REPORT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 26, 2024 FROM: ASHLEY ATKINSON, Assistant Director Planning and Development Department BY: LISHA CHEN, Historic Preservation Specialist Planning and Development Department SUBJECT ..Title Consideration of the Property Owner's Request to Recommend City Council Designation of the following Property to the Local Register of Historic Resources and Adoption of Findings Pursuant to FMC 12-1607 & FMC 12-1609. 1. 1235 N Arthur Avenue (APN 45016209) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend to the City Council the designation of the following property to the Local Register of Historic Resources. * 1235 N Arthur Avenue (45016209) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY An application was submitted by the property owner to designate the property located at 1235 N Arthur Avenue (Assessor Parcel Number 45016209) as a local Historic Resource. The house along with the garage at 1235 N Arthur Avenue were evaluated and found eligible for local registration under Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607 Criteria a(i), (ii), and (iii). The home is associated with significant events and persons, and embodies distinctive architectural characteristics of its period. BACKGROUND 1235 N. Arthur Avenue The property at 1235 N Arthur Avenue is in the Tower District of the City of Fresno. Set on the north side of West Olive Avenue and the west side of North Arthur Avenue, the property consists of a 0.22-acre rectangular parcel with a one-story single-family residence and a garage set back in the parcel. It was constructed in 1921, a time when Fresno's population and economy were rapidly expanding. The city's population doubled from 12,470 in 1900 to 24,892 in 1910 and in response to this growth, in 1916 the Fresno City Board of Trustees established the city's first planning commission to manage and guide further development. Arthur Avenue was constructed during the 1920s, a period marked by economic prosperity and an increased demand for housing near the downtown industrial center. Most of the bungalows in this area date from the 1910s and 1920s, representing the era's most important form of moderate-cost housing. These homes highlight the modest character of the neighborhoods extending west along the Olive Avenue streetcar line, contrasting with the wealthier subdivisions to the north, such as Wilson's North Fresno Tract and the College Addition. The bungalow was a moderately priced domestic architecture suited to the California climate. Between 1922 and 1929, 883,000 new homes were built each year in the United States. New suburbs developed along the outskirts of every major city. The suburban neighborhoods were filled with the American Bungalow, which cost between $1,500 and $5,000, a price that was affordable for the growing middle class. The house at 1235 N Arthur Ave was built at a cost of $6,000. It exhibits features of early 20th century Craftsman-style architecture, which is considered the most common house type of the period. The major elements of the style are evident including clipped gables with large attic vents; a large gabled front porch with two sets of round columns; deep roof overhangs with exposed beams and rafters; and wood siding and trim. Miles O. Humphreys is found to be the first owner of the house. He was the son of a pioneer Fresno County family that arrived in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Notably, Humphreys served as the first chairman of the Fresno City Planning Commission, holding this position for nearly 20 years. His leadership was instrumental in shaping the city's growth and development. Humphreys was actively involved in community affairs until his retirement in 1938 due to ill health. After Humphreys' death in 1945, his wife, Irma, continued to reside in the house until her death in 1974. Analysis Any building, structure, object or site may be designated as an Historic Resource if it is found by the Commission and Council to meet the FMC SEC. 12-1607. - Designation Criteria. (1) It has been in existence more than fifty years, and it possesses aspects of integrity to convey its significance based upon location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association, and: (i) It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or (ii)It is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or (iii) It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or (iv) It has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. (2) It has been in existence less than fifty years, it meets the criteria of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and is of exceptional importance within the appropriate historical context, local, state or national. The house was constructed in 1921, making it more than 100 years old. It retains its integrity in terms of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association as a Craftsman Bungalow with character-defining features still intact. It is found to be associated with significant events and persons, and it embodies distinctive architectural characteristics of its period. The house is part of the historical growth and development period of Fresno, specifically during the city's rapid expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The development of Arthur Avenue during the 1920s is representative of the broader patterns of housing demand near industrial centers and the expansion of suburban neighborhoods. Secondly, the house was first owned by Miles O. Humphreys, a significant figure in Fresno's history. Miles O. Humphreys played a pivotal role in Fresno's urban development history as the first chairman of the Fresno City Planning Commission. His nearly two-decade-long tenure saw the establishment and implementation of foundational planning principles that guided the city's growth during a critical period of expansion, creating the house's association with a person significant in the past. Lastly, the house embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Craftsman Bungalow style, popular in the early 20th century. Features such as the low-pitched gabled roof, exposed rafters, trellised porch, grouped windows, and wood siding exemplify the architectural style and construction methods of that period. To conclude, the house along with the garage located at 1235 N. Arthur Ave meets the criteria a(i), (ii), and (iii)for historic designation under the Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607. Duties and Powers of the Commission SEC. 12-1606. - DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION. (a) The primary duties of the Commission shall be: (1) The identification, designation and preservation of Historic Resources and Historic Districts owned by the city or located within the city limits; (b)The Commission shall have the following additional duties and powers: (1) Conduct studies and evaluations of applications requesting the designation of Historic Districts, make determinations and recommendations as appropriate for consideration of such applications in order to effectuate the purposes of this article. SEC. 12-1609. - HISTORIC RESOURCES. (c) Commission Hearing: (1) The Commission shall review all materials prepared and submitted and only members of the Commission who have physically visited and seen the proposed property may vote on the designation recommendation. (2) At the conclusion of the hearing, the Commission shall recommend to the Council approval, disapproval or modification of the proposal for designation and make findings in support of that recommendation; or the Commission may continue the hearing. (3) An affirmative roll call vote of a majority of the authorized membership of the Commission is required for a recommendation to the City Council. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS The designation is not a "project" for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), as it will not result in a direct or indirect change in the environment. FRESNO MUNICIPAL CODE FINDINGS The house along with the garage located at 1235 N. Arthur Ave meets the criteria a(i), (ii), and (iii)for historic designation under the Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607. CONCLUSION Staff recommends that the Historic Preservation Commission recommend to the City Council the designation of the following properties to the Local Register of Historic Resources. * 1235 N Arthur Ave (45016209) ATTACHMENTS Exhibit A - 1235 N Arthur Ave Application for Designation of an Historic Resource Exhibit B - 1235 N Arthur Ave Letter of Owner Authorization Exhibit C - 1235 N Arthur Ave DPR Inventory forms Exhibit D - 1235 N Arthur Ave Public Hearing Notice & Noticing Map Exhibit E - Fresno Municipal Code Designation Criteria and Process