City Landmark Assessment Report, Palisades Park
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City Landmark Assessment Report Palisades Park West Side of 100-1500 Blocks, Ocean Avenue Santa Monica, California March 2007 City Landmark Assessment Report Palisades Park West Side of 100-1500 Blocks, Ocean Avenue Santa Monica, California Prepared for: City of Santa Monica Planning Division Prepared by: Margarita J. Wuellner, Ph.D. and Sonali Gupta- Agarwal, M.A. PCR Services Corporation 233 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 130 Santa Monica, California March 2007 Table of Contents Page BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 1 Environmental Setting ................................................................................................................ 1 Regulatory Setting ...................................................................................................................... 1 Alterations................................................................................................................................... 1 Research and Survey Methodology ............................................................................................ 2 Site Description......................................................................................................................... 10 Longitudinal Elements.............................................................................................................. 10 Area-specific Elements ............................................................................................................. 12 Individual Features.................................................................................................................... 13 Landscape Plantings.................................................................................................................. 24 STATEMENT OF ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.................................................... 26 STATEMENT OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE................................................................ 27 Santa Monica ............................................................................................................................ 27 Palisades Tract .......................................................................................................................... 27 Ocean Avenue........................................................................................................................... 28 Parks.......................................................................................................................................... 28 Community Design Features..................................................................................................... 29 Person(s) of Historical Importance ........................................................................................... 29 Subject Property Artists ............................................................................................................ 30 Subject Property Architects ...................................................................................................... 31 Statement of Other Significance ............................................................................................... 32 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 33 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................... 36 List of Figures Page Figure 1. Regional and Location Map ........................................................................................... 4 Figure 2. Existing Conditions and Survey Area ............................................................................ 5 Figure 3. Colorado Avenue to Santa Monica Boulevard............................................................... 6 Figure 4. Arizona Avenue to California Avenue........................................................................... 7 Figure 5. Washington Avenue to Palisades Avenue...................................................................... 8 Figure 6. Alta Avenue to Adelaide Drive ...................................................................................... 9 Palisades Park City Landmark Assessment Report page i List of Plates Page Plate 1. Canon 1 near Colorado Avenue, view to southwest....................................................... 39 Plate 2. General view showing concrete fence, sidewalk, and typical lamppost and Senior Recreation Center, near Broadway Avenue, view to north. ........................................... 39 Plate 3. Shuffle Board Courts, near Broadway Avenue, view to northwest................................ 39 Plate 4. Senior Recreation Center, near Broadway Avenue, view to west. ................................. 39 Plate 5. Camera Obscura, near Broadway Avenue, view to southwest. ...................................... 40 Plate 6. Chapin Stone Marker, near Broadway Avenue, view to east. ........................................ 40 Plate 7. Cannon 2 and Visitor Center, between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway Avenue, view to northeast............................................................................................... 40 Plate 8. Tree of Friendship and Sister Cities Monument, near Santa Monica Boulevard, view to northeast...................................................................................................................... 40 Plate 9. Will Rogers Plaque (now missing) and Women’s Club Plaque, near Santa Monica Boulevard, view to west.................................................................................................. 41 Plate 10. Veterans Memorial, between Arizona Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, view to southwest. ................................................................................................................. 41 Plate 11. Statue of Saint Monica, at Wilshire Boulevard, view to west. ..................................... 41 Plate 12. Plaque dedicated to John W. Grimes, at Wilshire Boulevard, view to west................. 41 Plate 13. Jones Memorial Seat and succulent gardens, between California Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard, view to northwest. ....................................................................... 42 Plate 14. Cabrillo Monument, near California Avenue, view to northeast.................................. 42 Plate 15. Hastings Garden, Hastings Monument, and Grace Heintz Plaque, near California Avenue, view to southwest. .......................................................................................... 42 Plate 16. United Nations Marker and Beacon, near California Avenue, view to northwest. ...... 42 Plate 17. Redwood Pergola, between Washington and Idaho Avenue, view to northwest. ........ 43 Plate 18. Idaho Gates and circular green, at Idaho Avenue, view to east.................................... 43 Plate 19. “Genesis” sculpture and Rose Garden, near Palisades Avenue, view to southwest..... 43 Plate 20. Bust of Arcadia Bandini de Baker and City Rose Garden, at Palisades Avenue, view to east. .................................................................................................................. 43 Plate 21. Picnic Bench Area 1, between Alta and Palisades Avenues, view to northeast. .......... 44 Plate 22. Washington Memorial, near Alta Avenue, view to east. .............................................. 44 Plate 23. Millennium Wall and view, at San Vicente Avenue, view to south............................. 44 Plate 24. Picnic Bench Area 2 and Inspiration Point, between San Vicente Avenue and Adelaide Drive, view to northeast. ............................................................................... 45 Plate 25. Totem Pole and Inspiration Point, near Adelaide Drive, view to west......................... 45 Palisades Park City Landmark Assessment Report page ii BACKGROUND INFORMATION Environmental Setting The subject property, Palisades Park (the Park), is located within the city of Santa Monica (Figure 1). The Park is located on the west side of Ocean Avenue, extending one and a half miles from Colorado Boulevard on the south to Adelaide Drive and Santa Monica Canyon on the north (Figure 2). Ocean Avenue separates the Park from the luxury condominiums and hotels that border the oceanfront boulevard. The Park sits along the edge of the bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica’s Gold Coast. It stretches over 14 blocks with only one break, which is at the California Incline.1 It is about 26.41 acres with 66 feet of elevation change (high point at north end 146 feet, low point at south end 80 feet) and includes over 30 species of trees and other shrubs, cacti and succulents. Within its boundaries are many monuments and historic points of interest. Regulatory Setting Palisades Park (the Park) was included in previous surveys beginning in 1985-86 but to date has never been the subject of a comprehensive inventory. The 1985-1986 Historic Resource Inventory (HRI) included Palisades Park under Community Design Features which contribute to the Santa Monica environment. Palisades Park was considered a place in which diverse elements of the surrounding environment, such as the vertical palisades, the Pacific Ocean, the distant Santa Monica Mountains, could be enjoyed. Palisades Park was given an evaluation code of 5* in the HRI inventory.2 This category is for properties that appear to be eligible for local designation. Palisades Park