SUBJECT: HISTORIC
LANDMARK
DESIGNATION
OF THE
REALTY BUILDING
HL01-136
The Historic Landmarks Commission recommends the City Council adopt a resolution designating the Realty Building as Historic Landmark No. HL01-136.
On August 14, 2001, the City Council adopted
Resolution No. 70574 initiating proceedings to designate the Realty Building
a landmark of special
historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic or engineering interest or value
of a historic nature and referred the proposal to the Historic Landmarks
Commission for its consideration at a public hearing and for its report and recommendation.
The Realty Building is located at 19 N. Second Street. The site is zoned CG, Commercial General
with a designation of Core Area Commercial on the adopted San Jose 2020 General
Plan Land Use Transportation Diagram.
The Commission held a public hearing on the proposal
at its September 12, 2001 meeting.
No public testimony was received and the public hearing was closed. The Commission unanimously voted to recommend this structure be designated as a City Landmark (6-0-1; Paim absent).
Pursuant to the San Jose Historic Preservation Ordinance, Chapter 13.48 of the Municipal Code, the Commission found that the proposed landmark has special historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic, or engineering interest or value of a historical nature and that its designation as a landmark conforms with the goals and policies of the General Plan. The recommendation of the Commission is based on the following findings from the Ordinance:
Its exemplification of the cultural, economic,
social or historic heritage of the City of San Jose in that it is associated
with the National Register Downtown Commercial District.
Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of the Beaux Arts architectural type or specimen.
Its embodiment of elements
of architectural or engineering design, detail, materials or craftsmanship
which represents a significant architectural innovation or which is
unique. This building is in original
condition and is a unique Beaux Arts design, unrivaled in the downtown area and
the larger south Bay Area.
The Realty Building is one of eighteen proposed City Landmarks nominated by the Historic Landmarks Commission at its June 6, 2001 meeting. The eighteen candidate City Landmarks were identified in the Downtown Core Historic Resources Survey completed in the fall of 2000. Public workshops on the Downtown Core Historic Resources Survey were held during the fall and winter. Copies of the survey have been sent to the Redevelopment Agency, the California Room of the Martin Luther King Junior Library, History San Jose and to the Preservation Action Council of San Jose. The Planning Department has added all San Jose Inventory eligible sites to its Inventory of historic properties, which is used by the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement for reviewing development permits.
The designation process for the eighteen City Landmarks has been coordinated with the Redevelopment Agency.
Joseph
Horwedel, Secretary
Historic Landmarks Commission