City of Sacramento - File #: 2018-01530

• File #: 2018-01530
• Version: 1
• Type: Public Hearing
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 10/26/2018
• In control: City Council - 5PM
• On agenda: 12/4/2018
• Title: Ordinance Listing 2640 Montgomery Way (Fallon/Kimberlin House) and 2672 Montgomery Way (Barr-Wixson House) as Landmarks on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M18-016) [Noticed 11/23/2018; Passed for Publication 11/27/2018; Published 11/30/2018]

Title: 

Title

Ordinance Listing 2640 Montgomery Way (Fallon/Kimberlin House) and 2672 Montgomery Way (Barr-Wixson House) as Landmarks on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M18-016) [Noticed 11/23/2018; Passed for Publication 11/27/2018; Published 11/30/2018]

End

FileID

File ID: 2018-01530

Location

Location: District 5

Recommendation: 

Recommendation

Conduct a public hearing and upon conclusion: 1) pass a Motion determining the listing of 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way as landmarks on the Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308, which includes actions taken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment; and 2) pass an Ordinance listing 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way as landmarks on the Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources.

Contact:  Carson Anderson, Preservation Director, (916) 808-8259, Community Development Department

Body

Presenter:  Sean de Courcy, Associate Preservation Planner, (916) 808-2796, Community Development Department                     

Attachments:

1-Description/Analysis

2-Ordinance

3-DPR 523 A & B Evaluation Forms

Description/Analysis

Issue Detail: The property owners for 2640 Montgomery Way (0130-232-002-0000) and 2672 Montgomery Way (0130-232-006-0000) each retained the services of Historic Environment Consultants to conduct background research and prepare nomination forms for these properties. After review of the background research and historic resource evaluations, staff agreed the properties are eligible for listing in the Sacramento Register pursuant to the criteria provided in Sacramento City Code section 17.604.220.

Policy Considerations: The City has an interest in maintaining the relevance and integrity of the Sacramento Register and ensuring that properties listed on the Register meet the criteria for listing specified in City Code sections 17.604.210 and 17.604.220. To this end, City Code directs the Preservation Director, to “make preliminary determinations relative to properties’ eligibility for listing on the Sacramento register” and to “initiate proceedings to nominate resources for listing on the Sacramento register” (Pursuant to City Code sections 17.604.100.C.2 and 17.604.220.).

The nominations of 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way for listing as individual landmarks on the Sacramento register is consistent with Sacramento 2035 General Plan goal HCR 2.1, which provides for the identification and preservation of historical and cultural resources. General Plan policy HCR 2.1.1 states, “The City shall identify historic and cultural resources, including individual properties, districts, and sites, to ensure adequate protection.”

Economic Impacts: Not applicable.

Environmental Considerations:  The listing of 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way as individual landmarks on the Sacramento Register is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308.  Section 15308 exempts from review acts that are undertaken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment.  Listing the four properties as individual landmarks will ensure that future development on these parcels will undergo preservation review, as part of the city’s site plan and design review process, prior to the granting of any entitlements. 

Sustainability: Not applicable.

Commission/Committee Action: On October 25, 2018 the City of Sacramento’s Preservation Director, in conformance with Section 17.604.220 of the City Code, held a public hearing and concurred with the statement of nomination and forwarded the proposed ordinance (Attachment 1), which officially nominated 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way as individual city landmarks, to the Preservation Commission for its consideration and recommendations to the City Council. On November 7, 2018 the Preservation Commission unanimously recommended city pass an ordinance listing the nominated properties on the Sacramento register.

Rationale for Recommendation: Listing of 2640 Montgomery Way and 2672 Montgomery Way as individual landmarks on the Sacramento register is consistent with the Historic Preservation Chapter (17.604) of the City Code and the goals of the 2035 General Plan. Furthermore, listing the nominated properties on the Sacramento register will help ensure their preservation and encourage their rehabilitation consistent with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. 

Listing an individual landmark on the Sacramento register requires the resource to meet the requirements of City Code section 17.604.210, subsection A.1 which states:

A.                     Listing on the Sacramento register-Landmarks. A nominated resource shall be listed on the Sacramento register as a landmark if the city council finds, after holding a hearing required by this chapter, that all of the requirements set forth below are satisfied:

a.                     The nominated resource meets one or more of the following criteria:

i.                     It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city, the region, the state or the nation;

ii.                     It is associated with the lives of persons significant in the city’s past;

iii.                     It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction;

iv.                     It represents the work of an important creative individual or master;

v.                     It possesses high artistic values; or

vi.                     It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in the prehistory or history of the city, the region, the state or the nation;

b.                     The nominated resource has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. Integrity shall be judged with reference to the particular criterion or criteria specified in subsection A.1.a of this section;

c.                     The nominated resource has significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of this chapter.

2640 Montgomery Way (Fallon/Kimberlin House)

2640 Montgomery Way (Fallon/Kimberlin House) meets the criteria for listing on the Sacramento register. Specifically, the building satisfies the historical significance criteria for listing within City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a.i, 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii, and 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii. The resource retains sufficient historic integrity required for listing pursuant to City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b. Finally, the nominated resource has significant architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of the Historic Preservation chapter of the City code, as required by section 17.604.210.A.1.c.

The building is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city, the region, the state or the nation (17.604.210.A.1.a.i)

2640 Montgomery Way is associated with the residential development period that occurred in Sacramento in the early 1900s. During this period, the City annexed substantial amounts of land for residential development, creating a number of suburbs which included Curtis Park. The residence and neighborhood are also associated with the national Better Homes Movement of the 1920s, a campaign of home ownership, modernization, and beautification that grew from a critical shortage of homes in the years following World War I. The Fallon/Kimberlin House was constructed in the English Tudor Revival style, which was very popular in Sacramento during the 1920-1940 period along with other period revival styles. 

The building embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction (17.604.210.A.1.a.iii)

This residence at 2640 Montgomery Way is an excellent example of the Eclectic design movement, an architectural period that emphasized relatively pure copies of European traditions in the Americas. The Eclectic design movement began in the late 1800s with landmark residential architecture designed by architects that mimicked a variety of European styles as accurately as possible. Gradually, Eclectic styles became more mainstream, with even modest homes channeling European design in their facades if not in their masonry. These revivalist styles were common through the 1920s and ‘30s. The Fallon/Kimberlin House is an excellent example of the English Tudor Revival style of residential architecture. Notable features of this building include a shingle roof, tall battered chimney, tall front gable and shorter side gable, diamond-shaped leaded glass window panes, and a half-timbered detail adjacent to the front doorway (a feature especially characteristic of English Tudor Revival style).

2640 Montgomery Way represents the work of an important creative individual or master (17.604.210.A.1.a.iv)

2640 Montgomery Way is one of three model homes designed by the important architecture firm Dean & Dean. Dean & Dean were prolific residential designers who influenced residential and public building designs throughout Sacramento. They designed several imposing residences in South Curtis Oaks and East Sacramento. Their residential designs, in addition to appearing in feature articles in the Architect and Engineer in 1922 and 1927, were also featured in a pattern book published by House and Garden Magazine. Other notable Sacramento buildings designed by Dean & Dean include the Sutter Lawn and Tennis Club, Sacramento Junior College buildings, the Municipal Water Filtration Plant, the Sacramento Orphanage and Children’s Home, the Golf Club House at Land Park, the Sutter Club, Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, among others. One of the firm’s founders, James Dean eventually became City Architect.

The nominated resource has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. Integrity shall be judged with reference to the particular criterion or criteria specified in subsection A.1.a of this section (17.604.210.A.1.b)

2640 Montgomery Way is in its original location. The house has undergone several renovations; however, the additions are not visible from the street and the finishing is consistent with the original house. Overall the additions are compatible with the character of the building and the original materials that convey the historical significance of the building remain; therefore, the residence retains moderate to high historic integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. The house is located in a neighborhood that is associated with the Better Homes Movement of the 1920s, a national movement generating interest and pride in the value of a high-quality domestic life, including pleasant neighborhoods, attractive natural landscaping, and fine quality residences. The Curtis Park neighborhood, as well as the residence itself, retains high design quality and integrity, effectively conveying the historic time period in which it developed and leaving intact integrity of design, setting, feeling, and association.

The nominated resource has significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of this chapter. (17.604.210.A.1.c)

The residence at 2640 Montgomery Way has significant historic and architectural worth. It has been well-maintained and retains a high level of integrity with regards to its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. It is an excellent example of the Tudor Revival architectural style, the work of master architects Dean & Dean, and is an important representation of the Eclectic architectural movement in Sacramento.

2672 Montgomery Way (Barr-Wixson House)

The residence at 2672 Montgomery Way, or the Barr-Wixson house, meets the criteria for listing on the Sacramento register. Specifically, the building satisfies the historical significance criteria for listing within City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a.i, 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii, and 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii. The resource retains sufficient historic integrity required for listing pursuant to City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.b. Finally, the nominated resource has significant architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of the Historic Preservation chapter of the City code, as required by section 17.604.210.A.1.c.

The building is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city and the nation (17.604.210.A.1.a.i)

The residence at 2672 Montgomery Way (“Barr-Wixson House”) is associated with the residential development period that occurred in Sacramento in the early 1900s. During this period, the City annexed substantial amounts of land for residential development, creating a number of suburbs which included Curtis Park. The Barr-Wixson house is also associated with the national Better Homes Movement of the 1920s, a campaign of home ownership, modernization, and beautification that grew from a critical shortage of homes in the years following World War I. The Barr-Wixson house was constructed in the English Tudor Revival style, which was very popular in Sacramento during the 1920-1940 period along with other period revival styles. 

The building embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction (17.604.210.A.1.a.iii)

This residence is an excellent example of the Eclectic design movement, an architectural period that emphasized relatively pure copies of European traditions in the Americas. The Eclectic design movement began in the late 1800s with landmark residential architecture designed by architects that mimicked a variety of European styles as accurately as possible. Gradually, Eclectic styles became more mainstream, with even modest homes channeling European design in their facades if not in their masonry. These revivalist styles were common through the 1920s and ‘30s. The Barr-Wixson House is an excellent example of the English Tudor Revival style of residential architecture. Notable features of this building include a shingle roof, tall battered chimney, tall front gable and shorter side gable, diamond-shaped leaded glass window panes, and a half-timbered detail adjacent to the front doorway (a feature especially characteristic of English Tudor Revival style).

2672 Montgomery Way represents the work of an important creative individual or master (17.604.210.A.1.a.iv)

2672 Montgomery Way is one of three model homes designed by the important architecture firm Dean & Dean. Dean & Dean were prolific residential designers who influenced residential and public building designs throughout Sacramento. They designed several imposing residences in South Curtis Oaks and East Sacramento. Their residential designs, in addition to appearing in feature articles in the Architect and Engineer in 1922 and 1927, were also featured in a pattern book published by House and Garden Magazine. Other notable Sacramento buildings designed by Dean & Dean include the Sutter Lawn and Tennis Club, Sacramento Junior College buildings, the Municipal Water Filtration Plant, the Sacramento Orphanage and Children’s Home, the Golf Club House at Land Park, the Sutter Club, Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, among others. One of the firm’s founders, James Dean eventually became City Architect.

The building has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association (17.604.210.A.1.b)

The Barr-Wixson house is in its original location. The house has received additions to the rear that include a cantilevered three-sided wing with a second-floor room extended to the southeast, a second-floor bedroom added on the rear, and a studio added to the garage. The additions are not visible from the street and the finishing is consistent with the original house. Overall the additions are compatible with the character of the building and the original materials that convey the historical significance of the building remain; therefore, the residence retains moderate to high integrity of design, materials, and workmanship. The house is located in a neighborhood that is associated with the Better Homes Movement of the 1920s, a national movement generating interest and pride in the value of a high-quality domestic life, including pleasant neighborhoods, attractive natural landscaping, and fine quality residences. The Curtis Park neighborhood surrounding the Barr-Wixson house, as well as the residence itself, retains high design quality and integrity, effectively conveying the historic time period in which it developed and leaving intact integrity of design, setting, feeling, and association.

The building has significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of this chapter (17.604.210.A.1.c)

The Barr-Wixson house has significant historic and architectural worth. It has been well-maintained and retains a high level of integrity with regards to its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association. It is an excellent example of the Tudor Revival architectural style, the work of master architects Dean & Dean, and is an important representation of the Eclectic architectural movement in Sacramento.

Financial Considerations: Not applicable.

Local Business Enterprise (LBE):  Not applicable.