Attachment B - Staff Report - Z-93-24-8.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2024-12-04)

Extracted text (via pymupdf) 18673 characters

Staff Report: Z-93-24-8
September 16, 2024
INTRODUCTION
Z-93-24-8 is a request to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning for the
property located at the northwest corner of 15th Avenue and South Mountain Avenue
[8252 South 15th Avenue], known historically as the Mission Revival Residence. Maps
and photos of the subject property are attached, as well as an historic property
inventory form prepared by Ryden Architects. This is an owner-initiated request.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that rezoning request Z-93-24-8 be approved.
BACKGROUND
The City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office (HPO) first determined the subject
property eligible for listing on the Phoenix Historic Property Register in 1989 as part of
the South Mountain Agricultural Area Historic Resources Survey (1989). In 1992, the
HPO attempted to list the property on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, but the
effort was unsuccessful due to a lack of owner support at that time.
In September 2023, Shelaire Spears, representative of the current owners of the subject
property, Tonya and Miguel Sevilla, contacted the HPO to request historic designation
for the property. In October 2023, HP staff visited the site and reaffirmed the HPO’s
initial finding of eligibility. Staff also spoke with Ms. Spears about the historic
preservation overlay zoning process for designation in the Phoenix Historic Property
Register. On December 20, 2023, the owners signed an Ownership Authorization Form
and Waiver of Claims under Proposition 207 allowing the Historic Preservation (HP)
Commission to initiate HP zoning on their behalf. The HPO received the form and
waiver in February 2024. On April 29, 2024, HP staff met with the property owners to
further review the steps in the designation process and the effect of designation. The
HP Commission formally initiated HP zoning on May 20, 2024, and shortly thereafter
staff filed this rezoning application.
PROPERTY OVERVIEW
The property at 8252 South 15th Avenue is a 2.97-acre rectangular lot located west of
the Western Canal and north of South Mountain in a historically agricultural part of
Phoenix. The parcel contains three residential buildings constructed between ca. 1916
ATTACHMENT B

Staff Report: Z-93-24-8
September 16, 2024
Page 2 of 5

and 2004, a detached garage (ca. 1989) with carport (1998), and a fenced pool (1984).
It also consists of open space including grassy areas, trees, and landscaped walking
paths (2001). Non-original fencing lines the property, including chain link, 6 ft. tall block
walls, and a 3 ft. stucco-clad block wall with metal fencing. A large arched sign reading,
“Eye Dog Foundation” (installed in 1988), hovers above a wide driveway entrance along
15th Avenue.

The main house sits at the front of the lot in the parcel’s southeast quadrant and totals
approximately 3,533 sq ft. in area, including a patio and several additions. The original
part of the main house has a construction date of ca. 1916 with rear additions built
between 1972 and 2000. It features brick construction and an irregular plan, reaches
two stories in height, and displays a medium pitch hip roof with asphalt shingles and a
brick chimney. The ca. 1916 portion of the home features a curved Mission-style
parapet and dormer at its roof, as well as a front veranda with round arches leading to
an offset pair of French doors at the front entrance. An open second-story balcony sits
above the veranda. Another second-story balcony is located at the south (side) of the
building.

Alterations to the main building include a classroom addition built in 1972 by the
Alexander Home for Girls, which operated out of the building from 1963 to 1979. A
second addition was built at the rear in 2000 by the Eye Dog Foundation, which
operated a training facility for seeing eye dogs on the site from 1991 to 2022. Both
additions to the ca. 1916 residence are one-story in height, clad in stucco, and capped
with cross gable roofs with asphalt shingles. Simple in design, they display board and
batten siding at the gable ends. Fenestration consists of vinyl slider windows and sliding
double doors. Other alterations to the original brick portion of the home include new
steel stairs at the rear (1971), new wood stairs at the porch (1971), replacement of
wood windows with one-over-one vinyl windows (after 1989), and removal of a second
chimney (date unknown).

A detached garage, constructed ca. 1989, is one-story, clad in stucco, and has a gable
roof with board and batten siding at the gable ends. A small carport was added to the
north side of the garage in 1998.

Behind the main house is a second residential building completed in 1989 to serve as a
dog kennel and training facility for the Eye Dog Foundation. In 2000, the foundation built
a 1,184 sq. ft. addition to the building. Totaling approximately 2,154 sq. ft., the building
is one-story in height with a cross gable asphalt roof and dormers on all sides except
the west.

In 2004, the Eye Dog Foundation constructed its 864 sq. ft. “Puppy Building” to the
northwest of the 1989 building. It is one-story with a gable roof and has two covered
patios.

Staff Report: Z-93-24-8
September 16, 2024
Page 3 of 5

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The eligibility criteria for HP overlay zoning and listing on the PHPR are set forth in
Section 807.D of the City of Phoenix Zoning Ordinance. To qualify, a property must
demonstrate significance in local, regional, state, or national history, architecture,
archaeology, engineering, or culture, according to one or more of the following criteria:

A. The property is associated with the events that have made a significant
contribution to the broad pattern of our history;
B. The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
C. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method
of construction, represents the work of a master, possesses high artistic values,
or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may
lack individual distinction; or
D. The property has yielded or may likely yield information integral to the
understanding of our prehistory or history.

In addition to the significance requirement, the property must also be at least 50 years
old or have achieved significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional
importance. The property must also possess sufficient integrity of location, design,
setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association to convey its significance.

EVALUATION
The Mission Revival Residence at 8252 South 15th Avenue is significant under Criterion
C as a rare local example of the Mission Revival architectural style within a rural estate
setting, a property type that distinguished the South Mountain agricultural area of
Phoenix during the early twentieth century.

The residence was initially identified as eligible for listing on the Phoenix Historic
Property Register in 1989 as part of the South Mountain Agricultural Area Historic
Resources Survey. The survey area included approximately 4,160 acres north of South
Mountain. Authors of the study identified several unifying features of the area: its rural
character, low density of residential buildings, orange groves, canals, and a combination
of cultivated and desert land. These characteristics contribute to “a sense of the
agricultural development of the South Mountain desert land” (p. 8).

During the early twentieth century, homesteads dominated the landscape at the area
south of Baseline and north of the canal. This included the subject property, a
homestead owned by William Gaston as early as 1909. Christian and Pauline Sweitzer
owned the property by 1916, acquiring it as part of a 40-acre land patent issued under
the Homestead-Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902. The Sweitzers, who operated a
ranch there, sold the land in 1926. While it is unclear if Gaston or the Sweitzers built the
Mission Revival Residence, the Sweitzers did take out a $4,000 mortgage against this

Staff Report: Z-93-24-8
September 16, 2024
Page 4 of 5

address in 1916, suggesting perhaps it was they who constructed it. As part of a rural
estate on a large lot, the Mission Revival Residence represents an increasingly rare
property type that has characterized the agricultural area at the base of South Mountain
since the early twentieth century.

Authors of the South Mountain Agricultural Area Historic Resources Survey also
observed the prevalence of Period Revival architecture in the area, although they found
few maintained sufficient integrity to convey their significance. As noted in the survey:

The oldest buildings [in the survey area] are farm houses that date back to the
first decade of [the 20th century]. These houses were built in either a national
American folk form or the Bungalow style. Later, as the popularity of architectural
styles changed, and more people and investment came to the area, Period
Revival homes became the preferred fashion. Of the Period Revival substyles
represented, Spanish Colonial Revival was most popular, followed by Pueblo
Revival, Tudor Revival, and a scattering of English Cottage and Mission Revival
(p. 70).

The Mission Revival style emerged during the 1880s in California and the American
Southwest out of a desire for a regional architectural identity. Architects and builders
took inspiration from missions in the United States, as well as Spanish Colonial
architecture of northern and central Mexico. The style is known for its solid adobe,
plaster, and stucco walls, arches, exposed wood beams, sculpted parapets, multiple
doorways, covered walkways, porticos and porches, recessed openings with multi-light
windows, broad overhanging eaves, low-pitched or flat roofs of clay tile or thatch, and
minimal ornamentation of tile, iron, and wood. Within the first few decades of the
twentieth century, the Mission Revival architectural style was visible in residential,
commercial, and institutional buildings.

Built circa 1916, the subject property exhibits numerous Mission Revival characteristics,
including its arcade of rounded arches at its first-floor veranda, multi-light front door,
broad overhanging eaves at the second story, and curved Mission-style parapet at the
dormer. Yet, as a brick building with a medium pitch hip roof—characteristics not
typically associated with Mission Revival—it is a unique expression of the architectural
style.
Despite some alterations to the ca. 1916 building and the construction of attached rear
additions, as well as new buildings, a pool, and perimeter walls/fences, the subject
property maintains sufficient integrity of location, setting, feeling, association, design,
workmanship, and materials to convey its significance as a rare local example of the
Mission Revival architectural style within a rural estate setting.

Staff Report: Z-93-24-8
September 16, 2024
Page 5 of 5

BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION
Section 807.E states that, when applying the evaluation criteria in Section 807.D, the
boundaries of a historic district should be drawn as carefully as possible to ensure that:

1. The district contains documented historic, architectural, archaeological, or natural
resources;
2. The district boundaries coincide with documented historic boundaries such as
early roadways, canals, subdivision plats or property lines;
3. Other district boundaries coincide with logical physical or manmade features and
reflect recognized neighborhood or area boundaries; and
4. Other non-historic resources or vacant land is included where necessary to
create appropriate boundaries to assist in meeting the criteria in Section 807.D.

The proposed HP zoning boundary encompasses 3.52 gross acres. It has been drawn
to include the subject parcel in its entirety as well as the adjacent portion of the right
way, as is customary in rezoning cases. The proposed boundary contains the
documented historic resources and follows parcel lines and street monument lines as
much as possible.

CONCLUSION
The rezoning request Z-93-24-8 to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning
for the subject property should be approved for the following reasons:

1. The property meets the significance, age, and integrity requirements for HP
overlay zoning set forth in Section 807.D of the Zoning Ordinance; and
2. The proposed boundaries meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 807.E.

Writer
D. Aranda
8/27/2024

Team Leader
K. Weight

Attachments:
Sketch Maps (2 pages)
Aerial (1 page)
Historic Property Inventory Form (2 pages)
Photographs (3 pages)

¯
0
0.06
0.12
0.03
Miles
SOUTH MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 8
APPLICANT'S NAME:
APPLICATION NO:
GROSS AREA INCLUDING 1/2 STREET
AND ALLEY DEDICATION IS APPROX.
MULTIPLES PERMITTED
CONVENTIONAL OPTION
* UNITS P.R.D OPTION
REQUESTED CHANGE:
FROM:
TO:
DATE:
REVISION DATES:
AERIAL PHOTO &
QUARTER SEC. NO.
ZONING MAP
* Maximum Units Allowed with P.R.D. Bonus
7/08/2024
Z-93-24
City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission
Z-93-24
3.52 Acres
QS 01-25,
QS 01-26
D-7, D-8
S-1 ( 0.23 ac.)
S-2 ( 3.29 ac.)
S-1 HP ( 0.23 ac.)
S-2 HP ( 3.29 ac.)
S-1, S-2
S-1 HP, S-2 HP
N/A, 3
N/A, 3
N/A, N/A
N/A, N/A
Path: S:\Department Share\Information Systems\PL GIS\IS_Team\Core_Functions\Zoning\sketch_maps\2024\Z-93-24.aprx
BASELINE RD
BROADWAY RD
SOUTHERN AVE
40TH ST
DOBBINS RD
27TH AVE
48TH ST
19TH AVE
7TH AVE
CENTRAL AVE
7TH ST
16TH ST
24TH ST
32ND ST
I-10
Z-92-23
Z-92-23
Z-171-99
ANX 49
Z-84-88
Z-31-21
Z-142-07
*
*
*
*
*
R1-10
R1-10 H
R1-10
R1-10
R-4
R1-10
R1-18
S-1
S-2
R1-10
S-1
CALDWELL ST
15TH LN
17TH DR
SOUTH MOUNTAIN AVE
15TH AVE
16TH DR
GARY WAY
A
RDMORE
RD
R1-18 *
Z-151-04
R1-18 *
Z-150-06
R1-18 *
Z-97-06

Mission Revival Residence
8252 South 15th Avenue

Proposed Historic Preservation (HP) Zoning Overlay shown in purple

Description (contd.)
ROOF TYPE:
Med. pitch hip
ROOF SHEATHING: Asphalt shingles
COUNTY:
SURVEY SITE: 01-25-4
USGS QUAD:
_
T__ R__ S__ /__ ~ OF THE
~
UTM
APPLI ED ORNAMENT :_-=Mi~'si!.S2s~iolool.ln.&....ll<:w....r~a~pe~tleo.-.l:@:...ldIo4Q.u.pn.welOO<r~
"HISTORIC BUILDING FORM" e
a
INVENTORY NO.-----
ARIWNA ~ATE HISTORIC PROPEIITY INVENTORY
IDE NTIFICATION
SURVEY AREA NAME: South Mountain Agricultural
HISTORIC NAME:
___
ADDRESS/LOCATION:
825 S. 15th Ave.
CITY/TOWN:
Phoenix
TAX PARCEL
NUMBER:~3~0~0-_4~6~-~1~1~H
___
OWNER:
Eye Dog Foundation for the Blind
OWNER ADDRESS: 512 N. Larchmont Blyd.
Los Angeles, Ca.
9004
EAVES
TREATMENT:~Wood=;:....:.;fa=s=c=ia=__
_
HISTORIC USE:
Residence
PRESENT USE:
Residence
WINDOWS:
Wd. casement 24Lt., 4Lt.i
BUILDING TYPE:
House
wd Dh 6/1
STYLE:
Mission Revival
ENTRY:
Off center, French door
CONSTRUCTION DATE:
Ca. 1930
,.
wi sidelights
ARCHITECT/BUILDER:
PORCHES:
Front veranda wi round
INTEGRITY:
Altered, additions
arches
CONDITION:
Excellent (restoration in progress)
STOREFRONTS:
_
DESCRIPTION
STORIES:
2
DIMENSIONS: (1) 50 (w) 35
NOTABLE INTERIOR:
_
STRUCTURAL
MATERIAL:~B~r=i=ck~
_
OUTBUILDINGS:
Non-historic garage
FOUNDATION
MATERIAL:~B=r=i=ck~
_
ALTERAnONS :_--l;S~l.:..:ee""li;12"""iol.Jo:ng~W~rc....h........
elo.lolnc~)~o~sed=.u;'-
WALL SHEATHING :
~B::=r.=;ic~k
,.;;~;;;~~==;;:co~nt::i~n~lle::d:;;;;(~ov~p=r=)===;;;.1
PHOTOGRAPH
_
PHOTOGRAPHER:_~Ga~hY~Mi~·.)~)e-r----------------
DATE:
1-26-89
VIEW:
SW
I-;S~K~E;:;TC~H~MA~P;;;;:============p::====::;;J
NEGAnvE NUMBER:
--...lB.a;wL...e/o.,j]/:...l,J..:z,4
_

ADDITIONAL
DESCRIPTION/ANA~
S (annotated form):
Additions at west and south sides; chimney added at north side
SIGNIFICANCE:
AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE:
COMMERCE
COMMUNITY PLANNING x
ECONOMICS
--
EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT__ GOVERNMENTAL
MILITARY
RELIGION
SCIENCE
--
THEATRE__ TRANSPORTATION__ TOURISM__ OTHER( spec; fy) Asris121"t12re
HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS (be concise):
PROMINENT OCCUPANT/HISTORIC ASSOCIATION(S)
RELATIONSHIP TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Site likely determined by road/canal intersection
CULTURAL AFFILIATIONS
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE Unusual example of Mission Revival
MAJOR ARCH. FORM/MATERIAL
ENGINEERING/STRUCTURAL
DISTRICT/STREETSCAPE CONTRIBUTION
DISCUSSION AS REQUIRED:
Large-scale residence is praninently located on high ground
at the intersection of 15th Ave., South Mountain Road, and the Western Canal.
Historic landscaping and large trees contribute to historic sense of place.
Non-compatible additions to rear do not detract from front facade.
CONTEXT:
ISOLATED/RURAL
X
RESIDENTIAL STREET
COMMERCIAL
CENTRAL SQUARE
--
--
CBD:
OTHER:
--
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES:
LISTING IN OTHER SURVEYS:
NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS:
LISTED
DETERMINED ELIGIBLE
DETERMINED NOT ELIGIBLE
NOT EVALUATED
--
--
--
COMMENTS/DEVELOPMENT PLANS/THREATS:
SURVEYOR
Mj ller
SURVEY DATE
3/89
DATE FORM COMPLETED
6/89

Photograph Exhibit
Mission Revival Residence
8252 S. 15th Avenue

8252 S. 15th Ave. from sidewalk,
view west.
Front porch, view south.
Front (east) façade of main house, view west.

Rear (west) façade of main house, including rear
additions, view east.
Side (south) façade of main house,
including rear additions, view northeast.
Rear (west) façade of main house,
view northeast.

Pool, view west.
Secondary residential building
(built 1989), view northwest.
Driveway, landscaped areas,
detached garage (built 1989) in
background, view northwest.