L ANDMARKS P RESERVATION C OMMISSION M e m o r a n d u m FOR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 Shattuck Avenue Historic Context and Survey I. Background A link to a draft of the final Shattuck Avenue Historic Context and Survey (Project), completed by historical consultant Archives and Architecture LLC, is available online: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Planning_and_Development/Home/Landmarks_Preservation_ Commission.aspx The 2007 Downtown Berkeley Reconnaissance Survey, completed by historical consultant Architectural Resource Group in collaboration with Planning staff and a subcommittee, provided a foundation for survey work in the Downtown and became a technical appendix to the Downtown Area Plan (DAP) EIR. While the Reconnaissance Survey developed preliminary historic contexts, and property assessments in matrix form, no determinations of individual significance were made. Preliminary findings, however, included recommendations for intensive survey efforts, particularly to gain an understanding of potential historic districts. The reconnaissance survey findings noted that “It should be noted that it is unlikely that the entire Downtown Area Plan boundaries would be considered a single historic district. Instead, several sub-areas of Downtown may qualify as historic districts.” This recommendation became: DAP Policy HD-2.2: Historic Subareas of the Downtown Area Plan. Through completion of a specific historic context statement and intensive-level property evaluations, the Project specifically addresses this Policy by analyzing the potential for a Shattuck Avenue commercial corridor historic district within the DAP; consistent with National Register and State Office of Historic Preservation bulletins for guidance on professional survey practices. The Project is not a historic district nomination, rather lays the groundwork for a discussion regarding nomination options in a later phase. The City Council will be informed of the final Project findings and future options, which the Commission will consider recommending following the Project. The Landmarks Commission AdHoc Survey Subcommittee (Subcommittee) is focused on maintaining, expanding, and updating the inventory of historic and cultural resources in the City in conformance with General and Specific Plan policies. The Subcommittee identified the Project as a priority. Together with historic preservation planning staff, the subcommittee has reviewed the Certified Local Government (CLG) grant application and request for proposals; 2120 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7410 TDD: 510.981.7474 Fax: 510.981.7420 E-mail: [email protected] SHATTUCK CONTEXT AND SURVEY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 2 of 5 September 3, 2015 the proposed finalists and scope of work; and worked with the historical consultant in a series of public meetings throughout the Project. Following comments by the AdHoc Survey Subcommittee, Landmarks Commission, and public the historical consultant revised the Draft Survey report for review by the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in August. The Project report will be sent to the California Office of Historic Preservation in fulfillment of the CLG grant obligations by the end of September 2015. Copies of the report will also be provided to local archives and repositories. II. Analysis Historic Context. As the Commission is aware, historic contexts are the patterns and trends in history by which specific properties are understood and their meaning (and significance) within history or prehistory is made clear (National Register Bulletin 15 http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/nrb15_7.htm ). Where the reconnaissance survey began the development of multiple historic contexts within the Downtown Plan Area, the Project refined the historic context for the Shattuck Avenue commercial corridor. In the case of Shattuck Avenue, a record of the built environment is tied to the historic patterns of rail transportation development along the corridor and connected to the University of California. The beginning of the period of significance for a potential historic district is therefore 1895, the construction date of the oldest building along the corridor; while the end of the period is 1958, the date of the discontinued use of commuter trains along the corridor. The proposed Shattuck Avenue Downtown Historic District meets National Register Criterion A and California Register Criterion 1. The aggregate of the contributing properties within the district boundaries represents the historic commercial development of Downtown Berkeley in a clear and concise way, and the district itself possesses integrity of location, design, setting, feeling, and association with the evolution of the community of Berkeley. The commercial architecture that contributes to this historic setting is integral to the continued sense of place that marks Berkeley’s downtown. There is a clear sense that the contributing buildings represent a distinguishable physical entity of architectural character within greater Berkeley, and therefore the proposed Shattuck Avenue Downtown Historic District meets National Register Criterion C and California Register Criterion 3. Property Evaluations. Intensive level archival property research and field survey work was conducted by walking through the study area and photographing and recording property and descriptive information for each of approximately 98 buildings. Each property within the proposed district boundaries was recorded on California Department of Parks and Recreation 523 forms, either as Primary Records only, Update forms, or full DPR523A and B recordings that included new evaluations or re-evaluations for significance (Appendix B). The DPR523 forms are publicly available online and are evolutionary in nature, as they are technical documents that can be appended as new or different information is generated over time. The Table of Properties (Appendix C) documents that 71 of the properties were found to fall within the boundaries of the potential historic district, of which 53 are considered contributors to the historic significance of the district, and 18 non-contributors. An additional 27 properties were LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 3 of 5 individually surveyed, including those along the north side of University Avenue west of Shattuck Avenue and on the side streets of Durant Avenue, Bancroft Way, Allston Way, and Center Street. The Subcommittee discussed the evaluation of individual and contributing properties for their architectural significance. Although significance can relate to larger community themes, architectural significance is identified when a building distinctly represents a particular style, building type or historic material, and, therefore, illustrates through its appearance alone the artistic and practical values of the community. Individually, architecturally significant buildings and structures represent excellent composition, proportions, detailing, and materials, and often are a reflection of their original designers’ body of work as the “work of a master.” In a historic district, the individual architectural significance of a building may be less critical than how its design works as a piece of a larger design context. Repetition of elements, density of building footprints, patterns of the development of blocks and streetscapes work in concert, lifting the significance of one building due to its association with the larger grouping. Boundaries. Selection of proposed boundaries is a professional judgment based on the individual property evaluations of significance, integrity, and physical setting, which begins during the field and archival research portion of the survey to take into account all the factors that should be considered (Defining Boundaries for National Register Properties Bulletin http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/boundaries/bound1.htm ). When significance had been evaluated, the boundaries were reassessed to ensure appropriate correspondence between the factors that contribute to the significance and the physical extent of the potential district. It is important for a district to read as a place, populated by a concentration of architecture associated with historic development patterns. For that reason, the extent to which noncontributing resources, such as buildings altered or constructed outside of the period of significance, should be included rather than excluded and defined as part of a potential but separate district is weighed. The proposed district boundaries are illustrated in Figure 1 below. As the Subcommittee discussed the proposed boundaries in depth over the course of their meetings, two areas were of particular interest: The first area is on the north side of University Avenue west of Shattuck Avenue (outlined in blue), not included in the original study area but recommended by the Subcommittee and as such included in the field survey. At the August meeting, one member proposed the Subcommittee recommend accepting the proposed boundaries with the caveat that more information be provided for the inclusion of this area within the proposed district boundaries. As noted in the context statement, this area, like that on the south side of University Avenue between the same cross streets, relates more to the larger context of University Avenue representative of the gateway corridor to the University and Downtown from the west. However, because of the close proximity to the Shattuck Avenue corridor of the five historic