Application of Taub Family Outpost for a Use Permit to Allow a Restaurant with 64 Seats in an Existing Commercial Building at 497 First Street West

City of Sonoma Planning Commission STAFF REPORT Meeting: Special Planning Commission - May 24, 2018

Prepared Date Staff Contact May 07, 2018 Rob Gjestland, Senior Planner

Agenda Item Title

Application of Taub Family Outpost for a Use Permit to Allow a Restaurant With 64 Seats in an Existing Commercial Building at 497 First Street West

Applicant/Owner: Taub Family Outpost/Linda Detert Trust

Site Address/Location: 497 First Street West

PROJECT SUMMARY

Zoning: Base: Commercial Overlay: Historic

Planning Area: Downtown

Site Characteristics: The subject property is a 2,511-square foot lot at the intersection of First Street West and West Napa Street. The property is currently developed with a two-story commercial building that occupies the entirety of the site.

Surrounding Land Use/Zoning: North: Multi-tenant commercial building/Commercial South: Commercial buildings (across West Napa Street)/Commercial East: The Plaza (across Fist Street West)/Park West: Multi-tenant commercial building/Commercial

Environmental Review Environmental Impact Report Approved/Certified Negative Declaration No Action Required Exempt Action Requested Not Applicable

Staff Recommendation

Approve with conditions.

PROJECT ANALYSIS

Detailed Project Description: In way of background, the applicant was initially planning a wine tasting room at this location and was exempted from the wine tasting facility moratorium because tenant improvements were already in progress. However, since that time the applicant has changed the concept for the business. The applicant is now requesting approval of a Use Permit to operate a restaurant with wine bar/lounge and packaged goods market within the existing 4,914- square foot, two-story commercial building. A total of 64 seats are proposed within the building, including 26 seats on the first floor and 38 seats on the second floor. The restaurant would offer dine-in meal service throughout the day with breakfast, all-day, and late evening menus. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., patrons could also taste/purchase wine and spirits with a focus on brands offered under Taub Family Companies import businesses. The retail market would occupy a portion of the first floor, offering a variety of specialty products, including wine, as well as made-to-order and pre-packaged food items (i.e., sandwiches, salads, pastas, etc.) for take-out or onsite consumption. It is anticipated that the business would be staffed by approximately ten employees at any given time. Proposed hours of operation are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily with extended hours to midnight for special events and weekends on a seasonal basis. The project includes a full interior remodel to both floors to support the use as well as minor modifications to the building exterior. Deliveries to the business would occur daily (primarily in the morning) off West Napa Street Additional details are provided in the attached project narrative and drawings.

General Plan Consistency ( Not Applicable to this Project): The property is designated Commercial by the General Plan. The Commercial land use designation is intended to provide areas for retail, hotel, service, medical, and office development, in association with apartments and mixed- use developments and necessary public improvements. Restaurants are allowed in the corresponding Commercial zone subject to review and approval of Use Permit by the Planning Commission. The following General Plan policies apply to the project:

Local Economy Element, Policy 1.1: Focus on the retention and attraction of businesses that reinforce Sonoma’s distinctive qualities – such as agriculture, food and wine, history and art – and that offer high-paying jobs.

Local Economy Element, Policy 1.8: Preserve and enhance the historic Plaza as a unique, retail-oriented commercial and cultural center that attracts both residents and visitors.

Local Economy Element, Policy 1.10: Promote ground-floor retail uses in commercial areas as a means of generating pedestrian activity.

In general, proposal is consistent with the intent of the Commercial land use designation and applicable General Plan policies, in that the restaurant and market are retail uses in the Plaza commercial area with a focus on food and wine.

Development Code Consistency ( Not Applicable to this Project): Use: The property is located within a Commercial (C) zoning district, which is applied to areas appropriate for a range of commercial land uses including retail, tourist, office, and mixed-uses. Restaurants are allowed in the Commercial zoning district subject to review and approval of Use Permit by the Planning Commission. The business would operate under a Type 47 ABC license, which authorizes the sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits for onsite consumption and the sale of beer and wine for consumption off the premises, as part of a bona fide eating place/restaurant.

Development Standards: The business would operate within an existing commercial building. As a result, the project does not raise any issues in terms of compliance with building setback, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), lot coverage, open space, and building height standards.

Parking Requirements: The property has no on-site parking since the existing commercial building occupies the entire site. However, for structures that face the Plaza, additional parking is not required for a new use unless the new use results in: 1) an increase in the square footage of the structure, or 2) an off-street parking requirement that exceeds one parking space for each 300 square feet of floor area (Development Code Section E.19.48.040.F). The project would not expand the structure and the amount restaurant seating proposed (64 seats) has a parking requirement equivalent to and not in excess of the allowable ratio of one space per 300 square feet of floor area. Accordingly, the project does not raise any issues in terms of compliance with the City's parking standards.

Design Review: The minor exterior building alterations referenced in the project narrative and elevation drawings (i.e., replacement windows, iron entry gate, signs, removal of a door and installation of a new window and door within gated vestibule on the south elevation) have been reviewed and approved by the Design Review & Historic Preservation Commission as required by Section 19.54.080.B.2 of the Development Code. Staff would note the building does not qualify as an historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), based on a historic resource evaluation of the property prepared by APD Preservation (attached).

Consistency with Other City Ordinances/Policies ( Not Applicable to this Project): Water Demand Analysis & Will-Serve Letter: Pursuant to Resolution No. 46-2010, the project will be subject to the requirement for a water demand analysis and will-serve letter from the City Engineer to confirm that adequate water capacity exists prior to the issuance of a building permit for the project. These items have been included in the draft conditions.

Environmental Review ( Not Applicable to this Project): Pursuant to Section of 15301 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the leasing, permitting, or operation of existing private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use is considered Categorically Exempt from the provisions of CEQA (Class 1 – Existing Facilities). Staff would note the building does not qualify as an historic resource under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), based on a historic resource evaluation of the property prepared by APD Preservation (attached).

Discussion of Project Issues: Compatibility: The proposal does not raise any significant issues in terms of compatibility with surrounding land uses as the property is located in the Downtown District in a commercial setting, near other restaurants, retail shops, a sparkling wine bar, and banks. Furthermore, in recognition of community concerns that led to the wine tasting room moratorium, staff has worked with the applicant to ensure that their proposal is focused as a restaurant/food serving use, with the ability for patrons to also taste, enjoy, and purchase wine and spirits. In this regard, staff would emphasize that the type of ABC license necessary for the business (i.e., Type 47) requires that it be a bona fide eating place, consistent with ABC's license description below.

License Type 47 - ON SALE GENERAL - EATING PLACE - (Restaurant) Authorizes the sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits for consumption on the licenses premises. Authorizes the sale of beer and wine for consumption off the licenses premises. Must operate and maintain the licensed premises as a bona fide eating place. Must maintain suitable kitchen facilities, and must make actual and substantial sales of meals for consumption on the premises. Minors are allowed on the premises.

Parking: As noted above, Section 19.48.040.F of the Development Code recognizes that buildings on the Plaza often lack on-site parking and allows for changes of use within those structures within certain parameters. The proposal is consistent with the applicable criteria and would have a parking requirement equivalent to uses that have historically operated in the building (retail and offices most recently).

Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the Use Permit, subject to the attached conditions of approval. Attachments

Draft Findings and Conditions of Approval Vicinity Map Project Narrative Use Permit Drawings Historic Resource Evaluation

CC:

Kevin Heinichen (via email) SMA - Steve Martin Associates, Inc.

DRAFT City of Sonoma Planning Commission FINDINGS OF PROJECT APPROVAL Taub Family Outpost - Restaurant Use Permit 497 First Street West

May 24, 2018

Based on substantial evidence in the record and upon consideration of all testimony received in the course of the public review, including the public review, the City of Sonoma Planning Commission finds and declares as follows:

Use Permit Approval

1. That the proposed use is consistent with the General Plan and any Specific Plan;

2. That the proposed use is allowed with a conditional Use Permit within the applicable zoning district and complies with all applicable standards and regulations of the Development Code (except for approved Variances and Exceptions): and

3. The location, size, design, and operating characteristics of the proposed use are compatible with the existing and future land uses in the vicinity; and

4. The proposed use will not impair the architectural integrity and character of the zoning district in which it is to be located.

DRAFT City of Sonoma Planning Commission CONDITIONS OF PROJECT APPROVAL Taub Family Outpost - Restaurant Use Permit 497 First Street West

May 24, 2018

1. The use shall operate in conformance with the project narrative and approved floor plans, except as modified by these conditions and the following:

a. The maximum amount of indoor seating for the restaurant shall be limited to 64 seats. b. Business hours of operation open to the public/customers shall be limited to 8 a.m. to 12a.m. midnight c. The iron entry gate shall be pinned open during business hours. d. This permit does not constitute an approval for a Special Event Venue as defined under Section 19.92.020 of the Development Code.

Enforcement Responsibility: Planning Department; Building Department; Fire Department Timing: Prior to issuance a building permit

2. All Building Department requirements shall be met, including applicable Building Code requirements related to the CalGreen, egress, exiting, provision of bathroom facilities/fixtures, and ADA requirements (e.g., disabled access including at entrances, bathrooms, accessible paths of travel, etc.). A building permit shall be required.

Enforcement Responsibility: Building Department; Fire Department Timing: Prior to construction

3. All Fire Department requirements shall be met, including the provision of a Knox box for access, Type 1 commercial kitchen hood, review/testing of the existing automatic sprinkler system before and after construction of tenant improvements.

Enforcement Responsibility: Building Department; Fire Department Timing: Prior to construction

3. If the building permit valuation for the project or other improvements to the property exceeds $40,000 within any two- year period, the applicant/property owner shall be responsible for completing public frontage improvements such as the provision or repair of curb, gutter, and sidewalk as determined necessary by the City Engineer.

Enforcement Responsibility: City Engineer; Public Works Department; Building Department Timing: Prior to final inspection approval/occupancy

4. An encroachment permit from the City shall be required for any work within the public right of way on First Street West and/or West Napa Street. In addition, an encroachment permit from Caltrans shall be required for any work necessary within the West Napa Street (State Highway 12) right of way

Enforcement Responsibility: City Engineer; Public Works Department; Building Department; Caltrans Timing: Prior to any work/construction within the public right of way

5. The applicant shall obtain all necessary permits, licenses, and/or clearances from the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and Sonoma County Environmental Health Division for the preparation, cooking, service, and retail sales of food and alcohol beverages. Business operations shall conform to the limitations of those permits. In addition, the applicant shall comply with the requirements of the Sonoma County Environmental Health Division set forth in their letter dated April 2, 2018 (attached).

Enforcement Responsibility: Department of ABC; Sonoma County Health Division; Planning Department Timing: Prior to operation; Ongoing

6. The applicant shall comply with all requirements of the Sanitation Section of the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) as set forth in their memorandum dated April 3, 2018 (attached).

Enforcement Responsibility: Sanitation Section of Sonoma County Planning & Management Resource Department; Sonoma County Water Agency: City of Sonoma Building Department Timing: Prior to issuance of a building permit and/or operation

7. A sewer clearance shall be provided to the City of Sonoma Building Department verifying that all applicable sewer fees have been paid prior to the issuance of any building permit. Note: Substantial fees may apply for new sewer connections and/or the use of additional ESDs from an existing sewer connection. The applicant is encouraged to check with the Sonoma County PRMD Sanitation Division immediately to determine whether such fees apply.

Enforcement Responsibility: Building Department Timing: Prior to the issuance of any building permit

8. The Applicant shall pay any required increased water fees applicable to the changes in use in accordance with the latest adopted rate schedule.

Enforcement Responsibility: Public Works Department; Water Operations Supervisor; City Engineer Timing: Prior to final occupancy

9. All applicable stormwater requirements shall be met and implemented on site prior to operation/final occupancy.

Enforcement Responsibility: Stormwater Coordinator; City Engineer Timing: Prior to operation/final occupancy

10. Prior to the issuance of any building permit, water demand analysis shall be prepared by a licensed civil engineer and submitted by the applicant and shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Engineer. Said analysis shall be in compliance with the City’s current policy on water demand and capacity analysis as outlined in Resolution 46-2010. Building permits for the project shall only be issued if the City Engineer finds, based on the water demand analysis in relation to the available water supply, that sufficient capacity is available to serve the proposed development, which finding shall be documented in the form of a will-serve letter, prepared by the City Engineer. Any will-serve letter shall remain valid only so long as the use permit for the project remains valid.

Enforcement Responsibility: City Engineer; Public Works Department Timing: Prior to issuance of building permit for restaurant tenant improvements

11. The applicant shall submit a Water Conservation Plan to the City Engineer for review and approval. The Plan shall include conservation measures for indoor and outdoor water use and shall be consistent with the City’s water conservation and landscape efficiency ordinances.

Enforcement Responsibility: City Engineer Timing: Prior to issuance of a building permit for restaurant tenant improvements

PERMIT AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT SANITATION SECTION MEMORANDUM

TO: Rob Gjestland, City of Sonoma DATE: 04/03/2018 FROM: Keith Hanna FILE: Unknown LOCATION: 497 1st Street West (119 Napa St) APN: 018-202-014 APPLICANT: Palm Bay International, Taub Family Outpost

Project description: The “Outpost” is a proposed restaurant, wine bar, packaged goods market, spirits and cocktails tasting bar, and wine lounge, and will including special events.

1. Sonoma County Water Agency (Water Agency) operates Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (District) under contract with District. References to District employees are understood to be Water Agency employees acting on behalf of District.

2. Prior to approval of this project by the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD), the Applicant shall provide the Sanitation Section of PRMD with a statement from the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA), operators of the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD), addressing the current and future levels of collection and treatment capacity within the SVCSD. If it is determined by SCWA that a “Sewer Capacity Study” is warranted and required for the proposed project, the Applicant shall undertake to have this study prepared prior to final approval of the development.

The applicant shall install any SCWA required mitigation measures for limited capacity, including but not limited to upsizing of existing sewer mains, sealing existing manholes or mains, installing I/I lines, or reducing water flow rates in the area.

3. Applicant shall obtain a Sonoma County Water Agency Survey for Commercial/Industrial Wastewater Discharge Requirements from the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD), and shall submit the completed Survey, along with two (2) copies of the project site plan, floor plan and plumbing plan to the Engineering Division of PRMD.

If additional sewer pre-treatment, separate process and domestic wastewater lines, and/or monitoring facilities are required by the Sonoma County Water Agency per this Survey, the Applicant shall comply with the requirements of the Survey prior to occupancy of the proposed. The issuance of building permits is contingent upon completion of the Survey.

4. At the time of sewer permit issuance, the Applicant shall provide the Sanitation Section of the Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) with data related to the floor area of the building, tables & chairs, bar area seating, restaurant area seating, etc., for the purpose of correctly calculating sewer use fees, as defined by Sonoma County Water Agency Sanitation Codes. Sewer use fees including Connection and Annual Service fees shall be paid prior to temporary occupancy, occupancy, and building permit final. No connection to sewer or temporary occupancy, or occupancy shall be allowed until the sewer use fees are paid. The applicant is advised to start this process early to determine the sewer Connection and Service fees due to their possible substantial costs.

5. Sewer Use Fees for sewer service shall be calculated at the prevailing Sewer Connection and Annual Sewer Service Charge rates in effect at the time of sewer permit issuance.

6. All Sewer Fees per Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District Ordinances (latest revision) shall be paid to the Sanitation Section of the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD) prior to temporary occupancy, or occupancy of the proposed wine bar, food, and drinking establishment.

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Vicinity Map

W TH E P CHURCH LAZA T STREET E

N Pk

S T

T Subject Property E CITY E HALL R

W T E S ST NAPA STR R EET I F

C W

T NATHAN E SO

R-O MCDO NELL ST Zoning Designations

R-HS Hillside Residential (1 D.U./10acres, maximum) Project Summary R-R Rural Residential (2 D.U./acre, maximum) R-L Low Density Residential (2-5 D.U./acre) R-S Sonoma Residential (3-8 D.U./acre) Project Name: Taub Family Outpost Restaurant R-M Medium Denisty Residential (6-10 D.U./acre) R-H High Density (9-12 D.U./acre) Property Addresses: 497 First Street West R-O Housing Opportunity (15-20 D.U./acre) R-P Mobile Home Park (7 D.U./acre, maximum) Applicant: Taub Family Outpost MX Mixed Use (12 D.U./acre, maximum) C Commercial (15 D.U./acre, maximum) Property Owner: Linda Detert Trust C-G Commercial-Gateway (15 D.U./acre, maximum) W Wine Production General Plan Land Use: Commercial P Public Facility Pk Park Zoning - Base: Commercial A Agriculture Zoning - Overlay: Historic

Summary: Us Permit application to allow a restaurant with 64 seats in an existing commercial building. ´

0200400100 Feet

1 inch = 200 feet Taub Family Outpost LLC SMA, Inc. Use Permit Application

TAUB FAMILY OUTPOST USE PERMIT APPLICATION PROJECT NARRATIVE April 11, 2018

The proposed Taub Family Outpost will be located at 497 First Street West within an existing 4914 SF building. The Outpost will appeal to a wide range of customers and will operate as a packaged goods market, restaurant and lounge, along with areas dedicated to wine and spirits tastings with food pairings. The Outpost aims to be a favorite local hub in downtown Sonoma, with something to offer everyone. The market and restaurant will offer guests the opportunity to buy and enjoy multiple brands of locally-made products as well as other international inspirations. From sunup to late evening the Taub Family Outpost will be a place for the community to grab a quick healthy meal, find a local product to take home, or relax after a day of work. The Restaurant will encompass the heart and soul of Sonoma County, partnering with local farms and producers to offer seasonal breakfast, lunch, and evening menus that don’t break the bank. Within the market space we aspire to provide local producers with a central place to showcase their goods and invite/host their customers, in order to highlight the results of their hard work and enrich the community. The market will offer made-to-order and pre- packaged food items (i.e. sandwiches, salads, pastas, etc.) prepared for onsite consumption and/or take-out. We would also like to take this opportunity to contribute to the already exciting Farmers Market on the Plaza, by having our own stand showcasing local and seasonal products. The food prepared onsite for take-out or enjoyment in the restaurant/lounge areas requires a Restaurant Use Permit.

Retail operations will be centrally located on the first floor and will offer a host of specialty products sourced from local vendors and partners, complemented by a select range of international products. In the newly-renovated spaces within the building, we will invite local businesses and agencies to host intimate meetings. The Taub Family Outpost will foster positive community relationships through the aforementioned elements - becoming a vendor at the local Farmers Market and serving as a meeting place and showcase for local producers - as well as by teaming up with local charities, events and businesses wherever possible.

The Taub Family Outpost will open daily at 8 am, offering a host of seasonal breakfast options, bespoke coffee and teas. We are excited to enhance the morning energy on the Plaza by helping locals and visitors alike start the day with a smile and a nice bit of nourishment. The “All-Day” menu will start at 10:30am, which will run until 9pm, followed by a late evening menu until close. The “All-Day” menu will also be a seasonal showcase of regionally inspired dishes that convey the sense of history and pride in Sonoma County. Wine and spirits will only be available after 10:30 am daily and until the restaurant and market closes at 10 pm during weekdays but could extend to 12 am for special events and weekends during peak seasons. The Taub Family Outpost plans to hire a local team experienced in cuisine from an international influence that is inherent to the beautiful history of the City of Sonoma. Depending on seasonal demand, The Taub Family Outpost expects to have an average of roughly 10 employees onsite at any given time. All employees will have the required “Food Handlers Card”, the “Responsible Beverage Service” training, and Managers will have the “Food Safety Managers” certifications. Deliveries will be accepted daily (primarily in the mornings), and trucks will be temporarily staged in the available parking adjacent to the building on West Napa Street.

The project will include an interior remodel to both floors of the building. The result will be a warm and welcoming space that is both unique and in concert with the history of the building and downtown Sonoma. A total of 64 seats are proposed within the building, with 26 on the first floor and 38 on the second floor. There will be slight modifications to the exterior of the building including quality and efficiency updates to the windows on the 1st and 2nd floors, an added window on the South Wall, and the removal of the single unused side door on the South Wall of the building which will patched to match the existing exterior. These updates and renovations to the highly visible corner of West Napa and 1st Street West will help add to the attraction of downtown Sonoma.

Taub Family Companies is a third generation, family-owned organization focused on quality, authenticity and personal touch in the fine foods, fine wines and spirits realm. It is the family’s intention to create a venue that showcases the driving spirit and history of Sonoma and be a visible beacon for the community around the plaza.

Taub Family Outpost LLC SMA, Inc. Use Permit Application

Project Information Summary: • Hours of operation: 8 am to 10 pm o Retail/Breakfast begins at 8 am o All-Day Menu – 10:30am – 9pm o Late-Evening Menu – 9pm to close o Extended hours to 12 am for special events and for weekends during peak seasons • Occupancy: 64 seats total o 26 seats located on the first floor o 38 seats located on the second floor • Business operations o Deliveries will be primarily in the morning and will be located in the street parking adjacent to the building on West Napa Street. o Taub Family Outpost will have an average of approximately 10 employees onsite at any given time.

KABOODLE SMA

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: BELLA VITA THE LOOP 130 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Sebastopol, CA 95472 (707) 824-9730 Fax (707) 824-9707

CENTRAL COAST: A&C VENTURES / STEINERS TAVERN 606 Alamo Pintada Rd. SONOMA Suite 3-221 CITY HALL Solvang, CA 93463 (805) 541-9730 www.SMAssociates.net ERALDIS SHOES AND MENSWEAR

ADOBE ROAD WINERY HISTORIC 1st STREET WEST SONOMA PLAZA LARGE LEATHER SITE FIGONES OLIVE OIL KINWOOD INVESTMENTS MIAS KITCHEN HARVEST MOON SONOMA SILVER BRAM

TAUB FAMILY OUTPOST TOSCA TOSCA SIGH OUTDORA

BANK OF APN 018-202-014 MARIN PERLE VICINITY MAP

W. NAPA STREET USE PERMIT VICINITY MAP & PARCEL MAP W. NAPA STREET DESIGN REVIEW BANK CHASE 103 STORE GENERAL BANK OF AMERICA BANK CORNER INDEX UMPQUA TRIBUNE SONOMA REAL ESTATE

PACIFIC UNION THE RED GRAPE

JEFF COHN 1st STREET WEST WINERY APN: 018-202-014 Sonoma, CA 95476 497 First Street West Palm Bay International TAUB FAMILY OUTPOST

REVISIONS

DATE DESCRIPTION

SITE

JOBJOB NO.NO. COUNTY ASSESSORS PARCEL MAP DATEDATE DRAWNDRAWN

FILEFILE NO.NO.

SHEETSHEET EXISTING FACADE - SOUTH EXISTING FACADE - EAST DR1UP1 SMA

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: 130 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Sebastopol, CA 95472 (707) 824-9730 Fax (707) 824-9707

CENTRAL COAST: 606 Alamo Pintada Rd. Suite 3-221 Solvang, CA 93463 (805) 541-9730 www.SMAssociates.net (SITE PLAN) USE PERMIT GROUND FLOOR SECOND FLOOR PLAN & SECOND FLOOR 2 APN: 018-202-014 Sonoma, CA 95476 497 First Street West Taub Family Outpost Palm Bay International

REVISIONS

DATE DESCRIPTION

JOB NO.

DATE

DRAWN

GROUND FLOOR / SITE PLAN FILE NO.

1 SHEET UP2 (N) SIGNAGE WITH 12" AGED BRASS LETTERS SMA MOUNTED ON 3" STUDS FONT:EAMES CENTURY MODERN (N) AGED BRASS DOVE CUT-OUT WEATHER VANE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 4 130 S. Main Street, Ste. 201 Sebastopol, CA 95472 (707) 824-9730 Fax (707) 824-9707

CENTRAL COAST: 2. WOOD BLADE SIGN (E) ROOF, GUTTERS AND 606 Alamo Pintada Rd. BALCONY TO REMAIN Suite 3-221 Solvang, CA 93463 (805) 541-9730 www.SMAssociates.net PATCH/PAINT EXISTING REPLACE (E) ALUMINUM WINDOWS STUCCO AS NECESSARY WITH (N) METAL CLAD WINDOWS TO MATCH ADJACENT COLOR: BLACK OR BRONZE FINISH AND COLOR SEE WINDOW SPECS TYP. OF 9 1. WROUGHT IRON ENTRANCE GATE 3. STEEL DOVE CUT-OUT 4. BRASS DOVE WEATHER VANE 5. FOUNDRY STEEL MAILBOX

REFERENCE IMAGES (N) WOOD BLADE SIGN PAINTED TEXT SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 2

(N) 12" METAL NUMBERS PER FIRE CODE FONT: EAMES CENTURY MODERN COLOR: BLACK (N) WOODEN DOOR WITHIN GATED VESTIBULE. SIMILAR (N) IRON GATE IN EXISTING STYLE TO EXISTING REAR ARCHWAY WITH KNOX BOX UTILITY DOORS. REPLACE (E) WINDOWS FOR FIRE DEPT. ACCESS. WITH (N) METAL CLAD SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 1 WINDOWS COLOR: BLACK OR BRONZE TYP. OF 6 (N) DECORATIVE VINTAGE FOUNDRY STEEL MAILBOX SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 5 USE PERMIT

REAR GATE SHOWN IN OPEN POSITION BUILDING ELEVATIONS

GATE TO REMAIN LOCKED IN OPEN AND EXTERIOR DETAILS POSITION DURING BUSINESS HOURS B EXTERIOR ELEVATION - EAST (FIRST STREET WEST)

REPLACE (E) ALUMINUM WINDOWS WITH (N) METAL CLAD CASEMENT WINDOWS COLOR: BLACK OR BRONZE SEE WINDOW SPECS TYP. OF 9 APN: 018-202-014 Sonoma, CA 95476 (E) ROOF, DOWNSPOUTS 497 First Street West Taub Family Outpost

AND BALCONY TO REMAIN Palm Bay International

REVISIONS

(N) BLADE SIGN REPAIR/PAINT EXISTING DATE DESCRIPTION BLACK STEEL, STUCCO AS NECESSARY DIE CUT DOVE, TO MATCH ADJACENT SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 3 FINISH AND COLOR

REMOVE (E) DOOR (N) GAS FRAMING AND REPLACE CABINET WITH (N) GATED VESTIBULE INFILL EXISTING SEE REFERENCE IMAGE 1 DOORWAY TO (E) STREET LAMP MATCH ADJACENT AND FIRE HYDRANT FINISH AND COLOR

JOB NO.

DATE

DRAWN

FILE NO.

(N) METAL CLAD SLIDING WINDOW REPLACE (E) WINDOWS WITH SHEET EXTERIOR ELEVATION - SOUTH (WEST NAPA STREET) COLOR: BLACK OR BRONZE (N) METAL CLAD WINDOWS A SEE WINDOW SPECS FRAME COLOR: BLACK OR BRONZE SEE WINDOW SPECS TYP. OF 6 UP3 Historic Resource Evaluation 497 First Street West, Sonoma, Sonoma County, California (APN 018-202-014--000)

Prepared for: Steve Martin SMA 130 S. Main Street, Suite 201 Sebastopol, CA 95472 707-824-9730

Prepared by: Alice P. Duffee, Historic Preservation Planner APD Preservation LLC March 2018 497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROJECT OVERVIEW & EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

METHODOLOGY 3

EVALUATOR QUALIFICATIONS 4

SITE LOCATION 4

DESCRIPTION 6

HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF SONOMA 7

HISTORY OF 497 FIRST STREET WEST 8

DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY 17 CRITERIA 18 INTEGRITY ANALYSIS 18

CONCLUSION 19

RESOURCES CONSULTED 20

APPENDIX A: PHOTOGRAPHS 22

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Project Overview & Executive Summary

The tenants of 497 First Street West in Sonoma, California, are assessing the historic character of the structure on this property and hired Alice P. Duffee, an architectural historian and preservation planner at APD Preservation LLC, to evaluate the historic character of the property and identify what features, if any, render the property historically significant. This report is the result of that evaluation.

The property was originally part of Lot 43 on the early Pueblo Map of Sonoma. Jacob Leese purchased the lot from the City of Sonoma in 1848 and built what is now called the Leese-Fitch adobe. Josefa Carrillo Fitch owned the property from 1849 to 1859, though she rented it out for most of that period while she managed her deceased husband’s land grant dispute in Healdsburg. Throughout the late nineteenth century a one-story, wood frame, general store occupied the site of the current building. Peter Yenni subdivided and sold the project area to Fred Bulotti in 1912, after replacing the one-story structure with a more substantial two-story, brick building.

“The Bulotti Building” housed offices and retail space until 1923, when the Valley National Bank, under the leadership of Frank M. Burris, purchased the building and renovated the first floor into a bank. Mercantile Trust Company bought Valley National Bank in 1924; American Trust Company bought Mercantile in 1926; and Wells Fargo Bank bought American Trust in 1960. Throughout this period, the building at 497 First Street West remained in use as a bank.

In 1967 Wells Fargo relocated to its current building at Fifth Street West and West Napa and sold the building to the Hy-Lond Corporation. Hy-Lond immediately embarked on a major interior and exterior renovation of the building, reinventing it as an “early California style” building, in line with the historic barracks and adobes around the Plaza. Modifications included the application of a wrap-around balcony with a clay tiled, hipped roof; reconfiguration of all the openings (windows and doors); and application of a stucco finish.

From 1991 to 1999 the building underwent a second major renovation, inside and out, further emphasizing the “early California” feeling. The building at 497 First Street West is 106 years old, lies within Sonoma’s Historic Overlay District, is not included in any surveys of historic resources, and is identified as a “non-contributing resource” to the Sonoma Plaza National Register of Historic Places Historic District (1992). While the original building was associated with the economic growth of downtown Sonoma, and, more specifically, the American Trust Company, the building no longer retains enough physical integrity to convey any sense of those associations. At the same time, the modern exterior is not architecturally significant, and the site does not have the potential to yield significant archeological information. The property, therefore, does not qualify as an “historic resource” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Methodology

On February 14, 2018, Alice P. Duffee undertook a field survey of the property to conduct a visual review and assessment of the property. Records searches were conducted at the following repositories, as well as a variety of online research websites:

• Sonoma County Recorder’s office • Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library • Sonoma League for Historic Preservation • Sonoma Valley Historical Society • San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) online research databases • City of Sonoma (Building and Planning departments) • California Digital Newspaper Collection • Sonoma Index-Tribune, online archives • Online Archive of California and a variety of online research websites

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Evaluator qualifications Alice P. Duffee of APD Preservation LLC conducted the evaluation of the historic character of the building at 497 First Street West in Sonoma, California. Ms. Duffee is a qualified architectural historian as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR Part 61) and is listed in the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS) as a consultant qualified to work in the fields of Architectural History and History. She holds a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural History from the University of Virginia. Site Location

The building at 497 First Street West sits on the west side of First Street West, on the northwest corner of the intersection of West Napa Street and First Street West, in the City of Sonoma. The streetscape is established, mature landscaping around one and two story commercial buildings from the mid-nineteenth century to mid-twentieth century. The Sonoma Plaza sits directly across the street from the project area. Both First Street West and West Napa Street have two lanes of traffic (two-way) with street parking on both sides.

Location of 497 First Street West (Sonoma Quadrangle, USGS Map, 2015)

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Parcel Map 018-20

Aerial Map of Project Area (Google Maps 2018)

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Description

The two-story, 4,914-occupiable square foot, flat-roofed building at 497 First Street West is brick masonry faced in stucco. The foundation is obscured by the stucco. A striated concrete parapet caps the east and south elevations that front First Street West and West Napa Street respectively. When viewed from the rear, it is apparent that this parapet is an applied decoration on the top of an otherwise plain roof line (see figure 16).

At the second story, a four-foot-wide, hip-roofed balcony wraps around the east and south elevations. Square posts support the roof and are connected by a simple balustrade of square balusters and a square top rail. Shaped brackets decorate the corner posts. The deeply overhanging eave has exposed rafters with shaped ends extending over a square vertical rail (see figure 9).

Under the porch, pairs of decorative corbels support the overhanging structure. At the southeast corner, the corbels are split into singles (see figures 10 and 11). Composition shingles cover the porch roof.

The windows at the second story have modern aluminum sliding sash. The south elevation has seven windows spaced at regular intervals. The east elevation has two windows.

At the ground level on the east elevation, all of the windows are tall, narrow, single-paned, fixed sash windows set in wood and aluminum frames (see figure 12). Each window is capped with a graduated, concrete lintel. A similar, graduated, concrete belt course wraps around the east and south elevations, interrupted by the windows. The east elevation has two windows and the south elevation has four windows concentrated on the eastern section of the wall.

The primary entrance to the building is on the east elevation, at the northeast corner, in a recessed alcove with an arched opening. A pair of offset, modern, half glass doors, each with a two-paned transom, provide access to the interior (see figure 6). The floor of the porch is tiled (see figure 7).

On the south elevation (West Napa Street) three pedestrian doors are spaced irregularly. A single entrance, roughly centered on the elevation, consists of a glass paned door with wooden frame, positioned approximately 10 inches of the sidewalk. At the western end of the building there are two sets of doors. The westernmost entrance consists of a pair of heavy wooden doors with raised square panels (ca.1967), surmounted by a metal, louvered transom. The other entrance consists of a pair of glass and wood framed doors under a solid transom. Both entrances are slightly recessed from the face of the building and are accessed by a single concrete step set into the wall (see figures 13 and 14).

The west and north elevations of 497 First Street West abut the neighboring buildings and are not accessible. From the parking lot in the center of the block, it is possible to see glimpses of the roofline of the building.

Permit records for this property include:

• 1957: depository for American Trust Company Bank • 1962: new sign • 1967: interior and exterior modifications and electrical upgrades • 1982: restaurant plan review (Vintage Sweet Shoppe #3), interior modifications, electrical changes • 1983: re-roof • 1984: remodel into a clothing store • 1994: demolish false mansard roof on two sides of building • 1995: remove plaster over brick on second floor only • 1998: seismic repairs and sprinklers

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Historical Context of Sonoma

The building at 497 First Street West sits on lands granted by the Mexican Government to the San Francisco Solano Mission in 1823. In 1835 General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo set about transitioning the area from mission to pueblo, using the name “Sonoma” in his progress report to the governor. Later that year, on June 24, 1835, the governor signed an order officially establishing Sonoma as a “presidial” town—the headquarters for the military in the north. With the help of William A. Richardson from Yerba Buena (the precursor to the city of San Francisco), General Vallejo laid out the town of Sonoma around a traditional plaza and grid design. The 8-acre plaza they laid out was the largest plaza in California and remains so today. The orderly street grid was symmetrical around the 110’ wide Broadway, centered on the plaza.

For a brief period in 1846 (25 days), Sonoma was the capital of the newly formed “Bear Flag Republic”. The infant Republic, now state of California, was quickly annexed by the United States and later made a state in 1850. Vallejo was elected a State Senator and lobbied to keep Sonoma as the county seat; Santa Rosa, however, took over the position in 1854 and Sonoma reverted to a sleepy agricultural crossroads.

In 1879, the Sonoma Valley Railroad began daily service from Sonoma to San Francisco, vastly opening up the region to tourism and transportation of agricultural and quarried goods. A train depot was built directly on the plaza in 1880, and the train service extended north up Sonoma Valley to Glen Ellen by 1882. In 1883 the blossoming town was incorporated as a city.

Following lengthy legal battles about the legitimacy of the private use of public land for a depot, the depot was relocated to its current location at 270 First Street West around 1890. The Sonoma Valley Railroad merged with Northern Pacific Railroad, and launched a major rail improvement campaign. For at least the next three decades, the expanded Northern Pacific Railroad competed intensely with the South Pacific railroad, which serviced Santa Rosa to the north. The growing town of Sonoma benefitted all the while: populations skyrocketed, industry thrived, and tourism became a major source of revenue for the valley.

The arrival of the automobile and bus in the twentieth century marked the end of the railroad, and the depot between First Street East and First Street West closed its doors in 1942.

Following World War II, town of Sonoma refocused its energy inward, growing in leaps and bounds in terms of land area, density and population. In 1900 Sonoma boasted a population of 652 residents; by 1940 this number had crept up to 1,158. By 1950, the population had doubled to 2,015, and by 1960 it increased another 50% to 3,023.1

Neighborhoods throughout the City of Sonoma and its surrounding area grew quickly, with local builders erecting a wide a variety of small houses and pre-fabricated buildings. In 1947, Sonoma’s City Council unanimously adopted its first “General Plan,” prepared by the planning firm Hahn and Campbell Associates out of Palo Alto. This document included both zoning designations and the recommendation to create a separate Planning Commission, all in an effort to manage the rapid growth and development of Sonoma.

The pace of modernization picked up through the 1950s. In 1956, for example, the Union Hotel on Napa Street at First Street West was razed and replaced with the current Bank of America building. Change was coming quickly and building styles were changing.

Commercial buildings in particular underwent multiple transformations over the middle decades of the twentieth century. Those that weren’t demolished, were radically altered to accommodate changing functionalities as well as changing aesthetic trends.

1 http://www.bayareacensus.ca.gov/cities/Sonoma50.htm#1940

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

History of 497 First Street West

The lot that contains 497 First Street West sits at the southeast corner of what was originally Lot 43 on the early Pueblo Map of Sonoma.

Detail of Otto V. Geldern’s 1875 Plan of Sonoma showing property location

Jacob P. Leese purchased Lot 43 of from the City of Sonoma on January 12, 1848.2 Within the year, Leese built one of Sonoma’s early adobe structures on the corner of West Napa and First Street West. Soon thereafter, however, Jacob Leese and his wife, Rosalia, sold the property to John B. Frisbie. The deed describes the lot as “being the same premises now occupied by the said Leese as a dwelling house.”3

Within a year, Frisbie and his business partner, Mariano Vallejo, sold the property to Josefa Carrillo Fitch of San Diego. The property was described as: “Known as the premises at present occupied by General Percifer F. Smith. Embracing the house and buildings and garden in the possession of said Smith.”4 Smith was the commander of the Pacific Division of the United States Army, and left Sonoma when the capital of California was relocated to Benicia in 1849.

Josefa Carrillo was born in 1810 in San Diego, California, and married Henry Delano Fitch (born 1799 in Massachusetts) in 1829. Josefa was the sister-in-law of General Mariano Vallejo. Henry Delano Fitch was the first American settler of San Diego and became a Mexican citizen in 1833. In 1841 Fitch received the Rancho Sotoyome land grant around near what is now Healdsburg. He and General Vallejo, his brother-in- law by marriage, began developing the area immediately, though the grant was disputed for some years to come.

2 Sonoma County Records, Grant Book A, page 85. 3 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book C, page 103. 4 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book F, page 119.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

After purchasing the parcel at the southwest corner of the Plaza in Sonoma, Josefa divided her time between San Diego, Sonoma, and Healdsburg. After her husband’s death in 1849, she spent most of her time in Healdsburg managing the estate and its complicated legal affairs. She rented out the property in Sonoma. By the time she sold the project area to Anthony Oakes in January 1859, the property was being used as an annex to the Union Hotel.5

Based on the roofline of the Leese-Fitch adobe, it appears that the building originally extended to the corner of West Napa Street and First Street West, over the site of the current project area. The northern section of the Leese-Fitch Adobe maintains its original hip, whereas the southern section has been truncated.

Aerial view of 497 1st St. West & Leese- Fitch Adobe. Note hipped roof on north end of Adobe but not south end

1860s view of Leese-Fitch Adobe. Note the original hipped roof in the upper left corner

5 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book 8, page 357.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

The land changed hands several more times through the 1860s, with Edward Wegener purchasing it on November 29, 1869. At that time, the property was still known as “the Fitch Property.” 6

Geldern’s 1875 Map of Sonoma shows the Leese-Fitch Adobe extending to the corner and being owned by “Wagoner.”

Edward Wegener (1836-1900) immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1868 and was living in Sonoma and working as a carpenter by 1870.7 In 1878 he married Julia Brand (1859-1945). Wegener operated a general store and “druggist” on the property, out of the Leese-Fitch Adobe. The Sanborn maps from 1888-1905 show a one-story, wood frame building on the site, indicating that Wegener replaced the southern half of the adobe with his store.

Upon Wegener’s death in 1900, his widow sold the property to Peter Yenni. At that time the parcel contained the entire southern half of Lot 43.8

1875 Map of Sonoma, Otto V. Geldern

6 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book 28, page 426. 7 U S Federal Census of 1870. 8 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book, 206, page 195. The description of the parcel includes ofall of modern-day parcels 14, 15, 59, and 13.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

1888 Sanborn: “Gen’l Mdse & Drugs” Jan 1891 Sanborn: Gen’l Mdse & Drugs”

Feb 1897 Sanborn: “Gen’l Mdse & Drugs” January 1905 Sanborn: “Genl S”

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

1910 view of West First Street, Ringstrom’s (current project area) and Leese-Fitch Adobe (courtesy of the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation)

Sanborn Map March 1911: “Gen’l S” Sanborn Map 1923: “Bank” Sanborn Map 1923: “Bank”

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Yenni operated the “Welcome Saloon” out of the Leese-Fitch Adobe and rented the southern building to Siguard Adolph Ringstrom (1859-1947), a Swedish immigrant.

According to Sanborn maps from 1891-1911, the building was a one-story, wood frame structure with a one-story porch across the front (east) and a brick wall across the rear (west).

City records indicate that the current structure was built in 1910, though the 1911 Sanborn Map describes a different building on the site at that time. Yenni replaced the one-story building with a two-story building between 1911 - 1912 and promptly sold the new building to Fred Bulotti in July 1912.9

At this time, Fred Bulotti (1879-1943), a contractor, was in the process of incorporating the First National Bank of Sonoma with his partner, Fred Batto, and was building a new bank building further north on First Street West (now the Batto Building). The building on the northwest corner of West Napa and First Street First was called the Bulotti Building and was a general commercial building with retail space and offices.

An early aerial photo of the area from the 1940s shows a two-story, brick building with a false parapet, flat roof and overhanging eave with exposed rafter ends. Pairs of one-over-one, double-hung windows were placed at irregular intervals across the second floor on the east and south elevations, while the first floor had banks of multi-paned windows across the east elevation and the southeast corner of the south elevation. The primary entrance was centered on the east elevation under a decorative pediment. The building was similar to the Masonic Lodge building to its north.

ca 1940s Sonoma, Photograph courtesy of the Sonoma Valley Historical Society

9 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book 301, page 17. The deed grants Bulotti the right to abut the Fitch adobe and to use the toilets on the Fitch Adobe property.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Fred and Catherine Bulotti sold the property to the newly incorporated Valley National Bank of Sonoma in January 1923.10 Bulotti served on the Bank’s Board of Director’s while Frank M. Burris, formerly with the Sonoma Valley Bank, was the institution’s president. The bank hired the Herman Safe Company of San Francisco to remodel the interior into a modern bank. 11 During construction, the bank operated temporarily out of the Masonic Building down the street.

The Mercantile Trust Company of San Francisco, which had originally filed a challenge against the formation of the Valley National Bank in early 1923, bought the Valley National Bank in June 1924. 12 In 1926, the American Trust Company merged with the Mercantile Trust Company.13

The American Trust Company appears to have had more staying power than its predecessors. However, it, too, succumbed to a Sonoma Index-Tribune, April 7, 1923 merger in 1960 when Wells Fargo bought the company.

Wells Fargo occupied the building for a few years, until it relocated to its current site at the corner of Fifth Street West and West Napa Street in the mid-1960s.14 In March 1967, Wells Fargo sold 497 First Street West to Hy-Lond Corporation. 15 The Sonoma-Index Tribune announced the sale and Hy-Lond’s intentions to occupy the first floor of the building, rent out eight offices on the second floor, and rename the building “The Plaza Building.”16

Hy-Lond promptly embarked on a total renovation of the building, inside and out. The general style was changed to “early California.” The balcony with Spanish tile roof and corbels was added, windows and doors were replaced, stucco was applied to the first-floor wall, and “old fashioned” lanterns were hung from the new balcony. The entrance was also relocated to the northeast corner of the east elevation.

August 3, 1967, Sonoma Index-Tribune

10 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book 164, page 37. 11 Sonoma Index-Tribune, June 30, 1923. This article includes great detail about the interior finishes of the original bank, as well. 12 https://www.scribd.com/document/294277122/19240630-Minutes-pdf 13 Sonoma County Records, Official Records Book 161, page 242. 14 Sonoma Index-Tribune, May 21, 1964. Wells Fargo clearing site and buying more land, preparing to issue RFP for bids. 15 Sonoma County Records, Deed Book 2258, page 791. 16 Sonoma Index-Tribune, February 16, 1967.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Hy-Lond Office, Sonoma, California 196717

Leese-Fitch Adobe with 497 First Street West in the background, 197418

17 http://heritage.sonomalibrary.org/digital/collection/p15763coll2/id/20847/rec/1 18 Sonoma Plaza National Historic Landmark (NHL) nomination, 1974

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

497 First Street West, February 1989 (courtesy of the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation)

When the Sonoma Plaza National Register Historic District was expanded in 1992, this building was identified as a non-contributor for being built outside the period of significance; the evaluators believed it was built in 1970.

The property changed hands multiple times through the 1970s, with the Deterts buying the property in 1983.19 The building had a variety of retail and commercial tenants over the years.

In 1991 a “notice to correct deficiencies” was issued to the Deterts as part of a city-wide “Review, Rehabilitation and Abatement of existing seismically unsafe buildings.” As an unreinforced masonry structure, the building had major seismic deficiencies. Over the next decade (1991-1999), the Deterts embarked on a major renovation program for the structure. The center core technique was employed and entailed drilling vertical holes through the exterior walls from the roofline down to the foundation and installing gunnite rods to reinforce the exterior, load bearing, masonry walls.

As part of this 1990s renovation, the “false mansard roof” was removed from the east and south elevations and “plaster” was removed from the brick at the second floor.20 The windows and doors were also replaced either as part of this renovation or a subsequent one. Other modifications include the application of the tiered parapet/cornice and belt course and the reapplication of stucco to the second floor. Overall, the renovations have attempted to make the building look like a California Mission Style structure, similar to nineteenth century structures found throughout Sonoma.

19 Sonoma County Records, record 1983025239. 20 Permit records.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Determination of Eligibility

The California Environmental Quality Act (PRC §21084.1) and its associated guidelines for implementation (CCR Title 14, Chapter 3, sections 15000 et seq.) defines historic resources as any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record or manuscript that, in general, meets at least one of the following four criteria:21

1. listed in the California Register of Historical Resources (PRC §5024.1 Title 14 CCR, Section 4850 et seq); 2. determined eligible for listing the California Register by the State Historic Preservation office; 3. included in a local register of historical resources (as defined in PRC §5024.1(g); OR 4. determined by the lead agency, through the presence of substantial evidence, to be historically significant because of its association with significant events, association with significant persons, architectural distinction, or potential to yield information important in history or prehistory. The building at 497 First Street West is 106 years old, lies within Sonoma’s Historic Overlay District, is not included in any surveys of historic resources, and is not included in the Sonoma Plaza National Register of Historic Places Historic District (1992). In fact, the 1992 Sonoma Plaza Boundary Increase, National Register Historic District, identifies the building as a non-contributing resource to both the NHL and NRHP districts.

Excerpt from 1992 NRHP Form (construction date not supported by research)

21 https://govt.westlaw.com/calregs/Document/IFFC7DA00D48511DEBC02831C6D6C108E?viewType=Full&transitionType=Default &contextData=(sc.Default)

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

CRITERIA

According to the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), a building, structure or object is eligible for listing in the California Register if it meets one or more of the four following criteria:22

Criteria 497 First Street West 1. Associated with events that have made a The building, and the site in general, has been a significant contribution to the broad patterns of long-term contributor to the economic growth of local or regional history or the cultural heritage Sonoma. of California or the United States. 2. Associated with the lives of persons important This building, in its original form, was associated to local, California or national history. with the American Trust Company Bank—an organization significant at the local level—for 41 years. 3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method of construction The building, in its radically modified form, is not or represents the work of a master or architecturally distinctive. possesses high artistic values. 4. Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, The area has been significantly disturbed by information important to the prehistory or repeated and intense development on the lot and history of the local area, California or the nation is not known to contain any archeological resources.

INTEGRITY ANALYSIS

Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its historic significance. It consists of seven aspects: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.23

Integrity Element 497 First Street West Conclusion

Location (“place where the The structure retains its integrity of location property was built”) INTACT as it has not been moved or relocated.

The building has been radically renovated Design (“combination of several times through the last half of the elements that create the form, plan, space, twentieth century to transform it from a COMPROMISED structure, and style” (NPS) brick faced, late-Victorian building to a Monterey or Spanish Revival building.

Setting (“physical The commercial setting remains INTACT environment”) unchanged.

The 1912 materials have been removed, covered and altered significantly over the Materials past century. The windows have been COMPROMISED relocated and resized numerous times, as have the doors. The shell of the original

22 Pub. Res. Code 5024.1, Title 14 CCR, Section 4852. 23 http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/nrb15_8.htm

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

brick wall remains behind the stucco but has been seriously impacted by numerous renovations.

Workmanship (“evidence of The workmanship of the original building is COMPROMISED labor and skill”) gone.

Feeling (“expression of the The building retains none of its early- aesthetic or historic sense of COMPROMISED twentieth century, late Victorian feeling. a particular period of time”) Association (“direct link The building no longer retains any between an important COMPROMISED association with its use as a bank. historic event or person”)

Conclusion

The building at 497 First Street West is 106 years old, lies within Sonoma’s Historic Overlay District, is not included in any surveys of historic resources, and is identified as a “non-contributing resource” to the Sonoma Plaza National Register of Historic Places Historic District (1992) and National Historic Landmark (1974). While the original building was associated with the economic growth of downtown Sonoma, and, more specifically, the American Trust Company, the building no longer retains enough physical integrity to convey any sense of those associations. At the same time, the modern exterior is not architecturally significant, and the site does not have the potential to yield significant archeological information. The property, therefore, does not qualify as an “historic resource” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

It should be noted that there is an historical plaque attached to the east façade of the building. This plaque was installed sometime in the last ten years with assistance from the Sonoma Valley Historical Society. The basis for the “historic” determination appears to be the underlying building’s former association with the Valley National Bank.

Primary documents, including local newspapers, historic maps, and county records refute the basis of that determination. The original building was built between 1911-1912 (not 1923) and looked nothing like it does today. At the same time, the Valley National Bank was associated with the structure for less than 17 months.

1912 2018

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Resources Consulted

Blumenson, John J-G. Identifying American Architecture. New York, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985.

Bowers, A.B. Map of Sonoma County, California. 1867.

Downey, Lynn. A Short History of Sonoma. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 2013.

Fraser-Munro, J. P. History of Sonoma County V2, Including its Geology, Topography, Mountains, Valleys and Streams (1879). San Francisco, CA: Alley, Brown & Co. Publishers, 1880.

Geldern, Otto V. Plan of Sonoma. 1875.

Kirker, Harold. California’s Architectural Frontier: Style and Tradition in the Nineteenth Century. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs M. Smith, Inc. 1960.

Kirker, Harold. Old Forms on a New Land: California Architecture in Perspective. Niwot, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers. 1991.

Lynch, Robert M. The Sonoma Valley Story. Sonoma, CA: The Sonoma Index-Tribune, Inc., 1997.

Mathes, Valerie Sherer and Smith, Diane Moll. Images of America: Sonoma Valley. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. 2004.

McIntire & Lewis. Official Map of the County of Sonoma, California. 1908.

Morton, W. Brown III; Hume, Gary L; Weeks, Kay D; Jandl, H. Ward. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior. 1992.

Munro-Fraser, J.P. History of Sonoma County, Including its Geology, Topography, Mountains, Valleys and Streams V1 (1879). San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co. Publishers, 1880.

Nelson, Lee H. Preservation Brief 17: Architectural Character—Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving their character. Washington, DC: National Park Service, 1988.

O’Farrell, Jasper. Map of Sonoma, 1850. New York, NY: Wm H. Ranlett & Co., 1850.

Page & Turnbull. Downtown Sonoma Historic Preservation Design Guidelines. March 2017. (http://www.sonomacity.org/getattachment/Government/Departmental-Offices/Planning/2017-03-08_Downtown-Sonoma- Historic-Preservation-Design-Guidelines_Final.pdf.aspx)

Parmelee, Robert D. Pioneer Sonoma. Sonoma, CA: The Sonoma County Historical Society, 1972.

Pinney, Thomas. A History of Wine in America: From the Beginnings to Prohibition. Berkeley, Ca: University of California Press, 1989.

The Press Democrat.

Ricksecker, L.E. and Walkup, W.B. Official Map of Sonoma County. Santa Rosa, CA: 1908.

Sonoma Index-Tribune.

“Sonoma Plaza (National Register Boundary Increase),” National Register for Historic Places Nomination, National Park Service, February 27, 1992 (https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail/5dd21f70-1f86- 4596-9243-069818090c5f?branding=NRHP).

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

“Sonoma Plaza,” National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings, August 23, 1963.24

“Sonoma Plaza (National Historic Landmark),” National Register for Historic Places Nomination, National Park Service, January 15 , 1974 (https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/87bc8c23-d315-4801-a29b- 0f255d66770e?branding=NRHP).

Sonoma Valley Historical Society. Saga of Sonoma in the Valley of the Moon. Sonoma, CA: Sonoma Valley Historical Society.

Sullivan, Charles L. Sonoma Wine and the Story of Buena Vista. Board and Bench Publishing, 2013.

Thompson, Robert A. Historical and Descriptive Sketch of Sonoma County, California. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts & Co., 1877.

Thompson, Thomas H., New Historical Atlas of Sonoma County. Oakland, California: Thos. H. Thompson & Co., 1877 (reprinted by Sonoma County Historical Society, 2003).

Online resources:

www.accessible.com hld.huntington.org/cdm/ www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu www.ancestry.com www.loc.gov www.ohp.parks.ca.gov www.archives.com www.cdnc.ucr.edu www.newspapers.com www.archives.org www.geneaologybank.com www.proquest.com www.newspaperarchives.com www.sonoma.newsbank.com/ http://heritage.sonomalibrary.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15763coll2

24 Note that this survey predates the National Register and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Appendix A: Photographs

Figure 2: East and South elevations (southeast corner) ...... 23 Figure 3: East elevation (First Street West) ...... 23 Figure 4: East elevation, second story ...... 24 Figure 5: East Elevation (first story) ...... 24 Figure 6: East elevation, doors in recessed alcove ...... 25 Figure 7: East elevation, alcove flooring...... 25 Figure 8: East elevation, plaque ...... 26 Figure 9: East elevation, overhanging eaves...... 26 Figure 10: Southeast corner, windows ...... 27 Figure 11: South elevation, corbels, porch, masonry belt ...... 27 Figure 12: South elevation, window detail ...... 28 Figure 13: South elevation, single pedestrian door ...... 28 Figure 14: South elevation, doors at west end ...... 29 Figure 15: Northwest corner roof line, viewed from parking lot in middle of block...... 29 Figure 16: North elevation, back side of pediment over east elevation...... 30 Figure 17: North elevation roofline, viewed from parking lot in middle of block ...... 30 Figure 18: Setting, Leese-Fitch Adobe to north of project area ...... 31 Figure 19: Setting, looking north on First Street West ...... 31 Figure 20: Setting, looking south on First Street West towards "The Feed Store" ...... 32 Figure 21: Setting, looking west on West Napa Street ...... 32 Figure 22: Setting, looking east on West Napa Street ...... 33 Figure 23: Setting, neighbor to the west ...... 33

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 1: East and South elevations (southeast corner)

Figure 2: East elevation (First Street West)

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 3: East elevation, second story

Figure 4: East Elevation (first story)

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 5: East elevation, doors in recessed alcove

Figure 6: East elevation, alcove flooring

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 7: East elevation, plaque

Figure 8: East elevation, overhanging eaves

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 9: Southeast corner, windows

Figure 10: South elevation, corbels, porch, masonry belt

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 11: South elevation, window detail

Figure 12: South elevation, single pedestrian door

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 13: South elevation, doors at west end

Figure 14: Northwest corner roof line, viewed from parking lot in middle of block

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 15: North elevation, back side of pediment over east elevation

Figure 16: North elevation roofline, viewed from parking lot in middle of block

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 17: Setting, Leese-Fitch Adobe to north of project area

Figure 18: Setting, looking north on First Street West

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 19: Setting, looking south on First Street West towards "The Feed Store"

Figure 20: Setting, looking west on West Napa Street

497 First Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476 Historic Resource Evaluation

Figure 21: Setting, looking east on West Napa Street

Figure 22: Setting, neighbor to the west