DEPARTMfNT OF EXECUTIVE OFFICES CITY PLANNING CITY OF LOS ANGELL "; S. GAIL GOLDBERG, AICP OFFICE OF HISTORIC RESOURCES CALIFORNIA 200 N. SPRING STRHT, ROOM 620 DIRF.CTOR LOS ANGr:US, CA 90012-4801 (213) 978-1271 (213)978-1200 VINCENT P. BERTONI, A!CP DEPUTY DIRECTOR CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION (213) 978-1272 RICHARD BARRON JANE BlUMf:Nff:lO PR(SII)!'NT 1\CTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR ROELLA H. LOU!( (213) 978-1272 VICE-PRESIDENT EVA YUAN-MCDANIEL GUN C. DAKE DEPUTY DIRfCTOR CAlL KENNARD (213) 978-1273 OZ SCOTT ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA MAYOR FAX: (213) 978·1275 FELY C. PJNGOL IN FORMA T!ON COMMISSION EXfCUTIVC ASSISTANT (213) 978-1294 (213) 978-1270 www.planning.ladty.org Date I~PR 0 ll 2010 Los Angeles City Council Room 395, City Hall 200 North Spring Street Los Angeles, California 90012 ATTENTION: Patrice Lattimore, Legislative Assistant Planning and Land Use Management Committee CASE NUMBER: CHC-201 0-80-HCM BARSHA HOUSE 302 N. MESA ROAD At the Cultural Heritage Commission meeting of April 1, 2010, the Commission moved to include the above property in the list of Historic-Cultural Monument, subject to adoption by the City Council. As required under the provisions of Section 22.171.10 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code, the Commission has solicited opinions and information from the office of the Council District in which the site is located and from any Department or Bureau of the city whose operations may be affected by the designation of such site as a Historic-Cultural Monument. Such designation in and of itself has no fiscal impact. Future applications for permits may cause minimal administrative costs. The City Council, according to the guidelines set forth in Section 22.171 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code, shall act on the proposed inclusion to the list within 90 days of the Council or Commission action, whichever first occurs. By resolution, the Council may extend the period for good cause for an additional 15 days. The Cultural Heritage Commission would appreciate your inclusion of the subject modification to the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments upon adoption by the City Council. The above Cultural Heritage Commission action was taken by the following vote: Moved: Commissioner Barron Seconded: Commissioner Scott Ayes: Commissioner Louie Absent: Commissioners Dake and Kennard Vote: 3-0 Flt~Commission Executive Assistant Cultural Heritage Commission Attachment: Staff Report with Findings c: Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, Eleventh Council District & Vanessa Withers PLANNING LAND USE MANAGEMENT !) () 9 ~()\ll 1\P" : ·~· ", .- ..... ·.. :·., =··· . =· ~ •. DEI'ARTM ENT Of El(ECUTIVE OFFICES CITY PLANNING CITY OF Los ANGELES S, GAIL GOLDBERG, 1\ICP OfFICE Of HISTORIC RESOURCES CALIFORNIA 200 N. SPRING 5TRE£T, ROOM 620 DiRECTOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90012-4601 m ll 976-1271 1213)978-1200 \llNC£NT P. BERTONI, AICP DEPliTY DIRECTOR CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION (213) 978-1272 RICHARD BARRON )ANE BLUMENFELD PRESIDENT "CliNG DE~UTY DIRECTO~ ROELLA H. lOUIE 1213) 978-1272 VICE-PRESIDEI>Il EVA YUAN-MCDANIEL CLENCDAKE DEPUTY OIRl'CTOR GAIL KENNARD (213) 978-1273 OZSCOTT ANTONIO R. VILLARAIGOSA VACANT MAYOR FAX: 12131 976-1275 INFORMATION FEL V C, PINGOL COMMISSION E~ICU'liVE ASSISTJV>I'I (2131 976-1270 (21 J) 976-12~4 www.planninglacity.org Date APR 0 8 2010 Scott Lander 414 S. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036 CERTJFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED CASE NUMBER: C HC-201 0-80-HCM BARSHA HOUSE 302 N. MESA ROAD As you will note from the attached copy of our communication to the Los Angeles City Councll, the .1 Cultural Heritage Commission has moved to include the above-referenced property in the list of Historic­ ·j Cultural monuments, subject to adoption by the City Council. 1 J .! In due course, our transmittal will be given a council file number and will be referred to the Council's I Planning and Land Use Management Committee for review and recommendation. If you are interested in l attending the Council Committee meeting, you should call Patrice Lattimore at (213) 978-1074 for ; ~ information as to the time and place of the Committee and City Council meetings regarding this matter. Please give Ms. Lattimore at least one week from the date of this letter to schedule this item on the Committee Agenda before you call her. C. · gol, Commission Executive Assistant Cultural Heritage Commission Attachment: CHC Declaration Letter to Council, Staff Report with Findings, and Additional Finding C: Notification List GIS ' .J .I Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION CASE NO.: CHC-201 0-80-HCM ENV-2010-81-CE HEARING DATE: April 1, 2010 Location: 302 N. Mesa Road TIME: 10:00 AM Council District 11 PLACE: City Hall, Room 1010 Community Plan Area: Brentwood-Pacific 200 N. Spring Street Palisades Los Angeles, CA Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles 90012 Neighborhood Council: None Legal Description: Lot FR 389 ofTR 1719 PROJECT: Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the BARSHA HOUSE REQUEST: Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument APPLICANT/ Scott Lander OWNER: 414 S. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90036 APPLICANT'S Vanessa Withers REPRESENATIVE: 419 Concord Ave. Monrovia, CA 91016 RECOMMENDATION That the Cultural Heritage Commission: 1. Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument per 'Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section 22.171.7 2. Adopt the report findings. Ken Bernstein, AICP, Manager Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Office of Historic Resources Attachments: November 28, 2009 Historic-Cultural Monument Application ZIMAS Report 302 N. Mesa Rd. CHC-201 0-80-HCM Page 2 of4 FINDINGS 1. The building "embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction" as an example of International Style residential architecture. 2. The building is associated with a master builder, designer, or architect, as a work by master architect Richard J. Neutra. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which 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 age. SUMMARY Built in 1938 and located in the Santa Monica Canyon area of Pacific Palisades, this one-story single-family residence exhibits character-defining features of International Style architecture. The proposed Barsha House historic monument has a low horizontal profile with an asymmetrical fayade and slanted roof. A gradual, unelaborated row of steps leads to the residence's west entrance while an attached garage is accessed from the east. The front fayade has a partial-width porch with roof overhang and horizontal metal railing. Clad in smooth . stucco with unadorned wall expanses, the subject building's exterior is characterized by horizontal ribbons of steel casement windows lacking decorative detailing or trim. The T­ shaped plan includes a central living room and wings of one-room depth. The western wing is comprised of two main bedrooms and a bathroom and the eastern portion of the floor plan includes a kitchen and maid's quarters with a bathroom. Significant interior features of the house include an intact floor plan with a linear circulation pattern, bathroom fixtures, and extensive custom designed built-in furniture. The subject building was designed by master architect Richard J. Neutra (1892-1970) with P. Pfisterer listed as a collaborator. Neutra, an internationally recognized architect, is recognized for his significant contributions to the advancement of the Modern architecture in Los Angeles. Born in Vienna in 1892, Neutra received his architectural education in Europe under the guidance of Adolf Leos and worked for Erich Mendelsohn in Berlin before immigrating to the United States in 1923. After working briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin, in 1925, Neutra moved to Los Angeles where he collaborated with Rudolf Schindler on numerous projects including the Lovell Beach House (1926). He subsequently developed his own practice and went on to design numerous buildings embodying the International Style, twelve of which are designated as Historic Cultural Monuments (HCM), including the Lovell Heath House (HCM #123; 1929) and the Richard and Dian VOL Research House (HCM #640; 1966). At the time of the Barsha residence commission in the 1930s, Neutra's international reputation had already been recognized. The Barsha House appears to be a significant and important record of 302 N. Mesa Rd. CHC-201 0-80-HCM Page 3 of4 Neutra's work during the late 1930s and shares many of the design details used in his other buildings of the period. The proposed monument was constructed in 1938 for film producer and director, Leon Barsha. The building is not on its original site. It was moved from 4859 Westpark in North Hollywood