Cultural Heritage Commission

Transcription

1 Historic Subject: 1050 SUMMIT DRIVE Meeting Date: July 11,2018 Report Cultural Heritage Commission Preliminary Evaluation Report and Recommendation from the Director Recommendation: Review the Initiation of the Historic Resource in conjunction with the Drive Register of Historic Properties for the property located at 1050 Summit Initiation of Nomination Proceedings for inclusion onto the Beverly Hills Landmark Initiation RLY 455 N. Rexford Drive Beverly Hills, CA TEL. (310) FAX. (310) I, % Attachment(s): Survey - Resources Inventory Form Survey - DPR 523L Form Report Author and Contact Information: Reina Kapadia Associate Planner (310) rkapadia@beverlyhills.org 141 Architectural Digest, Summit Drive 1., \ City of Beverly Hills Planning Division

2 ERLY Cultural Heritage Commission Report 1050 Summit Drive Landmark Initiation July11, 2018 REPORT SUMMARY At the request of the property owner, the residence at 1050 Summit Drive is before the Commission for consideration of initiation of landmark proceedings for eligibility as a local landmark to be placed on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. The estate at 1050 Summit Drive was designed by noted Master Architect Roland E. Coate and built by Thomas E. Sellers in for famed Hollywood filmmaker David 0. Selznick. The property was evaluated in the City s 1986 Historic Resources Survey (Attachment 1) and re-evaluated in the 2004 Survey Update (Attachment 2); both surveys identified that this property appeared to be eligible for individual listing at the local, state and national levels of historic registers. A recent site visit by staff confirms that the property remains in good condition and is in the current stages of a meticulous restoration with no major compromises to its architectural integrity and remains eligible for listing. Preliminarily, it appears that the property meets all of the required criteria for landmark designation, as required by Beverly Hills Municipal Code Section (Landmark Designation Criteria). BACKGROUND The estate property is located in the Hillside area of the city, north of Lexington Road, east of Tower Road, west of Laurel Way, along the south side of Summit Drive where it intersects Cove Way. A short driveway off the intersection of Cove Way and Summit Drive opens onto a circular motor court anchored by a large two-story Georgian Revival-style residence. Rectangular in plan with shallow projecting wings, the principal facade features a prominent central pavilion with a circular decorative hand wrought metal canopy over the front door and classicallyinspired pedimented front gable above the second story. The exterior of the residence is clad in brick (painted white in the current restoration) and the design overall follows the classical precepts of the Georgian revival architectural style. Following its completion in the 1930 s, the Selznick Estate was featured in numerous publications, including Architectural Digest, California Arts and Architecture in 1936, and Architectural Record in Selznik produced his most notable production while in residence at the Summit Drive estate Gone with the Wind in The original property was later subdivided, leaving the single family residence intact with a shortened rear yard and newer swimming pool. Nevertheless, the property appears to possess all seven aspects of integrity location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF LANDMARK CRITERIA Upon initial assessment, the residence located at 1050 Summit Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). An eligible historic resource within the City may be nominated and designated as a landmark if it satisfies all of the requirements set forth in Criterion A and at least one of the requirements set forth in Criterion B, as set forth in the Municipal Code. Preliminarily, this property appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A and two of the mandates under subsection B as follows: 142

3 Landmark Cultural Heritage Commission Report 1050 Summit Drive Initiation July 11,2018 Criteria Al: Criteria A2: Criteria A3: Criteria A4: It is at least forty five (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance; It possesses high artistic value or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period; It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance; and It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article (BHMC Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). Criteria B2: It is an exceptional work by a master architect; Criteria B3: It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the historic of the nation. For the purposes of subsection B3, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous. Criteria B6: The landmark designation procedure is initiated, owner(s) of the property. or expressly agreed to, by the PUBLIC OUTREACH AND NOTIFICATION Type of Notice Required Period Actual Period Required Actual Date Date Newspaper Notice n/a n/a n/a n/a Mailed Notice n/a n/a n/a n/a Property Posting n/a n/a n/a n/a Agenda Posting 72 Hours 8 Days 7/8/18 7/3/18 Website (Agenda) 72 Hours 8 Days 7/8/18 7/3/18 NEXT STEPS Should the Cultural Heritage Commission vote to initiate landmark proceedings on the subject property, the following steps are required to complete the landmark designation process: 1) Preliminary Evaluation by the Director of Community Development with a preliminary hearing before the Cultural Heritage Commission; 2) a nomination hearing by the Cultural Heritage Commission to make a recommendation to the City Council; and 3) a public hearing by the City Council considering whether to designate the property as a local landmark and place it on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. 143

4 ILLS Landmark 1986 Survey - Historic Resources Inventory Form Attachment Summit Drive Cultural Heritage Commission Report Initiation July 11,

5 UTM: A it State of California The Resources Agency DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY Set. No. OI HABS HAER NR S SHL Loc_ C 2O-JG B D.(3j IDENTIFICATION 1. Common name: None 2. Historic name: Selznick: David 0. Estate 3. Street or rural address: 1050 Summit Drive City Beverly Hills Zip County Los Angeles 4. Parcel number: Present Owner: Address: City Zip is: Public Private 6. Present Use: Residential use: Residential DESCR IPTION 7a. Architectural style: American Colonial Revival 7b. Briefly describe the present physical description of the site or structure and describe any major alterations from its original condition: The removal of the white paint that once covered the brick exterior appears to be the only noticeable alteration of this two story residence. An example of the Colonial Revival style as interpreted by Roland Coate in the 1930s, the house is regular if not symmetrical in its massing and arrangement of openings. The principal facade faces a motor court and is anchored by a central iavilion with a pedimented front gable. Faced with wood, the pediment is pierced by a decorative, circular, central vent. The entrance, located in the same wing, is also centered and is announced by an umbrella like canopy set on lacy iron supports. Behind iron arches, the door is flat headed and topped by a semi circular sunburst gable. Sidelights flank the opening. Other openings are six over six sash. Similar massing, dominated by a central, front gable block appears on the garden elevation. The windows on the upper story on this elevation retain their original shutters. Across the ground floor, a covered veranda is defined by trellis like supports and a continuous canopy. A skylight has been inserted into the canopy over a curved, multi paned bay window. (see continuation sheet) B. Construction date: 1933 Estimated Factual L_ 9. Architect Coate; Roland Builder Sellars; Thomas C Approx. property size tin feet) Frontage Depth or approx. acreage Date(s) of enclosed photograph(s) 1986 t 145

6 Residential A Industrial _Comn. 13. Condition: Excellent _Good Fair_ Deteriorated No longer in existence 14. Alterations: 15. SurroundIngs: tcheck more than one if necessary) Open land Scattered buildings Densely built-up Y Other:,rcial 16. Threats to site: None known JLPrivate development_._.. Zoning Vandalism Public Works project Other: 17. Is the structure: On its original site? X Moved? Unknown? 18. Related features: SIGNIFICANCE 19. Briefly state historical and/or architectural importance (include dates, events, and persons associated with the site.) One of the most celebrated homes in the City is the David 0. Selznick Residence located at the confluence of Cove Way and Summit Drive. Built in for one of Hollywood s most famous producers, the residence was carefully chronicled in the local press and in fan magazines around the world. Selznick and his wife Irene, daughter of movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, entertained lavishly, and their parties helped to create the Hollywood legend. The magnificent Colonial Revival estate was designed by Roland Coate of Pasadena and was featured in the Architectural Record in June of 1938, in California Arts and Architecture in 1936, and in Architectural Digest. Landscaping was by the prominent landscape architectural firm of Florence Yoch and Lucille Council. The home received an honorable mention from the New York Architectural League in its competition for Said California Arts and Architecture, In this house... Mr. Coate has combined brick veneer, green shut ters, vertical hoards and trelliage with a delicate skill that would have received more than honorable mention had we been on the jury. The main rooms opened onto a (see continuation sheet) Locational sketch map (draw and label site and surrounding streets, roads, and prominent landmarks): 20. Main theme of the historic resource: (If more than one is NORTH checked, number in order of importance.) Architecture 1 Arts & Leisure 2 Ecnomic/lndustrial Exploration)Senlement Government Military Religion Social/Education 21. Sources (List books, documents, surveys, personal interviews and their dates). City of Beverly Hills building permits Architectural Digest, IX: 3 Architectural Record, June, 1938 California Arts & Architecture, June 1936 V. Dateform prepared November, 1986 By (name) C. YcAvoy & L. Heumann Organization_ City of Beverly Hills Address: 450 N. Crescent flr.. City Beverly Hills.ip_9O2lQ (213) See continuation sheet 146

7 CONTINUATION SHEET: 1050 Summit Drive 7b. Description Several other multi paned openings overlook the veranda and the garden. property has been subdivided, leaving a portion of the lawn intact, and a new pool has been added, 19. Significance: wide lawn which overlooked all of Beverly Hills. They included a projection room, livingroom, morning room, dining and breakfast areas. A pergola covered terrace stretched between living room and breakfast area. Beyond the expansive lawn was a pool. Although the grounds have been subdivided, the residence has not been substan tially altered, and retains the feeling of a much larger piece of property. A newer pool now sits nearer the home. Originally the grounds contained a tennis house with a play room in the center between men s and women s dressing areas. The estate was located on a two acre parcel close to the estate of Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Tom 1ix. The home and grounds are the epitome of the Hollywood lifestyle which was untouched by Depression, containing several bedroom suites, extensive servants quarters, a game room, and projection room. Its owner, David 0. Selznick, was one of the wunderkinds of the film industry, his most famous production, of course, being the classic Gone With The Wind, which he produced in Although he was a tively independent producer, he worked for a time at both Paramount and for his father in law at Metro, Goldwyn Mayer before founding Selznick International in As an extensively published work which promoted style and type as the epitome of the Hollywood lifestyle, and for associations with a famous architect and a prominent member of the film industry, the David 0 Selznick Residence is significant to the built environment of Beverly Hills. its its rela 147

8 1050 Sumniit Dr. 148

9 I11S 2004 Survey - DPR 523L Form Attachment Summit Drive Landmark Initiation July 11,2018 Cultural Heritage Commission Report

10 State of Ca ifornia The Resources Agency DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION CONTINUATION SHEET Page 1 of f Resource Name or # David 0. Selznick Residence Primary # HRI # Trinomial NRFIP Status Code: 35 Continuation lupdate P2. Location: 1050 Summit Dr. B1O Significance: This building appears in good condition with no significant alterations visible since the property was last evaluated in the survey. It remains eligible for National Register, California Register, and local listing or designation. P5b DescriptionlDate of Photo: North elevation, looking southeast/may 2004 P8. Recorded by: Jan Ostashay, Peter Moruzzi, PCR Services, One Venture, Suite 150, Irvine, CA P9. Date Recorded: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 DPR 52L (1195) PCR Servces Corporation 150