HomeMy WebLinkAboutAppendix G-2_DPR final 9-1-17DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 6Z
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
Page 1 of 7 Resource Name or #: 9-39 Las Tunas Drive P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County: Los Angeles and (P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a
Location Map as necessary.)
*b. USGS 7.5' Quad: El Monte, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T 1S ; R 11W ; S.B.B.M.
c. Address: 9-39 Las Tunas Drive City: Arcadia Zip: 91007
d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN (G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate) APN: 5788-020-030 and -031
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)
This modest, one-story, Modern-style shopping center is located on the northwest corner of Las Tunas Drive and South Santa
Anita Avenue and is oriented to the south. It has an irregular plan, a low, wide profile, and is comprised of three main sections: two
tall wings (west and east) and a lower, central block made up of several individual units. The complex is surmounted by a flat roof
with wide eaves and wide fascia decorated with vertical channels. The exterior walls are clad primarily in stucco with some rough
concrete block and rough concrete brick veneer. The south-facing, asymmetrical façade includes numerous full-height pilasters
and the wide, channeled fascia features mounted illuminated signs. The west and east wings are fenestrated with large banks of
modern, anodized-aluminum-framed, fixed windows and modern, anodized-aluminum, automatic, double doors. The central block
is comprised of banks of full-height, aluminum-framed store-front windows with single, aluminum-framed, glass doors into each
unit. The low section of the east wing is surmounted by a flat roof with a parapet but has no eaves. Its walls are comprised of both
rough and smooth concrete blocks. Fascia boards run along the roof line and intermittent pairs of plain, full-height and partial-
height pilasters divide the façade and east elevation. Single wood and glass doors and pairs of wood-framed fixed windows
punctuate the façade and east elevation. Another store front is located at the northern end of the east elevation. It is sheltered by
another projecting eave with wide fascia and is comprised of a large bank of aluminum-framed fixed windows with a pair of double
doors. The property is in good condition, but has sustained alterations to its façade and fenestration and is a common property type
and style.
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP6. 1-3 story commercial building
*P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.)
P5b. Description of Photo: (View,
date, accession #) Top: façade, view
to the north (8/14/17); bottom:
façade, view to the northeast
(8/23/17)
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1968 (Building permit)
*P7. Owner and Address:
Unknown
*P8. Recorded by: (Name,
affiliation, and address)
Elisa Bechtel, MLitt
LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
*P9. Date Recorded:
August 2017
*P10. Survey Type: (Describe)
Intensive-level CEQA compliance
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none.") None.
*Attachments: NONE Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record
Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record
Artifact Record Photograph Record Other (List):
P5a. Photo or Drawing (Photo required for buildings, structures, and objects.)
See Continuation Sheet
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Page 2 of 7 *NRHP Status Code 6Z
*Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
B1. Historic Name: Arcadia Shopping Center/Santa Anita Shopping Center
B2. Common Name:
B3. Original Use: Commercial property B4. Present Use: Commercial property
*B5. Architectural Style: Modern
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations)
1968- Original building permits for Arcadia Shopping Center/Santa Anita Shopping Center, addressed to architect Maxwell
Starkman AIA & Associates and general contractor Ernest Hahn (E.W. Hahn, Inc.).
1968- Building permit issued to architect Charles Wormhondt and contractor Prime Construction Inc. for concrete block
structure for restaurant.
Various dates- Building permits for illuminated signage for various units, including a grocery store and pharmacy.
1983- Building permit for unspecified remodel to Thrifty Drug Store.
1986- Building permit for interior remodels for music store.
1989- Building permit for restaurant tenant improvement (9 West Las Tunas Drive).
1990, 1991, 2000, 2001- Building permits for unspecified tenant improvements.
1998- Building permits for reroofing.
2004 and 2009- Building permit for restaurant tenant improvement (27-29 West Las Tunas Drive)
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: Parking lots
B9a. Architect: Maxwell Starkman AIA & Associates b. Builder: E.W. Hahn, Inc.
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Commercial Development 1945-1970 Area: City of Arcadia
Period of Significance: 1968 Property Type: Commercial property Applicable Criteria: NA
(Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)
This modest, altered 1968 commercial property is not eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resource
(California Register) and there are no local criteria. It is a common type and style and on its own is not uniquely representative of
any important events in history. Although it is associated with a noteworthy architect and contractor, it is not a representative
example of their work. For these reasons, this property is not a historical resource for purposes of the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA).
Historic Context: Originally owned by the San Gabriel Mission and then a part of Rancho Santa Anita, the land that includes
present-day Arcadia was deeded to Scottish immigrant Hugo Reid in 1839 (City of Arcadia 2012). Reid was the first to make a
modern impact on the land, raising cattle and building the first structure (City of Arcadia 2012). After a succession of owners, in
1875 Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin purchased the land, along with much of the surrounding area and named it Arcadia (Ibid.).
Residential development from 1875 to 1909 is one of the first important themes in the City’s history (Architectural Resources Group
2016). In 1885, the main line of the Santa Fe Railroad, in which Baldwin was a stockholder, was opened through Baldwin’s
property, making it practical to subdivide part of the land into a town site.
By 1887, Baldwin was actively attempting to draw residents to the area, but sales were slow and the densest development
occurred in the core of the town near the intersection of the railroads (Architectural Resources Group 2016:33). Residential
development in this part of town was on small lots, while development further south was on multi-acre parcels (Ibid.). As late as
1903, when a census was taken to ascertain the population of the proposed City of Arcadia, the area only had 642 residents and
many lived and worked on the Baldwin Ranch or were temporary
residents working for the railroads (Ibid.). Regardless, with a booming
economy increasingly based on entertainment, sporting, hospitality, and
gambling, Arcadia was incorporated in 1903, with Baldwin as its first
mayor (City of Arcadia 2012). See Continuation Sheet
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes)
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Elisa Bechtel, MLitt, LSA Associates, Inc., 1500 Iowa
Avenue, Suite 200, Riverside, CA 92507
*Date of Evaluation: August 2017
(This space reserved for official comments.)
(Sketch Map with north arrow required.)
Refer to Location Map
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
Page 3 of 7 *Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
*Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. *Date: August 2017 X Continuation Update
P5a. Photo or Drawing (continued from page 1)
Left: west wing, west elevation, view to the southeast; right: west wing, south-facing façade, view to the northeast (8/23/17).
Left: middle block, south-facing facade, view to the north; right: east wing, south-facing facade, view to the north (8/23/17).
Left: east wing, east elevation, view to the northwest; right: east wing, east elevation, view to the west (8/23/17).
*B10. Significance (continued from page 2)
Moving into the 1910s, Arcadia’s growth remained slow and steady (Architectural Resources Group 2016). However, the city began
shifting away from “its sporting days to more respectable pursuits, as it outlawed liquor licensing in 1912 and embarked on a series of
civic improvements” (Architectural Resources Group 2016:44). By 1915, electric streetlights had been installed in some areas and
streets were graded and oiled (Ibid.). Residential development in the 1910s saw the subdivision of larger parcels into smaller ones (2.5
to 5 acres) that attracted a wider variety of buyers who were interested in a more suburban lifestyle with room for some agricultural
pursuits (Architectural Resources Group 2016:49). Most of the 1910s subdivisions followed a grid pattern with graded and sometimes
paved roads without curbs or sidewalks (Architectural Resources Group 2016).
After World War I, the region thrived and the 1920s were a transformative period in Arcadia’s development (ibid.). Spurred by the
rapid residential development of this period, several new retail and service operations were added to the existing commercial district,
including banks, a newspaper, a theater, and a drive-in market (ibid). Industrial related properties, such as lumber companies, fruit
canning and packing facilities, and storage warehouses, were constructed adjacent to the city’s original commercial district along the
Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroad junction (ibid.).
The 1936 to 1945 period was characterized nationally by massive unemployment and economic uncertainty, but Arcadia was one of
the few places that did not experience a near cessation of construction (Architectural Resources Group 2016:65). The major factors for
this were Anita Baldwin selling off the remaining approximately 1,300 acres of the Baldwin Ranch; establishment of military facilities and
the related increase in demand for commercial businesses; and construction of a County park, which was a large Works Progress
Administration (WPA) project (Ibid.). The Baldwin acreage was parceled out into a number of residential subdivisions that jumpstarted
construction between 1936 and 1941 (ibid.). (See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
Page 4 of 7 *Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
*Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. *Date: August 2017 X Continuation Update
*B10. Significance (continued from page 3)
With the end of WWII, commercial development in the city increased exponentially in order to meet the consumer demands of the
City’s postwar population (ibid.).Existing local commercial establishments were joined by larger department store chains, such as J.C.
Penney’s, Hinshaw’s, and Firestone Tire and Rubber, as well as numerous banks, specialized consulting firms, manufacturing
companies, and smaller retailers, such as hardware and sporting goods stores (ibid.). “As with much of postwar Southern California,
Arcadia’s commercial development had become increasingly automobile-oriented by the mid-1940s and ‘50s. New businesses in the
city often featured Modern designs and flashy, eye-catching signage, aimed at drawing the attention of motorists passing by”
(Architectural Resources Group 2016:97).
Architectural Context. The Modern style, which is sometimes called Mid-Century Modern, gained favor generally between 1930 and
1970 and is an attempt to leave historic precedents behind. It combines Frank Lloyd Wright’s principles of organic architecture with
elements from the International and Bauhaus movements and uses modern construction methods, such as post-and-beam or concrete
tilt-up designs (Fletcher n.d.). In addition, most Modern buildings incorporate modern appliances and innovations. The style is
characterized by clean simple geometric or organic lines and typically incorporates concrete, metal, and glass. Some common
elements include a low-profile, wide eaves and fascia, clerestory windows and geometric decorative accents.
Citywide Historic Resources Survey. In 2016, a citywide historic resources survey was completed for the City. This survey has not
been formally adopted by the City Council and is currently being used informally by city staff and preservationists. The subject property
was not included in the survey.
People Associated with this Residence. Building permits list Maxwell Starkman of Los Angeles-based Maxwell Starkman AIA &
Associates as architect of the property and Ernest Hahn of San Diego-based E.W. Hahn, Inc. as general contractor.
Toronto native and University of Manitoba graduate Maxwell Starkman got his start in Los Angeles in 1950 by working for Richard J.
Neutra, who is “often called the grandfather of contemporary architecture in California” (Oliver 2004). Three years later, he joined Fritz
Reichl to form Reichl and Starkman Architects, which became Maxwell Starkman Associates following Reichl’s death a few years later
(ibid.). “Starkman espoused ‘architecture for investment’ -- combining design, materials and construction methods to complete projects
quickly and return speedy profits to investors. The focus gave Maxwell Starkman Associates a sound reputation and financial footing in
an era before developers became sophisticated about pairing what looked good, was functional and could be built and sold quickly”
(ibid.). Starkman had an extensive portfolio, designing thousands of single-family tract homes and apartment projects, as well as
numerous shopping centers, office buildings, luxury condominiums, hotels, and mixed use projects (ibid.). His most celebrated works
are the 3,000-seat in-the-round Melodyland Theater in Anaheim, the $60-million entertainment complex Filmland Corporate Center
(now Sony Pictures Plaza) in Culver City, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s four-story, 36,000-square-foot Museum of Tolerance in
Los Angeles (ibid.).
Prosperous commercial developer Ernest W. Hahn began his general contracting career in 1946 by specializing in retail store
construction (California Homebuilding Foundation 2017). In 1958, Hahn purchased his partner’s interest in their firm, Hahn-St. John,
founding Ernest W. Hahn, Inc. (later known as the Hahn Company; ibid.). Hahn and his firm developed more than 50 shopping malls
throughout the United States, from his first regional shopping center, La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara, to the Horton Plaza, Fashion
Valley, and Parkway Plaza malls in San Diego, as well as “the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, Clackamas Town Center in Portland,
Oregon, the Tivoli in Denver, and the Mall of Memphis” (Ryon 1986). He was also responsible for the construction of Arcadia’s
Westfield Santa Anita, formerly Santa Anita Fashion Park. This extensive portfolio earned Hahn the title of largest builder of shopping
malls in the West (ibid.). In 1980, the Hahn Company was purchased by North America’s largest publicly-owned real estate company,
Trizec Corporation, Ltd. (California Homebuilding Foundation 2017). ”Within the industry, Mr. Hahn's achievements have been
recognized through the Urban Land Institutes’ Distinguished Developer Award and the Building Industry Association Medal of Honor”
(ibid.).
Building permits also listed architect Charles Wormhondt and contractor Prime Construction Inc., however, no information was found
on either.
Significance Evaluation. In compliance with CEQA, this property is being evaluated under the California Register criteria. There is no
local preservation ordinance or criteria.
Criterion 1 - Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history
or the cultural heritage of California or the United States. This property is reflective of Arcadia’s rapid growth in the postwar period.
“Many buildings evaluated under this theme exemplify the increasingly auto-centric development that had come to characterize
Arcadia’s postwar commercial landscape. [However] postwar commercial resources are relatively common in Arcadia” (Architectural
Resources Group 2016:98). Therefore, eligible examples of this theme should retain high integrity and present character-defining
features that clearly identify the resource as associated with this postwar commercial development; (See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
Page 5 of 7 *Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
*Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. *Date: August 2017 X Continuation Update
*B10. Significance (continued from page 4)
for example, multiple storefronts, a one-story plan, prominent signage, a shallow setback flush with the sidewalk, and rear, on-site
parking. While the subject property includes a few of these character-defining features (one-story plan and multiple storefronts), the
property exhibits a deep setback with the building situated behind a large parking lot instead of being flush with the sidewalk.
Additionally, signage is not located along the street where it could attract passing motorists, but rather on the building’s fascia. The
signage is largely obscured from view by landscaping when traveling along Las Tunas Drive or South Santa Anita Avenue. Coupled
with the prevalence of postwar commercial resources within the City and the property’s compromised integrity, the property lacks the
necessary characteristics to rise to a level of significance within the context of Postwar Commercial Development, 1945-1970.
Therefore, this altered 1968 property is unimportant and is not significant under this criterion.
Criterion 2 - Associated with the lives of persons important to local, California or national history. While Starkman and Hahn are
significant figures in the architecture and commercial development world, the property does not reflect the innovative design or project
type or scale for which they were celebrated. Additionally, there are many other buildings in the greater Los Angeles and Orange
County area that convey a stronger association with each man and their respective firms. Therefore, this modest, unremarkable
property is not significant under this criterion.
Criterion 3 - Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method of construction or represents the
work of a master or possesses high artistic values. This property reflects some of the common characteristics of the Modern style
as applied to a modest suburban shopping center, but is not a distinctive example of the style. Furthermore, the property is a typical
example of its method of construction and type. While the property was designed and constructed by significant figures within the
commercial development industry, it is a modest example of a common resource and the observed level of workmanship does not rise
above the ordinary. Therefore, it is not significant under this criterion.
Criterion 4 - Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area,
California or the nation. This property was built using common materials and construction practices. It does not have the potential to
yield information important to the history or prehistory of the local area, California, or the nation. Therefore, the property is not
significant under this criterion.
For these reasons, the property does not appear to meet the criteria for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. There
are no local criteria under which to evaluate it and it does not appear to be a contributor to a larger, undocumented historic district.
*B12. References: (continued from page 2)
Ancestry.com
Var. A variety of records were accessed online in August 2017 at: http://home.ancestry.com/. These include city directories, voter
registration records, and United States Census Data.
Architectural Resources Group
2016 “City of Arcadia Citywide Historic Context Statement.” Accessed online at: https://www.arcadiaca.gov/government/city-
departments/development-services/historic-preservation.
California Department of Transportation
2011 Tract Housing in California, 1945-1973. A Context for National Register Evaluation. Caltrans Division of Environmental
Analysis, Sacramento
California Homebuilding Foundation
2017 “Ernest W. Hahn, The Hahn Company.” Accessed online at: http://www.mychf.org/hahn-ernest-w.html.
City of Arcadia
Var. Building permits for 9-39 Las Tunas Drive. Accessed online in August 2017 at:
https://www2.ci.arcadia.ca.us/weblink/Browse.aspx?startid=537578.
2012 History of Arcadia. http://www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/home/index.asp?page=1102.
(See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #
HRI #
Trinomial
Page 6 of 7 *Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
*Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. *Date: August 2017 X Continuation Update
*B12. References: (continued from page 5)
City of Los Angeles
2011 Jefferson Park HPOZ Preservation Plan, City of Los Angeles. Accessed in 2017 online at:
http://preservation.lacity.org/files/Jefferson%20Park%20(Small%20File)%20PP.pdf.
Fletcher, Tom
n.d. Essential Architecture – Mid Century Modern. Accessed online in October 2014 at: http://www.essential-architecture.com/
STYLE/STY-066.htm.
Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor
n.d. Property information accessed online in August 2017 at:
http://maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/GVH_2_2/Index.html?configBase=http://maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/Geocortex/Essentials/
REST/sites/PAIS/viewers/PAIS_hv/virtualdirectory/Resources/Config/Default.
Oliver, Myrna
2004 “Maxwell Starkman, 82; Architect for Sony Plaza, Museum of Tolerance,” January 5, 2004 of The Los Angeles Times.
Accessed online in August 2017 at: http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/05/local/me-starkman5.
Ryon, Ruth
1986 “Shopping Center King : Ernest Hahn: Born to Shop for Mall Sites,” June 8, 1986 of The Los Angeles Times. Accessed online
in August 2017 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-08/realestate/re-9442_1_shopping-center.
D U A R T E R O A D
L I V E O A K A V E N U ESANTA ANITA AVENUECAMINO REAL AVEN UE
AIN: 5788-020-03025-39 Las Tunas Drive
AIN: 5788-020-0319-17 Las Tunas Drive
I:\CTA1401_02\Reports\Cultural\DPRlocation_5788020030-031_9-39LasTunasDr.mxd (9/1/2017)DP R 523J (1/95)*Required Inform atio n
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*M ap Name: USGS 7.5' Quads, El Monte & Mt Wilson: Google Earth *Scale: 1:24000 *Date of Map: 1981 & 1988; 2016
*R esource N ame or # (Assigned by recorder) 9-39 Las Tunas Drive
Prim ary #
HRI #
Trinom ial
St at e of California - Resource AgencyDEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATIONLOCATION MAP
LAS TUNAS DRIVE
L I V E O A K A V E N U ESANTA ANITA AVENUE