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IV. Environmental Impact Analysis D. Historic Resources

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IV. Environmental Impact Analysis D. Historic Resources IV. Environmental Impact Analysis D. Historic Resources This section addresses the potential impacts the Proposed Project may have on historic resources. The following analysis is based on information contained in the Century Plaza Hotel, Historic Resource Evaluation and Project Analysis, prepared by Architectural Resources Group, Inc., July 30, 2010 (the “Historic Report”). This report is included in its entirety as Appendix IV.D-1 to this Draft EIR. The conclusions of the Historic Report were confirmed by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission at its meeting on September 16, 2010. The written determination of the action of the Cultural Heritage Commission is included in Appendix IV.D-2 to this Draft EIR. 1. Environmental Setting a. Regulatory Framework Generally, a lead agency must consider a property a historic resource under CEQA if it is eligible for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources (“California Register”).1 A property is also presumed to be historically significant if it is listed in a local register of historic resources or has been identified as historically significant in a historic resources survey (provided certain criteria and requirements are satisfied) unless a preponderance of evidence demonstrates that the property is not historically or culturally significant. The California Register and the City’s Cultural Heritage Ordinance are discussed below. (1) California Register of Historical Resources The California Register is the authoritative guide to the State’s significant historical and archeological resources. It serves to identify, evaluate, register and protect California's historical resources. The California Register program encourages public recognition and 1 The California Register criteria are based on the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places (“National Register”). Therefore, guidance developed for the National Register is relevant to assessment of eligibility for the California Register. City of Los Angeles Century Plaza Mixed Use Development SCH No. 2009061084 July 2011 Page IV.D-1 WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV.D Historic Resources protection of resources of architectural, historical, archeological and cultural significance, identifies historical resources for state and local planning purposes, determines eligibility for historic preservation grant funding and affords certain protections under CEQA. State historic preservation programs also include the California Landmarks program that recognizes sites and structures of state-wide significance, and Points of Historical Interest which recognize sites and structures of local or county-wide significance. Resources are nominated for listing on the California Register through an application to, and public hearing process with, the California State Historical Resources Commission. The California Register automatically includes the following: California properties listed on the National Register and those formally determined eligible for the National Register; California Registered Historical Landmarks from No. 0770 onward; and Points of Historical Interest that have been evaluated by OHP and the State Historic Resources Commission. In addition, properties designated under local ordinances or which have been identified as historically significant in a historic resources survey may also be eligible for listing on the California Register. Listing in the California Register does not prohibit demolition or alteration of the resource, but requires CEQA review for discretionary projects that have the potential to impact the historic resource. To be eligible for the California Register, a historical resource must be significant at the local, state, or national level under one or more of the following criteria: 1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local of regional history, or the cultural heritage of California or the United States; or 2. It is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history; or 3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method or construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or 4. It has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important regarding the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation. City of Los Angeles Century Plaza Mixed Use Development SCH No. 2009061084 July 2011 Page IV.D-2 WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV.D Historic Resources In addition, a resource must retain integrity in order to convey its significance. An assessment of integrity is based on the following seven aspects: (1) location, (2) design, (3) feeling, (4) association, (5) setting, (6) workmanship, and (7) materials. To retain historic integrity a property will always possess several, and usually most, of these aspects of integrity. The retention of specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its significance. A resource which no longer reflects historic significance as a result of damage or alterations is not eligible for the California Register.2 Additionally, a resource must retain its historic integrity from its “period of significance.” California Register guidelines define period of significance as “the date or span of time within which significant events transpired, or significant individuals made their important contributions.”3 In the case of resources significant in terms of their architecture and design, the period of significance for evaluation of integrity is typically the date of construction. Regarding resources that are less than fifty years old, the California Code of Regulations provides that: “in order to understand the historic importance of a resource, sufficient time must have passed to obtain a scholarly perspective on the events or individuals associated with the resource. A resource less than fifty (50) years old may be considered for listing in the California Register if it can be demonstrated that sufficient time has passed to understand its historical importance.”4 (2) City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Ordinance The Los Angeles City Council adopted the Cultural Heritage Ordinance in 1962, and amended in 1985 and 2007.5 The Ordinance created the City’s Cultural Heritage Commission and established criteria for designating City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments (“HCM”). The City’s Cultural Heritage Commission is comprised of five citizens, appointed by the Mayor, who have exhibited knowledge of Los Angeles history, culture and architecture. The Los Angeles City Council designates City of Los Angeles HCMs on the recommendation of the City’s Cultural Heritage Commission. 2 See National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (“Bulletin #15”). As noted above the California Register criteria are based on National Register criteria. Therefore, published guidance for the National Register is relevant in assessing eligibility for the California Register. Under the California Register rules, a resource may not retain sufficient integrity to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register, but may still be eligible for the California Register if it has sufficient integrity to potentially yield significant scientific or historical information on specific data. California Register and National Register: A Comparison. 3 California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance Services #3, page 3. 4 California Code of Regulations Section 4852(d)(2). 5 Section 22.171 et. seq. of the Administrative Code. City of Los Angeles Century Plaza Mixed Use Development SCH No. 2009061084 July 2011 Page IV.D-3 WORKING DRAFT - Not for Public Review IV.D Historic Resources The City of Los Angeles HCM designation is reserved for those resources that have a special aesthetic, architectural, or engineering interest or value of a historic nature. The Cultural Heritage Ordinance establishes the criteria for designation as a City of Los Angeles HCM. As set forth in Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 22.171.7, any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon), building, or structure of particular historical or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites which meet the following criteria may be designated a City of Los Angeles HCM: Broad cultural, political, economic, or social history of the nation, state, or community is reflected or exemplified; or Identified with historic personages or with important events in national, state, or local history; or Embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period, style, or method of construction; or A notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age. A proposed resource may be eligible for designation as a City of Los Angeles HCM if it meets at least one of the above criteria. Unlike the California Register, the City’s Cultural Heritage Ordinance makes no mention of concepts such as physical integrity or Period of Significance. Moreover, properties do not have to reach a minimum age requirement, such as 50 years, to be designated as a City of Los Angeles HCM. b. Existing Conditions (1) Historical Background (a) Century City Master Plan and Site Development The area which is currently known as Century City started out as a backlot for the Fox Studio Corporation, and
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