9-B Attachment C 1413 MICHIGAN AVENUE SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA HISTORIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT Prepared for: Harding Larmore Kutcher & Kozal, LLP Prepared by: Kathryn McGee April 23, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction and Executive Summary ............................................................... 1 II. Consultant Qualifications .................................................................................. 3 III. Regulatory Setting ............................................................................................. 4 National Register ........................................................................................ 4 California Register ...................................................................................... 5 CEQA .......................................................................................................... 5 City of Santa Monica .................................................................................. 6 IV. Description and History ..................................................................................... 7 Physical Description ................................................................................... 7 History of Construction and Alterations ..................................................... 8 History of Ownership and Tenants ............................................................. 9 V. Historic Contexts ............................................................................................... 10 Japanese Americans in Santa Monica ......................................................... 10 Japanese Gardens ........................................................................................ 16 Mid-Century Modern Architecture ............................................................. 17 VI. Significance ....................................................................................................... 19 City of Santa Monica .................................................................................. 19 Integrity ....................................................................................................... 21 Period of Significance ................................................................................. 22 Character-Defining Features ....................................................................... 23 VII. Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 24 VIII. Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 25 Appendix A: Tables Attachments Attachment A: Current Maps and Aerials Attachment B: Historic Maps and Aerials Attachment C: Contemporary Photographs of Subject Property Attachment D: Historic Photographs 1413 MICHIGAN AVENUE, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA I. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report describes historic significance and character-defining features of the property located at 1413 Michigan Avenue in the City of Santa Monica, California (Assessor Parcel Number 4283-013-024, hereinafter referred to as “subject property”). The subject property contains one building constructed in 1957 as a social hall and apartment dwelling for a Japanese American social organization known as Nikkei Jin Kai or Santa Monica Nikkei Hall. The building was expanded with an addition in 1969, used by the organization through the 2000s, and sold to the current owner in 2017. The subject property is not listed in the Los Angeles County Historic Property Data File (HPDF), nor is it included in the City of Santa Monica’s Historic Resources Inventory.1 The current owner is proposing a project that involves redevelopment of the subject property and recently submitted a demolition permit application. In response, on February 12, 2018, the City of Santa Monica Landmarks Commission voted to consider landmark designation. A report subsequently prepared by the City’s consultant, Historic Resources Group (HRG), identified the property as eligible for local designation under the City of Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance, significant for its “long association with Santa Monica’s Japanese community.”2 The HRG report provides a period of significance beginning with construction in 1957 and ending with sale to the current owner in 2017. This report provides a second comprehensive evaluation, confirming HRG’s finding of significance for association with the local Japanese community, and incorporating an in depth analysis of the appropriate period of significance and corresponding character defining-features. This report specifically identifies significance for association with the Japanese community in Santa Monica during the post World War II resettlement period, with a period of significance ending in 1979, by which time use of the building had decreased substantially. Thus, a more limited period of significance is recommended. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, people of Japanese ancestry (Nikkei) were forcibly removed from their homes across the United States and incarcerated in internment camps. After the war ended in 1945, the Nikkei faced the problem of finding housing and jobs, and reintegrating into society. The subject property was developed in 1957, during the resettlement period, providing a central gathering place and support services for local Nikkei in the Santa Monica area. Existing scholarship provides the resettlement period is generally considered to have come to a close by 1965, by which time the immediate problems of housing and employment had largely been solved, and younger generations of Japanese Americans had become increasingly Americanized. After this time, it appears the Nikkei no longer had a strong center in Santa Monica, as the community had become fluid with that of larger, more significant nearby areas, such as in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West Los Angeles. Nevertheless, the social hall was expanded in 1969, suggesting increased attendance immediately prior to that date and potentially continued importance of the organization in the local community. Based on information from a former member, the building was actively used into the 1970s, but attendance decreased steadily thereafter and the subject property stopped being as important to the Nikkei. There is little available information on how the building was used in its later years. The organization is no longer active. The Ireito monument at Santa Monica Woodlawn Cemetery, erected in 1959, has risen to prominence as a more important physical marker of the local Nikkei population, continuing to serve as an annual gathering place for Japanese Americans on Memorial Day. Thus, the subject property appears to have played its most significant role in the history of Japanese Americans in Santa Monica during and immediately following the resettlement period. A list of character-defining features from the period of significance is included. 1 City of Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory, https://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD/Historic-Resources-Inventory/, accessed March 25, 2018. 2 Christine Lazzaretto and Molly Iker-Johnson, Historic Resources Group, Memo re: 1413 Michigan Avenue, Historic Resource Assessment, submitted to Steve Mizokami, Senior Planner, City of Santa Monica, January 30, 2018: 11. 1 1413 MICHIGAN AVENUE, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA This report is supported by exhibits, including current and historic maps and photographs, building permits, and other relevant documentation. 2 1413 MICHIGAN AVENUE, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA II. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS This report was prepared by Kathryn McGee and Jenna Snow, both of whom visited and photographed the site on March 15, 2018. Kathryn McGee Ms. McGee is an architectural historian and historic preservation planner based in Los Angeles. She has over nine years of experience in the field of historic preservation consulting and launched an independent practice in 2015. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in architectural history from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of California, Irvine. She has also completed the Summer Program in Historic Preservation at the University of Southern California and is a LEED Accredited Professional with specialty in Neighborhood Development. Her consulting work entails writing reports for purposes of environmental and local project review; preparation of historic resource assessments and surveys; preparation of technical reports for General Plan Updates; evaluation of properties seeking or complying with Mills Act Contracts; and consultation on adaptive reuse and federal Investment Tax Credit projects. Jenna Snow In January 2015, Jenna Snow launched an independent historic preservation consulting practice with offices in Los Angeles. With over fifteen years of professional experience, Ms. Snow has a strong and broad understanding of best historic preservation practice, including federal, state, and local regulations. She has worked on a wide range of projects on both the east and west coasts, as well as internationally. Ms. Snow holds a M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a B.A. in Fine Arts focusing on architectural history from Brandeis University. She meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards in Architectural History. Throughout her career, Ms. Snow has authored, co-authored, and/or served as project manager