project: st. josephs modular - (pln2013-00175) location

HARB STAFF REPORT

MAY 2, 2013

Project: ST. JOSEPHS MODULAR - (PLN2013-00175)

Proposal: To consider a historical architectural review to demolish a Quonset hut and

install a 2,160 square foot modular building and minor site improvements to

be used for a kindergarten classroom.

Recommendation: Approve, based on findings and subject to conditions

Location: 43222 Mission Boulevard in the Mission San Jose Planning Area

APN 513-0401-020-09

(See aerial photo next page)

Area: 2,160 square foot proposed building on a 2.55-acre lot

People: Janice Cooper, Applicant

Erin Steele, Agent of Applicant

Roman Catholic Welfare Corporation of Oakland, Property Owner

Spencer Shafsky, Staff Planner (510) 494-44452; [email protected]

Environmental Review: This project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15303, New Construction or

Conversion of Small Structures.

General Plan: Commercial-Town Center, Residential-Hillside

Zoning: Planned District P-2001-34 (HOD)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The applicant is requesting approval of demolition of a 1940’s era Quonset hut that was moved to and

rebuilt on the site in ca. 1957, and replace it with a 2,160 square foot modular building to be used as a

kindergarten classroom. Associated site improvements, including ADA parking and an improved access

road, are also part of the scope of proposed work. The use of the site as an education facility is to be

considered as a subsequent Zoning Administrator Permit per the requirements of the existing Planned

District. Staff recommends that the Historical Architectural Review Board approve the project based on

the compatibility of the proposed project with its surroundings. (Informational 1)

mailto:[email protected]

Item 1. St. Joseph School - ss PLN2013-00175

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Figure 1: Aerial Photo (2006) of Project Site and Surrounding Area.

SURROUNDING LAND USES:

North: Vacant future St. Joseph’s Church site, Single Family Residential, R-1-20 (HOD) (H-I)

South: Parking lot and garden of the Dominican Sisters, Planned District P-2001-34 (HOD)

East: Various properties owned by the Dominican Sisters, Planned District P-2001-034(HOD)

West: St. Joseph School, Mission Boulevard and various Commercial Buildings, Community

Commercial (C-C)

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Project Site


May 2, 2013 of 8

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS:

The project site is located in the Historic Overlay District of Mission San Jose and is within Planned

District P-2001-00034 (HOD), which also contains the Dominican Sisters Mission San Jose, Queen of

the Holy Rosary College and surrounding single-family residential developments. The proposed location

is on a partially developed site adjacent to St. Joseph’s School. The site contains a large storage shed

built in the 1960’s and several outbuildings used as storage. There are also two parish buildings used as

offices on the site that date to sometime in the mid 1930’s. Surrounding the site is property owned by the

Dominican Sisters that contain historic gardens, olive trees, and buildings. Mission San Jose is adjacent

to the site along Mission Boulevard, and the Dominican Sister’s College is also near the site. Access to

the site is from St. Josephs Terrace, which is a private road lined with protected olive trees and palm

trees.

The metal Quonset hut style building, which is proposed to be removed, was originally built and used

during WWII, and was likely moved to the site in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s as a storage shed.

Improvements, including adding a bathroom and insulation, were made inside the hut, which allowed a

portion of it to be used as an office and sleeping quarters. Several exterior modifications have been

added to the building over the years, including replacement of the original end walls and the addition of

a storage shed to one end. (See Informational Item 1)

PROCEDURE FOR TONIGHT’S HEARING

At tonight’s hearing, the Board is charged with completing one primary task:

1. Consider Historical Architectural Review per Section 18.135.080 of the Fremont Municipal Code for

the demolition of the Quonset hut and the installation of a 2,160 square foot modular building and

site improvements for use as a kindergarten classroom.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The applicant is requesting Historical Architecture Review approval to remove an existing WWII era

Quonset hut, currently used as a storage facility, and install a 2,160 square foot modular building to be

used for a kindergarten classroom. The other existing storage shed immediately adjacent to the proposed

modular building is proposed to be repainted and repaired to continue to be used for storage. The access

drive off St. Joseph Terrace is proposed to be repaved where needed and one ADA parking space will be

striped for the new modular building. All existing trees adjacent to and on the site are going to be

retained. Circulation through the site will be along a one-way drive off St. Joseph Terrace that will loop

through the site to the front of the modular building and continue out to St. Joseph Terrace. The

proposed site work involves partially repaving the existing area where required, however no additional

areas will be paved. Any proposed paving will be done to repair or replace paving that already exists.

The proposed modular building is a flat roofed structure with siding painted in Benjamin Moore HC-3

(Greenmount Silk) with the trim color painted in Benjamin Moore 2004-30 (Raspberry Pudding). An

ADA access ramp will be constructed on the front of the building and decorative shrubs and trees will be

planted along the exterior.


May 2, 2013 of 8

PROJECT ANALYSIS:

General Plan Conformance:

The existing General Plan land use designation for the project site is 58.5 % Commercial - Town Center

and 41.5% Residential - Hillside. The following General Plan Goals, Objectives and Policies are

applicable to the proposed project:

GOAL 4-6: Historic Preservation and Cultural Resources

Policy 4-6.1: Protection of Historic Resources:

Identify, preserve, protect and maintain buildings, structures, objects, sites and districts which are

reminders of past eras, events, and persons important in local, state or national history.

Implementation 4-6.1.A: Demolition, Alteration or Relocation of Historical Resources:

Evaluate all applications for demolition, alteration or relocation of buildings, structures or objects

constructed prior to 1955 to determine if there is sufficient significance and integrity to merit

classification as a potential Fremont Register Resource or formal designation as a Fremont Register

Resource.

Analysis: The applicant applied for the HARB review for the removal of the Quonset hut. Urban

Programmers prepared a Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) primary record Form 523A and

determined that the Quonset hut was not eligible for the National Register or the California Register of

Historic Resources because it is not associated with individuals or events of significant historical

importance and the hut’s architecture and materials have been altered so as to not display historic

integrity.

Policy 4-6.5: Design Compatibility:

Preserve the architectural continuity and design integrity of historic districts and other areas of strong

architectural character. New development within such areas does not need to replicate prevailing

architectural styles exactly but should be complimentary in form, height, and bulk.

Analysis: The proposed structure is a low-profile flat roofed building that is set behind the existing

buildings on the site as well as set back from the access road off St. Josephs Terrace. It will not detract

from the architectural integrity of the surrounding buildings and is compatible with St. Joseph school

immediately adjacent to it.

Historic Assessment:

The building proposed for demolition was evaluated for historical significance per the requirements of

the City’s Historic Resources Ordinance. The applicant obtained the services of Urban Programmers to

work with a qualified historian to assess the subject building’s historical significance. The scope of

work was prepared by the City and the final assessment has been reviewed and accepted by the City.

(See Informational Item 1) A summary of the building description and findings are below.

The building is a Quonset Hut style warehouse with two shed additions. It is located on the north end of

the property facing St. Joseph Terrace, set behind the buildings on the site. The building was likely

moved to the site in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s. The subject building is generally rectangular in plan,


May 2, 2013 of 8

approximately 50 feet long and 20 feet wide, and sitting on a raised concrete perimeter foundation. The

north and south vertical elevations are clad in non-original varied horizontal shiplap siding. There are

two entrances to the building: one located on the north elevation, and another on the south end of the

east elevation. The north entry consists of a non-original double rolling door on a metal track. The east

entry consists of a non-original solid three panel wood door with a shed roof. There is a non-original

fixed three pane wood window above the sliding door on the north façade, a pair of non-original single

pane double hung wood windows with dog ears on the south façade, and a non-original aluminum slider

window on the south façade. Two lean-to shed additions on the south and east facades consist of double

two-by-four wood posts, wood beam framing, and wood shed roofs. The south façade addition is clad in

plywood on its south and east facades. (See Informational Item 1)

In order to qualify for a listing in the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR), the Quonset

would have to qualify under one of the following criterions:

1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or

regional history, or to the cultural heritage of California, the United States, or the city;

2. It is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history;

3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, or is a

valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship; or it is representative of the

notable work of a builder, designer, or architect.

Based on the analysis of the historian, it was determined that the Quonset hut did not qualify for any of

the above criterion as discussed on pages 9-11 of the Information #1. While Quonsets have an important

association with World War II, this building does not have association related to those events nor does it

have an association to surrounding historic resources in its current setting. Quonsets are a distinctive

building type associated with an important period, World War II, but in this instance the modifications

to the building have compromised its historic integrity. Staff concurs with this analysis and determined

that the structure is not a potential historic resource per Section 18.175.150 of the Fremont Municipal

Code.

Zoning Regulations:

The property is part of Planned District P-2001-34 (HOD) and is within the Hillside Combining District.

This Planned District requires all new development to be subject to review and approval by the

Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB) and further requires that all commercial and institutional

projects are subject to the Design Guidelines and Regulations- Mission San Jose Overlay District. The

subject site is on Area 1 of the Planned District which allows educational facilities for kindergarten

through 8th

grade.


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Design Analysis:

Design Review:

The subject site is within the Mission San Jose Historical Overlay District (HOD) and has several

historical properties surrounding it. Directly on the proposed site are two houses, which date to

sometime in the 1930’s, and while they have not been evaluated for historical significance, the

architecture is of a style that is of interest and environmentally contextual to the area. St. Joseph Terrace

contains many olive trees maintained by the Dominican Sisters and the trees are preserved as historic

resources of the surrounding area. Mission San Jose, fronting Mission Boulevard, is to the southwest of

the project site and Dominican Sisters property is to the rear and side of the site.

Although the project does not alter an historic resource, it is within the Historic Overlay District overall

and must be found to be compatible with the architecture and character of the surrounding area. The site

is outside of the commercial core area of the Mission San Jose Design Guidelines and in this instance

the guidelines are not directly applicable to the proposed project. Demolition of the structure is

approvable based on its location on the property and the fact that the building has no historic association

with the surrounding historic overlay district and identified resources. The proposed one-story modular

building will be painted in neutral colors and will be set back from Mission Boulevard, behind the

existing buildings on the site, so as to not be highly visible from the street. There will not be any trees

removed as part of the project and the historical nature of the surrounding area will not be significantly

impacted by the project.

Open Space/Landscaping:

The project will not impact any existing trees or landscaping. The applicant proposes to plant new trees

and shrubs along the perimeter of the modular building, which are compatible with the olive trees in the

area. The existing olive trees will be wrapped with tree protection fencing to protect them during

construction. Conditions of approval will require site inspection of fencing and protection measures to

ensure no impacts to existing olive trees.

Circulation:

The project site has access from St. Joseph Terrace. Vehicles will enter on a one-way drive to the north

west of the proposed building under the line of olive trees, travel around the rear of the storage building

and to the front of the modular building for drop-off. Vehicles will then continue between the two homes

on the site to exit to St. Joseph Terrace and back to Mission Boulevard. Employee and parent parking

are provided on the main campus adjacent to the school. One ADA access parking stall will be installed

to the north of the modular building.

Grading & Drainage:

There is no grading proposed for the project and the proposed modular building will not affect the

existing storm water drainage for the site.

Environmental Review:

This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under

CEQA Guideline 15303 because it is new construction and will be designed in manner compatible with

the surrounding historical properties. Due to the subject part of the site not being an historic resource,

there is no exception to the Categorical Exemption of 15303 requiring more extensive environmental

review.


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PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT:

Public hearing notification is applicable. A total of 40 notices were mailed to owners and occupants of

property within 300 feet of the site. The notices to owners and occupants were mailed on April 19, 2013

A Public Hearing Notice was published by The Argus on April 20, 2013.

ENCLOSURES:

Exhibits:

Exhibit "A" Site Plan, Floor Plan, Elevations

Exhibit "B" Findings of Approval

Informational Items:

Informational 1 Historic Assessment of Quonset Hut

Informational 2 Color Board

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Hold public hearing.

2. Find that the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act

(CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15303, New Construction or Conversion of Small

Structures.

3. Find that the project is in conformance with the relevant provisions contained in the City’s

General Plan as enumerated within the staff report.

4. Make a Finding for Historical Architectural Approval for the proposed demolition of the

Quonset hut and the installation of the 2,160 square foot modular building and associated site

improvements.


May 2, 2013 of 8

Existing Zoning

Shaded Area represents the Project Site

Existing General Plan

project: st. josephs modular - (pln2013-00175) location

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