community development department planning division 1600
TRANSCRIPT
Community Development Department – Planning Division 1600 First Street + P.O. Box 660
Napa, CA 94559-0660
(707) 257-9530
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
OCTOBER 14, 2020
AGENDA ITEM 7.A File No. PL20-0112 – WESSON MILLS ACT CONTRACT I. GENERAL INFORMATION PROJECT Request for a Mills Act Contract for ongoing preservation of a historic SUMMARY: property LOCATION OF 1488 Calistoga Avenue PROPERTY: APN: 003-151-019 GENERAL PLAN: Traditional Residential Infill (TRI-143) ZONING: Traditional Residential (RT-4) HISTORIC Local Landmark Property (LLM), Contributor within the Calistoga
Avenue Historic District; National Register Property INVENTORY: APPLICANT / Karen Wesson Phone: 510-220-4691 PROPERTY 2072 Kirkland Road OWNER: Napa, CA 94558 STAFF PLANNER: Michael Walker, Senior Planner Phone: 707-257-9530
LOCATION MAP
PL21-0112 - Wesson Mills Act Contract Historic Eligibility Review 2
II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND The City has received a request for approval of a Mills Act Contract on a property that is being restored. The Mills Act Contract is requested for the purpose of obtaining a property tax reduction to help off-set the cost of repairs that the owners incurred in their efforts to restore and preserve the subject historic building and for ongoing preservation of the building. No new work is proposed with this request. The full restoration plan is further described in the Project Description and the Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan, attached as Attachment 2 and Attachment 3, respectively. Mills Act Contract Overview Mills Act: The Mills Act was adopted by the State legislature in 1972. The Mills Act provides a means for an owner to reduce property taxes on a historic property in exchange for an agreement with a local government entity that the owners maintain the property’s historic character. The purpose is to encourage the renovation and maintenance of historic properties throughout the State by providing a tax incentive. It is similar to the Williamson Act, which encourages the preservation of agricultural land in return for a lower property tax rate. The Mills Act enables local governments to enter into a voluntary contract with owners of historic properties. The City is not obliged to enter into a contract even if the properties are eligible. The contract extends for an initial term of 10 years. It will automatically renew each year on its anniversary date creating a new 10-year agreement unless the property owner or the City provides a notice of non-renewal. In such case, the contract will terminate at the end of the current 10-year term or the applicable renewal term. In order for a property to be eligible, it must be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, be listed on the California Register of Historic Places, or be listed on a local inventory. The subject property is eligible because it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the City’s local historic inventory. Responsibility of Parties: The property owner must agree to restore (if necessary) and maintain the property in a manner appropriate to its historic character. The local government is responsible for monitoring the property to ensure that the owner performs the agreed to restoration and/or maintenance. Many communities use the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation as their restoration standard. However, each community makes its own determination as to what will be required of property owners. Should the City determine the property owner has breached the terms of the contract, the City can bring legal action against the owner or simply cancel the contract. If the contract is cancelled for this reason, a penalty of 12.5% of the market value of the property at the time of cancellation is assessed. Although the contract is initially made between the existing property owner and the City, it remains with the property even after it is sold. When the property transfers, it is not re-assessed at its new market value, thereby allowing the new property owners to enjoy a pre-existing reduced tax rate. This can contribute to the overall value of the historic property.
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Scope of Review The Mills Act Contract and associated Rehabilitation, Restoration and Preservation Plan requires review and approval by the City Council. However, any restoration or reconstruction work proposed in conjunction with a Mills Act Contract request is subject to the provisions of the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance and may require review and approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness by the Commission. For Mills Act Contract requests, the Commission’s primary role is to determine whether the site continues to have historic integrity and is therefore eligible for a Mills Act Contract. The Commission’s expertise in reviewing historic properties and associated restoration/rehabilitation work will be beneficial to the City Council’s review of the Rehabilitation, Restoration and Preservation Plan required to be submitted for each new Contract. A draft copy of the Mills Act Contract and Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan has been attached to this report for the Commission’s review (see Attachments 1 and 3, respectively). Upon confirmation of historic eligibility based upon the previously mentioned listing criteria, the Commission will forward a recommendation to the City Council to approve a contract for the site. The Mills Act Contract request for 1488 Calistoga Avenue does not include improvements that require approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness. Future exterior alterations may require additional review pursuant to the Historic Preservation Ordinance (NMC Chapter 15.52). III. ANALYSIS The proposed Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan does not propose new work that would be subject to an additional Certificate of Appropriateness. Previous and future rehabilitation projects are fully described in the Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan and outlined below:
• Rehabilitation of historic elements.
• Restoration of interior features such as wall texture & painting, lighting, door hardware, and original wood trim features.
• Kitchen upgrades.
• Ongoing repairs and maintenance.
In order to be considered eligible for the subsequent tax year assessment, a contract must be approved and recorded at the County by the end of the calendar year. Following the Commission’s review, the contract will need to be agendized for City Council review and action. Consequently, the subject contract has been tentatively scheduled for City Council review on November 16, 2021. A. General Plan and Zoning No modifications are proposed to site use, density or building setbacks. The Rehabilitation Plan is consistent with General Plan and Zoning requirements.
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B. Verification of Eligible Historic Status The subject property is on the City’s Historic Resources Inventory as a Local Landmark (LLM) property within the Calistoga Avenue Historic District. The residential structure was originally built circa 1886 and has been used for residential purposes. The subject property is one of three nearly identical single-story Queen Anne cottages built during the rapid development of Calistoga Avenue in the late 19th Century. Although built as speculative housing for more moderate incomes, the cottages at 1476, 1484, and 1488 Calistoga embodied many decorative traits of larger homes such as the distinctive square front bay windows and shingled mansard cornice beneath the gable roof. Decorative bargeboards in the gable ends and delicate turned porch columns reflect the Stick and Eastlake influences of the period.
FIGURE 1: VIEW OF SUBJECT PROPERTY FROM CALISTOGA AVENUE
IV. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Commission determine that the project is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, which exempts minor alterations to an existing structure, and Section 15331, which exempts projects that rehabilitate, restore, preserve and conserve historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.
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V. PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of the scheduled public hearing was provided on September 29, 2021, by US Postal Service to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the subject property. Notice of the public hearing was also published in the Napa Valley Register on October 1, 2021 and provided to people previously requesting notice on the matter at the same time notice was provided to the newspaper for publication. The Applicant was also provided a copy of this report and the associated attachments in advance of the public hearing on the project. VI. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Commission provide comments or recommendations on the Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan and forward a recommendation to the City Council to: (a) determine that the project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15331 of the CEQA Guidelines; and (b) approve the Mills Act Contract. VII. ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION 1. Recommend denial of the contract. VIII. DOCUMENTS ATTACHED
ATCH 1 – Draft Mills Act Contract for 1488 Calistoga Avenue ATCH 2 – Project Description ATCH 3 – Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan and Historic Background Materials
ATTACHMENT 1
Page 1 of 5
RECORDING REQUESTED BY
CITY OF NAPA Exempt from Recording Fees Government Code 27383
WHEN RECORDED MAIL TO:
CITY CLERK CITY OF NAPA P.O. Box 660 Napa, CA 94558
SPACE ABOVE THIS LINE FOR RECORDER'S USE
APN: 003-151-019
“MILLS ACT” HISTORICAL PROPERTY PRESERVATION AGREEMENT
(Government Code Sections 50280 et seq.)
1488 Calistoga Avenue
THIS AGREEMENT, dated _____________, 2021, is by and between Karen Wesson (“Owner”), and the City of Napa, a California charter city (“City”), and provides as follows:
RECITALS WHEREAS, Owner owns certain real property, together with associated historic structures and improvements thereon, located at 1488 Calistoga Avenue, in the City of Napa, Napa County (“the Property”), more particularly described in Exhibit “A”, attached hereto and made a part hereof; and WHEREAS, the Property is a “qualified historical property” as defined in California Government Code Section 50280.1; and WHEREAS, both Owner and City desire to protect and preserve the Property so as to retain its characteristics of historical significance;
AGREEMENT NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises, declarations, covenants and agreements of the parties set forth herein, and the substantial public benefit derived therefrom, the parties agree as follows: 1. Authority. This Agreement is made under authority of Government Code Sections 50280 et seq. (“Historical Property Contracts”). 2. Term of Agreement. This Agreement shall be effective commencing on the date it is signed by the City Clerk below, attesting to full execution of the Agreement by both parties (“Effective Date”), and shall remain in effect for a minimum period of ten years therefrom. Each year on the anniversary of the Effective Date, the term will automatically be extended by a year as provided in Paragraph 5 of this Agreement. 3. Limitations on Land Use. During the term of this Agreement, the Property shall be subject to the following provisions, requirements, and restrictions:
ATTACHMENT 1
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(a) Owner shall preserve and maintain the Property, as a qualified historic property, in no less than equal to the condition of the Property as of the date hereof.
(i.) A Site Plan of the location of all buildings on the Property is detailed in Exhibit “B” attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. Any proposed work to be performed on the Property, including any restoration, rehabilitation or preservation, must be reviewed and processed by the City in compliance with Napa Municipal Code Chapter 15.52, “Historic Preservation.” (ii.) Owner shall, when necessary, restore and rehabilitate the Property to conform to the rules and regulations of the Office of Historic Preservation of the Department of Parks and Recreation, the United States Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and the State Historical Building Code as articulated in the Attached Ten Year Rehabilitation Plan (Exhibit “C”) or as confirmed through a Certificate of Appropriateness approved by the City in accordance with Napa Municipal Code Chapter 15.52. Additionally, Owner shall provide whatever information shall be required by City to determine the Property’s continuing eligibility as a qualified historic property.
(b) All buildings, structures, yards and other improvements shall be maintained in a manner which does not detract from the appearance of the immediate neighborhood. The following conditions are prohibited:
(i.) Dilapidated, deteriorating, or unrepaired structures and components, such as fences, roof, doors, walls and windows; (ii.) Scrap lumber, junk, trash or debris; (iii.) Abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment, such as automobiles, automobile parts, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, can containers, or similar items; (iv.) Stagnant water or excavations, including in pools or spas; and (v.) Any device, decoration, design, structure or vegetation which is unsightly by reason of its height, condition, or its inappropriate location.
(c) Owner shall provide for the periodic examinations of the interior and exterior of the premises by the Office of the Napa County Assessor, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the State Board of Equalization, and the City, as may be necessary to determine the Owner’s compliance with this Agreement.
4. Successors in interest. The Owner hereby voluntarily subjects the Property to the covenants, conditions and restrictions set forth in this Agreement. City and Owner hereby declare their specific intent that the covenants, conditions and restrictions as set forth herein shall be deemed covenants running with the land and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of, all successors and assigns in title or interest of the Owner. A successor in interest shall have the same rights and obligations under this Agreement as the original Owner who entered into this Agreement. Each and every contract, deed or other instrument hereinafter executed, covering or conveying the Property, or any portion thereof, shall conclusively be held to have been executed, delivered and accepted subject to the covenants, conditions and restrictions expressed in this Agreement whether or not such covenant, conditions and restrictions are set forth in such contract, deed or other instrument.
ATTACHMENT 1
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5. Renewal. (a) Each year on the anniversary of the Effective Date of this Agreement one year shall automatically be added to the term of this Agreement, unless notice of non-renewal is given as provided in this paragraph. After five years, and every five years thereafter, the Owner shall arrange with the City to inspect the interior and exterior of the Property to determine the Owner’s continued compliance with this Agreement. If Owner or City desire in any year not to renew this Agreement, that party shall serve written notice of non-renewal of this Agreement on the other party in advance of the annual renewal date of this Agreement. Unless the notice is served by the Owner at least 90 days prior to the renewal date, or by the City at least 60 days prior to the renewal date, one year shall automatically be added to the term of this Agreement. (b) Upon receipt by the Owner of a notice from City of non-renewal, the Owner may make a written protest of the notice of non-renewal. City may, at any time prior to the renewal date, withdraw the notice of non-renewal. (c) If City or Owner serve a notice of intent in any year not to renew this Agreement, this Agreement shall remain in effect for the balance of the period remaining since the original execution or the last renewal of this Agreement, as the case may be. 6. Cancellation for Breach. Following a noticed public hearing as required by Government Code Section 50285, City may cancel this Agreement if it determines that Owner has breached any of the conditions of this Agreement, or has allowed the Property to deteriorate to the point that it no longer meets the standard for a qualified historic property. City may also cancel this Agreement if it determines that Owner has failed to restore or rehabilitate the Property in the manner specified in this Agreement. If the City determines that performance of this Agreement has become infeasible due to damage to the Property caused by force majeure (such as flood, tornado, lightening, or earthquake), this Agreement may be cancelled upon the Owner’s application without payment of the cancellation fee, to the extent that non-payment is permitted by law. 7. Cancellation Fee. If this Agreement is cancelled pursuant to paragraph 6 above, Owner shall pay a cancellation fee equal to 12 ½ % of the current fair market value of the Property, as determined by the Office of the Napa County Assessor as though the Property were free of the restrictions set forth in this Agreement. The cancellation fee shall be paid to the Office of the Napa County Auditor (“County Auditor”), at the time and in the manner that the County Auditor shall prescribe, and shall be allocated by the County Auditor to each jurisdiction in the tax rate area in which the Property is located in the same manner as the auditor allocates the annual tax increment in that tax rate area in that fiscal year. 8. Notice and Recordation. (a) All notices required or contemplated by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the respective party as set forth in this section. Communications shall be deemed to be effective upon the first to occur of: (a) actual receipt by a party’s Authorized Representative, or (b) actual receipt at the address designated below, or (c) three working days following deposit in the United States Mail of registered or certified mail sent to the address designated below. The Authorized Representative of either party may modify their respective contact information identified in this section by providing notice to the other party.
To: City of Napa To: Owner, Attn: Community Development Director Karen Wesson City of Napa 2072 Kirkland Road P.O. Box 660 Napa, CA 94558 Napa, CA 94559 (b) No later than 20 days after City enters into this Agreement with Owner, the City Clerk shall record a copy of this Agreement with the Office of the Napa County Recorder, which shall describe the Property. From and after the time of the recordation, this Agreement shall impart a notice thereof to all persons as is afforded by the recording laws of the State of California.
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(c) Owner shall provide written notice of this Agreement to the Office of Historic Preservation within six months of entering into this Agreement and attention to: Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer State of California Office of Historic Preservation 1725-23rd Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95816 9. Prevailing Party. The prevailing party in any action to interpret or enforce this Agreement shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney’s fees. 10. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended, in whole or in part, only by a written recorded instrument executed by the parties hereto. 11. Signatures. The individuals executing this Agreement represent and warrant that they have the right, power, legal capacity, and authority to enter into and execute this Agreement on behalf of the respective legal entities of the Owner and the City. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
12. Indemnification. To the full extent permitted by law, Owner will indemnify, hold harmless, release, and defend the City (including its officers, elected or appointed officials, employees, volunteers, and agents) from and against any and all liability or claims (including actions, demands, damages, injuries, settlements, losses, or costs [including legal costs and attorney's fees]) (collectively, “Liability”) of any nature, arising out of, pertaining to, or relating to Owner’s acts or omissions under this Agreement. Consistent with Civil Code Section 2782, Owner will not be obligated to indemnify City for the proportionate share of the Liability caused by the City’s active negligence, sole negligence, or willful misconduct. Owner’s indemnification obligations under this Agreement are not limited by any limitations of any insurance held by Owner, including, but not limited to, workers’ compensation insurance.
13. Severability. If any term of this Agreement (including any phrase, provision, covenant, or condition) is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, the Agreement will be construed as not containing that term, and the remainder of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect; provided, however, this section will not be applied to the extent that it would result in a frustration of the parties’ intent under this Agreement. 14. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Venue. The interpretation, validity, and enforcement of this Agreement will be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California. Any suit, claim, or legal proceeding of any kind related to this Agreement will be filed and heard in a court of competent jurisdiction in the County of Napa. 15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each one of which is deemed an original, but all of which together constitute a single instrument. 16. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including all documents incorporated herein by reference, comprises the entire integrated understanding between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof. This Agreement supersedes all prior negotiations, agreements, and understandings regarding this matter, whether written or oral. The documents incorporated by reference into this Agreement are complementary; what is called for in one is binding as if called for in all. If any provision in any document attached or incorporated into this Agreement conflicts or is inconsistent with a provision in the body of this Agreement, the provisions in the body of this Agreement will control over any such conflicting or inconsistent provisions. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed the day and year first above written.
ATTACHMENT 1
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CITY OF NAPA: OWNER: _________________________________ Karen Wesson Steve Potter, City Manager ATTEST: By: ___________________________________ (Signature)
_________________________________ (Signature) ___________________________________ (Print name and title)
Tiffany Carranza, City Clerk
COUNTERSIGNED:
_________________________________ (Signature)
Joy Riesenberg, City Auditor Address: 2072 Kirkland Road Napa, CA 94558 APPROVED AS TO FORM: _________________________________ (Signature) Michael W. Barrett, City Attorney
BUDGET CODE:_________
SIGNATURES MUST BE NOTARIZED
*Corporation, partnership, limited liability
corporation, sole proprietorship, etc. Unless corporate resolution delegates an individual to sign contracts, an agreement with a corporation shall be signed by the President or Vice President and the Secretary or Treasurer of the corporation. A general partner shall sign on behalf of a general partnership. The managing member, if authorized, may sign on behalf of a limited liability corporation.
EXHIBIT B
1
Mills Act 1488 Calistoga Avenue · Napa · California Ten-Year Improvement Plan
Historic homes require constant attention and maintenance. When the current owner purchased this property in September 2020 many improvements and recent maintenance had been performed. A new foundation, development of the basement into living space, fire sprinkler systems installed, upgrades in the wiring, plumbing and HVAC systems as well as having been painted on the exterior within the last year had been completed. The lower rear stairs that are directly exposed to the weather were replaced late last year by the new owner. At the same time some of the adjoining beadboard was also replaced. That is often how it goes; one repair leads to the next.
Victorians are prized homes and have so much visual interest. It is the details that add character and make up the style that is so highly sought after and enjoyed. Often, overtime, these details are discarded to modernize or were too much trouble to replace after a part failed or just
EXHIBIT C
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ignorance in the value of preserving the original features. There are some issues with this cottage that with simple attention the character could be reestablished.
The cottage is currently occupied by tenants. This creates some challenges to implementing a yearly improvement plan to follow without disturbing the occupants. This is especially so since one does not know the length of time tenants plan to occupy the property. Time in between tenants would allow for interior projects. There are, however, exterior projects that can be completed with minimal interruption to the occupants.
To best provide a ten-year plan a list below describes and shows ways in which the cottage can be maintained, restored, renovated, and preserved while being respectful to the tenants that occupy the home and allowing the improvement process to be flexible. Most of these would be exterior projects while tenants occupy the home. There are some detailed items listed below but often it is all in the details that make the overall work together successfully. If left undone overtime the whole of the character will deteriorate.
Exterior:
• The front exterior stair and porch railing appears to be original except the horizontal bars have been removed. A faint line can be seen in places where the bars once were located. The other cottages still have this detail to provide a pattern. These pieces can be added to restore this detail, in-kind. This detail would unify the three cottages on this point once again.
• The cottage next door has a leaded glass transom window above the front door. It is possible, and would have been common, to have this detail originally. A leaded glass window or an etched glass window would be period appropriate. Upon close examination of the home at 1476, which has clear plate glass in the transom, it is apparent the glass currently there is not original. At one time leaded glass windows were removed as they fell out of favor or to modernize or if they simply failed.
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• The other two cottages have remarkably similar front doors. It would be a challenge to locate and replace the somewhat more modern door with a similar antique door but possible. Antique appropriate hardware would finish out the restoration.
• Periodical inspections of exterior dry rot on trim, facia, siding and stairs would be necessary to maintain the integrity of the features. Repairs could be performed on the exterior with little disturbance to the tenants. It is common to begin repairing one item that leads to the discovery of additional items that need repairing. Sometimes you cannot always plan a schedule. Weather and insects can accelerate unexpected repairs.
• On the lower exterior level open patio overhang non-exterior beadboard was used on the ceiling. Over time and depending on exposure to moisture this will need to be replaced with appropriate exterior grade beadboard and then prepped and painted. The beadboard in place has already begun to swell and shows signs of need for attention.
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• The exterior of the cottage was painted about two years ago. It will need to be repainted in 4-6 years. It may be necessary to repaint even twice during the next ten years. Dry rot and repairs will most likely reveal more issues to address at the time of painting.
• The pediment on the front gable is missing the side decorative narrow brackets. You can see the faint lines of where the brackets were at one time. The neighboring cottages have identical corbels. These could be copied/traced from the originals, with permission from one of the neighboring owners, and re-installed. Because of the need for ladders and the necessary paint touchup, this might be best to do when the house is painted.
• The basement front window was replaced with an updated double pane window. When
this was done the pediment and bullseye detail were removed. This detail can be seen on the other two cottages. A modified version of this could be applied to reflect the original detail.
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Interior:
• Most likely when the wiring was updated on the interior, the lathe and plaster was removed, and the wall covered with drywall. It now has a sprayed “knockdown” texture which is a technique that creates a pattern, akin to stucco which was popular starting in the middle of the last century. This texture is not in keeping with what would have been there originally. Typically lath-and-plaster walls were finished with a smooth plaster coat. To provide an appropriate look to the walls and ceiling, the surfaces would need to be re-textured to reflect the texture of plaster. The walls would then need to be primed and painted.
• Lighting is important to reflect the character of a home. Lighting of the time a home was built may not be appropriate to current needs, styles, and safety. Gas lighting, kerosene or candles would be examples of period lighting that would not be safe today in a home. There are alternatives that complement the period of a home. Some of the lighting in this home could be improved to reflect a better sense of time. Replacement of various lighting would be best completed during the retexturing and painting. In the kitchen a better design of the ceiling attic access point at the same time would be best.
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• The interior trim has many layers of paint. As a result, the finish is not smooth and adding further layers of paint would just make the texture more uneven. The trim needs to be properly prepared to minimize the underlayers of long-ago peeling paint before painting it again. It is possible, as in the house at 1476 Calistoga Avenue, that the casings and trim are all redwood. The woodwork at the house at that location has never been painted and still retains the original dark stain and faux paint. To restore it to the original stained redwood to this house would be an immense undertaking.
• A picture rail was probably originally installed on the lathe and plaster walls. All the
picture rails have been removed most likely when the drywall was installed. The two other cottages still have picture rails. When the walls are re-textured, it would be appropriate to install picture rails.
• In the downstairs area, which is on a concrete slab below grade level, the baseboards installed are not rated for damp areas. They have started to fail, swelling unevenly from the moisture. They need to be replaced with appropriate materials to prevent eventual disintegration and loss of structure.
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• The kitchen needs upgrading. The stove has no hood. One of the primary benefits of installing a range hood above the cooking stove is that it eliminates gasses and pollutants in your kitchen that are potentially toxic. This reduces the presence of germs, bacteria or mold which can cause other secondary problems. A range hood helps to remove excess heat that keeps your kitchen somewhat cooler. The kitchen will need to be replaced within the next ten years along with the current more modern looking tile flooring.
• The floors upstairs in the entry, parlor and dining room are very dark, almost black, stained oak. This flooring is not original but works with the style of the home. Continuing this flooring (and perhaps changing the stain) into the two upstairs bedrooms, which are currently covered in wall-to-wall carpet, and into the kitchen would be historically appropriate and more suitable to an allergy free home.
• The door hardware, hinges, door plates and handles could be restored by removing paint from the hardware, replacing the knobs with porcelain knobs which were probably there originally (the home at 1476 still maintains steeple decorative hinges and black porcelain knobs).
EXHIBIT C
Mills Act 1488 Calistoga Avenue · Napa · California Written Project Description
The cottage at 1488 Calistoga Avenue is a designated historic resource and listed on the City of Napa’s Historic Resource Inventory. The designation is a Local Landmark. This property is unique in that it is one of three nearly identical cottages built by George Horton in 1886. Horton purchased the 120’ x 120’ vacant lot on Calistoga Avenue in December of 1885 from Thomas and Francis Earl, who had built a nearby large Italianate home in 1861 which still exists today. Across the street from the Horton property was the Napa Collegiate Institute which began operating in the early 1860s. Horton was eager to build right away on his property and wasted no time in securing plans and a contractor. Within three months a contractor, C. W. Wilkins from Oakland, and a crew of six arrived in early March of 1886 to begin construction of the three cottages. The cottages would be completed in only three months. Speculation building was common, but the construction of three virtually identical cottages was rare in Napa at the time. Horton later sold the cottage at 1488 Calistoga Avenue in 1889 to Mark Hopkins Strong, a well-known Napa Valley photographer, who recorded the changing landscape of Napa for forty years. A completed research by the current owner on this property is attached that provides more details into the people that owned, built, and lived in this cottage.
Slight exterior modifications and changes have occurred on these three cottages over the last 135 years. Since they are virtually identical one can compare and observe the modifications, differences, and original features. This is helpful in providing a plan for recreating, in-kind, any restoration of the property.
When the current owner purchased this property in September 2020 many improvements and recent maintenance had been performed. A new foundation, development of the basement into living space, fire sprinkler systems installed, upgrades in the wiring, plumbing and HVAC systems as well as having been painted on the exterior within the last year, had been completed. The cottage has had a head-start in the right direction in preserving the integrity of the structure. However, ongoing attention to preserve and restore this property will require constant consideration.
The Calistoga Avenue District was the first historical area officially recognized by the City of Napa. Just last year the area received a plaque recognizing this historical neighborhood. This neighborhood fosters pride of ownership. The Mills Act on this qualified property would allow for preserving, rehabilitation, restoring, and reconstructing of this historical property while receiving property tax relief. Careful attention would be given to follow the guidance of the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties on work on this historic home.
The investment in this property is an investment into the preservation of the character of this cottage and its contribution to the Calistoga Avenue Historic neighborhood for all to enjoy.
ATTACHMENT 2
1
Mills Act 1488 Calistoga Avenue · Napa · California Ten-Year Improvement Plan
Historic homes require constant attention and maintenance. When the current owner purchased this property in September 2020 many improvements and recent maintenance had been performed. A new foundation, development of the basement into living space, fire sprinkler systems installed, upgrades in the wiring, plumbing and HVAC systems as well as having been painted on the exterior within the last year had been completed. The lower rear stairs that are directly exposed to the weather were replaced late last year by the new owner. At the same time some of the adjoining beadboard was also replaced. That is often how it goes; one repair leads to the next.
Victorians are prized homes and have so much visual interest. It is the details that add character and make up the style that is so highly sought after and enjoyed. Often, overtime, these details are discarded to modernize or were too much trouble to replace after a part failed or just
ATTACHMENT 3
2
ignorance in the value of preserving the original features. There are some issues with this cottage that with simple attention the character could be reestablished.
The cottage is currently occupied by tenants. This creates some challenges to implementing a yearly improvement plan to follow without disturbing the occupants. This is especially so since one does not know the length of time tenants plan to occupy the property. Time in between tenants would allow for interior projects. There are, however, exterior projects that can be completed with minimal interruption to the occupants.
To best provide a ten-year plan a list below describes and shows ways in which the cottage can be maintained, restored, renovated, and preserved while being respectful to the tenants that occupy the home and allowing the improvement process to be flexible. Most of these would be exterior projects while tenants occupy the home. There are some detailed items listed below but often it is all in the details that make the overall work together successfully. If left undone overtime the whole of the character will deteriorate.
Exterior:
• The front exterior stair and porch railing appears to be original except the horizontal bars have been removed. A faint line can be seen in places where the bars once were located. The other cottages still have this detail to provide a pattern. These pieces can be added to restore this detail, in-kind. This detail would unify the three cottages on this point once again.
• The cottage next door has a leaded glass transom window above the front door. It is possible, and would have been common, to have this detail originally. A leaded glass window or an etched glass window would be period appropriate. Upon close examination of the home at 1476, which has clear plate glass in the transom, it is apparent the glass currently there is not original. At one time leaded glass windows were removed as they fell out of favor or to modernize or if they simply failed.
ATTACHMENT 3
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• The other two cottages have remarkably similar front doors. It would be a challenge to locate and replace the somewhat more modern door with a similar antique door but possible. Antique appropriate hardware would finish out the restoration.
• Periodical inspections of exterior dry rot on trim, facia, siding and stairs would be necessary to maintain the integrity of the features. Repairs could be performed on the exterior with little disturbance to the tenants. It is common to begin repairing one item that leads to the discovery of additional items that need repairing. Sometimes you cannot always plan a schedule. Weather and insects can accelerate unexpected repairs.
• On the lower exterior level open patio overhang non-exterior beadboard was used on the ceiling. Over time and depending on exposure to moisture this will need to be replaced with appropriate exterior grade beadboard and then prepped and painted. The beadboard in place has already begun to swell and shows signs of need for attention.
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• The exterior of the cottage was painted about two years ago. It will need to be repainted in 4-6 years. It may be necessary to repaint even twice during the next ten years. Dry rot and repairs will most likely reveal more issues to address at the time of painting.
• The pediment on the front gable is missing the side decorative narrow brackets. You can see the faint lines of where the brackets were at one time. The neighboring cottages have identical corbels. These could be copied/traced from the originals, with permission from one of the neighboring owners, and re-installed. Because of the need for ladders and the necessary paint touchup, this might be best to do when the house is painted.
• The basement front window was replaced with an updated double pane window. When
this was done the pediment and bullseye detail were removed. This detail can be seen on the other two cottages. A modified version of this could be applied to reflect the original detail.
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Interior:
• Most likely when the wiring was updated on the interior, the lathe and plaster was removed, and the wall covered with drywall. It now has a sprayed “knockdown” texture which is a technique that creates a pattern, akin to stucco which was popular starting in the middle of the last century. This texture is not in keeping with what would have been there originally. Typically lath-and-plaster walls were finished with a smooth plaster coat. To provide an appropriate look to the walls and ceiling, the surfaces would need to be re-textured to reflect the texture of plaster. The walls would then need to be primed and painted.
• Lighting is important to reflect the character of a home. Lighting of the time a home was built may not be appropriate to current needs, styles, and safety. Gas lighting, kerosene or candles would be examples of period lighting that would not be safe today in a home. There are alternatives that complement the period of a home. Some of the lighting in this home could be improved to reflect a better sense of time. Replacement of various lighting would be best completed during the retexturing and painting. In the kitchen a better design of the ceiling attic access point at the same time would be best.
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• The interior trim has many layers of paint. As a result, the finish is not smooth and adding further layers of paint would just make the texture more uneven. The trim needs to be properly prepared to minimize the underlayers of long-ago peeling paint before painting it again. It is possible, as in the house at 1476 Calistoga Avenue, that the casings and trim are all redwood. The woodwork at the house at that location has never been painted and still retains the original dark stain and faux paint. To restore it to the original stained redwood to this house would be an immense undertaking.
• A picture rail was probably originally installed on the lathe and plaster walls. All the
picture rails have been removed most likely when the drywall was installed. The two other cottages still have picture rails. When the walls are re-textured, it would be appropriate to install picture rails.
• In the downstairs area, which is on a concrete slab below grade level, the baseboards installed are not rated for damp areas. They have started to fail, swelling unevenly from the moisture. They need to be replaced with appropriate materials to prevent eventual disintegration and loss of structure.
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• The kitchen needs upgrading. The stove has no hood. One of the primary benefits of installing a range hood above the cooking stove is that it eliminates gasses and pollutants in your kitchen that are potentially toxic. This reduces the presence of germs, bacteria or mold which can cause other secondary problems. A range hood helps to remove excess heat that keeps your kitchen somewhat cooler. The kitchen will need to be replaced within the next ten years along with the current more modern looking tile flooring.
• The floors upstairs in the entry, parlor and dining room are very dark, almost black, stained oak. This flooring is not original but works with the style of the home. Continuing this flooring (and perhaps changing the stain) into the two upstairs bedrooms, which are currently covered in wall-to-wall carpet, and into the kitchen would be historically appropriate and more suitable to an allergy free home.
• The door hardware, hinges, door plates and handles could be restored by removing paint from the hardware, replacing the knobs with porcelain knobs which were probably there originally (the home at 1476 still maintains steeple decorative hinges and black porcelain knobs).
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The Early History of the Cottage at
1488 Calistoga Avenue • Napa • California
By Karen C Wesson 2021
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The Early History of the Cottage at
1488 Calistoga Avenue • Napa • California
The development of Calistoga Avenue in the late 1800s and early 1900s consisted of homes built mostly for moderate income families. These were originally the residences of the clerks, butchers, teachers, and shopkeepers who lived in Napa. A sprinkling of impressive large Victorians, mostly built on corner lots in the area, influenced the character and details of many of
the neighboring modest homes and cottages. The personality of the district is filled with a mix of styles, including Queen Anne, Eastlake, and Italianate residences. Around the turn of the century speculative housing was common, but tract housing was unusual. The Calistoga Avenue area was popular as the Napa Valley Railroad was nearby and later when the electric streetcar was introduced in 1905 and ran along adjacent Jefferson Street it allowed people in this neighborhood to live in Napa and work in nearby communities.
One of the earliest large homes in the area on Seminary Street, between Calistoga Avenue and Polk Street, was the Thomas and Francis Earl house, a unique Italianate style house built in 1861. Thomas was an important leading citizen in early Napa. He helped shape the early formation and growth of Napa and was considered one of the most influential people from his successful real estate projects to his involvement in city politics. Behind the Earl estate was the large and impressive Napa Collegiate Institute campus which began educating students beginning in the early 1860s.
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On December 28, 1885, Thomas and Francis Earl sold a section of their large estate to George Horton of St. Helena. It was a square lot on Calistoga Avenue, 120’ x 120’, located across the street from the Napa Collegiate Institute and near what is now Jefferson Street, all for the sum of $600.
George Horton was born on January 18, 1816. According to the 1850, 1860 and 1870 Censuses taken in Wisconsin, he was born in Canada, although later his obituary said he was from Detroit, Michigan where he lived for a time. He was a miller, owning and operating his own flour mill. He switched his profession when he came to the Napa Valley in 1872 with his wife, Dorothy Ann (Pauling, b. 1819 New York – d. 1884 St. Helena - m. April 28, 1839 Oakland, Michigan), and his four daughters – Nancy Jane (Prouty, b. 1840 Michigan – d. 1939 St. Helena), Eliza (Francis, b. 1845 Michigan – d. 1920 San Francisco), Emma (Fisher, b. 1847 Wisconsin – d. 1926 St. Helena) and Olive (Dickinson, b. 1855 Wisconsin – d. 1937 Berkeley). The family settled in the St. Helena community.
In St. Helena, George Horton opened a furniture shop on Main Street. He sold, repaired, and upholstered furniture, marketed chamber sets (a set of ceramic objects for use in a bedroom, typically including a chamber pot, soap dish,
shaving mug, pitcher, and wash basin), and he was also in the undertaking business selling coffins and articles related to that service. In 1884 he sold his establishment, just two
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months after his wife died unexpectedly. Later, in 1890 Horton ran as the Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace and was elected for a two-year term in St. Helena. A second attempt at an additional term was not successful.
Horton dabbled in the real estate market in St. Helena and Napa. The purchase of the lot from the Earls was not his first venture. He had a vision and plans for this parcel and moved ahead quickly to develop the property. The large parcel was divided into three lots – one 30’ wide (1488 Calistoga Avenue), one 32’ wide (1484 Calistoga Avenue) and the largest lot of 58’ wide (1476 Calistoga Avenue).
Just a little more than two months after purchasing the property, Charles W. Wilkins, a popular contractor from Oakland, was hired to build the three cottages beginning in early March of 1886. With a crew of six carpenters the swift building of the 24’ x 54’ cottages, consisting of five large rooms (two bedrooms, parlor, dining room and kitchen), as well as a bathroom, pantry and closets was expected to take only three months. According to the article in The Napa Register, the design would be a combination of Swiss and Eastlake styles.
The three cottages are nearly identical. They each have a doubled gabled front with decorative triangular pediments in the front gable. There is a shingled fish-scale mansard cornice held in place with decorative eve brackets over the square bay windows. Beneath, on the front of the raised basement, is a window with a decorative pediment and small bullseye
details on the frame. Stickwork is used above and below the bay windows as well as under the front eves. The front left side porches are supported with turned columns. The siding consists of wide cove ship lap boards. The home on the largest lot has an additional angled bay window on the right side constructed similarly to the front square bay window.
Horton nearly lost the cottages to a fire a year later. On September 9, 1887, The Napa Register printed an article – “Mr. Geo. Horton desires us to return his grateful thanks to the fire
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department for their noble work yesterday in saving his cottages on Calistoga avenue from destruction by fire. “
It was not until August 22, 1889, nearly three years after completing the cottages, that Horton sold 1488 Calistoga Avenue to Mark Hopkins Strong, a well-known Napa photographer. Mark Strong who often used the abbreviation M. H. Strong, was born in Oakland, California on March 10, 1862, to Joseph Dwight and Margaret Dewing (Bixby) Strong. He was one of three children that all followed a career in literature or the arts. His father, Joseph, was a friend of John Muir and Mark Hopkins, hence Mark’s middle name of Hopkins. In 1886, M. H. Strong came to Napa and opened a photography studio in the Harston Building on the corner of Main Street and Third Street. For 40 years he recorded the houses, views, scenes, and animals of the Napa Valley. On May 16, 1895, he married Elizabeth
(Lizzie) Wilkins (b. 1876 Napa – d. 1975 Yountville) at the Methodist parsonage. After a honeymoon in San Francisco the couple returned to Mark’s cottage at 1488 Calistoga Avenue. They had two daughters, Margaret
Caroline (Peterson, b.1896 - 1982) and Ruth, a foster daughter, (McCollum, b. 1916? - ?). They lived in other parts of Napa and eventually Mark and Elizabeth Strong sold the cottage on April 9, 1921. Mark Hopkins Strong died after a brief illness on January 13, 1945, at the age of 82. Although he officially retired in 1924, he continued his passion of photographing and chronicling the changes in the landscape, especially of the Napa Valley, leaving us with a legacy and a record of the passing of time.
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George Horton died on May 20, 1900. In 1898 his health began to fail so his daughter, Eliza and her husband, George Francis, took him to the Sanitarium for the benefit of his condition. He began improving in health and doing well. Within two years his health began to fail again and
several months before his death Eliza brought him to her home in Napa. But death was looming. George soon succumbed to his poor health at the age of 84. Funeral services were held in Napa and then following a procession to St. Helena Cemetery, he was buried next to his wife, Ann. It was a proper celebration of his life. A choir of four sang “Rock of Ages” and “Jesus, Lover of my Soul”. The services were attended by many as they grieved the passing of one of St. Helen’s most respected citizens.
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