Title
PLN16-0115/PLN16-0116 -- Certificates of Approval -- 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue, Applicant: SRM Ernst. Certificates of approval for the minor exterior modifications to 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue (Buildings 91 and 9), which are contributing structures within the NAS Alameda Historic District. At 651 W. Tower Ave. the applicant proposes demolishing a recent and non-contributing awning, installing shade overhangs along the building, removing existing windows, constructing new exterior doors, replacing loading bay doors, and repainting the building according to the previously approved Alameda Point color scheme. At 707 W. Tower Ave. the applicant proposes installing a new row of second story transom windows, installing new pedestrian doors, removing and replacing several loading bay doors and windows, adding a second story within the existing interior space, and repainting the building according to the previously approved Alameda Point color scheme. The environmental effects of the proposed project were considered in the Alameda Point Environmental Impact Report. No further environmental review is required.
Body
CITY OF ALAMEDA
Memorandum
To: Honorable Chair and
Members of the Historical Advisory Board
From: David Sablan
Planner I
Date: May 5, 2016
Re: PLN16-0115/PLN16-0116 -- Certificates of Approval -- 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue, Applicant: SRM Ernst. Certificates of approval for the minor exterior modifications to 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue (Buildings 91 and 9), which are contributing structures within the NAS Alameda Historic District. At 651 W. Tower Ave. the applicant proposes demolishing a recent and non-contributing awning, installing shade overhangs along the building, removing existing windows, constructing new exterior doors, replacing loading bay doors, and repainting the building according to the previously approved Alameda Point color scheme. At 707 W. Tower Ave. the applicant proposes installing a new row of second story transom windows, installing new pedestrian doors, removing and replacing several loading bay doors and windows, adding a second story within the existing interior space, and repainting the building according to the previously approved Alameda Point color scheme. The environmental effects of the proposed project were considered in the Alameda Point Environmental Impact Report. No further environmental review is required.
BACKGROUND
The structures at 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue are listed as buildings 91 & 9, respectively, within the NAS Alameda Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Both buildings are contributing structures to the historic district. In 1997 the U.S. Navy commissioned the Guide to Preserving the Character of the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District (hereafter referred to as Preservation Guide), and in 2010 the U.S. Navy also commissioned the Cultural Landscape Report for Naval Air Station Alameda (hereafter referred to as CLR). These two documents describe the defining characteristics of Buildings 91 & 9.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The project will reuse both buildings for multi-tenant food and beverage manufacturing. The exterior of both buildings will be rehabilitated, with limited modifications to accommodate the proposed new use of the building. There will not be additions or substantial demolition as part of this project, and therefore the existing building forms will not be altered. The exterior changes will be to create new windows and doors - using the rhythm and pattern of the existing windows and doors. Dilapidated features such as awnings and shade structures that were not original to the buildings will be removed, as these features did not attain their own historic significance. This is the first project within the NAS Alameda Historic District to have significant improvements for the adaptive reuse of contributing structures. The developer estimates a $40 million investment for the combined improvements to both buildings.
Building Form and Materials
Building 9 - 707 W. Tower Avenue
There will not be any changes to the building form and materials of Building 9. The Preservation Guide and CLR both note that the large hanger-like form of this machine shop was its defining characteristic. The project will partition the interior space, and utilize the high interior ceilings to create a new second floor. This will not impact the footprint of the building. To accommodate the new use and interior tenant spaces there will be new windows and doors added to the exterior. These new windows and doors will be made from matching materials to those that exist. A large dilapidated shade structure along the North elevation was not original to the building, and not identified by the Preservation Guide and CLR as having gained its own historic importance. The stucco finish was identified as being a defining characteristic and will be preserved and repaired as needed.
Building 91 - 651 W. Tower Ave
There will not be any changes to the building form and materials of Building 91. Original building materials, such as the horizontal wood siding and wood sash industrial windows, will be preserved and repaired as needed. There are no proposed additions or large demolitions proposed, therefore the form of the building will not be altered. The changes to the exterior elevations will be to alter windows and doors, which will be made of the same material as the existing windows and doors, and will be sized and located in harmony with the existing pattern and rhythm of windows and doors. A large dilapidated shade structure along the North elevation was not original to the building, and not identified by the Preservation Guide and CLR as having gained its own historic importance.
Windows and Doors
Building 9 - 707 W. Tower Avenue
The large expanses of industrial sash windows, and the large hanger-like doors were identified as defining features by the Preservation Guide. Along the South elevation there are six (6) large sliding hanger-like doors, each one measuring seventeen feet wide by twenty-three feet tall (17’x 23’). These doors will be preserved and repainted according to the approved color scheme for the Adaptive Reuse portion of Alameda Point. Between the hanger-like doors are large expanses of industrial sash windows comprised of a grid of window panes, grouped into columns of either three or four window panes across by eleven windows panes tall, with a steel band separating the top four rows of window panes from the bottom seven rows of window panes.
The project proposes preserving the majority of these windows, with small modifications to accommodate new pedestrian oriented doors. Along the South elevation there will be eight (8) new pedestrian entrances into the building. Two (2) of these new pedestrian oriented entrances are steel industrial sash doors with the standard size of three feet by eight feet and six inches (3’x8’6”), the bottom half of these doors will be cut out of the concrete base of the building, while the upper half will require the removal of some existing window panes. The windows removed fit in with the pattern of three window panes wide by three windows panes tall. Six (6) of the new pedestrian oriented doors will be steel industrial sash doors windowed store-front doors the same size as the other proposed pedestrian doors, with a large overhead window that will require the removal of an additional four rows of window panes. The resultant proposed door and window combination will remove a single column of window panes. The project will install a removable sun shading device along the steel band that separates the top four rows of window panes from the bottom seven rows.
The same pattern of six (6) large hanger-like doors and expanses of industrial sash windows between them is also present on the North elevation of the building. To accommodate modern uses, the project will replace three of the large sliding hanger-like doors with ribbed metal panel roll up doors within the existing door openings. The pedestrian oriented doors without the upper window from the south elevation will be installed at three (3) locations along the North elevation. The project will also install two new roll up doors on this elevation, one of these doors will require the removal of two (2) columns of window panes, while the other door will require the removal of four (4) columns of window panes.
The project will install a new ribbon of windows along the North and South Elevations, between the large hanger-like doors and the existing upper ribbon of steel industrial sash clear story windows that run along the entirety of the North and South elevations at the top of the building. The new ribbon of windows will be five feet three inches tall (5’3”) and will be broken up horizontally to match the pattern of the hanger-like doors and expanses of windows below. They will be a different design from existing windows to differentiate them from the character defining windows that exist and will remain. The purpose of these windows is to provide air and light to the newly created second floor.
Building 91 - 651 W. Tower Avenue
The wood sash industrial windows were identified as defining features by the Preservation Guide. These windows come in two sizes; the smaller window consists of a bank of twenty-four (24) window panes, in three rows by eight columns formation, and the larger window consists of a bank of thirty-two (32) window panes, in four rows by eight columns formation. Along the South elevation there are a total of twenty-seven (27) smaller windows, and five (5) larger windows. The project proposes installing two storefront pedestrian entrances on the South elevation, this would require the removal of one smaller window and one larger window. The width of these new storefront entrances is dictated by the eight window pane width of all of the window banks, and therefore preserves the spacing and rhythm of the original elevation.
Along the north side of the elevation there are seventeen (17) of the smaller windows along the upper portion of the elevation, and fifteen (15) of the larger windows along the ground floor of the elevation. There are two loading bay doors, approximately fifteen feet (15’) tall located on the ground floor. The project will result in the removal of thirteen (13) of the larger windows and both loading bay doors. They will be replaced with four (4) new roll up doors.
Color Palette & Wayfinding Program
The project will conform to the Paint Guidelines for Existing Buildings in the NAS Alameda Historic District, which was adopted by the HAB on May 7, 2015. Both Buildings 91 & 9 will use the same base colors for exterior walls (“Nebulous White”), hanger and window sashes (“Rave Red”), and pedestal and indented termination (“Argos”). Building 9 has existing copper parapet coping and copper conductor heads and downspouts. The project will remove the current paint from these copper elements to expose the original patina finish of the copper.
Both buildings will have painted on address sign graphics that are consistent with the approved Way Finding Program for Alameda Point.
Findings and Conclusions:
In conclusion, staff finds that the two projects are consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Preservation of Historic Properties.
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.
Buildings 91 & 9 were historically used as machine shops for airplane engines by the Navy. The proposed use of the building is for food and beverage manufacturing, which continues the heavy industrial use of the buildings.
2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships.
The project does not propose removing distinctive materials from the structures. The project does propose removing portions of the existing industrial sash windows on Building 9, but the dimension and size of section of windows being removed follow the pattern and rhythm of grid of industrial sash windows.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken.
The added features include a new row of windows on Building 9, new shade structures on both buildings, and a new exterior silos on the east side of Building 91. The new windows are a smaller size that does not compete with the existing windows, because they follow the same horizontal rhythm of large hanger-like doors and windows below. The new proposed shade structures feature a modern architectural design that is complementary to the existing structure. The new exterior silos will be functional and serve future tenants, and also feature a modern architectural design that is complementary to the existing structure.
4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
The project will remove a shade structures on the north sides of both Building 9 and Building 91. Both of these elements were not original to the building, and the Preservation Guide and CLR did not find that they had acquired their own historic significance in their own right. All other character-defining features of the buildings will be retained and rehabilitated.
5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
The Preservation Guide and CLR found that Building 9’s distinctive features were its hanger-like form and doors, and stucco finish. The project will not alter the hanger-like form and will continue to utilize the stucco finish of Building 9. The project will replace three (3) of the six (6) sliding hanger doors with roll up doors fitted into the existing industrial sash window framework. These changes are needed for the modern day use of the building, and do not result in a substantial loss of character defining features.
The Preservation Guide and CLR also found that Building 91’s distinctive feature was its wooden industrial sash windows. The project will preserve these windows.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
The project will remove the current opaque film coverings over the windows in Building 9 that provide shade and weather protection, and will install new translucent film coverings for these windows to preserve the existing industrial sash windows.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.
The project will be conditioned to utilize the gentlest chemical or physical treatments as a first response to maintenance issues.
8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resource must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
The NAS Historic District was built over landfill created in the early 1900’s, and previous historic studies found no evidence of significant archeological resources.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.
The new features include new window and door openings, new awnings on the south elevations, and new shade structures on the north side of both Buildings 9 and 91. The shade structures and awnings are differentiated from the old but still compatible with the rest of the existing building. The project does not require the removal of distinctive features. The new window and door openings on both Building 9 and Building 91 follow the spacing and rhythm of the existing window and door openings.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
The proposed shade structures and awnings on both Building 9 and Building 91 are designed so that they can removed from the project without an adverse impact to the existing historic building forms.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On February 4, 2014, the City of Alameda certified the Alameda Point Final EIR (State Clearinghouse No. 201312043) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Final EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of redevelopment and reuse of the lands at Alameda Point. No further review is required for this review of the project designs.
RECOMMENDATION
Hold a Public Hearing and approve a Certificate of Approval to allow minor exterior modifications to 651 & 707 W. Tower Avenue (Buildings 91 and 9), which are contributing structures within the NAS Alameda Historic District.
Respectfully submitted,
David Sablan, Planner I
Exhibits:
1. Draft Resolution - Building 91 (651 W Tower) - PLN16-0115
2. Draft Resolution - Building 9 (707 W Tower) - PLN16-0116
3. Project Plans - Building 91 (651 W Tower) - PLN16-0115
4. Project Plans - Building 9 (707 W Tower) - PLN16-0116
5. Excerpts from Guide to Preserving the Character of the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District and Cultural Landscape Report for Naval Air Station Alameda
6. Statement of Design Intent from Applicant