TO: ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FROM: DAVID CRABTREE, INTERIM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: OCTOBER 28, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #26-A08, PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF TWO PROPOSED ACADEMIC BUILDINGS, RECORDS HALL AND ACADEMIC II, LOCATED SOUTH OF NINTH STREET BETWEEN MILLS AVENUE AND CLAREMONT BOULEVARD - APPLICANT: CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE - (FUNDING SOURCE: PRIVATELY FUNDED BY APPLICANT)
Body
SUMMARY
The applicant, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), has requested a preliminary design review of two proposed three-story academic buildings with a total floor area of approximately 71,000 square feet. The project design pairs the two rectilinear buildings around the North Mall between Bauer Center and the Robert Day Sciences Center. Due to the change in grade the buildings appear as two stories when viewed from Ninth Street but three stories when viewed from the south. The design is modern with clay tile roof, stucco and clay tile siding, and Mediterranean colors. The design details are similar to those found on Roberts Hall North and South, located further to the west along the North Mall. At its closest point, the north building (Academic II) is approximately fifteen feet south of Ninth Street, a private street owned in part by both CMC and Pitzer College. The project site is currently occupied by the Bauer Parking lot, which is identified as Lots 88 and 89 in the CMC parking plan. This parking will be relocated to a newly constructed parking structure in the East Campus Sports Complex, which is located approximately 850 feet east of the site, across Claremont Boulevard.
The project is consistent with the Claremont McKenna College 2012 Master Plan, which was modified through an administrative adjustment reviewed by the Architectural Commission on July 28, 2021. The adjustment redistributed previously approved, but not yet constructed, academic and administrative buildings contained in the plan and modified the design of the planned upgrade to Claremont Boulevard to make the design safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The project also appears to be consistent with the Environmental Impact Report completed for the Master Plan as all mitigation measures and applicable conditions of approval will be applied.
Because this is a preliminary review, the Architectural and Preservation Commission is not making a final decision on the project; rather, the Commission is being asked to provide direction to the applicant so that the plans can be modified, finalized, and returned in the future for a final decision by the Commission. The preliminary plans include site plans, architectural elevations, floor plans, and perspective renderings for the new portions of the development (Attachment A). A conceptual Landscape Plan is Attachment B.
A copy of the adjusted CMC Master Plan is Attachment C. The applicant and design team will be available during the Commission meeting to answer questions regarding the project.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Architectural and Preservation Commission:
A. Review the submitted materials, take public comment, and provide detailed, actionable comments and direction regarding the project to staff, the applicant, and project designers; and
B. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
This is a preliminary review; there are no alternatives to the staff recommendation.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Claremont McKenna College is responsible for all costs associated with the City’s review of this project. The costs of City staff, City Attorney, and consultant time spent on this project are charged against a deposit paid by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
2012 Campus Master Plan
The Master Plan provides for the planned expansion of the college campus for a thirty-year period beginning in 2012. Commissioner comments should focus on how the proposed development implements the vision of the campus master plan and design-related elements of the project. Staff requests that the Commission focus on site plan, architectural design, building massing, building height, circulation, general landscape concepts, materials, colors and the relationship of the design to surrounding development.
East Campus
Development of the CMC East Campus is intended to free up more centralized areas of the existing campus for development of new academic facilities. The two proposed new academic buildings are proposed to be located on the existing Bauer Center parking lot. That parking will be relocated to the East Campus. Phase 1 of the East Campus Sports Bowl is nearing completion and will be dedicated in early November 2026. The facility includes a surface parking lot and two-level parking structure, baseball field, softball field, batting cage, football field/track with stadium seating and press box, a golf practice area, and approximately 30,000 square feet of fieldhouse and storage facilities. This new parking is connected to the CMC main campus via an improved crosswalk at Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard or by a subterranean arcade that crosses under Claremont Boulevard just south of the recently completed Robert Day Sciences Center.
Claremont Boulevard Redesign
The East Campus subdivision map and related development agreement required CMC to construct public improvements for the east side of Claremont Boulevard (east of center line). Prior to constructing those improvements, CMC and TCCS approached the City to update the street plan to further improve safety for students, staff, and faculty crossing the street by including new design strategies consistent with the City’s “Complete Streets” Policy. The new design incorporates narrowed vehicle travel lanes, protected bicycle lanes, improved pedestrian crossings at Sixth and Ninth Streets and corner bulb-outs, enlarged parkways, and new landscaping. High voltage power lines on the east side of Claremont Boulevard are also being undergrounded. All of these improvements are under construction, with the lower half of the street, between Sixth and Ninth Streets, being largely completed except for landscaping and irrigation. Claremont McKenna College is funding the bulk of these improvements.
Existing Site Conditions
The site is mostly occupied by two large parking lots and associated gates, walkways, and landscaping. The area does host a number of existing trees that will need to be removed due to their location in the footprint of the building or due to re-grading of the area to tie into the elevations of adjacent buildings and maintain the level of the North Mall, which passes directly into the new science center. These existing trees are mostly pines, struggling magnolias, and smaller species located in narrow parking lot planter. The Ninth Street median includes a row of mature pine trees.
The CMC Master Plan clearly anticipates that these trees were to be removed as there are buildings located on the site. In addition, the continuation of the North Mall, which currently terminates at Bauer Center, through to the entire width of the campus is a central theme of the Master Plan’s open space and circulation components. The vision is a landscaped pedestrian mall flanked on the north and south sides by a series of paired buildings and extending from Kravis Center on the west end of the Campus to the new Robert Day Sciences Center near the eastern boundary of the campus.
Review Process for Projects Consistent with the CMC Master Plan
The CMC Master Plan was adopted by the City Council in June 2012. In certifying the EIR and adopting the Master Plan and associated development agreement, the City Council put in place a set of administrative procedures, implementation measures, conditions of approval, and environmental mitigation measures that must now be utilized to evaluate all development contained in the Master Plan, including this project. Generally, the following steps are required before this project can be completed and occupied:
1. Parking Review - The applicant will be required to provide current parking demand and supply numbers to show that the campus has adequate parking for the new science building. Note that CMC is believed to have a positive parking balance at this time and that it will be vastly increased as the East Campus parking structure and surface parking become fully operational.
2. Commission Review - This preliminary review is the first step in the public review process. Once plans are finalized and the application is found to be fully complete by City staff, the project will be reviewed by the Architectural and Preservation Commission for final design review.
3. Engineering and Building Permit Approvals and Environmental Compliance - Once the design plans are approved, all improvements will require review and approval by the appropriate review body prior to construction. Compliance with all conditions of approval and EIR Mitigation Measures will be required as these permits are issued and construction is completed. The Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Plan for the CMC Master Plan is Attachment D.
The existence of the CMC Master Plan streamlines and expedites the review process for projects on the CMC campus by providing a clear vision, environmental clearance through the EIR, a master plan-wide circulation plan, and public realm standards. Staff’s initial analysis of the preliminary plans for the project find the proposals to be generally consistent with the Master Plan.
Project Description
Site Plan
As described above, the site plan features two paired, rectilinear buildings organized around the proposed extension of the North Mall. The north building (Academic II) fronts both Ninth Street and the North Mall as a two-story structure but has a semi-subterranean first floor that opens to a courtyard and a below-grade arcade that links the lower level of the building to the lower level of the south building (Records Hall). Records Hall fronts the North Mall as a two-story building on the north side. Due to a significant change in grade, the lowest floor of Records Hall then daylights out to the south at its full height, allowing the full, three-story building to be exposed when viewed from the south. At the west end of the paired buildings the North Mall will continue directly to the west where it intersects with the primary entry to the Robert Day Sciences Center. A separate path will likely be added to allow for direct connection to the pedestrian arcade that connects to the new parking structure located in the new sports bowl.
Floor Plans
The semi-subterranean ground floors of the buildings include lab spaces and lecture/seminar rooms. Mall levels include labs spaces, classrooms, and offices. Upper levels of both buildings are lined with offices along the windows with study, lounge, and huddle spaces located in the middle of the buildings. Large central stairs with porch spaces at each level occupy the center of each building and serve to connect the two buildings at both the mall level and semi-subterranean lower level.
The aggregate floor area for all three levels of the buildings is approximately 71,000 square feet, which is what is contemplated for this site in the CMC Master Plan. The floor area is split between the two buildings with Academic II having a proposed floor area of 35,000 square feet and Records Hall with a floor area of 36,000 square feet.
Building Design
The proposed buildings are infill buildings designed to blend with the styling of the existing campus and draw much of their design inspiration from the architectural styling of the Roberts North and South, located just east of Kravis Center. The Architect for this project, CO Architects, were also the designers of those buildings. The design consists of a simple modern design theme with a Mediterranean color palette of materials including with clay roof tiles, stucco, clay tile siding and floors, and panelized soffits in a terracotta color. The low-pitched roofs are fully hipped and covered with terra cotta tile. Window frames are a dark brown or bronze color that both ties with similar campus buildings and reinforces the Mediterranean color palette.
Staff refers the reader to the preliminary project plans (Attachment A), which include color renderings, perspective drawings, color elevations, building sections, and detail drawings that clearly describe the buildings’ architecture, materials, colors, and design intent. The building includes a thoughtful and innovative design consisting of very high-quality exterior materials that are consistent with the quality of design and materials found throughout the various campuses of the Claremont Colleges.
Landscape Plan
The preliminary plans (Attachment A) also include a conceptual landscape plan for the site. The plan shows the concept for landscaping around the perimeter of each building and a continuation of the type of planting found along the North Mall. A conceptual plant palette has been provided to convey the general intent for the planting plan, which has not yet been completed. The Conceptual Landscape Plan is Attachment B.
This project is at the preliminary design development stage. Some material choices and design details remain to be determined and others may change. The project will continue to evolve based on comments received from the public and the Commission during this preliminary review.
Staff Comments and Concerns
Staff is generally impressed with the design of the proposed building and finds it to be consistent with the CMC master plan and its most basic design element, lining infill academic buildings along the North Mall and locating iconic buildings near the main entrances to the campus. Staff also finds that the courtyard, stairway, and patio spaces located throughout will make the buildings feel open and inviting and engage well with the North Mall and surrounding campus development and circulation pathways. Finally, staff believes the buildings’ design and high-quality materials to be appropriate for Claremont and a continuation of the College’s efforts to create a first-class built environment for its students, faculty, and staff.
In reviewing the preliminary plans, staff has identified the following general concerns regarding the proposal:
1. Future submittals need to include street improvement, sidewalk, exterior lighting, and photometric plans.
2. Future submittals need to provide a detailed description of how the proposal is consistent with the CMC Master Plan, EIR, and MMRP.
3. Future submittals need to include more information regarding proposed landscaping including a tree disposition plan for all trees on the site, a detailed planting plan, irrigation plans, and water efficiency calculations.
4. Future submittals need to include additional information regarding proposed exterior materials and colors proposed for the project. This will include samples of all exterior colors and materials, particularly the proposed terra cotta elements and panelized soffit materials.
5. Future submittals need to include a detailed grading plan, which will assist in the evaluation of the potential for retaining existing on-site trees.
CEQA REVIEW
This preliminary review is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2)-(3), 15061(b)(3), and 15378(a) of the CEQA Guidelines. On its own, this preliminary review will not result in a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. The City will perform all necessary environmental review in connection with any final review of the project once it is proposed. Therefore, no additional review is required at this time.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
Notice of this design review was sent to all property owners located within 500 feet of the project site on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a paper copy, please contact Anne Bennett at ABennett@claremontca.gov.
The previously-approved Conceptual Site Plan, final design plans, FEIR, FEIR Addendum, MMRP, and supporting documents for the project are available for public review on the City website. Hard copies of these documents can be made available, with advance notice, at the Planning Division counter at City Hall.
Submitted by: Reviewed by:
David Crabtree Christopher Veirs
Interim Community Development Director City Planner
Attachments:
A - Preliminary Plans
B - Conceptual Landscape Plan
C - 2012 CMC Master Plan, including 2021 Revisions
D - Mitigation Measures Required under 2012 CMC Master Plan (MMRP)