TO: Chair and Members of the Design Review Committee
THRU: Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director
FROM: Marissa Moshier, Historic Preservation Planner
1. Subject
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Design Review No. 5022-21, Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen, 204 W. Chapman Avenue
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2. Summary
recommendation
Preliminary review by the Design Review Committee.
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The applicant proposes to rehabilitate a historic commercial building for a new restaurant including an outdoor patio in the Old Towne Historic District.
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3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Applicant: Brad Finefrock, Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen
Owner: The Ricci Family Revocable Trust dated 2/11/06
Property Location: 204 W. Chapman Avenue
General Plan Designation: Old Towne Mixed Use 24
Zoning Classification: Old Towne Mixed Use 24 (Santa Fe Depot Specific Plan)
Existing Development: A 6,576 square foot one-story historic commercial building, constructed c. 1916
Associated Application: Minor Site Plan Review No. 1034-21. The property also has a Mills Act Contract approved in 2016.
Previous DRC Project Review: None
4. project description
Major project components include:
• Converting the four existing fixed storefront windows on the Chapman Avenue elevation and one on the Olive Street elevation to operable inward-swing awning windows, while maintaining the original transoms above.
• Removing the non-original strorefront windows and infilled areas on Olive Street and replacing them with multi-fold four-lite windows.
• Removing the existing recessed entry and replacing it with an ADA-compliant entry with a new front door and sidelight.
• Removing one window on the rear elevation and replacing it with a metal garage door.
• Converting the 3,710 square foot open space at the rear of the property to outdoor dining, including construction of a trellis shade structure.
• Removing the texture coating on the stucco and replacing it with a compatible cement plaster finish.
• Installing new parapet bracing with throughbolts on three building elevations.
5. EXISTING SITE
The site is developed with a one-story commercial building constructed circa 1916. The building is clad in a rough-textured stucco, which appears to have been added on top of an older sand finish plaster. The Chapman Avenue north façade consists four fixed, wood storefront windows with hopper-style transoms above and a recessed entrance. The Olive Street east elevation consists of four similar wood storefronts with fixed transoms at the north end of the building. What appear to be three infilled window openings and a roll-up garage door are located to the south. The rear of the building has wood windows in poor condition and a wood sliding door opening into a large open space. The south end of the property contains an easement providing access to the rear of the adjacent property.
Inside the building, the roof is supported by glulam beams, likely installed in the mid-20th century. Some remnants of the older truss system are located at the south end of the building. The building currently shares an interior door passage with the adjacent building to the west. This opening will be enclosed as part of the restaurant rehabilitation.
Based on historic photographs of the property, the three storefront windows to the south on Olive Street appear to be recent additions to the building (See Attachment 3 Historic Photographs). The window closest to the Olive/Chapman intersection appears to be original; however, during the historic period, the windows farther south on Olive Street appear to have been wood four-lite windows with a high sill, likely matching the existing windows on the rear of the building. The windows that have been infilled on the Olive Street elevation also likely match the rear windows, as a ghost of the original opening is visible in the existing stucco.
Additional information on the property is provided by the applicant in Attachment 6 Design Review Memorandum.
6. EXISTING AREA CONTEXT
The intersection of Chapman Avenue and Olive Street is a major gateway into the historic Plaza and serves a mix of users throughout the day, including pedestrians, bicyclists, passenger vehicles, delivery trucks, and buses. Surrounding properties contain a mix of commercial uses on the ground floor with offices or residential units above. Surrounding zoning is Old Towne Mixed Use-15 or -24.
7. analysis and statement of the issues
The applicant and staff request that the DRC provide comments on the following issues and any additional issues that may affect the project’s conformance with the Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne.
Issue 1: Window Design
The applicant proposes changes to the existing storefront windows to facilitate operability and to achieve an indoor-outdoor atmosphere in the restaurant. On Chapman Avenue and at the first window closest to the corner on Olive Street, the hopper sashes of the transom windows will be maintained and repaired, while the window frame and lower fixed storefront window will be removed and replaced with a single awning-style window hinged at the top and swinging in to the restaurant. On the rest of the Olive Street elevation, the windows will replaced and/or reopened with new four-lite folding windows with a higher sill.
The four-lite window pattern is similar to the windows that appear to have been on the Olive Street elevation prior to 1980, although the windows in the historic photographs had higher sills than the windows in the proposed design. The applicant requests to use windows with lower sills to increase the openness of the indoor restaurant space.
At the rear elevation, two existing four-lite wood windows and a wood sliding door will be maintained. The applicant is requesting to remove one window on the rear elevation and replace it with a metal garage-style door.
The entrance to the building will be removed and the recessed area increased to provide an ADA-compliant landing at the front door. Based on information provided in Attachment 6 Design Review Memorandum, the entry location and materials do not appear to be original to the building. The applicant is proposing a wood slab door with a fixed sidelight at the new entry. The existing transom above will be maintained.
Issue 2: Outdoor Dining Area and Landscaping
The applicant is proposing a design for the outdoor dining area with a free-standing metal shade structure, wood fencing on Olive Street and at the easement to the south, and concrete and decomposed granite for the floor surface. Landscaped areas include a planter at the sidewalk on Olive Street and planter pots and olive trees in the outdoor dining area. The rear of the property also includes enclosures for trash and a transformer.
Issue 3: Other Exterior Modifications
The applicant proposes to remove the rough-textured stucco on the exterior walls and replace it with a compatible cement plaster, as shown on the Color and Materials Board. The applicant’s structural team has indicated that the building parapet should be braced as part of the project. The applicant is proposing a series of 3 by 3 inch plates with throughbolts on three building elevations. The plates will be visible on top of the new cement plaster.
8. ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
The City’s interdepartmental staff review committee (SMART) reviewed the project on January 27, 2021 and May 5, 2021 and recommended approval of the project to the DRC.
9. PUBLIC NOTICE
No public notice is required for this Design Review application.
10. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines 15303 (Class 3 - New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) and 15331 (Class 31 - Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation). The project consists of the conversion of an existing commercial building to a restaurant, consistent with the property’s General Plan designations and zoning. The building to be converted totals less than 10,000 square feet, and the property is located in an urbanized area where all necessary public services and facilities are available. The historic building will be rehabilitated in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SOI Standards) and the Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne. There is no environmental public review required for a Categorical Exemption.
11. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUIRED FINDINGS
The following Findings and statements in support of such Findings will be required for approval of the project and are provided for reference as part of this preliminary review.
• In the Old Towne Historic District, the proposed work conforms to the prescriptive standards and design criteria referenced and/or recommended by the DRC or other reviewing body for the project (OMC 17.10.070.G.1).
• In any National Register Historic District, the proposed work complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and guidelines (OMC 17.10.07.G.2).
• The project design upholds community aesthetics through the use of an internally consistent, integrated design theme and is consistent with all adopted specific plans, applicable design standards, and their required findings (OMC 17.10.07.G.3).
12. CONDITIONS
The approval of this project will be subject to recommended conditions at the time of the DRC’s final review and approval.
13. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 Vicinity Map
• Attachment 2 Letter of Explanation
• Attachment 3 Historic Photographs
• Attachment 4 Historic Resource Survey Form
• Attachment 5 Mills Act Contract for 204 W. Chapman Avenue
• Attachment 6 Design Review Memorandum
• Attachment 7 Project Plans
• Attachment 8 Color and Materials Board