Ventura County Cultural Heritage Boardvcportal.ventura.org/rma/planning-archives/pdf/... · 12/9/2013 · a “substantial adverse change” in the significance of the resource?

In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Nicole Doner at 805-654-5042. Reasonable advance notification of the need for accommodation prior to the meeting (48 hours advance notice is preferable) will enable us to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.

Ventura County

Cultural Heritage Board

Agenda

Monday, December 9, 2013 Public Meeting

Notice is hereby given that on Monday, December 09, 2013 at 1:15p.m., Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board will convene for a Public Meeting at the Ventura County Government Center, Administration Building, Third Floor, Room 311, located at 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

1. ROLL CALL Patricia Havens, Ricki Mikkelsen, John Kulwiec, Don Shorts, Gary Blum, Stephen Schafer, Miguel

Fernandez

2. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Discussion is limited to items not on this agenda which are within the purview of the Board. Each speaker

is allowed 5 minutes. Board may question the speaker but there will be no debate or decision. Staff may

refer the matter for investigation and report.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES None

4. CONVENE THE MEETING OF THE OXNARD CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD Landmark No. 161 – Henry T. Oxnard Historic District, Request to construct a new room addition at 218 S.

G Street, Oxnard, CA, Project No. CH13-0027

Action: Consider Certificate of Appropriateness

5. CONVENE THE MEETING OF THE VENTURA COUNTY CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD Landmark No. 4, Cook-Newhall Mansion, Request to convert existing attic into habitable space and

restoration of three windows

Action: Consider Certificate of Appropriateness

6. DISCUSSION

a) Board Members Reports b) Staff Reports

Update on the CLG Grant

Historic Preservation Program/CLG Goals

7. MEETING ADJOURNMENT

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SUBJECT: Consider approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for an attic conversion to habitable space and restoration of the windows, Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 4 located at 829 Park Street, Piru, CA, 93040 Project No. CH13-0028 APPLICANT/PROPERTY OWNER: James Tashjian, Limelight Investments, LLC. 1143 Highland Avenue Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 REQUEST: The applicant is requesting approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness to convert non-habitable attic space to a master suite and the restoration of two third floor front gable windows and one tower window in the Cook- Newhall Mansion, designated as Ventura County Landmark No. 4 and under a Mills Act Contract. LOCATION AND PARCEL NUMBER:

829 Park Street, Piru, CA/APN: 056-0-030-140 BACKGROUND:

Historical Background

The single family dwelling built in 1983 is a nearly faithful reconstruction of the original Cook Mansion (original built in 1890 and destroyed in a fire in 1981) that is designated as Ventura County Landmark No. 4. The following changes to this site have occurred with County approval:

Use Approval/Decision Date Relocation of 1925 bunkhouse/second dwelling unit and associated 2 car garage

COA issued on October 26, 2004

After the fact enclosure of a pump house circa 1982 and conversion to a two car garage

COA issued in 2006

Rehabilitation and relocation of the outhouse circa 1890.

COA issued in May 8, 2006

Removal of the original landscape elements associated with David C Cook and/or Hugh Warring

Zoning Clearances issued in 2006.

Construction of two pilaster columns and electric wrought iron gates along driveway entrance

COA issued April 10, 2006

Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board Staff Report

Agenda of December 9, 2013, Item No. 5 County of Ventura • Resource Management Agency • Planning Division

800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009-1740 • (805) 654-2478 • ventura.org/rma/planning

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Staff Report and Recommendations, Project No.CH13-0028 Cultural Heritage Board Meeting of December 09, 2013

Use Approval/Decision Date Demolition and reconstruction of the pool COA issued in 2007

Remodeled pool house. COA issued August 27, 2007 Two windows under the third floor front gable and

one tower window were replaced with glass blocks.

Installed new security gate.

Removal of the Lincrusta wall covering under the main stairway.

Mills Act Contract approval on December 11, 2012 Mills Act Contract review by CHB on October 22, 2012 and approved by the Board of Supervisors on December 11, 2012.

Legalization of a solid roof gazebo constructed without a permit in rear yard.

Administrative COA issued on June 6, 2013

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to conduct temporary, outdoor special events, such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, non-profit and charity events, family reunions, corporate events and similar temporary events.

CUP approved by Planning Director on July 24, 2013.

PROJECT ANALYSIS

The property owner is requesting to convert the existing third floor non-habitable attic space of 1,650 square feet to a master suite within the Newhall Cook Mansion located at 829 Park Street, Piru (See Exhibit 1 - Location Map). The conversion will include a family room, dining room, wet bar, laundry room, bedroom, wardrobe closet, utility closet, bath, vanity and two mechanical rooms (Exhibit 2 – Proposed Attic Floor Plan). The original stairs, guardrail, landing and entrance doors will remain intact with no changes. No external changes are proposed except for the addition of mechanical equipment within the tower (where the existing condenser equipment is located) and three existing windows with glass replacement (previously non-historic glass block). Interior improvements will consist of new walls and ceiling made of gypsum board, new tongue and groove wood flooring in the same stain as the existing flooring, and built-in cabinetry. The attic conversion will require some minor changes to the structural beams but no walls will be removed. One structural beam and column at the tower will be relocated to the sides of the tower to allow the opening of the tower area. A significant advantage of this proposed project is that when the reconstructed building was built, the Newhall's had all of the necessary plumbing and mechanical venting placed in the attic. This results in no additional exterior modifications (other than the new condenser unit in the tower) necessary to convert the attic to habitable space.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ANAYLSIS: In determining if the project has a significant impact to historic resources; there is a two-part test: (1) Is the resource “historically significant?” and, (2) Would the project cause a “substantial adverse change” in the significance of the resource? If so, the Lead Agency must conclude that the impact is significant and apply appropriate mitigations to reduce the project impact to less than significant. (Bass, Herson, and Bogdan, CEQA Deskbook, 2002, p. 103) Historic significance of the site. The Mansion was originally designated Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 4 on January 20, 1969. The owner of the property just prior to the current owner made some alterations to the mansion and grounds. In 2007, the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board determined that these alterations did not adversely affect the historical significance of the County landmark based on an analysis completed for a required Historic Resources Mitigation Report. The Cook-Newhall Mansion, as a 1983 reconstructed structure, is considered the last surviving property of a type directly associated with David C. Cook. The National Register of Historic Places Criterion E allows for this reconstructed structure to be determined National Register-eligible because it is located on the original site and is not misrepresented as an authentic historic property. The Cultural Heritage Ordinance (Sections 1364-12) requires that your Board use the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (The Standards) to review projects. The Board’s review must be based upon the Standards. The Significance of the New Construction and the Secretary of the Interior Standards and Guidelines Review

Standards Recommended Staff Comments #1 A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the building and its site and environment.

The property will remain in its current use as a single family dwelling.

#2 The historic character of the property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alterations of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

Other than the placement of mechanical equipment hidden within the tower, no change is proposed to the exterior or the interior of the1983 original house. The attic space is proposed to be converted to a master suite using building materials in the same color range or value as those of the historic building.

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Standards Recommended Staff Comments #3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken.

It does not appear that conjectural design features are proposed. The owner has completed the restoration of two third floor front gable windows and one tower window (previously glass block windows) which is Year 2 of the approved Mills Act Contract 10 year rehabilitation list. Other than the placement of a condenser unit within the tower, the owner has no intention of making any changes to the exterior or the interior of the 1983 reconstructed Cook- Newhall mansion. All improvements will be compatible to the original dwelling’s space and design. Existing door entrances and exits will be used. The new addition will not include the historic detailing that is prevalent in the older Newhall residence. Therefore, the new attic space would be differentiated from the older structure.

#5. Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

No change to the distinctive features, finishes, or craftsmanship of the historic structure is proposed.

#9.New additions, exterior alterations,

or related new construction shall not

destroy historic materials that

characterize the property. The new

work shall be differentiated from the old

and shall be compatible with the

massing, size, scale and architectural

features to protect the historic integrity

of the property and its environment.

The addition would be located entirely within

an existing uninhabitable attic space. No

change to the exterior of the main residence is

proposed.

#10 New additions and adjacent or

related new construction shall be

undertaken in such a manner that if

removed in the future, the essential

form and integrity of the historic

property and its environment would be

unimpaired.

It appears that if the new construction were to

be removed in the future, the essential form

and integrity of the historic property would be

unimpaired.

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Exhibit 1 – Aerial Location Map of Cook Newhall Mansion (photo taken in 2011)

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Exhibit 2 – Proposed Attic Floor Plan

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Documents

Ventura County Cultural Heritage Boardvcportal.ventura.org/rma/planning-archives/pdf/... · 12/9/2013 · a “substantial adverse change” in the significance of the resource?