DR 20-128 (3080 Rio Road): Consideration of a Design Review (DR 20-128, Carmel Mission) for modifications to the Carmel Mission Basilica Forecourt and Sir Harry Downie Museum located in the Single Family (R-1) Zoning District. (APN 009-531-003)

CEQA Action: Staff recommends the project be found categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) and Section 15331 (Historical Resource Restoration/ Rehabilitation).

The applicant is requesting approval of a Design Review application (DR 20-128) for modifications to the Carmel Mission Basilica Forecourt and Sir Harry Downie Museum. The project is located at 3080 Rio Road in the Single-Family (R-1) District, Archaeological Significance Overlay, Park Overlay and Beach & Riparian Overlay districts.

Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution (Attachment 1) approving a Design Review application for modifications to the Carmel Mission Basilica Forecourt and Sir Harry Downie Museum.

The Carmel Mission is located at the southwest corner of Rio Road and Lasuen Drive. The Mission property is approximately 6 acres in size and includes the Carmel Mission, Junipero Serra School, Murphy Gymnasium, Gift Shop, the Bishop’s residence and several other structures. Construction of the Mission Basilica was completed in 1797, but many of the buildings on the site, including the Sir Harry Downie Museum, Mora Chapel, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Convento, and Gift Shop, were constructed in the early to mid-1900’s. The Carmel Mission is listed on the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources; the Mission Basilica and associated grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2010, the City approved the seismic retrofit and structural support of the Mission Basilica including, in-kind replacement of siding and roofing materials in certain areas of the building; and, construction of an ADA compliant restroom at the rear of the Basilica. The project was completed in 2013 and was the first phase of a two-phase project.

In 2015, the City approved the second phase of the project which focused on updating the existing infrastructure of the Carmel Mission. The alterations included changes to the east elevation; Basilica Forecourt and Sir Harry Downie Building; Mora Chapel; Convento Museum Wing; Blessed Sacrament Chapel; Main Quadrangle; and, construction of a new restroom off the main quadrangle. Mr. Kent Seavey evaluated the alterations in a report dated May 7, 2015 for consistency with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and on May 18, 2015 the Historic Resources Board adopted a Determination of Consistency. On July 8, 2015, the Planning Commission approved the Design Review (DR 14-038) and associated Coastal Development Permit. A detailed description of all the Phase 2 improvements can be found in these reports (refer to Attachments 2-4).

Project Description

Due to a lack of funding, portions of Phase 2 were not completed in 2015 and since that time the Design Review (DR 14-038) has expired. Many of the previously reviewed and approved alterations remain unchanged but certain elements of the project have been modified.

The Sir Harry Downie Museum remodel will focus on removing the existing non-ADA compliant restrooms and adding two, new non-gender ADA compliant single-use restrooms. This will create more room for exhibit space within the Downie Museum. The building will also be seismically retrofitted.

The Basilica Forecourt improvements include adjusting grades to create accessible paths of travel and replacing the existing paving in the Forecourt with new paving that matches the Quadrangle paving. This will include constructing a ramp that will connect the courtyard to the fountain, gardens, and Downie Museum. A new gate will be added in the non-historic plaster wall to provide a pedestrian entry. A sloped walkway will be constructed leading to the main parking lot and an enhanced gathering area in front of the Museum Store/Gift Shop. This will require the removal of two parking spaces.

Carmel Municipal Code Section 17.32.140 (Determination of Consistency with the Secretary’s Standards) requires that major alterations to historic resources be evaluated by a qualified professional and reviewed and approved by the Historic Resources Board. The project was evaluated by qualified professional Margaret Clovis and found to be consistent with the Secretary’s Standards for Rehabilitation and the Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes (Attachment 5). The Historic Resources Board agreed with Ms. Clovis’ conclusions and on October 19, 2020 adopted a Resolution issuing a Determination of Consistency with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Attachment 6).

The Planning Commission is being asked to consider the Historic Resources Board’s decision and adopt a Resolution approving the Design Review (DR 20-128).

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.

Staff recommends that the proposed project be found categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), State CEQA guidelines and local environmental regulations, pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). Class 1 exemptions include, minor interior and exterior alterations to existing structures and landscapes involving no expansion of the existing use. The project consists of interior modifications to the Sir Harry Downie Museum and relocation of existing restrooms; replacement of existing hardscape in the Carmel Mission Basilica Forecourt; and, reconstruction of an adobe wall. The proposed project does not present any unusual circumstances that would result in a potentially significant environmental impact.

Staff also recommends that the proposed project be found categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), State CEQA guidelines and local environmental regulations, pursuant to Section 15331 (Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation). The project includes the maintenance, repair, stabilization, rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, conservation or reconstruction of a historical resource in a manner consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitation, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings.