2525 Telegraph Avenue

Transcription

1 L A N D M A R K S P R E S E R V A T I O N C O M M I S S I O N S t a f f R e p o r t FOR COMMISSION ACTION NOVEM BER 5, Telegraph Avenue Remand to Landmark Preservation Commission by City Council of the designation of the property known as the Needham/Obata Building as a City of Berkeley Landmark (LM # ) to reconsider inclusion of the lightwells as historic amenities to be preserved; (Prepared by Jay Claiborne, Senior Planner and Gisele Sorensen, Senior Planner) I. Application Basics A. CEQA Determination: Project exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section b.3 (activities that can be seen with certainty to have no significant effect on the environment) of the CEQA Guidelines. B. Parties Involved: Applicant Property Owner Donna Graves 1204 Carleton Street Berkeley, CA Ali Eslami P.O. Box 4623 Berkeley, CA Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA Tel: TDD: Fax: tblount@ci.berkeley.ca.us

2 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 2 of 8 November 5, 2009 Figure 1: Vicinity Map 2525 Telegraph Ave Needham/Obata Building

3 LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE November 5, 2009 Page 3 of 8 Figure 2: Site Plan

4 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 4 of 8 November 5, 2009 II. Background On February 5, 2009, the Landmarks Preservation Commission initiated the property at 2525 Telegraph Avenue ( Regent Street), also known as the Needham/Obata Building, and scheduled a public hearing for the LPC meeting on April 2, On April 2, 2009, a public hearing was held and the LPC voted to continue the public hearing to the LPC meeting on May 7, On May 7, 2009, the LPC moved the item to the consent calendar and voted to continue the public hearing to the LPC meeting on June 4, On May 19, 2009, staff received a City of Berkeley Landmark Designation application for the Needham/Obata Building, located at 2525 Telegraph Avenue. A resident of the City of Berkeley submitted the application. On June 19, 2009, the LPC held a Public Hearing, took testimony, and voted to designate the property a City Landmark for reasons that include, in addition to Architectural Merit numerous exterior details related to its vernacular Mission Revival style, 1) its Cultural significance through its associations with the internationally renowned Japanese American artist Chiura Obata, 2) its Educational significance as a resource for telling the story of Berkeley s Japanese American history and the impact of WWII internment. In identifying features of significance that should be preserved, the Commission also included the three quiet, semi-private courtyards each of which is shared by a flanking pair of apartments. (Attachment 1, NOD) On July 9, 2009, following release of the Notice of Decision on June 29, 2009, the property owner Ali Eslami submitted an appeal requesting that the City Council overturn or remand the Landmark decision. On September 22, 2009, the City Council considered Staff s recommendation to affirm the decision and dismiss the appeal together with appended reports and analyses on the property. The Council voted to affirm the LPC decision to designate the property as a Landmark with a request urging review and reconsideration of identifying the lightwells as historic amenities to be preserved. III. Property Description (summarized from the nomination; see nomination in June packet for full details) The property is located on the eastern part of Telegraph Avenue between Dwight Way and Parker Street. The two-story mixed-use building, with commercial uses on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floor, covers the entire parcel (approximately 30 to 40 feet by 142 to feet). It was constructed in 1907 in the Mission Revival style. The building faces both Telegraph Avenue and Regent Street with storefronts on the ground floor. The lower façade on Telegraph Avenue has large storefront-type windows

5 LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE November 5, 2009 Page 5 of 8 with piers and bulkheads that are clad in blue tile. There is a horizontal clerestory band that consists of small panes set in wood sash, bordered by plain wooden beams. Above that, there are large clerestory windows occupying the spaces below twin wood-framed arches. The upper façade has a smooth stucco surface. There are three pairs of windows that have metal sashes that recently replaced the original wooden versions. Above the windows, there is a projecting rooflet covered in clay tiles and supported by wooden brackets. At the top of the façade, there is a prominent scalloped parapet, and centered in that parapet is a quatrefoil blind window featuring turned wooden spindles. The Regent Street façade is similar to the façade on Telegraph Avenue. There are three large wood-framed storefront-type windows, and above is a series of arched clerestory windows with multiple panes set in wood sashes. The upper façade has a stucco surface. There are four windows of varied sizes, which have double-hung, oneover-one wood sashes with ogee stops. There is a scalloped parapet at the top of the façade, similar to the one facing Telegraph Ave, and centered within this parapet is a quatrefoil blind window that is identical to the one on the Telegraph façade. The commercial spaces of the building are currently vacant. The building s upper story contains eight apartments, some of which are vacant. There have been various exterior changes made to the building since it was built in 1907, most on the Telegraph Avenue façade. This includes the cladding of the bulkheads and piers, the doors, and some window sashes. The building as a whole, however, still retains a strong historical presence. IV. Nomination (summarized from the nomination, Attachment 2; see June packet for full details in Staff Report) The nomination explains the history of the Needham/Obata building as well as its association with the Japanese American culture and the renowned artist Chiura Obata. After the 1906 earthquake and fire, there was a major development boom in Berkeley in response to the massive influx of former San Franciscans. During that period, the building at 2525 Telegraph Avenue was constructed (1907) for W.G. Needham of W.G. Needham Real Estate. Needham Real Estate appears to be a family business, and members of the family resided in some of the apartments on the upper floors for a few years. The commercial spaces have held a variety of establishments, including a meat market, bakery, barbershop, grocery story, artist studios, an art store, and a bookstore. There are several properties located nearby that are designated City of Berkeley landmarks, including the Soda Works Building, Telegraph Ave; the King Building, 2501 Telegraph Ave; and the J. Gorman & Son Building, 2599 Telegraph Ave. The nomination states that, Together, these buildings convey a strong sense of the area s twentieth-century commercial/residential character.

6 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 6 of 8 November 5, 2009 The building has had a connection to the Japanese American community since the early 1910 s and 1920 s. The nominations explains, A permit issued in 1914 to one T. Morimoto allowed alterations for a barber shop and bathhouse, a commercial establishment typical in early Japantowns. In addition, there was a Japanese grocery store and Obata s Studio and Art Good Store. Chiura Obata is a renowned Japanese artist who defined the nihonga style of painting, a technique that blended Japanese traditional ink painting with Western methods of perspective. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1903 and established himself as an artist in San Francisco. Obata s work influenced the California Watercolor Movement in the 1920s and 1930s. In addition, his artwork and teachings emphasized the importance of cross-cultural relations. The Obata family moved to Berkeley in 1930, and in 1932, Chiura Obata was invited to teach a summer art course at UC Berkeley. The University eventually offered him a teaching position. He was a professor at UC Berkeley from and The Obata Studio and Art Goods Store operated at 2525 Telegraph Avenue from 1939 to The Obatas hosted exhibitions and classes at the space. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Obata Studio was a target for discrimination, even though Chiura Obata was a well-known and respected Japanese artist. In 1942, the approval of Executive Order 9066 authorized the forced relocation and internments of Japanese immigrants and their American-born children. Non- Japanese Berkeley residents fought against relocation, however, there was a mass evacuation of Japanese Americans throughout California, including the Obatas. The family was relocated to the Tanforan Assembly Center, and later the Topaz Relocation Center in Topaz, Utah. The Obatas returned to Berkeley in 1945 and Chuira continued to be a professor at UC Berkeley. The building continued to play a role in Berkeley s cultural life even after the Obata family left. Artists and culturally oriented commercial establishments have occupied the building over the years. V. Analysis The issue of the courtyards as features to be preserved is one of several architectural details of the building that is challenged by the property owner s letter of appeal (Attachment 3). The argument presented in challenging identification of the courtyards is that they are almost entirely interior features and, as such, are outside the LPC s jurisdiction, and that as a private, non-public building, such features are not accessible and generally should not be part of a Landmark designation. The educational and cultural significance of the building for its association with artist Chiura Obata and with the history of the Japanese American community are not in question and are supported by the property owner.

7 LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE November 5, 2009 Page 7 of 8 Even if not clearly visible from the street, as argued by the attached Memo from the East Bay Community Law Center (Attachment 4), the LPO does not require that exterior elements of a historic structure be seen in order to be preserved. Architecturally, the lightwells are exterior elements and can be identified as a feature of significance. For purposes of designation, the consideration should focus on whether or not the lightwells and village like environment of the residential portion of the mixed-use building is a significantly defining feature and a critical aspect of its integrity. In addition, the LPC should act seriously to consider the implications of retaining the lightwells in the larger context of feasibly conserving all the other designated elements of significance. Mission Revival Architectural Significance The building at 2525 Telegraph Avenue is a compromised example of the Mission Revival architectural style and, as discussed in the nomination report, includes an eclectic mix of elements, including the courtyards, that are identified collectively as vernacular Mission Revival. As acknowledged, the building has been altered over time and has several components identified in the application, which should be altered to restore architectural integrity. Any landmark designation for the building, based even partially on its architectural merit, should be linked to the ability to bring the property back to its historic architectural integrity. Designated elements of significance should be considered in the larger context of retaining the building in place. The LPC may want to request that the property owner commit to such renovations as part of a future Structural Alterations Permit application prior to finalizing any designation of the structure for architectural merit. LPO section a,b,c requires that the structure in question be of exceptional value; the first, last or best; an outstanding example Telegraph has a number of interesting attributes including its two frontages and remaining architectural elements, as well as the interior courtyards and village like environment of the residential units. However sufficient supporting evidence was not presented that the building is a structure of high integrity. It is compared favorably to another Mission Revival structure within the City (the Granada Building), but it is not clear that 2525 Telegraph is the last and best of its kind or that the courtyards are a typical feature.

8 2525 TELEGRAPH AVENUE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 8 of 8 November 5, 2009 VI. Recommendation Staff recommends that the LPC 1) reconsider the designation as it relates to the feature of the interior courtyards, 2) hear comments from the applicant s representative and from the public, and 3) in anticipation of a Structural Alterations Permit application, provide clarification on conditions and commitments by the property owner for future improvements. Attachments: 1. Notice of Decision 2. Landmark Application 3. Appeal by property owner 4. Memo from East Bay Community Law Center in Support of LPC Designation Staff Planner: Jay Claiborne, Senior Planner (510) ; GISELE SORENSEN, SENIOR Planner (510)