PRESERVATION UPDATE
It is a time to give thanks, and we have much to be thankful for! We live in a community that values our history and sense of place. Claremont's history of preserving our cultural, natural and architectural heritage is what sets us apart from other communities. This didn't happen by accident! With the General Plan as our guidebook, the City Staff, Commissions and City Council, have all worked together with the citizens of Claremont to ensure that our values reflect and honor our heritage has resulted in a unique and special community. We strive to continue this tradition, and invite you to join us as partners in celebrating, documenting and honoring our past to inform our future.
As Margaret Mead once said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Best regards,
David Shearer Executive Director POMONA COLLEGE ART MUSEUM | NEW PRESERVATION ALERT
The City of Claremont has recently recirculated an updated Environmental Impact Report for the Pomona College Master Plan that proposes an even more aggressive impact and encroachment of the College into a historically residential Village area. The leadership of Claremont Heritage continues to voice concern over the placement of a new museum on the west side of College Avenue at Bonita that now includes an expanded footprint and the moving of the historic Renwick House. An institutional building on this site would interrupt the historic, intentionally planned residential feeling of the neighborhood and requires a zone change that appears to be in direct opposition to both our General Plan and the Village Design Plan, a city policy document.
Optional locations have not been explored fully and there are other sites that would provide the community with just as much benefit, facilitate Pomona's requirements and not destroy the heritage of the most historic street in Claremont, College Avenue.
Voice your opinion! The Recirculated Draft EIR is available for public review and comment from at City Hall or online HERE - October 19, to December 3, 2015. Comments may be submitted in writing to Belle Newman, Contract Planner, City of Claremont, PO Box 880, Claremont, CA 91711, Fax: (909) 399 5327, or Email: bnewmanplanning@gmail.com. All comments must be received by the City no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 3, 2015.
A possible win/win solution that has not been evaluated fully is below!
The original Myron Hunt Plan for Pomona College shows a museum building where a new Thatcher Music Building is currently proposed. Located on the east side of College Avenue, a museum in this location would blend well with the needs of Pomona and maintain the historic vision of the original campus design.
Courtesy Pomona College
Moving the historic Renwick House (as is currently proposed) from it original building site to the historically institutional east side of College and building a large (32 - 40,000sf) institutional building on the historically residential west side of College does not follow the established Village Design Guidelines or Claremont's General Plan.
A zone change is required to facilitate this plan and would open up the opportunity for Pomona to build other institutional scale buildings in the residential buffer that currently exists between the college and the Claremont Village. At risk is the loss of the small town atmosphere that draws many visitors to our unique and historic Village every year.
Historic Helen Renwick House
Courtesy of Claremont Colleges Digital Library
CLAREMONT HERITAGE CONTINUES TO SUBMIT NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS
Living in a city that has taken care to preserve its architectural legacy is wonderful until it is challenged. We have seen over the years the potential effect that development might bring to our town. If the old Santa Fe Depot or College Heights Packing House had been torn down as was once proposed, our city would lack some of the historic fabric that makes it so great! Although getting buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places does not necessarily ensure their survival, it does bring public attention to the physical and cultural attributes that our community offers.
By preserving our historic structures and neighborhoods, we attract visitors who will positively impact our community financially through Cultural Heritage Tourism! Just ask any Village merchant.
Image Courtesy of Claremont Chamber of Commerce
Claremont Heritage is proud of the recent acceptance to the National Register of the Intercultural Council Houses located in the Arbol Verde neighborhood of Claremont - bringing our list to a total of six sites. Claremont should have many more and we are in the process of submitting a number of other National Register Nominations including the: Claremont U.S. Post Office (above) a 1937 WPA project that contains an exceptional Milford Zornes mural in the lobby.
Other sites on the list include: the Claremont United Methodist Church by Richard Neutra, the Garrison Theater and Pomona First Federal Bank (now US Bank) by Millard Sheets and David Underwood, the Claremont United Church of Christ by Theodore Criley Jr. and more.
CLAREMONT HERITAGE BOARD TAKES POSITION ON DRAFT CLAREMONT HILLS WILDERNESS PARK MASTER PLAN
On November 19th 2015, the Claremont Heritage Board of Directors voted to approve the following position on the recently circulated Draft Claremont Hills Wilderness Park Master Plan. Our comments and recommendations are based on our mission "to advance, preserve and celebrate the historic, architectural, natural, and cultural resources of our community."
"The San Gabriel Mountains, including their foothills, are an important part of Claremont's cultural and natural heritage.
The CHWP Master Plan should call for expanding the CHWP to protect all remaining natural and quasi-natural foothill areas within the City's sphere of influence.
The plan should take a regional, as well as local, perspective. The City of Claremont should assume a leading role in creating open space corridors along the foothills, in cooperation with other local governments, California state agencies, and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument administered by Angeles National Forest.
Rather than create an advisory group solely for the CHWP, we recommend that the City Council establish a Natural Resources Advisory Committee (advisory to Council and/or City Commissions), which would provide advice on matters relating to water (supply and use), street trees, the urban forest generally, urban parks, the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, adjacent foothill and mountain wildlands, home gardens, urban agriculture, and the larger natural environment on which the community depends. Projected effects of climate change should be given particular attention."
Ted Trzyna & Robert Perry co-chairs,
Natural Resources and Urban Landscapes Committee of Claremont Heritage
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