home | los angeles city planning - cytron house · 2017. 7. 20. · los angeles department of city...

CYTRON HOUSE 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive

CHC-2017-1692-HCM ENV-2017-1693-CE

Agenda packet includes:

1. Final Determination Staff Recommendation Report

2. Commission/ Staff Site Inspection Photos—June 8, 2017

3. Categorical Exemption

4. Under Consideration Staff Recommendation Report

5. Historic-Cultural Monument Application

Please click on each document to be directly taken to the corresponding page of the PDF.

Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

PROJECT: Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the

CYTRON HOUSE REQUEST: Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument OWNER/ APPLICANT: Cytron, Shirley C., Trustee, Matilda Cytron Dec’d Trust c/o Sally Gati 74 Allston Way San Francisco, CA 94127 RECOMMENDATION That the Cultural Heritage Commission:

1. Declare the subject property a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section 22.171.7.

2. Adopt the staff report and findings.

VINCENT P. BERTONI, AICP Director of Planning [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Ken Bernstein, AICP, Manager Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Office of Historic Resources [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Melissa Jones, Planning Assistant Office of Historic Resources Attachments: Commission/ Staff Site Inspection Photos-- June 8, 2017 Historic-Cultural Monument Application

CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: July 20, 2017 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room 1010 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 EXPIRATION DATE: August 1, 2017

CASE NO.: CHC-2017-1692-HCM ENV-2017-1693-CE Location: 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Council District: 5 - Koretz Community Plan Area: Bel Air – Beverly Crest Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: Bel Air – Beverly Crest Legal Description: Tract TR 4311, BLK 12, Lot 77

CHC-2017-1692-HCM 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Page 2 of 4 FINDINGS

• The Cytron House "embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type specimen, inherently valuable for study of a period, style or method of construction” as an excellent example of Mid-Century Modern residential architecture.

• The Cytron House is “a notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age” as a highly intact work by master architect Richard Neutra that represents his later career.

CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age. SUMMARY The Cytron House is a Mid-Century Modern single-family residence with an attached carport located at 2249 Benedict Canyon Drive, between Yoakum Drive and Portola Drive in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles. Constructed in 1961, the subject property was designed by internationally-recognized master architect Richard Neutra for Leo and Matilda Cytron. The east-facing one-story, post-and-beam residence has an s-shaped plan and occupies the lower, flat portion of a large sloping site. The structure is clad in stucco and has a flat roof with rolled composition asphalt. The primary elevation is characterized by a wooden footbridge spanning a creek that leads to the front door, overhanging eaves, and steel fixed single-lite windows. The entire rear, western-facing elevation is a window wall of single-lite fixed windows and metal sliding doors that look out onto a modest concrete patio and garden. On the southern-facing elevation, there are both fixed and louvered clerestory windows. Interior features include built-in wooden cabinets, built-in furniture, a gas fireplace, a skylight, cork flooring, and exposed roof beams and a tongue-and-groove wood ceiling that continue to the outside. Richard Joseph Neutra (1892–1970) is considered one of Modernism's most important architects. Neutra was born in Vienna, Austria on April 8, 1892. He studied under Adolf Loos at the Technical University of Vienna, was influenced by Otto Wagner, and worked for a time in Germany in the studio of Erich Mendelsohn. He moved to the United States by 1923 and worked briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright before accepting an invitation from his close friend and university companion Rudolf Schindler to work and live communally in Schindler's Kings Road House in West Hollywood. In California, he became celebrated for rigorously geometric but airy structures that symbolized a West Coast variation on the Mid-Century Modern residence. In the early 1930s, Neutra's Los Angeles practice trained several young architects who went on to independent success, including Gregory Ain, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and Raphael Soriano. He was famous for the attention he

CHC-2017-1692-HCM 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Page 3 of 4 gave to defining the real needs of his clients, regardless of the size of the project, in contrast to other architects eager to impose their artistic vision on a client. His domestic architecture was a blend of art, landscape and practical comfort. Neutra died in Wuppertal, Germany, on April 16, 1970. Other works by Neutra include the Jardinette Apartments (1929, HCM #390), Sten/Frenke-Gould Residence (1934, HCM #647), Kun Residence (1936, HCM #1006), Landfair Apartments (1937, HCM #320), Kelton Apartments (1941, HCM #365), and the Maxwell House (1941, HCM #808). Based on permit records, the property appears to have experienced only minor, maintenance-related alterations. DISCUSSION The Cytron House successfully meets two of the Historic-Cultural Monument criteria. The subject property "embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type specimen, inherently valuable for study of a period, style or method of construction” as an excellent example of Mid-Century Modern residential architecture. Since it was constructed, the subject property has experienced only minor, maintenance-related alterations and retains its original design intent and characteristic features of Mid-Century Modern architecture that include a flat roof with wide over-hanging eaves, horizontal massing, floor-to-ceiling windows, and unornamented wall surfaces. The subject property is also “a notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age” as a highly intact work by master architect Richard Neutra that represents his later career. Richard Neutra established his own architecture firm in Los Angeles in 1926, and over his more than forty-year career he designed and constructed hundreds of buildings in Southern California and across the United States and abroad. His later, post-World War II works were defined by relaxed, single-family homes with flowing spaces such as the Cytron House. Neutra, known for making good design available to people of modest means, distinguished himself from his Modernist peers by integrating nature into his designs based on his principles of biorealism. On behalf of biorealism, he employed strategies including continuity of materials inside and out, graduated transitions between public and private spaces, and calibrated axes for views to the landscape, all of which are exhibited at the subject property. The Cytron House is highly intact and retains a high level of integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (“CEQA”) FINDINGS State of California CEQA Guidelines, Article 19, Section 15308, Class 8 “consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment.” State of California CEQA Guidelines Article 19, Section 15331, Class 31 “consists of projects limited to maintenance, repair, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, conservation or reconstruction of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s

CHC-2017-1692-HCM 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Page 4 of 4 Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic buildings.” The designation of the Cytron House as an Historic-Cultural Monument in accordance with Chapter 9, Article 1, of The City of Los Angeles Administrative Code (“LAAC”) will ensure that future construction activities involving the subject property are regulated in accordance with Section 22.171.14 of the LAAC. The purpose of the designation is to prevent significant impacts to a Historic-Cultural Monument through the application of the standards set forth in the LAAC. Without the regulation imposed by way of the pending designation, the historic significance and integrity of the subject property could be lost through incompatible alterations and new construction and the demolition of an irreplaceable historic site/open space. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are expressly incorporated into the LAAC and provide standards concerning the historically appropriate construction activities which will ensure the continued preservation of the subject property. The use of Categorical Exemption Class 8 in connection with the proposed designation is consistent with the goals of maintaining, restoring, enhancing, and protecting the environment through the imposition of regulations designed to prevent the degradation of Historic-Cultural Monuments. The use of Categorical Exemption Class 31 in connection with the proposed designation is consistent with the goals relating to the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction of historic buildings and sites in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Categorical Exemption ENV-2017-1693-CE was prepared on June 30, 2017. BACKGROUND On May 18, 2017, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to take the property under consideration. On June 8, 2017, a subcommittee of the Commission consisting of Commissioners Barron and Milofsky visited the property, accompanied by staff from the Office of Historic Resources.

Commission/ Staff Site Inspection Photos--June 8, 2017 Page 1 of 17

COUNTY CLERK’S USE CITY OF LOS ANGELES CITY CLERK’S USE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK

200 NORTH SPRING STREET, ROOM 360 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90012

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT

NOTICE OF EXEMPTION (California Environmental Quality Act Section 15062)

Filing of this form is optional. If filed, the form shall be filed with the County Clerk, 12400 E. Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21152 (b). Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21167 (d), the filing of this notice starts a 35-day statute of limitations on court challenges to the approval of the project. Failure to file this notice with the County Clerk results in the statute of limitations being extended to 180 days. LEAD CITY AGENCY City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning

COUNCIL DISTRICT 5

PROJECT TITLE Cytron House

LOG REFERENCE ENV-2017-1693-CE CHC-2017-1692-HCM

PROJECT LOCATION 2249 Benedict Canyon Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90210 DESCRIPTION OF NATURE, PURPOSE, AND BENEFICIARIES OF PROJECT: Designation of the Cytron House as an Historic-Cultural Monument. NAME OF PERSON OR AGENCY CARRYING OUT PROJECT, IF OTHER THAN LEAD CITY AGENCY: CONTACT PERSON Melissa Jones

AREA CODE | TELEPHONE NUMBER | EXT. 213 978-1192

EXEMPT STATUS: (Check One)

STATE CEQA GUIDELINES CITY CEQA GUIDELINES

MINISTERIAL Sec. 15268 Art. II, Sec. 2b

DECLARED EMERGENCY Sec. 15269 Art. II, Sec. 2a (1)

EMERGENCY PROJECT Sec. 15269 (b) & (c) Art. II, Sec. 2a (2) & (3)

× CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION Sec. 15300 et seq. Art. III, Sec. 1

Class _____ 8 & 31_______ Category (City CEQA Guidelines)

OTHER (See Public Resources Code Sec. 21080 (b) and set forth state and City guideline provision. JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT EXEMPTION: Article 19, Section 15308, Class 8 of the State’s Guidelines applies to where project’s consists of “actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment.” Class 31 applies “to maintenance, repair, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, or reconstruction of historical resources in a manner consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Buildings.” Designation of the Cytron House as an Historic-Cultural Monument will assure the protection of the environment by the enactment of project review regulations based on the Secretary of Interior’s Standards to maintain and preserve the historic site. IF FILED BY APPLICANT, ATTACH CERTIFIED DOCUMENT ISSUED BY THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT STATING THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS FOUND THE PROJECT TO BE EXEMPT. SIGNATURE [SIGNED COPY IN FILE]

TITLE Planning Assistant

DATE June 30, 2017

FEE:

RECEIPT NO.

REC’D. BY

DATE

DISTRIBUTION: (1) County Clerk, (2) City Clerk, (3) Agency Record IF FILED BY THE APPLICANT:

NAME (PRINTED) SIGNATURE DATE

Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

PROJECT: Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the

CYTRON HOUSE REQUEST: Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument OWNER/ APPLICANT: Cytron, Shirley C., Trustee, Matilda Cytron Dec’d Trust c/o Sally Gati 74 Allston Way San Francisco, CA 94127

RECOMMENDATION That the Cultural Heritage Commission:

1. Take the property under consideration as a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section 22.171.10 because the application and accompanying photo documentation suggest the submittal warrants further investigation.

2. Adopt the report findings.

VINCENT P. BERTONI, AICP Director of PlanningN1907 [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Ken Bernstein, AICP, Manager Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Office of Historic Resources [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Melissa Jones, Planning Assistant Office of Historic Resources Attachment: Historic-Cultural Monument Application

CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: May 18, 2017 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room 1060 200 N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

CASE NO.: CHC-2017-1692-HCM ENV-2017-1693-CE Location: 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Council District: 5 - Koretz Community Plan Area: Bel Air – Beverly Crest Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: Bel Air – Beverly Crest Legal Description: Tract TR 4311, BLK 12, Lot 77

CHC-2017-1692-HCM 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Page 2 of 3 SUMMARY The Cytron House is a Mid-Century Modern single-family residence with an attached carport located at 2249 Benedict Canyon Drive, between Yoakum Drive and Portola Drive in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles. Constructed in 1961, the subject property was designed by internationally-recognized master architect Richard Neutra for Leo and Matilda Cytron. The east-facing one-story, post-and-beam residence has an s-shaped plan and occupies the lower, flat portion of a large sloping site. The structure is clad in stucco and has a flat roof with rolled composition asphalt. The primary elevation is characterized by a wooden footbridge spanning a creek that leads to the front door, overhanging eaves, and steel fixed single-lite windows. The entire rear, western-facing elevation is a window wall of single-lite fixed windows and metal sliding doors that look out onto a modest concrete patio and garden. On the southern-facing elevation, there are both fixed and louvered clerestory windows. Interior features include built-in wooden cabinets, built-in furniture, a gas fireplace, a skylight, cork flooring, and exposed roof beams and a tongue-and-groove wood ceiling that continue to the outside. Richard Joseph Neutra (1892–1970) is considered one of Modernism's most important architects. Neutra was born in Vienna, Austria on April 8, 1892. He studied under Adolf Loos at the Technical University of Vienna, was influenced by Otto Wagner, and worked for a time in Germany in the studio of Erich Mendelsohn. He moved to the United States by 1923 and worked briefly for Frank Lloyd Wright before accepting an invitation from his close friend and university companion Rudolf Schindler to work and live communally in Schindler's Kings Road House in West Hollywood. In California, he became celebrated for rigorously geometric but airy structures that symbolized a West Coast variation on the Mid-Century Modern residence. In the early 1930s, Neutra's Los Angeles practice trained several young architects who went on to independent success, including Gregory Ain, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and Raphael Soriano. He was famous for the attention he gave to defining the real needs of his clients, regardless of the size of the project, in contrast to other architects eager to impose their artistic vision on a client. His domestic architecture was a blend of art, landscape and practical comfort. Neutra died in Wuppertal, Germany, on April 16, 1970. Other works by Neutra include the Jardinette Apartments (1929, HCM #390), Sten/Frenke-Gould Residence (1934, HCM #647), Kun Residence (1936, HCM #1006), Landfair Apartments (1937, HCM #320), Kelton Apartments (1941, HCM #365), and the Maxwell House (1941, HCM #808). Based on permit records, the property appears to have experienced only minor, maintenance-related alterations. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age.

CHC-2017-1692-HCM 2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Page 3 of 3 FINDINGS Based on the facts set forth in the summary and application, the Commission determines that the application is complete and that the property may be significant enough to warrant further investigation as a potential Historic-Cultural Monument.

Stories: Plan Shape:Architectural Style:

FEATURE PRIMARY SECONDARY

CONSTRUCTION

CLADDING

ROOF

WINDOWS

ENTRY

DOOR

Type: Type:

Material: Material:

Type: Type:

Material: Material:

Type: Type:

Material: Material:

Style: Style:

Type: Type:

3. STYLE & MATERIALS

CITY OF LOS ANGELES

HISTORIC-CULTURAL MONUMENTNOMINATION FORM

Proposed Monument Name:

Other Associated Names:

Street Address:

Range of Addresses on Property:

Assessor Parcel Number:

/ĚĞŶƟĮĐĂƟŽŶĐŽŶƚĚ

Zip: Council District:

Community Name:

Tract: Block: Lot:

Proposed MonumentProperty Type: Building Structure Object Site/Open Space Natural

Feature

1. PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION

Describe anǇĂĚĚŝƟŽŶĂůƌesources located on the property to be included in the nominaƟŽŶŚĞƌe:

Year built: Factual EƐƟŵĂƚĞĚ Threatened?

Architect/Designer: Contractor:

Original Use: Present Use:

Is the Proposed Monument on its Original Site? Yes Unknown (explain in ƐĞĐƟŽŶ7)

2. CONSTRUCTION HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS

No (explain iŶƐĞĐƟŽŶ7)

Cytron House First Owner/Tenant

Matilda (Tillie) and Leo P. Cytron

2249 Benedict Canyon Drive 90210 LA

Los Angeles, CA Beverly Crest/Bel Air

4383 023 008 4311 12 77

th N DEG 34 min 15 sec E 72

250-year-old sycamore

numerous oak trees

1961 None

Richard J. Neutra Charles A. Armin

residence residence

Mid-Century Modernism 1 Irregular

Wood Select

Stucco, textured Select

Flat Select

Rolled asphalt Select

Fixed Casement

Aluminum Aluminum

Off-center Select

Slab Sliding glass

CITY OF LOS ANGELES


4. ALTERATION HISTORY

List date and write a brief descripƟŽŶ of any major alteraƟŽŶƐ or addiƟŽŶƐ. ThiƐƐĞĐƟŽŶmay also be completed on a separate document. Include copies of permits in the nominaƟŽŶpacket. Make sure to list any major alteraƟŽŶƐ for which there are no permits, as well.

5. EXISTING HISTORIC RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION (if known)

Survey Name(s):

Listed in the California Register of Historical Resources

Determined eligibleĨŽƌŶĂƟŽŶĂů state, or local landmark status by an historic resources survey(s)

ListĞĚŝŶƚŚĞEĂƟŽŶĂůRegister of Historic Places

Formally determined eligible for the NaƟŽŶĂl and/or California Registers

Located in an Historic PreservaƟŽŶOverlay Zone (HPOZ)ContriďƵƟng feature

Non-conƚƌŝďƵƟng feature

Other historical or cultural resource designaƟŽŶƐ

6. APPLICABLE HISTORIC-CULTURAL MONUMENT CRITERIA

Reflects the broad cultural, economic, or social historyŽĨƚŚĞŶĂƟŽŶƐƚĂƚĞ, or community

A notable work of a master builder, designer, or architect whose individual genius influenced his or her age

/ƐŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚǁŝƚŚŚŝƐƚŽƌŝĐƉĞƌƐŽŶĂŐĞƐŽƌǁŝƚŚŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶt events in the main curreŶƚƐŽĨŶĂƟŽŶĂl, state, or local history

ŵďŽĚŝĞƐƚŚĞĚŝƐƟŶŐƵŝƐŝŶŐĐŚĂƌĂĐƚĞƌŝƐƟĐƐŽĨĂŶĂƌĐŚŝƚĞctural-type specimen, inherently valuable for study ofĂƉĞƌŝŽĚƐƚǇůĞŽƌŵĞƚŚŽĚŽĨĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ

The proposed monument exemplifies the following Cultural Heritage Ordinance CriteƌŝĂ;^ĞĐƟŽŶ22.171.7):

none

8. CONTACT INFORMATION

Name: Company:

Street Address:

Zip: Phone Number:

City: State:

Email:

Applicant

Name: Company:

Street Address:

Zip: Phone Number:

City: State:

Email:

EŽŵŝŶĂƟŽŶWƌĞƉĂƌĞƌƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƐZĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟǀĞ

CITY OF LOS ANGELES


7. WRITTEN STATEMENTS

dŚŝƐƐĞĐƟŽŶĂůůŽǁƐǇŽƵƚŽĚŝƐĐƵƐƐĂƚůĞŶŐƚŚƚŚĞƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶĐĞŽĨƚŚĞƉƌŽƉŽƐĞĚŵŽŶƵŵĞŶƚĂŶĚǁŚǇŝƚƐŚŽƵůĚďĞĚĞƐŝŐŶĂƚĞĚĂŶ,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐͲƵůƚƵƌĂůDŽŶƵŵĞŶƚdǇƉĞǇŽƵƌƌĞƐƉŽŶƐĞŽŶƐĞƉĂƌĂƚĞĚŽĐƵŵĞŶƚƐĂŶĚĂƩĞĐŚƚŚĞŵƚŽƚŚŝƐĨŽƌŵ

WƌŽƉŽƐĞĚDŽŶƵŵĞŶƚĞƐĐƌŝƉƟŽŶͲ Describe the proposed monument’s physical characterisƟĐƐĂŶĚrelaƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƚo its surrounding environmenƚǆƉĂŶĚŽŶƐĞĐƟŽŶƐϮĂŶĚϯǁŝƚŚĂŵŽƌe detailed descrip-ƟŽŶŽĨƚŚĞƐŝƚĞǆƉĂŶĚŽŶƐĞĐƟŽŶϰĂŶĚĚŝƐĐƵƐƐƚŚĞĐonsƚƌƵĐƟŽŶalteraƟŽŶŚŝƐtory in detail if that is necessary to explain the proposed monument’s current form. IdenƟĨy and describe any character-defining elements, structures, interior spaces, or landscape features.

^ƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚŽĨ^ŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶĐĞͲ Address the proposed monument’s historic, cultural, and/or architec-tural significance by discussing how it saƟƐfies the HCM criteria you selectĞĚŝŶ^ĞĐƟŽŶϲzou must support your argument with substanƟĂůĞvidence and analysis. The Statement of Significance is your main argument for designaƟŽŶƐŽŝƚŝƐŝŵƉŽƌƚant to substanƟĂte any claims you makĞǁŝƚŚƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐdocumentaƟŽŶĂŶĚƌesearch.

Name: Company:

Street Address:

Zip: Phone Number:

City: State:

Email:

WƌŽƉĞƌƚǇKǁŶĞƌ Yes No UnknownIs the owner in support of the nominaƟŽŶ

Sally Cytron Gati for the CYTRON HOUSE

74 Allston way San Francisco CA

94127-1102 (415) 681-0318 [email protected]

The Matilda Cytron Trust

2249 North Benedict Canyon Drive Los Angeles, CA

90210

Sally Cytron Gati

74 Allston Way San Francisco CA

94127 (415 681-0318 [email protected]

Section 7: WRITTEN STATEMENTS

(A) MONUMENT DESCRIPTION (character-defining features: historic, cultural and architectural significance)

The CYTRON HOUSE is an excellent example of a Mid-Century Modernist building, designed, built, and finished in 1961 by internationally recognized master architect Richard J. Neutra. It is a simple one-story, two-bedroom, two-bathroom house on the flat area of a hillside lot at 2249 Benedict Canyon Drive in Los Angeles, California (with a Beverly Hills adjacent zip code of 90210). It was built for Matilda (Tillie) and Leo P. Cytron to live in following their retirement from having been the owners (since 1922) of Cytronʼs Shoe Store, one of the first businesses in Los Angeles, on Manchester and Vermont. They bought the Benedict Canyon lot (next to a lot my parents had).

My mother Shirley Cytron, wanted Neutra to be her own architect, but with a divorce coming and lack of funds, my parents had to sell their lot and Shirley suggest that her own mother contact Neutra, which she did. As was Neutraʼs style, he interviewed his clients, getting them to tell him what they had in mind. If he liked them, and if he saw a landscape in which he could integrate a design using their desires, he took on the assignment. (See attached letters.)

Thomas S. Hines in his book Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture explained that Neutra “was especially concerned that good design be available to people of modest means and that even his most expensive architecture be translatable into less cost forms.” (p. 6, Univ. of Calif. Press 1982). As a result, he built for my grandparents a small, comfortable, and elegant house. I also know that my grandmother (although happily married for more than fifty years) was very much attracted to Mr. Neutraʼs good looks; and that cannot be underplayed as to why she wanted him to be the architect. (Parenthetically, Tillie and Neutraʼs wife, Dione, kept in touch when the Neutras were traveling and often wrote to each other even years after the house was built. See attached 1967 letter from Dione, Richardʼs wife. She even inquired about me, the granddaughter.)

Approaching the house, you drive along well-traveled Benedict Canyon Drive up from the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset. You have to pay attention as you go around the curves; but on your left about 7 minutes in, you will see a huge “moon rock” as my grandmother used to call it, in the front of the lot. Then you can park either in the carport or in the houseʼs visitorsʼ parking area. You will notice right away typical Neutra house characteristics - the clean lines, the open spaces, and the landscape. In the front, is a foot-bridge crossing over a “creek” and a huge sycamore tree and other foliage. It is from here that you can walk on flat stones to the entrance.

The door leads you through a lovely wood-paneled divider where there is a coat-hanging area and a closet just as you enter. From here, you canʼt help but see out to the back of the house through the floor-to-ceiling expansive windows and glass sliding doors. So, too, the flat roof, exposed inside beams which continue to the outside, and

8

overhanging eaves are immediately evident. This is where you first are able to get a free-flowing feeling of being inside and outside at the same time. In his book The Neutras Then and Later , Neutraʼs son Dion, (also an architect and his fatherʼs partner, who worked on this commission as well), explained “the use of maximum glass” this way: “ . . .so as to expand the ʻindoor/outdoorʼ sensation and free movement of the eyes.” It was Neutraʼs way of allowing Tillie and Leo to live in this rustic-feeling house and experience nature from every vantage point from inside looking out to the front or to the rear patio, garden, fish pond, grass, fruit trees, bouganvilla and beyond to the ivy-covered hillside. (See attached photos.)

The layout of this small (19,480.7 sq. ft.) one-story, flat-roofed stucco house on a concrete foundation is in three sections (as can be seen in the attached drawing). At one end, on the south side, are the master bedroom, the two bathrooms, a hallway, and the second bedroom (that Tillie used as her art studio). The master bathroom has a bathtub, a separate shower, and a private toilet “room”. The other is a three-quarter bathroom (no bathtub). The second bedroom has a separate side door with glass, allowing views out to the side. The other windows in this room looks out to the trees, plants, and hedges. Even though on a busy street, because the front of the house is nicely set back from the road with a lot of foliage, it has a private feel; and because the back of the house is surrounded with greenery, it also feels secluded (even from the two houses on either side).

As architect Ray Kappe said (in his audio interview for the Los Angeles Central Libraryʼs 2009 exhibit, Richard Neutra, Architect: Sketches and Drawings), Neutra “extended space”, that he “moved the interior space outward” and that “really influenced the life of people in a very strong way.” This is definitely true for the CYTRON HOUSE. Looking outside through these windows, seeing the deer and birds, was like being in a hunterʼs blind, and it never ceased to please the Cytrons. Tillie even made friends with the raccoons that used to come down the hill and into the yard in the evenings, expecting a bowl of water and a bag of stale bread for their familyʼs dinner.

The central area of the house consists of a living room and dining room combination with a prominent gas fireplace on one wall next to built-in wooden cabinets that easily open with a finger-push. There are also built-in book shelves above the signature Neutra built-in brown leather couch. There are both flood and track lighting, eliminating the need for standing lamps. It is an open floor plan wherein the dining room is at the other side of this central area with more wooden cabinets that divide the eating area and the kitchen. These same cabinets serve as cupboards on the kitchen side with glass-looking plastic sliding doors. (See attached photos).

The kitchen itself is at right angles to the central area, is not big but well-designed with counter space, ovens, refrigerator, double sink and cabinets above. Thereʼs a special storage “pantry” which lights up when the doors are opened. This is a house, made for Los Angeles climate, a place with sun and light all year. There is also a skylight in the kitchen bringing in the sunshine. Neutra designed high, uncovered windows in the bathrooms also to let sunlight in (perhaps even pre-dating todayʼs energy-saving ideas).

9

Tied to the early 60ʼs, there is an interesting addition that was put in when the house was built - a Nutone “Food Center” (a built-in electric element enabling a blender to be screwed in and used right on the counter top). The laundry room with a washer, dryer and sink is in the room next to the kitchen, with a convenient set of sliding-door cupboards between the two.

The Cytrons loved their house. The wood and beautiful veneer used for the minimal but adequate built-in cabinetry and closets in the kitchen, dining area, living room, hall, and particularly the big bedroom, each adding to the “warmth” and coziness of the place. In the master bedroom are a wall of wooden shelves, a mirror over the built-in wooden dressing table and drawers. Surrounding the bed is also a built-in wooden bed “frame” and drawers. (See attached photos.) On the floors, Neutra used brown cork so there is the look of “earth” beneath your feet.

He did not build the house as a storage place for clutter. Neutra used reductive forms, and we can see that Louis Sullivanʼs adage “Form follows function” was always the guiding principle. For example, instead of a closed garage with space for stuff, he designed an attached carport on the north side of the house for easy “back door” entry through the kitchen or into the laundry room, keeping the overall look open and airy.

It was made quite clear to me after seeing Arkansas Educational Television Networkʼs 2012 “Clean Lines Open Spaces A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture” that The CYTRON HOUSE is a Southern California residence exemplifying all of the qualities that the Case Study House Program of the 40s was to provide “an affordable, easily-maintained house for people conceived in the spirit of our times and [be] made with the techniques and materials best suited to the expression of manʼs life in the modern world.” Neutra was able to do this having gotten to know Tillie and Leo and having his associates work closely with them on their desires so as to keep the design fine, the cost of construction and materials within their budget, and the result, an aesthetically beautiful place to live.

My grandparentsʼ house served as a place for year-round family gatherings such as Passovers, Thanksgivings, and weddings. Their two daughters, Shirley and Lenora, their children and spouses, grandchildren, and great grandchildren made this house a real family home for get-togethers. My mother, Shirley Cytron, got married (to actor Henry Corden) in the picturesque garden in 1970 and I too had a memorable wedding there (to Frank Gati) on Labor Day weekend in 1972.

OWNER HISTORYLeo died in l969 and Tillie in 1991. Since then, the house has been in the Matilda Cytron Trust and rented out by the family to “loving” renters. Daniel Cytron, their grandson (my brother), was at the time of the construction of the house, considering a career in architecture and went to work with the draftsmen at the Neutra Practice in Silver Lake. He learned a lot but ultimately decided to pursue a life of fine art. His association with the house has been long-term, and he oversees all maintenance and repairs.

10

ALTERATIONSSuch items as the Masonite on the outside of the side (studio/bedroom) door deteriorated over time because of the sun and weathering, so it was replaced with sturdier wood so as to last (this time). The termites have finally gotten the best of the crossover “bridge”, so we will be replacing it with look-alike wood but the same design. The sliding glass doors were both adjusted so they now work as they were designed to do. The cork on the floors can and does get “chipped”, so replacements have occasionally been put in. Electricians have had to be real professionals who know how to inquire as to the idiosyncrasies of the building before “fixing” individual problems. One tenant tried to use the fireplace for real, so the bricks have remnants of this wood-burning. I am proud to say, that only small cosmetic changes have been done and that the integrity of the original building is at an exceptional level. It seems to have stood the test of time, making us want to have the CYTRON HOUSE, a real Neutra gem, noted as a Historic Place and Monument of Los Angeles.

Julius Shulman, the famous architectural photographer was commissioned by the Neutra office to take pictures of the house. As explained by Andy Grundberg in the New York Times of July 17, 2009: “Mr. Shulman almost always used black-and-white film, the better to reduce his subjects to their geometric essentials. But he was also able to make the hard glass and steel surfaces of postwar Modernist architecture appear comfortable and inviting.” Iʼve included here, a few beautiful black-and-white photos he took of the CYTRON HOUSE, permissions given to me by Dion Neutra:

11

(B)CRITERIA - STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE (supporting documents follow)The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles are in this case, a historic building which embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction and a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age.

SIGNIFICANCE AS A HISTORIC RESOURCE(B)Is the site or structure an outstanding example of past architectural styles or

craftsmanship? Yes. The Cytron House is a fine example of Mid-Century Modernism.

(I)Was the site or structure created by a “master” architect, builder, or designer?Yes. Richard J. Neutra was the internationally known “master” designer and architect who built the Cytron House.

1.Did the architect, engineer, or owner have historical associations that either influenced architecture in the city or had a role in the development or history of Los Angeles?

Yes. Richard J. Neutra did a number of beautiful and noteworthy projects in Los Angeles, many of which have been given historic recognition.

1.Has the building retained “integrity”? Does it still convey its historic significance through the retention of its original design and materials?

Yes. Surprisingly, since the Cytron House was built in 1961, it has been maintained and lived in, always with love and attention, knowing that the “integrity” of its original look be kept as it was. Even when fixing things that break or are in need of replacement, the original design is always taken into account, and materials that will extend the life of the building have been used.

12

(C) SUMMARYThe CYTRON HOUSE, built in 1961, is a one-story, flat-roof residential building, designed by internationally famous architect, Richard J. Neutra, that exhibits character-defining features of the style known as Mid-Century Modernism. This small stucco and wood house is on a hillside lot off of Benedict Canyon Drive. It is built on a concrete slab in an “s-shaped” plan with open beams and overhanging eaves. It has two bedrooms and two baths on the south side of the lot; a central area consisting of a living room, fireplace, and dining room combined; floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a view to the back patio, grassy garden, fruit trees, and ivy-covered hillside. A variety of other windows (fixed, louver, sliding, clarestory, skylight) are in each room to provide air, sunlight, or just views to the outside - an important characteristic of Neutraʼs “expanded space”. On the north side of the central area is the kitchen and laundry room with a back door leading out to the carport. There is a visitorsʼ parking area that is in front of the house, which is set back from the street. The entrance can be reached by passing over a footbridge and stone steps, shaded by a 250-year-old sycamore tree and a lot of managed foliage. There are built-in wood veneered cabinets, cupboards, book shelves, drawers, a dressing table, and sofa in the various rooms, hallway, and closets. The result was a moderately-priced residence, fit for the climate and the specific lot it was built on, designed to suit the needs of the owners by a famous architect with a known philosophy, resulting in an aesthetically beautiful house.

Description/Nomination materials of the CYTRON HOUSE were written and assembled by Sally Cytron Gati, Tillie and Leo Cytronʼs granddaughter.

13

BIBLIOGRAPHY & RESOURCES Arkansas Educational Television Networkʼs 2012 “Clean Lines Open Spaces A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture” http://www.aetn.org/programs/cleanlinesopenspaces

“A West-Side Home Tour” in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner CALIFORNIA LIVING, week of March 23, 1965, p. 20

Grundberg, Andy “Julius Shulman, Photographer of Modernist California ! Architecture, Dies at 98” New York Times (Art & Design) July 17, 2009http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/arts/design/17shulman.html?_r=0Art & Design|

Hines, Thomas S. Richard Neutra and the Search for Modern Architecture, "University of California Press (Berkeley and Los Angeles) 1982

Kappe, Ray and five other audio interviews done for the Los Angeles Central Libraryʼs " 2009 exhibit, Richard Neutra, Architect: Sketches and Drawings

Lamprecht, Barbara Neutra: Complete Works (Taschen Publications Cologne) 2000

McCoy, Esther “Neutra The Architect, His Work and His Influence” in The Los Angeles Times HOME, Feb. 11, 1968, pp. 14-27

Neutra, Dion The Neutras Then & Later (Triton Barcelona, Los Angeles, Vienna) 2012

Neutra, Richard and Dion Papers (Collection 1179) in the UCLA archives of the " Charles E. Young Library Special Collections (Box 40 Folder 7 and Box 793)" https://webservices.library.ucla.edu/aeon/index.jsp?bibID=2470343

Neutra, Richard and Dion Richard und Dion Neutra Pflazen Wasser Steine Licht" Verlag Paul Parey (Berlin und Hamburg) 1974 (Haus Cytron pp. 45-47

North Carolina Modernist Houses Archive" (a North Carolina 501C3 Educational Nonprofit Archive documenting, preserving, and promoting residential Modernist architecture) http://www.ncmodernist.org/neutra.htm

Shulman, Julius, “Neutra. . .as I see him” in The Los Angeles Times HOME, Feb. 11, 1968, p. 28.Shulman, Julius Photography Archive, Research Institute.©J. Paul Getty Trust. " (2004.R.10)https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/guides_bibliographies/shulman/pdf/shulman_remembering.pdf

ZIMAS http://zimas.lacity.org/ search under APN 4383023008https://www.ladbsservices2.lacity.org/OnlineServices/PermitReport/ParcelProfileDetail2?pin=153B153%20%20%20325

14

http://www.aetn.org/programs/cleanlinesopenspaces

http://www.aetn.org/programs/cleanlinesopenspaces

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/arts/design/17shulman.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/arts/design/17shulman.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/design/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/design/index.html

https://webservices.library.ucla.edu/aeon/index.jsp?bibID=2470343

https://webservices.library.ucla.edu/aeon/index.jsp?bibID=2470343

http://www.ncmodernist.org/neutra.htmhttp://www.ncmodernist.org/neutra.htm

http://www.ncmodernist.org/neutra.htmhttp://www.ncmodernist.org/neutra.htm

https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/guides_bibliographies/shulman/pdf/shulman_remembering.pdf




http://zimas.lacity.org

http://zimas.lacity.org

https://www.ladbsservices2.lacity.org/OnlineServices/PermitReport/ParcelProfileDetail2?pin=153B153%20%20%20325




City of Los AngelesDepartment of City Planning

4/26/2017

PARCEL PROFILE REPORT Address/Legal Information

PIN Number 153B153 325

Lot/Parcel Area (Calculated) 19,480.7 (sq ft)

Thomas Brothers Grid PAGE 592 - GRID B3

Assessor Parcel No. (APN) 4383023008

Tract TR 4311

Map Reference M B 89-62/69 (SHTS 3/10)

Block BLK 12

Lot 77

Arb (Lot Cut Reference) 1

Map Sheet 150B153

153B153

Jurisdictional Information

Community Plan Area Bel Air - Beverly Crest

Area Planning Commission West Los Angeles

Neighborhood Council Bel Air - Beverly Crest

Council District CD 5 - Paul Koretz

Census Tract # 2612.00

LADBS District Office West Los Angeles

Planning and Zoning Information

Special Notes None

Zoning RE40-1-H-HCR

Zoning Information (ZI) ZI-2438 Equine Keeping in the City of Los Angeles

ZI-2467 HCR Hillside Construction Regulation Supplemental UseDistrict

ZI-2462 Modifications to SF Zones and SF Zone Hillside AreaRegulations

General Plan Land Use Minimum Residential

General Plan Footnote(s) Yes

Hillside Area (Zoning Code) Yes

Specific Plan Area None

Special Land Use / Zoning None

Design Review Board No

Historic Preservation Review No

Historic Preservation Overlay Zone None

Other Historic Designations None

Other Historic Survey Information None

Mills Act Contract None

CDO: Community Design Overlay None

CPIO: Community Plan Imp. Overlay None

District None

Subarea None

CUGU: Clean Up-Green Up None

NSO: Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay No

POD: Pedestrian Oriented Districts None

SN: Sign District No

Streetscape No

Adaptive Reuse Incentive Area None

PROPERTY ADDRESSES

2249 N BENEDICT CANYON DR

ZIP CODES

90210

RECENT ACTIVITY

None

CASE NUMBERS

CPC-2016-4087-ZC

CPC-2016-4085-CA

CPC-1986-829-GPC

CPC-18760

ORD-78234

ORD-184828

ORD-184827

ORD-183497

ORD-167564-SA530B

ORD-132416

ORD-129279

ORD-128730

PMV-1950

ENV-2016-4086-ND

CFG-1000

This report is subject to the terms and conditions as set forth on the website. For more details, please refer to the terms and conditions at zimas.lacity.org(*) - APN Area is provided "as is" from the Los Angeles County's Public Works, Flood Control, Benefit Assessment.

zimas.lacity.org | planning.lacity.org

Ellis Act Property No

Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) No

CRA - Community Redevelopment Agency None

Central City Parking No

Downtown Parking No

Building Line 20

500 Ft School Zone No

500 Ft Park Zone No

Assessor Information

Assessor Parcel No. (APN) 4383023008

Ownership (Assessor)

Owner1 CYTRON,SHIRLEY C TR MATILDA CYTRON DECD TRUST C/O C/OSALLY GATI

Address 74 ALLSTON WAY SAN FRANCISCO CA 94127

Ownership (Bureau of Engineering, LandRecords)

Owner CORDEN, SHIRLEY C. (TRS) ET AL

Address 2249 BENEDICT CANYON DRIVE BEVERLY HILLS CA 90210

APN Area (Co. Public Works)* 0.448 (ac)

Use Code 0100 - Residential - Single Family Residence

Assessed Land Val. $73,284

Assessed Improvement Val. $85,533

Last Owner Change 09/10/1990

Last Sale Amount $9

Tax Rate Area 67

Deed Ref No. (City Clerk) 5-270

321824

Building 1

Year Built 1961

Building Class D95B

Number of Units 1

Number of Bedrooms 2

Number of Bathrooms 2

Building Square Footage 1,480.0 (sq ft)

Building 2 No data for building 2




Additional Information

Airport Hazard None

Coastal Zone None

Farmland Area Not Mapped

Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone Yes

Fire District No. 1 No

Flood Zone None

Watercourse No

Hazardous Waste / Border Zone Properties No

Methane Hazard Site None

High Wind Velocity Areas No

Special Grading Area (BOE Basic Grid Map A-13372)

Yes

Oil Wells None

Seismic Hazards

Active Fault Near-Source Zone



Nearest Fault (Distance in km) 0.47158656

Nearest Fault (Name) Hollywood Fault

Region Transverse Ranges and Los Angeles Basin

Fault Type B

Slip Rate (mm/year) 1.00000000

Slip Geometry Left Lateral - Reverse - Oblique

Slip Type Poorly Constrained

Down Dip Width (km) 14.00000000

Rupture Top 0.00000000

Rupture Bottom 13.00000000

Dip Angle (degrees) 70.00000000

Maximum Magnitude 6.40000000

Alquist-Priolo Fault Zone No

Landslide Yes

Liquefaction Yes

Preliminary Fault Rupture Study Area No

Tsunami Inundation Zone No

Economic Development Areas

Business Improvement District None

Promise Zone No

Renewal Community No

Revitalization Zone None

State Enterprise Zone None

Targeted Neighborhood Initiative None

Public Safety

Police Information

Bureau West

Division / Station West Los Angeles

Reporting District 807

Fire Information

Bureau Valley

Batallion 10

District / Fire Station 99

Red Flag Restricted Parking No



CASE SUMMARIESNote: Information for case summaries is retrieved from the Planning Department's Plan Case Tracking System (PCTS) database.

Case Number: CPC-2016-4087-ZC

Required Action(s): ZC-ZONE CHANGE

Project Descriptions(s): THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE HILLSIDE AREA (ESHA)SUPPLEMENTAL USE DISTRICT. THEESHA DISTRICT WILL ESTABLISH DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS REGULATING RESIDENTIAL FLOOR AREA, HEIGHT, ANDGRADING LIMITS. THE ESHA DISTRICT REGULATIONS WILL REQUIRE SINGLE-FAMILY HOME DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TOGO THROUGH A REVIEW PROCESS AND WILL MANDATE STANDARD HAULING OPERATIONS AS CONDITIONS OF PROJECTAPPROVAL.

Case Number: CPC-2016-4085-CA

Required Action(s): CA-CODE AMENDMENT


Case Number: CPC-1986-829-GPC

Required Action(s): GPC-GENERAL PLAN/ZONING CONSISTENCY (AB283)

Project Descriptions(s): AB-283 PROGRAM - GENERAL PLAN/ZONE CONSISTENCY - BEL AIR-BEVERLY CREST AREA- COMMUNITY WIDE ZONECHANGES AND COMMUNITY PLAN CHANGES TO BRING THE ZONING INTO CONSISTENCY WITH THE PLAN. INCLUDESCHANGES OF HEIGHT AS NEEDED. REQUIRED BY COURT AS PART OF SETTLEMENT IN THE HILLSIDE FEDERATIONLAWSUIT. (DON TAYLOR)

Case Number: ENV-2016-4086-ND

Required Action(s): ND-NEGATIVE DECLARATION


DATA NOT AVAILABLECPC-18760

ORD-78234

ORD-184828

ORD-184827

ORD-183497

ORD-167564-SA530B

ORD-132416

ORD-129279

ORD-128730

PMV-1950

CFG-1000



ZIMAS INTRANET 2014 Digital Color-Ortho 04/26/2017City of Los Angeles

Department of City Planning

Address: 2249 N BENEDICT CANYON DR Tract: TR 4311 Zoning: RE40-1-H-HCR

APN: 4383023008 Block: BLK 12 General Plan: Minimum Residential

PIN #: 153B153 325 Lot: 77

Arb: 1

Streets Copyright (c) Thomas Brothers Maps, Inc.

home | los angeles city planning - cytron house · 2017. 7. 20. · los angeles department of city...

Documents