SUBJECT: HISTORIC LANDMARK
DESIGNATION OF THE
PORTER
STOCK BUILDING
HL01-127
The Historic Landmarks Commission recommends the City Council adopt a resolution designating the Porter Stock Building as Historic Landmark No. HL01-127.
On August 14, 2001, the City Council adopted
Resolution No. 70574 initiating proceedings to designate the Porter Stock
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 Porter Stock Building is located at 83-91 S.
First 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 identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the local, regional, state or national culture and history in that Porter was a member of the San Jose City Council and was associated with retaining City ownership of Alum Rock Park, the Normal School site and the City Hall site, now known as Plaza de Cesar Chavez.
Its exemplification of the cultural, economic,
social or historic heritage of the City of San Jose because it is one of the
remaining structures in the downtown that reflect the period of growth of the
urban center that coincided with the region’s developing commerce in
horticulture.
Its embodiment of
distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or specimen. This structure is a simple but well executed
implementation of Italian Renaissance Revival commercial architecture.
The Porter Stock 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