TO: ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: MAY 14, 2025
SUBJECT:
Title
ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #22-A04AMD, REVIEW OF REVISED LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR ROBERT DAY SCIENCES CENTER (RDSC) AND SIGN REVIEW #25-S03, SIGNS FOR SOUTHWEST CORNER OF NINTH STREET AND CLAREMONT BOULEVARD AND RDSC - APPLICANT: CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE
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SUMMARY
The applicant, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), has requested approval of revisions to the previously approved landscape plan for a new integrated sciences building to be located on its campus near the intersection of Claremont Boulevard and Ninth Street. Landscape plans were initially approved on May 11, 2022; however, the college would like to revise these plans to make the landscaping more consistent with the broader campus landscape areas that have been updated significantly over the last five years. Because the scope of the revision is substantial, the Commission is being asked to review and approve the revisions.
CMC’s request also includes two new signs which have not been previously approved and are outside of the approved sign program for the college. The first sign is a building-mounted sign on the second floor of the northeast side of the RDSC reading “ROBERT DAY SCIENCES CENTER”. The second is an entry monument sign located adjacent to the southwest corner of the intersection of Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard reading; “CLAREMONT McKENNA COLLEGE ROBERTS CAMPUS”. The sign mounted to the RDSC is oversized because it is approximately 110 feet further from the intersection than the campus entry monument sign. This sign must be reduced in size or granted a sign adjustment by the Commission. Staff supports the proposed size given the building’s distance from the street and has made the necessary findings in the approval resolution for approval of the sign adjustment.
The signs have been designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the Danish architectural firm that designed the RDSC. The revised landscape plan is a collaboration between BIG, CMC landscape staff, and landscape architects from Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners (MRY). MRY authored the CMC Master Plan and have also designed several large landscape projects on the campus. Those landscapes are intended to integrate the entire campus with a common landscape that implements the master plan vision. The landscape palette is focused on native and drought-tolerant plants and rectilinear, human-scaled spaces linked by a series of pathways.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Architectural and Preservation Commission:
A. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CLAREMONT ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION APPROVING ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #22-A04AMD, REVIEW OF REVISED LANDSCAPE PLAN FOR ROBERT DAY SCIENCE CENTER (RDSC) AND SIGN REVIEW #25-S03, SIGNS FOR SOUTHWEST CORNER OF NINTH STREET AND CLAREMONT BOULEVARD AND RDSC - APPLICANT - CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE; and
B. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue the item for additional information or redesign of the proposal.
B. Approve the project with additional or revised conditions of approval. This alternative may also include approving the proposal, but denying the sign adjustment, which would require the applicant to reduce the size of the building-mounted sign to 50 square feet.
C. Express the intent to deny the request, specifically identifying the design review criteria that cannot be met and continue the matter to the May 28, 2025 meeting for adoption of a denial resolution.
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
The Robert Day Sciences Center is nearing completion and will open to students in the Fall 2025 semester. The striking building includes three above-ground floors with a roof height of approximately 57 feet. At its closest points, the building is approximately 85 feet west of Claremont Boulevard and 16 feet south of Ninth Street. The proposed building-mounted sign is designed to identify the building to passersby on Claremont Boulevard and is similar in size and shape to the recently constructed Roberts Pavilion sign, which is situated near the 6th Street entrance to the CMC Campus. The entry monument sign is similar to other CMC entry monuments, but not consistent with the approved sign program, as it is designed to pair with the building-mounted sign and to address the larger arterial street that borders this side of the campus. The revised landscape and signage plans are Attachments B and C.
The Architectural Commission (later renamed the Architectural and Preservation Commission) conducted a preliminary review of the RDSC on March 9, 2022. Commissioner comments at that meeting were strongly positive regarding the building, but requested revisions to the landscape plan. The landscape plans were significantly revised and approved by the Architectural Commission on May 11, 2022. Since that approval, the following changes have occurred:
• CMC has moved forward with a plan to develop the East Campus Sports Bowl, which includes a native-focused plant palette intended to emulate a natural arroyo and chaparral aesthetic for that 75-acre project.
• CMC has funded, and BIG has designed, a pedestrian tunnel under Claremont Boulevard linking the CMC campus to the East Campus Sports Bowl and parking structure. This structure links the sports bowl's landscape and design to the main campus and places a strong design element in the vicinity of the RDSC.
• The Fire Department has required widening of a 15’ pathway on the south end of the RDSC to provide fire truck access to that side of the building. This slightly constrains the area to be landscaped with the RDSC and creates a more rectilinear form to the area.
2012 Campus Master Plan
The Master Plan provides for the planned expansion of the college campus for a 30-year period beginning in 2012. The plan and associated EIR entitled a net increase in campus development of 722,888 square feet and an increase in the number of students from 1,150 to 1,400. The existence of the CMC Master Plan and EIR 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. The Master Plan includes a vision of a campus woven together by a pattern of open spaces, creating a series of east-west landscape corridors and north-south view corridors. The Adjusted 2012 CMC Master Plan is Attachment D.
Claremont McKenna Master Plan EIR
On July 10, 2012, a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), along with a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, was adopted in conjunction with the approval of the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan. The scope and potential impacts of the proposed science center in terms of the total square footage of academic space and a new four-story, 70-foot-tall building in the vicinity of the project’s proposed location were fully identified and analyzed by the Final EIR. The EIR includes 56 formal mitigation measures to ensure that the potential environmental impacts of the development contained in the Master Plan are mitigated to less than significant levels. These adopted mitigation measures have either been implemented already or will be implemented pursuant to the proposed conditions of approval for this project. Notable mitigation measures relate to completion of biological studies and bird surveys before start of construction, ensuring glare and nighttime light pollution are minimized, reduction of noise and air quality impacts due to construction and operation of the building, traffic mitigations, a construction management plan to minimize construction-related impacts, and tree preservation best practices. The mitigation measures are summarized in a 30-page summary table called the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) which is attached as Exhibit 1 to Attachment A, the Approval Resolution. The full Master Plan EIR can be viewed in the City’s document archive, which can be accessed via the City Website.
Project Description
Landscape Plan
The previously approved plans included a large patio and raised boardwalk over a large bioswale on the east end of the building; there was also a large curvilinear plaza on the northeast corner of the building designated for public art. The design de-emphasized the connection between Claremont Boulevard and the east façade of the building and included only narrow curving path to the east side of the building. Previously, it was thought the intent was for foot traffic to flow through the building; however, the college has moved away from that design due to concerns about security. The presence of the new pedestrian tunnel further minimizes the need for access at this end of the building. While there is still a connection for building users with key or code access to enter on the east side, the public will generally be encouraged to enter the building through its main entrances on the west elevation or its southwest corner near the beginning of the ramp to the tunnel.
The revised plans largely scrap the curvilinear lines of the first and second landscape plans in favor of more rectilinear lines and a series of smaller plazas connected by rectilinear walkways. This change is designed to tie the landscape at this edge of the campus all of the way through the entire campus to the Kravis Center, which has similar lines to the RDSC. The plan is consistent with several new landscapes on the campus that have been completed by MRY in order to implement the vision of CMC Master Plan. The plant palette has also been modified to include many of the primary plants found in these new landscapes including: Arbutus, Redbud, Engelmann Oak, California Sycamore, London Plane, Toyon, and Smoke Tree. The revised plans also include a more detailed planting plan for the various rooftop patio areas. These patios represent a green roof concept that will assist the facility in meeting its stormwater catchment requirements in conjunction with several bioswales. While a Fire Department requirement to widen an access road at the south end of the property has increased the width by 11 feet, the change has little impact on the landscaping on that side of the building which is steeply sloped and has limited landscape options.
Signage Plan
The signage plans propose two new signs. Both are oriented to the northeast, where they can be easily seen from the intersection of Claremont Boulevard and Ninth Street, a private street that serves as a primary entrance to the CMC and Pitzer College campuses. Both signs utilize a simple modern font (Scala Sans Pro Condensed with 300 Kerning) with all letters capitalized except the “c” in McKenna. Both signs feature reverse-can channel letters for halo illumination only. All letters have solid aluminum faces. The letters of the Sciences Center sign have a black anodized finish to provide contrast with the clear anodized aluminum parapet cap on which they are mounted. The monument sign will have anodized aluminum letters to provide contrast with the large Corten steel panel that they are mounted to. The Corten steel panel of the monument sign is mounted to concrete wall. The concrete wall includes integral color, Mesa Buff 5447 by Davis Colors, to match other monument signs that have recently been installed around the perimeter of the campus.
The entry monument sign adjacent to the southwest corner of the intersection of Ninth Street has a measured sign area of approximately 20 square feet and a height of approximately 4 feet. This is well below the 50 square feet and 6-foot height allowed by Section 18.030.020.B.1 of the Claremont Municipal Code for Major Institutional Identification Signs.
The building-mounted sign has a measured sign area of approximately 59.5 square feet, which exceeds the 50 square foot maximum allowed under Section 18.030.020. B. 2.b.i of the Claremont Municipal Code. Because the proposed sign is oversized by less than 20%, a sign adjustment is required. While decreasing the size of the sign is a fine solution to this issue, staff also believe that the granting of a sign adjustment is appropriate. The sign is on the second floor of the northeast side of the RDSC. It has been carefully designed to fill the space upon which is mounted. The sign is not particularly intense or conspicuous in that the colors are subdued, the letters are spaced widely and are relatively light in their appearance; not bold. Additionally, the sign is designed to coordinate with the monument sign on the corner and has been up-sized to make up for the fact that is much further from the intersection. The architect’s rendering of the signs, showing both daytime and evening views, show how the signs take on a similar scale when viewed together. Accordingly, staff has made the necessary findings in the draft approval resolution to grant the sign adjustment that is necessary to approve the sign as proposed.
Staff Comments and Concerns
The sign mounted to the RDSC is oversized because it is approximately 110 feet further from the intersection than the campus entry monument sign. This sign must be reduced in size or granted a sign adjustment by the Commission. Staff supports the proposed size given the building’s distance from the street and has made the necessary findings in the approval resolution for approval of the sign adjustment.
As for the landscape plan, staff worked with Commissioner Perry in advance of the meeting to review the plant palette and made several suggested revisions. The plan has been adjusted, however several of the suggested substitutions have not yet been addressed. Most notably the plan has not been adjusted to include more Coast Live Oaks, Arbutus Marina Trees, and Eastern Redbuds, which characterize the broader campus landscape. Staff is proposing that the Applicant continue to work with the City to refine the plant species and spacing and gain staff approval prior issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the RDSC. A condition of approval allows this work to be done exclusively by staff or by a subcommittee of the Commission if that is the preference of the Commission.
Overall, staff is impressed with the work that has gone into the landscape design and the desire of the college to integrate this landscape with the larger campus landscape plan that is rapidly improving the look and sustainability of the campus. Finally, staff finds that the design of both the signs and the landscape includes high-quality materials that are appropriate for Claremont and a continuation of the College’s efforts to create a first-class built environment for its students, faculty, and staff. Staff therefore recommends that the Architectural Commission approve the project, subject to the conditions of approval in the draft approval resolution (Attachment A).
CEQA REVIEW
On July 10, 2012, a Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), along with a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, was adopted by the City Council in conjunction with the approval of the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan. The scope and potential impacts of these minor revisions to the previously approved project were fully identified and analyzed by the Final EIR, and all applicable mitigation measures have either been implemented already or will be implemented pursuant to the proposed conditions of approval for this project. The Director of Community Development has determined, based on the application submittals and the whole of the administrative record, that no subsequent EIR is necessary pursuant to Section 15162 (a) of the California Environmental Quality Act, as no substantial changes to the project are proposed, no substantial changes in the circumstances under which the project is undertaken have occurred, and no new information of substantial importance has been provided.
In addition to the analysis that occurred in the EIR, the Project is also categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15311(a), which exempts construction of minor structures accessory to existing commercial or institutional facilities including on-premise signs and pursuant to Section 15304(b); which exempts minor alterations to land and/or vegetation including new landscaping that does not involve the removal of heathy, mature, scenic, trees. Therefore, no further environmental review is necessary.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
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 Pearl Juarez at pjuarez@claremontca.gov. Additionally, notice of this design review was sent to all property owners located within 500 feet of the project site on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
Submitted by: Reviewed by:
Brad Johnson Christopher Veirs
Community Development Director Principal Planner
Attachments:
A - Resolution Approving Revised Landscaping and Signage for the Robert Day Sciences Center
B - Revised Landscape Plans
C - Signage Plans
D - Adjusted 2012 CMC Master Plan