Rincon Consultants, Inc. 209 East Victoria Street Santa Barbara, California 93101 805 319 4092 OFFICE AND FAX [email protected] www.rinconconsultants.com Memorandum To: Laura Yanez, Project Engineer, City of Santa Barbara Public Works From: Susan Zamudio-Gurrola, MHP, Architectural Historian, Rincon Consultants, Inc. Date: April 8, 2019 Re: Olive Mill Road Roundabout Project Consistency of Historical Resources Evaluation Report (HRER) with the City of Santa Barbara Master Environmental Assessment (MEA) Guidelines for Archaeological Resources and Historic Structures and Sites (January 2002), Historic Structures/Sites Report Requirements Introduction Per the attached Historical Resources Evaluation Report (HRER) prepared for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the City of Santa Barbara (City) and County of Santa Barbara (County), with funding from the Federal Highway Administration, propose improvements to the intersection of Coast Village Road/North Jameson Lane/Olive Mill Road and U.S. 101 at post mile 10.5 by creating a new intersection configuration (project). The purpose of the project is to enhance traffic operations and safety for motor vehicle and active transportation users (pedestrians and bicyclists). The project will complete the proposed improvements included in the South Coast Route 101 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes Project-North Segment, where the HOV Lanes Project will add a third lane to the mainline in both directions of travel. This project includes federal funding. A detailed project description is included as an attachment to this memorandum. Caltrans requires that all cultural resources within a project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE) be considered for direct and indirect impacts per Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The APE is the geographic area or areas within which an undertaking may directly or indirectly cause changes in the character or use of historic properties. Determination of the APE is influenced by the project’s setting, the scale and nature of the undertaking, and the different kinds of effects that may result from the undertaking (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 800.16[d]). Direct impacts typically include demolition or alteration of a historic property, while indirect effects might include visual, atmospheric, and auditory intrusions. As Caltrans is the agency responsible for ensuring compliance with federal regulations applicable to the project, Rincon Consultants, Inc. prepared an HRER following the content and format guidelines specified in the Caltrans Standard Environmental Reference (SER) Handbook, Vol. 2, Cultural Resources (January 2015). As a result, the HRER does not specifically follow the City of Santa Barbara Master Environmental Assessment (MEA) Guidelines for Historic Structures and Sites reports. However, the evaluation of buildings and structures that was completed for the HRER was conducted in a manner that is consistent with the City’s requirements. At the request of the City, Rincon Consultants prepared this memorandum to ensure that the Caltrans report prepared for the project is augmented to be consistent with the requirements of the MEA. Environmental Scientists Planners Engineers City of Santa Barbara Olive Mill Road Roundabout Project Portions of the project area have been subject to previous historic resource evaluations, completed by Caltrans, the City, and cultural resources consultants. Rincon’s work effort included the recordation and evaluation of eight resources and updating previous documentation for two resources to determine if earlier findings remained valid. Provided below are summaries from the HRER and information addressing those sections that are specific to the City’s requirements. A separate memorandum addresses the project’s Archaeological Survey Report (ASR) which describes the inventory of the archaeological resources within the area of direct impact as required by the MEA. A total of twelve historic-era properties are within the APE, six of which are located outside of the limits of the City of Santa Barbara and are not discussed further in this memorandum. Of the remaining six properties that are located in the City of Santa Barbara, one is the Montecito Inn, which was previously determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Two other properties, the former Montecito Parkway and a bridge (Bridge No. 51-0031, Olive Mill Road Overcrossing), were previously determined not eligible for listing in the NRHP and are also not considered historical resources for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). City of Santa Barbara Criteria for Designation of Landmarks and Structures of Merit The City of Santa Barbara uses the following criteria to evaluate historic significance: (a) Its character, interest or value as a significant part of the heritage of the City, the State or Nation; (b) Its location as a site of a significant historic event; (c) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the City, the State or the Nation; (d) Its exemplification of a particular architectural style or way of life important to the City, the State or the Nation; (e) Its exemplification of the best remaining architectural type in a neighborhood; (f) Its identification as the creation, design or work of a person or persons whose effort has significantly influenced the heritage of the City, the State or the Nation; (g) Its embodiment of elements demonstrating outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship; (h) Its relationship to any other landmark if its preservation is essential to the integrity of that landmark; (i) Its unique location or singular physical characteristic representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood; (j) Its potential of yielding significant information of archaeological interest; (k) Its integrity as a natural environment that strongly contributes to the well-being of the people of the City, the State or the Nation (Chapter 22.22.040, City of Santa Barbara Municipal Code; Ord. 3900, ¶1, 1977). Page 2 City of Santa Barbara Olive Mill Road Roundabout Project Historic Structures/Sites Reports The City’s Master Environmental Assessment Guidelines states that a Historic Structures/Sites Report is an investigation intended to accomplish the following: . Identify historical structures/sites on a proposed project site. Assess the significance of identified historic structures and/or sites. If significant historic resources are identified, evaluate potential project impacts to the significant historic resources. If the proposed project may potentially result in adverse impacts to identified historic resources, propose measures to mitigate the potential adverse impacts. Rincon Consultants assessed potential project impacts to historical structures using criteria specified in the MEA, classifying them as significant unavoidable (Class I), potentially significant unless mitigated (Class II), or less than significant (Class III). The Historical Resources Evaluation Report for the Olive Mill Road Roundabout Project, City and County of Santa Barbara, California (attached), details efforts to identify historical structures/sites on and adjacent to the project site and assess their historical significance. Per the requirements of the MEA, a site history with neighborhood historical context is included below, followed by a description of each of the historic-era properties that are located within and adjacent to the proposed project site. 3.1 Site History 3.1.1 Santa Barbara In 1851, Captain Salisbury Haley surveyed and laid out the streets of the City of Santa Barbara and by 1860 its population was over 2,300 people. Catastrophic drought during 1863-1864 ruined grazing lands and led to many rancheros losing or selling off their land, providing additional property for a growing population. The first wharf in the city was built at the foot of Chapala Street in 1869, followed by Stearns Wharf at the foot of State Street, built in 1872 (City of Santa Barbara 2016). Charles Nordhoff, a New York journalist, visited Santa Barbara in 1872 and extolled its merits, drawing many people to the city. By the following year Ventura County was created and separated from Santa Barbara County. The Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Santa Barbara in 1887, which further advanced tourism and relocation to the area. That year the California land speculation boom peaked in the city. By 1890 the city’s population had grown to over 5,800 people (City of Santa Barbara 2016). Wealthy visitors were drawn to the area by the beautiful scenery, climate, and establishments such as the lavish Potter Hotel (Graffy 2010). In the early 1920s the Santa Barbara Community Arts Association organized a Plans and Planting division to focus on the beautification of the city. The City’s Planning Commission was also established, and Santa Barbara was one of the first cities in the country at the time to consider historic preservation during the planning process (City of Santa Barbara 2016). A major earthquake in 1925 damaged many structures in the city. The City’s first Architectural Board of Review was organized to review architectural plans for post-earthquake re-building. Since the 1920s, Spanish and traditional Mediterranean architectural styles have been advocated for building within the city (City of Santa Barbara 2016). Page 3 City of Santa Barbara