TO: ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: JULY 10, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #24-A02, REVIEW OF PROPOSED EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS AND SECOND-STORY ADDITION TO THE REAR OF THE EXISTING BUILDING FOR A NEW RESTAURANT INTO THE EXISTING VACANT RESTAURANT SPACE LOCATED AT 129 NORTH HARVARD AVENUE - APPLICANT: MENEMSHA SOLUTIONS (ON BEHALF OF FINNEY’S CRAFTHOUSE & KITCHEN).
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SUMMARY
The applicant is requesting Architectural and Site Plan Review approval for proposed exterior modifications, as well as a small second-story addition to the rear of the existing building, located at 129 North Harvard Avenue. The proposed project would accommodate a new restaurant, Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen. The existing building, which has been vacant since 2020, formerly housed The Press Restaurant. Built in 1929, the property is listed in the City’s Register of Structures of Historic and Architectural Merit (Register). In addition to reactivating the vacant restaurant space, the applicant has proposed a 763-square foot second story addition over the rear portion of the existing building, itself an addition, to create additional kitchen storage area (no public access).
Following the completion of proposed interior improvements, the restaurant’s ground floor would be 3,800-square feet in size including a dining area of approximately 1,361-square feet and a bar area of approximately 306-square feet. Exterior modifications to the building include relocating the entry vestibule to the southeast corner of the building, installing new folding windows into existing and new window openings along the building’s Harvard Avenue façade, relocating and reconstructing the ADA-accessible entrance on the southern side of the building, and constructing a new trash enclosure at the rear of the building.
Staff finds the proposed renovations and addition to be well-designed, sensitive to the historic character of the building, and necessary to improve the functionality of the building for the new restaurant operation. As such, staff finds that the project meets the General Review Criteria in Claremont Municipal Code Section 16.300.060, as set forth in the draft approval resolution (Attachment A).
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Architectural and Preservation Commission:
A. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA APPROVING ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #24-A02 FOR EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS AND A SECOND-STORY ADDITION TO THE REAR OF THE EXISTING BUILDING FOR A NEW RESTAURANT LOCATED AT 129 NORTH HARVARD AVENUE - APPLICANT: MENEMSHA SOLUTIONS (ON BEHALF OF FINNEY’S CRAFTHOUSE & KITCHEN); and
B. Find that this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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Alternatives to the Recommendation
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue the item for additional information.
B. Approve the project with additional or revised Conditions of Approval.
C. Express intent to deny the proposal, specifically identifying the review criteria of Section 16.300.060.A of the Municipal Code that cannot be met and continue the item to July 24, 2024, for adoption of a denial resolution as all of the necessary findings cannot be met.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Costs associated with the review of this application have been borne by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
Claremont Municipal Code (CMC) Section 16.300.030 requires that exterior modifications to all existing non-single-family residential development be reviewed by the Architectural and Preservation Commission, particularly for significant historic buildings such as the one on the subject property. The City’s design review process ensures that projects protect and enhance the livability and financial stability of the City and help make sure that changes to the built environment enhance, rather than detract from, the character and sense of place of Claremont’s unique neighborhoods.
The project site is a rectangular property of approximately 3,392-square feet located on the west side of Harvard Avenue between First and Second Street. A pedestrian alley abuts the property to the south and provides access from the Harvard Avenue sidewalk to the City-owned parking lot to the west of the property. The property has a zoning designation of Claremont Village Overlay District (CVO) and a corresponding General Plan designation of Claremont Village (CV). Surrounding uses include a pharmacy in the adjacent building to the north, a salon across the alley to the south, a barber shop and bakery to the east across Harvard Avenue and the City-owned surface parking lot the east.
The site is developed with a one-story building of approximately 3,800-square feet. The building occupies the entirety of the property, right up to property lines. Built in 1929, the property is listed in the City’s Register of Structures of Historic and Architectural Merit (Register). The survey form for the property (Attachment C) describes how the building was built for the Claremont Courier’s printing offices and identifies character-defining features of the Spanish Revival building as its clay tile roof, ornate carved, exposed roof beam, multi-light and single-light windows trimmed with glazed ceramic hand-painted tile.
The applicant, Menemsha Studios, represents Brad Finefrock, the owner of Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen and the owner of the subject property. Finney’s is a family-owned American tavern-style restaurant with 14 locations ranging from Oceanside and Laguna Beach to the south and Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo to the north. The restaurant serves prepared-from-scratch food that is paired with a wide selection of craft beers and handcrafted cocktails. Finney’s prides itself on being able to provide a comfortable and inviting gastropub environment, which is supported by the stylish, historic feeling of their locations; a number of which are also located in historic buildings. The applicant is also requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow for the sale and service of a full-line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption for the bona-fide restaurant with hours of operation from 10 a.m. until midnight, daily. The Planning Commission will review the applicant’s CUP request at their July 16, 2024, public hearing.
Project Description
The site plan, floor plan, elevations, and renderings (Attachment B) show the interior and exterior changes proposed for the building in conjunction with the introduction of the new restaurant. They include:
- Renovation of the building’s Harvard Avenue façade
- Construction of a 763-square foot second-story addition over the rear of the building.
- Relocation and reconstruction of the ADA-accessible entrance and ramp on the south side of the building.
- Construction of a new trash enclosure of approximately 300-square feet at the rear of the building.
- Interior renovations to create a 2,090-square foot interior dining area with 128 seats, a 306-square foot bar, a 799-square foot kitchen, a 469-square foot kitchen storage area, and restrooms.
The project’s various components are described in detail below.
Harvard Avenue Façade
The applicant is proposing to renovate the building’s front façade. Currently, the building has two entrances from Harvard Avenue; one inside a small alcove area that provided access to the former Press Restaurant and a second that provided access to a small secondary tenant space in the building. Two openings flank the arched opening to the entry alcove, one with a window in it and both with transom windows above. The secondary entry is surrounding by multi-light windows that are consistent with, but do not match the other opening’s transom windows. Hand-painted ceramic glazed tiles line the bottom of all of the Harvard Avenue windows.
The applicant is proposing to relocate the entry for the new restaurant to the southeast corner of the building. The new entry would feature the same arched opening currently on the building, and would provide access to a 66-square foot vestibule. The existing entry alcove would be removed, allowing Finney’s to have banquet seating right up against the Harvard Avenue windows, creating a seamless transition between the dining area and the Harvard Avenue streetscape. The two existing window openings would be filled with operable gas strut windows that open inwards into the dining area. Both of these windows feature four panels of transom windows, which would be maintained. Several of the existing transom panels feature obscured glass. The applicant proposes replacing these panels with clear windows that would allow views into the canopies of the Harvard Avenue street trees. A new, narrower window, also featuring an operable window and with only two transom window panels above would be created in the place of the existing arched opening. A second narrower window, also with an operable window and two transom window panels, would be created next to the relocated entry. The exposed wood rafter tails and existing clay tile roof would remain. Note that while the attached elevation drawings show new signage for Finney’s, the applicant is not requesting approval of the signage. Rather it is being shown as a placeholder and the applicant will submit detailed sign plans for the City’s review at a later date.
Second-Story Addition
The applicant has also proposed constructing a 763-square foot addition over the rear portion of the existing building, which itself is an addition to the original building. The flat-roofed utilitarian addition would provide additional kitchen storage area that per the applicant is crucial to the efficient operation of the restaurant. Adding the second-floor kitchen storage, to which there would be no public access, allows for a more efficient workflow in the ground floor kitchen and kitchen storage areas and provides increased capacity for food and beverage storage, food preparation, and staff circulation. Locating kitchen storage on the new upper floor also allows the dining room to take advantage of the building’s existing vaulted ceiling and wood trusses. It also provides the applicant the opportunity to renovate the existing kitchen addition, which is in poor condition, representing an important functional enhancement to the entire structure.
The proposed addition reaches a maximum height of 26’-10” as measured from grade to the top of the addition’s parapet wall. The parapet wall would be 3’-10” tall, effectively concealing the new rooftop equipment, while the floor to ceiling height of the new second floor would be 8’-0”. A thin cornice band would mark the top of the parapet wall. The addition would have one window on the south and east elevations, matching the steel frame windows found elsewhere on the building. The addition would have an exterior plaster finish to match the rest of the original building (the original addition is currently painted precision block. The submitted elevations show conceptual signage for the rear, west-facing façade of the addition.
Relocated ADA-Accessible Entry
There currently exists what used to be a code-compliant secondary entry and ramp on the south side of the building. The entry and ramp, which are located on City-owned property in the east-west alley adjacent to the building, no longer meet California Building Code and American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The scope of the proposed improvements to the building trigger the need to upgrade the ADA ramp to meet current requirements. In order to do so, the ramp must be reconstructed to have a gentler slope than the existing ramp, which necessitates a longer ramp run, which in turn necessitates the relocation of the entry further to the east. Relocation of the entry requires the removal of one existing steel multi-light window on the south side of the building.
New Trash Enclosure
The applicant is required to construct a new covered trash enclosure that complies with the City’s updated standard for trash enclosures at the rear of the building. Currently, there are two floating recycle bins and three angled parking stalls, including one ADA-stall, against the back of the building. The new trash enclosure, with dimensions of 12-feet by 25-feet, would be approximately 300-square feet in size. The new enclosure would allow for the two existing floating recycle bins, as well as additional bins for food waste, to be consolidated inside the structure and would improve how waste and recycling services for this block are provided by the City. The enclosure would also eliminate another unsightly floating bin elsewhere in the City-owned parking lot. The 300-square foot enclosure would require the removal of two of the three existing parking spaces at the rear of the building. The existing ADA stall, which serves the adjacent pharmacy, would remain.
Basis for Recommendation
Staff believes that the project satisfies all of the General Review Criteria in the CMC Section 16.300.060.A, as stated in the draft approval resolution. The proposed additions will breathe new life into this significant historic Village building allowing it to be used and enjoyed by Claremont residents and visitors alike. The proposed renovations and addition are thoughtfully designed and are sensitive to the Spanish Revival building’s character-defining features, so as to avoid impacting the building’s ability to convey its historic significance and contribute to Harvard Avenue. Further, the additions are sensibly designed so as to enhance the functionality of the building for the new restaurant operator. Staff is supportive of how the building redesign creates and indoor/outdoor feel for the dining room and anticipates it will add to the vibrancy of the block. Finally, City staff and a the architect have worked with Claremont Heritage to create a design that preserves the historic character of the building and complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the treatment of historic properties. Based on this work, staff finds that the criteria necessary to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project pursuant to Chapter 16.302.160
In light of the above, staff recommends that the Architectural Commission approve the proposed design.
CEQA REVIEW
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Class 1) for existing facilities, in that the project entails the continuation and minor expansion of a previously existing use within a private structure involving a negligible expansion of use beyond that which currently exists. While the project entails interior and exterior modifications to a building that is listed on the Register of Structures of Historic and Architectural Merit of the City of Claremont, the exception to the Categorical Exemption pertaining to historic resources (Section 15300.2) does not apply as the modifications to the building are designed so as to avoid a substantial adverse change in the significance of the historic resource. Further, the proposed changes to the building will be reviewed by the Architectural and Preservation Commission and all findings for issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project have been made prior to approval. Therefore, no further environmental review is necessary.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Copies of the submitted plans are being held at the Public Counter at City Hall for review.
As a courtesy, notice of this meeting was mailed to properties in a 300-foot radius of the property on June 27, 2024. A copy of this report has been sent to the applicant, and restaurant and property owner.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Nikola Hlady
Director of Community Development Senior Planner
Reviewed by:
Christopher Veirs
Principal Planner
Attachments:
A - Draft Resolution
B - Site Plan, Floor Plans, Elevations, & Materials Sheet
C - Register Listing