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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/00/1989, COMM.2 - SUNNY ACRES BUILDING Original agenda materia' -om meeting of 7/17/89. _- lll���� ca y of &AI IDIS 4R- #1 10 ...... ... 90 Palm Street/Post 9 Office Box 8100 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8100 July 17, 1989 *Denotes action by Lead Person Respond by: Council � MEMORANDUM CAO iN Atty. t9 Clerk-iot. TO: Councilmembers Ajj2j-7,4e-Z) FROM: Mayor Dunin jllllll�) 7' SUBJECT: SUNNY ACRES BUILDING Attached please find a copy of a memo from Jerry Michael, Chairperson of the Cultural Heritage Committee regarding the preservation of the Sunny Acres Building. I would like to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors in support of preserving the building as an historical site for the City and County of San Luis Obispo and would appreciate your comments. Thank you. RD:ch sunnymem Attachment c: John Dunn, CAO Pam Voges, City Clerk RECEIVED JUL 1 71989 14-".50 PA , crry CLERK SAN LUIS OBISPO,CA C-11-ty 0 SM luis a3lspo 990 Palm Street/Post Office Box 8100 • San Luis Obispo, CA 93403.8100 July 12, 1989 Mr. Ron Dunin, Mayor City Hall 990 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, 93403 Subject: Preservation of the Sunny Acres Building Dear Mr. Dunin and Members of the City Council: On July 6, 1989 the Cultural Heritage Committee (CHC) heard a presentation from Mr. Robert Vessely and others concerning the preservation, restoration and reuse of the Sunny Acres building located off of Johnson Avenue This building is owned by the county and was once used as a juvenile hall facility. It was vacated when a new juvenile facility was built on county land off Highway 1. Over the years the Sunny Acres building has been subject to vandalism and has deteriorated. After discussing the cultural value of the Sunny Acres building, the CHC determined that it is a culturally significant structure because: 1. Its designer was from a family of important architects. (The building was designed by the William Moser Company of San Francisco, established 1852.) 2. The building is an important architectural feature of the community's landscape. 3. The architectural detailing of the building is significant. 4. It is a surviving element of a social service once provided in the community. The Cultural Heritage Committee feels that this building should be preserved. It suggests that the City Council send a letter to the County Board of Supervisors supporting the preservation, rehabilitation, and reuse of the building and opposing its demolition. The Cultural Heritage Committee is available to discuss this issue further if the council feels it appropriate. If you have any questions, contact Terry Sanville in the Community Development Department. S cerely, J rry Michael, Chairperson Cultural Heritage Committee cc Randy Rossi Attachments //�� j� Y T Zi .....,.-.Robeft SNlesselyPIRC S­ Civil neerin .fg SWA Mi MOM -------------- 738: v%Suiti D.':.'. ( 4 -ZCQ3.' 805),S 1 June- z4a Laeg A ITEM.NO. lir Teipry Sanville. DATE Commu n:i-ty. Development. Department I JON 14 =a City of San Luis Obispo PO Box 8100 San Luis Obispo, California 93403-8100 RE: Cultural Heritage Committee Terry, As you may know, I have been working for some time now on the preservation and restoration of the Sunny Acres Building. I believe that the structure is .,a handsome example of a kind of architecture and construction that is no longer produced. I believe that the bui1ding may interest the Cultural Heritage Committee and I ask for -an opportunity to meet with them to dis- cuss the Idea of a CHC endorsement of the preservation of the building. I believe that there is good reason to do this now. The County has hired a consultant- to study the General Hospital property with the idea that it can be developed to somehow benefit the hospital . . According to the General Services Department, they do not see-a -use for the- Sunny Acres building and they are planning the area as If it dc.esn*t-. exIst. Earlier. this. year; I 'sent 'some information about the building and its architect to the.. Comm4ttee members (copy enclosed) . I 'd 'be happy *,to. elaborateaon- that-'.and bring the members up to date. I understand- thaVthe -Comailt' -tee wi.11 meet next on July So 1989.• I 'd be h -, make 14,-,presen.t&-tlon.,it that time. Please let me know. -ttl_ Sincer.'ely-j Robert. S. M elyt RCE tCEI. w. THE 'SUNNY ACRES' BUILDING, San Luis Obispo During the past year, I have been researching the Sunny Acres building on Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo, its designer and the construction tech- niques used at that time. I have spoken with descendants of the Architect, architectural historians and local officials and my interest in the build- ing has been shown to be widely shared. Below is a summary of my research that I think may be of interest. Sunny Acres was built by the County of San Luis Obispo in 1931 as a 'chil- dren's home', a home for orphans and wards of the court. The building was designed by William Mooser Company, Architects of San Francisco, and was remodeled in 1947 and again 1959. Over the years it gradually became the county juvenile detention facility and was used as such until it was aban- doned in 1974. The original architect, William Mooser Company, although not widely known, was a firm of substantial longevity. The firm was established in 1852 and was operated by three generations of the Mooser family until closing in 1969. Among the notable examples of the Mooser Company'swork are the courthouses in Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, Nevada, Calaveras, Stanislaus and Toulumne counties and the tower building in Ghirardelli square, the Grant-Geary Center, and the National Maritime Museum, all in San Francisco. During the time that Sunny Acres was designed, the Mooser firm was operated by William Mooser Jr., who wasan engineer and his son, William Mooser, III, who was a graduate of the Eco•le des Beaux Arts of Paris. The structural integrity of the Sunny Acres building has been questioned. I believe, however that the building is sound for a number of reasons. First, the fact that William Mooser, Jr. was an engineer and was practicing in San Francisco at the time of the earthquake in 1906. Second, there are references to the generous use of reinforcing steel in the Santa Barbara Courthouse which was built five years before Sunny Acres. Third, the Mooser buildings in general are thought to be well constructed by those who have worked on them, for instance, Mr_ Jim Delgado, of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area who restored a number of Mooser buildings for the National Park Service. And finally from the condition of the building itself, it is apparent that the building was thoroughly designed and well constructed despite its present condition_ .tea +- w Robert S. Vessely, RCE January, 1989 738 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, California 93401 _ (805) 541-2003 0WAY �� iI PROOF OF PUBLICATION STATE OI'' CALIFORNIA SS. County of San Luis Obispo `-NOTICE.TO CONTRACTORS. Pursuant to an .order of . the S . 31111th. Board .of Supervisors of San. Luis ................I........................ _................... ...................._.......................-............................. ................. Obispo County, State of California, - made on.the 22nd day of Septem- of said County, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: That ber, ,1930 -notice,Is hereby given that sealed .bids willbe received until 2 o'clock P. M on the 14th I am the ._F.d i,to r,.a na..................... ........ ...................................................... day of October, 1930,.by the'-Board of Supervisors, County.of,San Luisl Printer of the ....._..1i."7a1d-htiC.Oltder..... _...._._..__-------- _._. _. Obispo, State of California; it their rooms.ln the County Court House. City Of.San Luls-Oblslio,.State of a ......wPskly...... _ ... . .. newspaper printed and published at Califoraia,aaid bid en and there wiL, be publicly opened and read, AI'L•O O GrendA for furaLStling all plant,,material y ..............._... in the County of San sad labor'and doing:the work re- erectd. for the construction and: Luis Obispo, State of California: that the notice. of which a true erection of a CHILDREN'S HOME. AND A HEALTH FARM BUILDING at the County General Hospital copy is hereto attached, was first published in said newspapt site. . City- •of San Luis:. Obispo.: County of San Luis Obispo, State 2 clay of.....S.Ppt.HG1UHI'...................... of California,'In accordance with$ in ils issue, dated t.hc 6 til the plans and specifications there- fore, made by William Mo r Com an . Architects 0 copies o : 19 3 , and that the last publication of said notice was publish- which may e obtained on appli-: cation from office of architects. ed in said newspaper in ib,; issue dated Chc....10 to day of .Such bids will be received'for the work as follows: lBid (,1) For Children's Home. October , 1930 ; that said notice was published General and Painting Works, exclusive of Plumbing,H e a t i n g in every regular and entire issue of said newspaper during the and Electric Works-.A...._! Bid (2) For Health Farm period and time of publication aforesaid, that is to say, on the Building,General and Painting Works, ex- 26.til. .Of .SPUbmP_rir� 3rd elusive of- Plumbing ..... ................._............ and Electric. Works.-.$......... Bid (3) For Children's Home ........_.................._.................................................................. andHealth Farm _.._............................................. .... Building, combined, Generaland Painting ................_..._........................................................................._...-....__._.r.............................. Works exclusive of Plumbing,H e a t i a g andElectric Works....$-------- .............................................................................................._. _........ __....................... 1Bid (4) Children's H o m e— Plumbing ,_.$__ ....................................................-....................................-................... ... .Bid (5) Health Farm Build- . Ing—Plumbing Bid 0l Children's'. H o m e— _........_.._........- _...._........ Heating ...-....�.._..__S....._.. Bld (7) Children's H o m e— ` . .......................................................... ........................................................................................... t Electric _ $- �id'(8).1aHealth ffiectriFirm Build-t.. _ ....................._..............................................._..._......_.._.._..: ..._........_................................... - - � 'Bid:car.Cbudren's Home—Plumbing and Heat- and.....__..1__..0.........th.-.........days o£_._ OCtOtte.I'_.......-__................... 193Q. ''.'ing, combined.:.. . t__ Bid (10)CbfIaieii'e-Huai a and that said notice was published in said newspap proper, Plumbing and Heat- --- 1nand Electric, »,corn $___ and not in a supplementto�l, '(T Mavr.%.7l 112)l -S� t • 1 • !' '�.. •lbw-• ��F';" •`� > 1 , S t Sunny Acres faces clouded future By Warren Groshong Staaiclaus and Tuolumne counties "It is still being vandalized regu- Telegram-Tribune and several structures in San Fran- larly,"said Rosenberger."We went cisco, including the tower building up and secured all the accessible Sunny Acres, the old brick Jove- in Ghiradelli Square, the Grant- windows with boards. Some have nile detention facility,just sits there Geary Center and the National Mar- been kicked out so we go back and behind General Hospital like an itime Museum. (iz them• abandoned ship. It is bruised and In recent years the county or- "They have even kicked a hole battered by vandals and the old girl dered an evaluation of the building through the roof decking and got in is suffering from antiquity, its fa- and it was determined to be strut through the hole,"he said. Lure still unknown. tunny unsafe. Cables have been stretched across Three years ago, the county Vesely diTpatn that conclusion the access toad to the building. but Board of Supervisors was all set to on several gromdi.First,he notes, people with four-wheel drive vehi- accept a bid of;IDD to tear it down Mooser, its architect, was an engi- cies have pulled the cables out of for salvage. But the forces that neer and was practicing in San the ground. wanted it preserved prevailed. Francisco at the time of the 1906 And police and firemen a few Its future now is tied to decisions earthquake.That in Vessely's think- years ago reported evidence of on what the county plans ultimately ing indicates Mower probably de- some kind of satanic activity in the to do with General Hospital. And signed Sunny Acres with a special building when fires had been start- those decisions may be years away. interest in structural safety. ed on the floor. Robert Vessely, the San Luis Ob- Second, there are references to As someone once said, "They ispo engineer who won the battle to the generous use of reinforcing steel used to keep kids locked up inside, prevent its abatement, has dug up in the Santa Barbara courthouse but now can't seem to keep them some more history on the building which was built five years before out." to support his case. Sunny Acres and may reflect the Another problem. Testing Indi- R was built In 1931 as a home for architect's disposition toward safe cates that plaster in the building orphans and wards of the court It huildiags Third, the Mooser build- contains mon asbestos than the law was designed by William Mower lags in general are thought to.be allows, said Rosenberger. "My Co, San Francisca architet:ts, and well constructed by those who have gaess," he said. "Is that it would was remodeled in 1947 and 1959. worked on them.And finally,Vesw take tests of thousands of dollars to Somewhere along the line it became ly offers his own opinion as an abate the asbestos. And it can't be a juvenile hall and was used as such engineer that the building was well- knocked down until that is done." until 1974,when the county decided designed and well-bailt in spite of One of these days someone will to put the juveniles elsewhere. its present condition. have to decide whether Sunny Acres Vessely notes that the architect And its present condition is de- is a viable structure which can be had a good reputation.He designed plorable•says George Rosenberger, put into servim the courthouses In Santa Barbara, assistant director of General Serv- Maybe we should say one of these Contra Costa, Nevada. Calaveras, ices for the county. decades. e,AA f _� ZE SECOND FLOOR FIRST FLOOR 1 .LTING t AGENDA 1AL 850 COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO DATE ITEM # O�Y�- b punoi: n r 4. bepaatment of cEncml seQvices / COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER •SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA 93408 (805)549-5200 y DUANE P. LEIB. DIRECTOR *Denotes action by Lead Person RECEIVED Respond by: July 24, 1989 Council 'JUL1989 F4ty^�City Counci1 G1TVCLERK � as6l 990 Palm Street SPNLWSGBgP0,CA hr TT San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8100 �� SUNNY ACRES BUILDING The County of San Luis Obispo recently learned that the Sunny Acres building is being proposed for preservation, rehabilitation, and reuse by the Cultural Heritage Committee. We also learned that the future of the building would be discussed by your Council at your meeting of July 24, 1989. The staff in the County are surprized and concerned that recommendations to secure the building's future are being made without discussion with the owner, the County of San Luis Obispo. Your Council may recall that the decision on the future of the Sunny Acres building was deferred by the Board of Supervisors until such time that a development scheme was known for the hospital . The Board is still discussing the various plans for the hospital . A determination on the future of the hospital is to be made in the very near future. That decision will ultimately provide direction for the future of Sunny Acres. Many factors must be considered in determining the future of Sunny Acres: ° The structure is not adequately reinforced to meet current earthquake standards. • It contains significant amounts of asbestos. • The current building site zoning of C/OS-40 may initiate land use questions. ° The building sits above the 460 foot elevation line set by the City as a limit for development and water service. • The existence of the building limits options on hospital development/redevelopment. • The Board of Directors for the San Luis Obispo County Historical Society has determined that the structure is "not of sufficient importance to the history of the County to warrant a determination of it as an historic building". City Council July 24, 1989 Page two • The building was designed as a housing/detention facility. Converting it to some other use would present significant design challenges. • Our preliminary analysis shows the building can be replaced at less cost than rehabilitation. The Board of Supervisors may be considering a Request for Proposal to redevelop the structure should it be determined that it will not adversely impact potential hospital development. This decision will be made in the near future. Designating the building as a culturally significant structure will present an impediment to the County planning process at this time. On behalf of the County, I respectfully request that no action be taken at this time in regards to the Sunny Acres building. '49- -� DUANE P. LEIB General Services Director c - Board of Supervisors Bob Hendrix, County Administrator cjt/2329p 8-4