Downie Museum Building
The Downie Museum Building was commissioned by Father Ramon Mestres in 1919. Construction was completed in 1921 and the building was used as quarters for visiting priests. On October 11, 1980 the building was dedicated as the Sir Harry Downie Museum, in honor of the Mission’s famed restorer. A storage area was added to the western elevation around 1960, according to the Historic Structure Report for the Carmel Mission Basilica (prepared by Architectural Resources Group, Inc. for Franks Brenkwitz & Associates dated August 2010). The building’s character-defining features include:
· Adobe walls
· Roof including peeled log rafters, redwood planks and clay tiles
· Window openings
· Footprint of 1921 building
· Stone fireplace designed by Jo Mora
The remodeling of the Downie Museum includes relocation of existing restrooms (to the 1960 storage area addition) to create additional museum space. The new restrooms would be ADA compliant. Original interior adobe walls that are proposed to be removed to facilitate the new layout of the museum will be designated with special tiles on the floor to guide any future reconstruction of the walls (Attachment 1, Condition of Approval No. 18).
Basilica Forecourt
In 1936 Harry Downie started improvements on the Basilica Forecourt, focusing on re-grading the site so rainwater did not flow into the church during the rainy season. He added a raised garden and fountain. The stones that edge the flowerbeds are remnants from the foundations of old mission buildings. According to the Historic American Landscape Survey report completed for the Mission by the National Park Service in 2010, the Forecourt’s paving of exposed aggregate with brick bands dates to the 1970s although it more likely dates to 1960 when the Quadrangle was paved. The Forecourt’s character-defining features include:
· Forecourt spatial organization
· Pathway circulation system
· Stone-bordered flowerbeds
· Design of the elevated garden
· Statue of Father Serra
· Stone walls with integral timber benches
· Fountain
The Forecourt paving (c. 1960) will be removed for the regrading of the eastern section which will improve drainage and allow the site to meet ADA requirements. Once work is completed the Forecourt paving will be reinstalled to match the Quadrangle paving which also dates to the 1960s improvements. A ramp will be constructed to connect the Forecourt to the fountain, raised gardens, and Downie Museum.
One large garden bed on the front elevation of the Downie Museum will be reduced in size to a two-foot bed bordered by a stone retaining wall with a stone cap. This will increase Forecourt space but will have little to no impact on the overall historic character of the property. The project plans (Attachment 7) also indicate that other garden beds in the raised garden area may be reduced by up to two feet to facilitate accessibility and pedestrian movement. It is recommended that the Historic Resources Board review the final plans to ensure that this change does not impact the historic character of the garden area. The fountain in the elevated garden area will be re-plastered and restored and the wood in the built-in benches will be replaced.
Adobe Wall
The 2015 Design Review approval included removing a small portion of the adobe wall located adjacent to the Museum Store/Gift Shop to add a new pair of gates. In July 2020, the structural integrity of the adobe wall was observed to be severely compromised resulting in its removal under an emergency permit. A temporary wall has been installed and will be replaced with a permanent wall as part of this project. The permanent wall would be constructed of concrete with a plaster finish to match the original wall. The pair of wooden gates would be installed and a new lower section of wall would be constructed (refer to Attachment 7, Sheet A-3). Salvaged material from the original wall such as the tile will be reused.
Planning Commission Review
The Planning Commission is being asked to review and approve the Design Review and associated Coastal Development Permit. If the Planning Commission requires design revisions that are substantial or potentially inconsistent with the Secretary’s Standards, the project would be referred back to the Historic Resources Board for further review.