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2008 06 19 HPCI Historic Preservation Commission Agendas are now available on the City's Web Page @ www.la-quinta.orq HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION AGENDA The Regular Meeting to be held in the Study Session Room at the La Quinta City Hall, 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, California JUNE 19, 2008 3:00 P.M. Beginning Minute Motion 2008-003 CALL TO ORDER A. Pledge of Allegiance B. Roll Call II. PUBLIC COMMENT This is the time set aside for citizens to address the Historic Preservation Commission on matters relating to historic resources within the City of La Quinta which are not Agenda items. When addressing the Historic Preservation Commission, please state your name and address and when discussing matters pertaining to prehistoric sites, do not disclose the exact location of the site(s) for their protection. III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA Iv. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of the Minutes for May 15, 2008. Historic Preservation Commission Agenda V. BUSINESS ITEMS A. City Historic Context Statement Review Applicant: City of La Quinta Consultant: City Staff Location: City-wide VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL A. Attendance Update VII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS A. Memo regarding Selection of Officers VIII. ADJOURNMENT DECLARATION OF POSTING I, Carolyn Walker, Executive Secretary of the City of La Quinta, do hereby declare that the foregoing agenda for the La Quinta Historic Preservation Commission meeting of Thursday, June 19, 2008, was posted on the outside entry to the Council Chamber, 78-495 Calle Tampico, and the bulletin board at the La Quinta Cove Post Office, on Friday, June 13, 2008. DATED: June 13, 2008 ezll* 44& CAROLYN WALKER, Executive Secretary City of La Quinta, California PAReports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\AGENDA.doc MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING A Regular meeting held in the Study Session Room at the La Quinta City Hall 78-495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA May 15, 2008 This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order by Commissioner Puente at 3:02 p.m. who asked for the roll call. CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call. Present: Commissioners Puente, Redmon, Sharp, Wright, and Chairman Wilbur Absent: None Staff Present: Planning Manager David Sawyer, Principal Planner Stan Sawa, Associate Planner Jay Wuu, and Secretary Monika Radeva. II. PUBLIC COMMENT: None III. CONFIRMATION OF THE AGENDA. Confirmed IV. CONSENT CALENDAR..: A. It was moved and seconded by Commissioners Redmon/Sharp to approve the minutes of April 17, 2008, as submitted. Unanimously approved. V. BUSINESS ITEMS: A. Archaeological Testing and Evaluation Report Of Site CA-RIV-8835 (33- 16950) Applicant: Sobel Enterprises (Brad Sobel) Archaeological Consultant: CRM TECH (Michael Hogan, Principal) Location: Northeast Corner of Highway 111 and Dune Palms Road. Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning Department. P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\HPCMIN May 15, 2008_Drafl.doc Historic Preservation Commission May 15, 2008 Applicant Brad Sobel and Consultant Michael Hobel were introduced. Commissioner Redmon referred to the Management Summary section of the Interim Cultural Resources Report: "the final evaluation of the site cannot be fully determined without the results of the laboratory analyses of the artifacts and ecofacts recovered..." and asked how long the results of the analyses would take because based on the staff report the results were immediately connected to the issuance of the first building permit. Consultant Michael Hogan replied CRM TECH would be completing the analysis this week and would begin working on the final report, which would be completed within a month or less. Principal Planner Stan Sawa stated the Planning Department was currently processing the application and would be heady to present it to the Planning Commission and City Council no sooner than a month. Commissioner Sharp asked if the age of the recovered cremation had been determined. Mr. Hogan stated that the cremation found on the site was not intact. In fact it had been previously disturbed and the remains had been scattered. Commissioner Wright asked if ttie tribe had been notified that a cremation had been found. Staff said the tribe had been informed. Mr. Hogan specified the tribe had a monitor on -site while his team was removing the remains. Commissioner Wright asked if the consultant was recommending additional testing on the site. Mr. Hogan replied he would not recommend any more testing. Commissioner Wright commented on the valuable expertise Mr. Hogan has in this area and stated he would be in favor of moving forward with the project with monitoring as recommended by staff. Commissioner Puente asked if the remains were found on the surface or if they were buried. Mr. Hogan replied the remains were found mostly on the surface within the first 20 centimeters. Commissioner Puente asked for clarification on the type of remains found. Mr. Hogan clarified that it was a cremation pit with a possible turtle shell artifact used as a rattle. P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\HPCMIN May 15, 2008_Drafr.doc 2 Historic Preservation Commission May 15, 2008 Commissioner Puente asked if the recovered artifacts would be located at the new museum or somewhere else in Riverside. Staff replied the artifacts, other than any human remains, would be curated at the La Quinta museum. There being no further comments it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/Redmon to approve Minute Motion 2008-002 accepting the interim Archaeological Testing and Evaluation Report of Site CA- RIV-8835 (33-16950) as submitted. Unanimously approved. B. City Historic Context Statement Review Applicant: City of La Quinta Consultant: City Staff Location: City-wide Principal Planner Stan Sawa presented the information contained in the staff report, a copy of which is on file in the Planning Department. Commissioner Puente inquired about the schedule of completion for the Historic Context Statement. Staff replied that the schedule would be followed as closely as possible and the City Historic Context Statement Review would be presented to the Commission for review and approval in parts based on its structure. The first part of the review was the Introduction and Prehistory and Early Settlement. The Resort Industry and Village and Cove Development contexts would follow. VI. CORRESPONDENCE AND WRITTEN MATERIAL: None VII. COMMISSIONER ITEMS: Commissioner Wright mentioned that the Commission always goes dark one month during the summer, but it hasn't been determined yet, which month. Planning Manager David Sawyer stated the City Council would be dark the second meeting in August. Commissioner Wright said he would be out of town during the month of July. Planning Manager David Sawyer talked about the new regulations adopted by City Council regarding Commission attendance, which allowed only two absences per fiscal year. A third absence would automatically remove a Commissioner from his/her Commission position by order of the City Ordinance 446. He mentioned a memo was being drafted for all the Commissions as a reminder of the ordnance. Commissioner Wright commented these regulations were in line with those adopted by other Commissions he has been on. He suggested an attendance update be included in the monthly packets to help keep track of absences. P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\HPCMIN May 15, 2008_Draft.doc 3 Historic Preservation Commission May 15, 2008 Discussion the summer schedule followed. It was unanimously decided to go dark the month of July. Commissioner Puente inquired about the scheduled meeting dates for June and August. Staff replied the dates were June 19`h and August 21' Commissioner Puente stated she would not be attending the meeting in June because she would be out of the country, but she would be back for the meeting in August. There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Redmon/Sharp to adjourn this Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission to the next Regular Meeting to be held on. June 19, 2008. This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was adjourned at 2:23 p.m. It was moved and seconded by Commissioner Redmon/Wright to rescind the motion to adjourn as the Commission failed to discuss the Historic Preservation Conference in Napa. Commissioner Redmon commented on the classes and workshops offered, which she found to be very interesting and resourceful. Planning Manager Sawyer stated for the record Chairman Wilbur had arrived at the meeting. Commissioner Wright said he found the Conference to be very helpful as well. He mentioned that the Conference next year would be in Palm Springs, which would eliminate any travel expenses and would allow them to attend a lot more workshops. Commissioner Wright added that one of the most important events during these conferences is the final networking event, which the Commission is normally not a part of. He would like to ask Council for permission to attend that final event next year as that would be the perfect place to try to promote the historical district in the Cove and get some excellent ideas as to what would be the best way to approach that. Commissioner Wright mentioned that he and Commissioner Redmon had spoken with Cindy Heitzman, Executive Director of the California Preservation Foundation, at the Conference. She plans to visit the Coachella Valley in a few weeks and they plan to give her a tour of the historic places in La Quinta. He said he had spoken to a lot of people who showed interest in the La Quinta Resort and the Traditions development. P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\HPCMIN May 15, 2008_Draft.doc 4 Historic Preservation Commission May 15, 2008 Commissioner Redmon said the people she spoke to were aware of the historic public buildings in Palm Springs, but knew nothing of the historic significance of the rest of the Coachella Valley. Commissioner Wright commented on the Grand Opening of the new La Quinta Museum scheduled for Saturday, May 24`" from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. and emphasized the importance of the Commissioners' attendance. VIII. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved and seconded by Commissioners Wright/Puente to adjourn this Meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission to the next Regular Meeting to be held on June 19, 2008. This meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was adjourned at 3:35 p.m. Unanimously approved. Submitted by: Monika Radeva Secretary P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\HPCMIN May 15, 2008 Draft.doc 5 BI #A HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION STAFF REPORT DATE: JUNE 19, 2008 ITEM: CITY HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT REVIEW BACKGROUND: On May 18, 2008 the HPC reviewed the first part of the City Historic Context Statement consisting of the introduction and Context 1, which pertains to the City's prehistory and early settlement. Staff has revised Context 2 of the City Historic Context pertaining to the City's resort industry and its influence on the City's development. The Commission should review the attached and determine its acceptability. Context 3 and the results and conclusions will follow at a future meeting. RECOMMENDATION: Determine acceptability of Context 2. Attachment: 1. City Historic Context Statement - Context 2. Prepared by: Stan Sawa, Principal Planner P:\stan\hpc\hpc rpt context #2.doc ATTACHMENT #1 3. CONTEXT 2: RESORT INDUSTRY 3.1 INTRODUCTION "Every year the mecca of thousands seeking the sunshine, beauty and dry, health -giving climate of the desert, La Quinta has earned an international reputation as America's foremost desert resort community. The quote above is the opening statement in a brochure titled "Presenting La Quinta published in 1943, by the Palm Springs Land and Irrigation Company. This brochure was reprinted by the La Quinta Historical Society in 1991. Pat Young wrote in a description of the history of the Cove Communities, "that the communities each had a beginning in agriculture, mostly dates and grapefruit. To varying degrees they were recognizable communities in the 1920's, but their real flowering in the resort mold began after World War II" (Press -Enterprise, February 24, 1982:B-2). The resort industry wrestled with the existing agricultural influences. Since the late 1800's, people have been coming to the desert area for the healthful benefits. Some of the first settlers and homesteaders were among those seeking a drier climate for respiratory and arthritic ailments. While the healthful benefits of the desert were capitalized upon, the charm and beauty of the desert environment became apparent to those seeking a new place for recreation and quiet refuge. Since the late 1920's movie starts, celebrities, and the wealthy have been coming to La Quinta for these reasons. 3.1.1 Definition of Context Theme This Resort Industry context theme was identified and included in this document because of the important role the resort aspect had on the development of La Quinta. In the late 1920's and early 1930's the resort aspect is what drew people to La Quinta, some of which became permanent or seasonal residents of the area. The public fascination with movie stars and celebrities resulted in the lure to La Quinta and the marketing of the area. The resort aspect of La Quinta continues today and is one of the dominant "industries" of the community. 3 1 2 Significance Criteria for Properties The significance criteria for the resort context within La Quinta is primarily dependent upon the criteria for cultural resources in Section 15064.5 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines as outlined in the Section 2.1.2 of this document. all The La Quinta Hotel appears to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (Mellon and Associates 1997). 3.2 LA QUINTA HOTEL (NOW LA QUINTA RESORT AND CLUB The 1951 Palm Springs Yearbook states, the little community of La Quinta ... was, strangely enough, a product of the First World War. In a front line trench, thick with mud, two young officers huddled against the rain and bitter cold and made a pact, resolving that if they lived through the war, they would return to the United States and seek the driest, warmest, most enjoyable climate they could find and settle down." These two young men were Fred Ickes and Walter Morgan. Prior to settling on the site that is now the La Quinta Hotel, Ickes and Morgan spent one year investigating the area and talking to people about where the best suited land would be. They narrowed their selection of a site based upon the "abundance of water reasonably close to the surface for irrigation, minimum wind, warmest winter climate, and the highest percentage of clear blue sky." After purchasing the property they had two wells drilled, one a 350 foot well that produced over two million gallons of water per day for irrigation, and the other well, a shallower one for domestic purposes that produced over 250,000 gallons per day (Anonymous 1951). The La Quinta Hotel was the first resort hotel in La Quinta, constructed in 1926, by Walter H. Morgan. It is located at 49499 Eisenhower Drive. Morgan was the youngest son of wealthy John S. Morgan, owner of the Morgan Oyster Company, in San Francisco. The younger Morgan came to the desert in 1921 for health reasons. He fell in love with the area and wanted to build a small, secluded retreat. Morgan purchased 1,400 acres in the name of Desert Development Company, in the lower La Quinta cove area, in order to build his retreat hotel. Part of this land was originally part of a railroad land grant and the other part was a portion of a State Grant Patent (BLM Historical Indices). The land that Morgan purchased is said to have been named "Happy Hollow" by the Cahuilla Indians who lived in the area. Only a portion of the land was developed with the Hotel (Coachella Valley Submarine, February 4, 1927). Six cottages were constructed as well as a dining room, and office building. Through time, the Hotel has grown from the original six adobe cottages to a resort of 796 rooms, villas and suites. Morgan made the Hotel a "social must" by inviting Hollywood celebrities, politicians, and society members to come for a visit. 41 A nine -hole golf course designed by Norman Beth was also constructed on the property in 1927. It was the first golf course in the Coachella Valley, and the greens fee was just $1 . A horse stable was also located behind the Hotel, to the west. Horses were provided for trail rides and boarding facilities were available. The Hotel had the area's only telephone service in 1926 (Press -Enterprise, Feb. 3, 1982: B-4). There is some speculation that Morgan might have selected La Quinta to build his resort in response to the anti-Jewish atmosphere present in Palm Springs at that time. Particular subdivisions in Palm Springs had clauses in property deeds that prohibited people of the Jewish faith from owning property. In the late 1920's and 30's Jack Benny attracted many people to the desert with his references to CU-CA-MONGA and Palm Springs. Palm Springs developed in response to the visitors with some of the overflow reaching La Quinta (Cooper n.d.)• During the first year of operation, 1927, a Southern Pacific train became marooned in Indio because of severe flooding. Charles Taft, son of former Presidential William H. Taft, was a passenger on that train. He discovered La Quinta when he and the other passengers were invited by the Hotel to stay as guests until the train could continue on. Morgan established the first post office in La Quinta, with himself appointed as the Postmaster on November 22, 1930 (Record of Appointments of Postmasters). The post office operated until June 30, 1943, and most likely closed when the Hotel closed because of World War Il. Until 1948, all mail went to the Indio Post Office with no delivery to La Quinta. On May 1, 1948, the post office was re-established as a winter post office. It is not known where the post office was located, but was most likely at the Hotel. Until 1970, postmasters were political appointees. A list of postmasters and their dates of appointment is found in P.0 In the Spring of 1942, the Hotel closed for the duration of World War II because gasoline and automobile tire rationing prevented travel to the desert. During the war years, the United States Army requisitioned the property. Troops were not officially stationed at the Hotel; however, Government signs were posted at the entrance forbidding unauthorized entry. It is said that both Army Tank and Army Air Corps Divisions used the Hotel grounds and surrounding areas. Members of General George Patton's staff are said to have used some of the Hotel's facilities (La Quinta Hotel, n.d.). During this time, the cottages were locked, the pool drained, and the landscaping died. After the war, interest in the Hotel was renewed as pre-war lifestyles resumed. The La Quinta Hotel resumed being a favorite vacation spot for the Hollywood stars and celebrities who came for the cuisine, privacy, and 42 pampering service provided by the hotel staff. The Hotel provided the opportunity to escape the paparazzi and fast -paced life style of Hollywood. Today the Hotel has 796 rooms, 41 pools, 53 heated spas, seven restaurants, a variety of shops, and five (two on site) golf courses. A ballroom, Las Flores Ballroom, with subterranean parking garage was constructed in 1996 to cater to large groups. In 1997, a new spa and fitness building and attached resort units was approved and constructed. The original landscaping around the Hotel comprises a cultural landscape that was documented by Mellon and Associates. 3.2.1 Architect and Architecture Morgan hired, then unknown Pasadena architect, Gordon Kaufmann in 1925 to design the future resort. Kaufmann later became famous for his architectural designs and received numerous accolades and awards. The first of these awards was the Certificate of Honor, in 1930, from the American Institute of Architects "in appreciation of the merit on design and execution of work in the building of La Quinta." Kaufmann designed the main buildings, the lobby areas, the open and glassed -in dining rooms, the six guest cottages, and the grounds. He also designed the furniture and lights while supervising all of the construction, including the firing of the bricks done on the Hotel premises. Kaufmann developed a project, which drew on regional and Spanish influences evolving into a style now known as Spanish Revival. The design incorporated elements, which would become Kaufmann's "signature details" including "loggias, arches, chimneys, pots of multitudinal forms, armadas for dining and private patios enclosed by walls" (Mellon & Associates 1997, after Muntz, 1992, p. 31). Additional information about the distinguished career of Gordon Kaufmann is highlighted in the "La Quinta Hotel Historic Resource Evaluation," prepared by Mellon & Associates, September 1997, on file at the City of La Quinta. The La Quinta Hotel is said to be an "exquisite example of Spanish Colonial architecture" (Britton, May 3, 1996). The architectural features of the Spanish Colonial style (1565-1840) include red tile roofs, adobe or stucco exterior finish, walled gardens, decorative iron work, and arcaded porches. The La Quinta Hotel is tiled from roof to floor and with pillared breeze ways that connect it to the original dining room. The buildings feature archways, clay tile roofs, thick walls, after the California Mission architectural style. The Mission Revival architectural style features hand -troweled smooth finished stucco walls, arches, arcades, courtyards, tile roofs, windows and doors may be recessed and framed with rough-hewn wood. 43 The high ceiling lobby is decorated with a series of sketches by noted Mexican artist Diego Rivera. The sketches were covered over during a redecorating effort some years ago, but were discovered by an employee during the 1989 renovation (Britton 1996). The Hotel was designed around three courtyards that are still present today: the Hotel entry, the service area to the northwest of the Lobby, and the interior ovals in the middle of the guest cottages. The first 20 cottages were built in two concentric ovals around the interior courtyard and were named alphabetically for saints: San Anselmo, San Benito, San Carlos, San Dimas, San Jacinto, San Lucas, San Marcos, San Nicolas, San Onofre, San Pedro, San Quintin, San Rafael, San Sebastian, San Timoteo, and Santa Ursula. The first swimming pool was built in 1937 (La Quinta Hotel: n.d.). The landscaping and grounds around the Hotel were important in Morgan's vision for his resort. The siting of the buildings in relationship to each other and natural features of the environment were carefully considered. Landscape architect Edward Huntsman -Trout was hired to design the grounds and residential landscape areas of the Hotel. Huntsman -Trout is noted for the many gardens he designed throughout Southern California from the 1920's to the early 1970's, and his development of a "California Style" landscape. Additional details of Huntsman-Trout's career are discussed in the "La Quinta Hotel Historic Resources Evaluation," prepared by Mellon and Associates in 1997. The original landscape design of the Hotel's formal entry, drive, and garage court have been reconfigured. However, the design of the residential grounds around the casitas remains remarkably intact. The design of the grounds and the placement of the casitas around the walkways are formal and symmetrical in plan. A pair of walkways lead south from the hotel building and intersect with a cross axis which runs east -west. The pair of walkways leading south, amble out as they cross the axis. An elongated oval garden walkway is centered in each of the garden courts. Four casitas are arranged around each oval. Parallel east -west walkways are situated to the north and south of the main cross axis. Twelve other historic casitas are located around these walkways (Mellon & Associates 1997). 3.2.2 Owners There have been several changes of ownership of the La Quinta Hotel. The original owner was Walter H. Morgan who owner the property until 1931. Morgan died in April of 1931 as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. He had a tubercular condition and it is speculated that he took his own life because of his poor health and the decline of his family's finances due to the Depression. Morgan was cremated and his ashes spread over the date garden and flower gardens. As a result, the hotel closed its doors after the fifth season in financial turmoil (La Quinta Hotel n.d.). In 1931, Frederick Clift of San Francisco's Clift Hotel leased the La Quinta Hotel (Young, n.d.). The courts appointed B. J. Bradner, an attorney and hotel investor, as the owner following Morgan's death. Bradner owned the hotel until 1945, after the Second World War (Fred Rice: Personal Communication: 1996; La Quinta Hotel n.d.). The land around the Hotel was purchased in 1932 by Harry Kiener, a promoter of Big Bear Land and Water Company, hoping to create a private club. Under Bradner, the Hotel experienced resurgence in the late 1930's. Kaufmann was again commissioned and an extensive program of improvements ... chief among which was the installation of the new swimming pool" was undertaken (El Heraldo de La Quinta, December 1938). For three months in 1945, Arnold S. Kirkeby, a Chicago hotelier, owned the property. From 1945 to 1950, John Balaban was the owner. Balaban was part of Balaban and Katz, large Midwest theater owners. Barney Balaban, John's brother, was head of Paramount Studios (Fred Rice: Personal Communication: 1996). Through the promotion by Balaam's brother, Barney, Hollywood's top stars were seen at the Hotel. From 1955 or '56 to 1977, Leonard Ettleson owned the La Quinta Hotel. Ettleson sold the property in 1977 to Landmark Land Company, Inc. Ernie Vossler and John Walser were both vice-presidents of the company. In 1984 CRI Inc., from Rockville, Maryland purchased the property. In 1995, the property was purchased by KSL Recreation Corporation. (Fred Rice: Personal Communication: 1996). They owned it until 2004 when CNL Hospitality Properties purchased it along with several other KSL owned resorts. In 2007, CNL was purchased by Morgan Stanley's real estate arm. 3.2.3. Construction The total construction cost of the original Hotel is estimated to have been $150,000. The construction progress was publicized in a local newspaper, the Coachella Valley Submarine. In an article in the November 19, 1926 edition, it was stated that the Hotel was obviously a unique and prestigious undertaking for the Coachella Valley." The superintendent of work was Crane Bruner. Carpentry work was supervised by C. N. Sinclair, a contractor from Indio; plumbing by L. P. Pratt; electrical by Ralph Alden; and the sewer system by Thomas E. Allen. Porch furniture was also made in hotel shops (California Arts and Architecture 1930). EV The heating system was designed as a large concrete tunnel, which carried heat to the cottages from one giant heating plant. The dining room was described as a very imposing structure, with walls three feet thick and a high ceiling. About 100 guests could be accommodated in the dining room. The roof and floor tiles were fired in a kiln made for that purpose. The roofing the was a pink sand tint while the floor tile was somewhat redder than the average house brick. The site of the original kiln is on the Golf Club Mountain Course. Here, Mexican -American laborers hand made more than 100,000 adobe bricks, 60,000 roof tiles, and 5,000 floor tiles. Joe Valenzuela Roofing, a local company, was hired to manufacture the bricks and tiles (Rudy Valenzuela: Personal Communication, 1996). Clay from the Green/Marshall lakebed was used to make the roof and floor tiles for the Hotel (Rice n.d.). The construction of the Hotel provided a boon of employment opportunities to the Valley. Over 80 men were employed in the construction of an additional 14 cottages during the second year of operation, brining the total units available to twenty (Coachella Valley Submarine August 19, 1927). The interior designer for the resort was Charles Ray Glass of Pasadena's Cheesewright Studio. The craftsmanship and quality of building materials along with excellence of architectural design and attention to detail resulted in an award -winning project which was published in numerous magazines and prestigious architectural journals (Mellon and Associates 1997). 3 2.4 Marketing Though Morgan was opposed to advertising, he had a special talent for publicity and public relations. Through his family's connections, he knew the right people in the business and social worlds. He made La Quinta Hotel a social "must" by carefully inviting Hollywood celebrities. The Hotel had a feature the early movie stars were looking for — privacy. Those who frequented the Hotel included Marie Dressler, Greta Garbo, Delores del Rio, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, William Powell, Joan Crawford, Joe McCrea, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Clark Gable, Richard Widmark, Robert Montgomery, Charles Boyer, Erroll Flynn, Frank Capra, and Ronald Coleman. Business moguls such as the DuPonts, the Gianninis and the Vanderbilts also vacationed at the Hotel (La Quinta Hotel n.d.). Frank Capra ultimately came to live at the Hotel until his death in 1991. Local advertising took the form of newspaper articles in the Coachella Valley Submarine and The Date Palm newspapers, in 1927, about construction progress on the Hotel and its grand opening. In addition, a brochure titled, 46 'La Quinta' was published by the Hotel shortly after its construction. This brochure was reprinted by the La Quinta Historical Society in 1991. Several black and white photographs of the hotel buildings, interiors, and area around the Hotel are included in this brochure. Word of mouth advertising and written endorsements by former guests of the Hotel was common. In 1938, Cornelious Vanderbilt, Jr. wrote, "If it's far from the maddening crowd you want to be, there's no better place to be than at the exclusive La Quinta Hotel." 3.3 LA QU/NTA COUNTRY CLUB When Leonard Ettleson and a group of investors purchased the La Quinta Hotel in 1958, he discovered that it was not going to be a money-maker. That he would need to develop the surrounding property in order to make a return on his investment. He and his partners planned and gained approval on the La Quinta Country Club Estates subdivision, which created estate - sized lots surrounding a golf course. The Club was planned as a private golf club with members from around the country. Membership was and is by invitation only. The Articles of Incorporation for the La Quinta Country Club were filed with Riverside County Clerk on March 12, 1959. 3.3.1 Architect and Architecture The architect for the clubhouse was Jack White, from Sherman Oaks (Moore: Personal Communication)• No other information is known about Mr. White or the design process of the clubhouse. The original club house was a large mobile home that had been used at another local country club on a temporary basis. It became known as the "Shack." A new clubhouse was built in 1966. It was described as the "jewel of the desert." The building was Mediterranean architectural style with tall, carved doors featuring wrought iron handmade in Mexico, and stucco wood frame multi pane glass windows. Interior ceilings were 20 feet with wooden beams. It suffered significant foundation and structural damage in an earthquake in 2005 and has been demolished. A new larger Mediterranean style clubhouse designed by Lee & Sakahara Architects has been approved and is under construction. The designers and builders of the golf course were Frank Hughes and brother, Lawrence Hughes, prominent golf course professionals of the time. 47 3.3.2 Owners In 1958, Leonard Ettleson, John Elsbach, Col. Courtney Turner, Billy Friedman, and Roy Crummer purchased property across the street, to the east, from the La Quinta Hotel. There they developed the La Quinta Country Club on 130 acres, in 1959. The Club was later sold to the Club members. 3.3.3. Construction Custom home sites were created by the subdivision. The Homeowners' Association for the La Quinta Country Club reviews custom home designs prior to issuance of a building permit. As a result, the homes built in the Golf Estates are custom designed and constructed homes with variety in architectural styles. A few vacant lots still exist within the subdivision. The building of homes in the Estates has been a gradual, but continual process since the subdivision was created. The Estates were walled in with a masonry block wall along Eisenhower Drive in 1986. An entry gate was constructed at Coachella Drive and Eisenhower Drive at the same time. The general building contractor for the wall and gate project was Golf Estates resident, William R. Mouriquand. In 2004, the Planning Commission approved an extensive remodel of the guard gate entry on Coachella Drive off Eisenhower Drive. The project, designed by Moses Troche, A.I.A., was constructed in 2005. 3.3.4 Marketing Marketing of the La Quinta Country Club was aggressive in the early years of its development. Mrs. Laurene Hollander would take advantage of guest days at other clubs to casually promote the La Quinta Country Club. The first big promotion of the Club was when President Eisenhower flew down to dedicate the Club on October 23, 1960. In November of 1963, the first taped for television golf tournament was sponsored by CBS, and called the CBS Match Play Classic. This event did much for the marketing of the Club and resulted in a large increase in Club membership. In 1967, the first Bob Hope Desert Classic was hosted at the Country Club. The live television coverage of the Classic brought world fame to La Quinta. The golf course is one of the courses played during the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament. The course is said to have been a favorite of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and that Eisenhower's brother, Edgar, maintained a home there for many years. A monument commemorating President Eisenhower's dedication of the Country Club was erected on the golf course. m 3 4 Properties and Their Significance Within Context 2 The City-wide survey identified several resources that are categorized under the Resort Industry Context. The first theme under the Resort Industry context is the La Quinta Hotel. The Hotel was built in 1926-27 for Walter Morgan and designed by renowned Southern California architect Gordon Kaufmann. The Hotel complex included the main hotel and individual guest bungalows known as casitas arranged around a landscape designed by the preeminent pioneer landscape architect, Edward Huntsman -Trout. The Hotel casitas and grounds appear eligible for the NRHP as a district. The Hotel structures fall under the "'I 920's Spanish Colonial Revival" property type. Three other resources on the La Quinta Hotel grounds appear eligible for the NRHP. They are the Walter Morgan House and Cyrus Pierce House (both designed by Gordon Kaufmann) and La Sala. All three structures can be categorized under the "1920's Spanish Colonial Revival" Property Type (Mellon and Associates 1997). ME CORRESPONDENCE WRITTEN MATERIAL Historic Preservation Commission Attendance Tracking December 2007 _ Maw 2nnR Maria Puente Peggy Redmon Archie Sharp Allan Wilbur Robert Wright 12/6/2007 Present Present Present Present Present 12/20/2007 No Meeting No Meeting No Meetinq No Meetinq No Meeting 1/17/2008 Present Present A46ser+t_ Present Present 2/21/2008 No Meetin No Meeting No Meeting No Meeting No Meeting 3/20/2008 Present Present Present Present Present 4/17/2008 5/15/2008 1 Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present CI #A HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FROM: LES JOHNSON, PLANNING DIRECTOR VIA: DAVID SAWYER, PLANNING MANAGER SUBJECT: SELECTION OF OFFICERS DATE: JUNE 19, 2008 Staff has researched the Municipal Code regarding selection of Commission Officers. The appropriate excerpt of the Code (Section 2.06.030) reads as follows: "Unless otherwise provided by law, ordinance or resolution of the City Council, each board, commission or committee of the city shall annually at its first meeting held after June 30"...choose one of its number as chairperson and one as vice chairperson..." The selection of officers will be scheduled for your August 21' meeting since the Commission will be dark during the month of July. Attachment: La Quinta Municipal Code Section 2.06.030 P:\Reports - HPC\2008\6-19-08\Chair-Vice-Chair Memo.doc ATTACHMENT 1 La Quinta Municipal Code Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL Chacter 2.06 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES 2.06.030 Chairrerson, vice -chairperson —Selection and terms. Unless otherwise provided by law, ordinance or resolution of the city council, each board, commission or committee of the city shall annually at its first meeting held after June 30th, except for committees who shall at their first meeting, choose one of its number as chairperson and one as vice chairperson. Each chairperson and vice chairperson shall have authority and perform such duties as are commonly associated with their respective titles, or as may be specially prescribed by law or by the bylaws or other rules of the board, commission or committee. Vacancies in either such position occurring prior to July 1st for boards and commissions, and anytime for committees, may be filled as in the first instance, and a new chairperson or vice chairperson may be chosen at any time by majority vote of all members of the board, commission or committee. (Ord. 237 § 2 (part), 1993) http://gcode.us/codes/laquinta/view.php?topic=2-2_06-2_06_030&frames=on 6/12/2008