate the property located at 914 F Street (Assessor Parcel Number: 467-071-11) as local Historic Resource. Through intensive survey, the property has been found eligible for the Local Register of Historic Resources.
The property at 914 F Street is one half of a single-story commercial building. It is in the Chinatown district of the City of Fresno, suited on the north side of F Street, near its intersection with Kern Street.
Fresno's Chinatown has been a focal point for various immigrant communities since the late 19th century. By the 1890s, Japanese immigrants began to settle in Chinatown, contributing to its cultural and economic diversity. The Japanese community in Fresno grew significantly through the early 20th century, despite facing intense discrimination and exclusionary policies, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, Executive Order 9066, and the Asiatic Exclusion League's efforts to curb Asian immigration.
The commercial building at 914-920 F Street, constructed around 1900, is emblematic of this history. Initially, it was a large space that housed a pool hall. By 1906, the building was divided into two separate commercial spaces, with “Japanese Female Boarding,” likely prostitution cribs, flanking the building. In 1910, repairs were made, and the building continued to be rented out to various tenants. In 1928, it was transformed into a café owned by the Nakamoto family. The café, known as the Sunrise Café, operated until 1942, when the Nakamoto family was interned following the signing of Executive Order 9066 during World War II.
Analysis
To be considered for designation as a local Historic Resource the site must be found by the Commission and Council to meet the following criteria:
SEC. 12-1607. - DESIGNATION CRITERIA.
(a) HISTORIC RESOURCES: Any building, structure, object, or site may be designated as an Historic Resource if it is found by the Commission and council to meet the following criteria:
(1) It has been in existence more than fifty years, and it possesses aspects of integrity to convey its significance based upon location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association, and:
(i) It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(ii) It is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
(iii) It 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)It has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
(2) It has been in existence less than fifty years, it meets the criteria of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and is of exceptional importance within the appropriate historical context, local, state, or national.
The building was constructed around 1900, making it over 120 years old. Although the building has had numerous alterations, it still maintains sufficient integrity in its location, setting, and association to convey its historic significance. This integrity ensures that the building continues to serve as a meaningful link to the past, capable of telling the story of the Japanese American experience in Fresno’s Chinatown and their broader contribution to the City’s history.
Firstly, the building is associated with significant historical events, particularly related to the Japanese American community in Fresno. The history of Japanese immigration, their economic contributions to Chinatown development, and the impact of World War II internment on the Japanese community, including the Nakamoto family who owned and operated the Sunrise Café (later Victory Café), align with significant events in American history. The transformation of the café from the Sunrise Café to the Victory Café during World War II represents a broader pattern of American history, especially the internment of Japanese Americans and the subsequent adaptation of businesses during wartime. Secondly, the building has the potential to yield information important to the history of the Japanese American community in Fresno, especially regarding the impact of World War II and the internment experience on local businesses.
Given these points, the property at 914 F Street meets the criteria a (1), a (1) (i), and a (1) (iv) for historic designation under the Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607. In addition, the other half of the building, located at 920 F Street, was designated as a local historic resource in 2012, which further strengthens the case for designating 914 F Street. This will reinforce the integrity and significance of the entire building located at 914-920 F Street.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The designation 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
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional impact beyond the expenditure of staff time.
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Resolution Designating 914 F Street
Exhibit B - Application for Designation of an Historic Resource 914 F Street
Exhibit C - Letter of Owner Authorization 914 F Street
Exhibit D - Updated DPR Forms 914 F Street
Exhibit E - 2006 DPR Forms 914-920 F Street
Exhibit F - Public Hearing Notice & Noticing Map 914 F Street
Exhibit G - Fresno Municipal Code Designation Criteria and Process