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CONSIDERATION OF A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE PROPOSED 6,000± SQUARE FOOT ROOF CANOPY AT THE SIKH TEMPLE AND THE ONSITE RELOCATION OF THE EXISTING TEMPLE LIBRARY BUILDING AT 1930 SIKH TEMPLE STREET ON A PROPERTY DESIGNATED A HISTORIC LANDMARK (APPLICATION NO. P24-0047)
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Board adopt a resolution recommending the Director issue a Certificate of Appropriateness based on the findings and subject to the conditions of approval therein.
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Summary
Mike Smith Engineering, Inc. submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness application to construct a 6,059± square foot roof canopy at the Sikh Temple and the onsite relocation of the temple library building on a property designated a historic landmark at 1930 Sikh Temple Street (APN 167-200-53). A Certificate of Appropriateness is required because the project includes new construction on the property of a landmark and the relocation of a contributing structure, the temple library. Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) adopt a resolution recommending that the Community Development Director issue a Certificate of Appropriateness.
DISCUSSION
Background
The project is located at the site of the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple (State Historic Landmark No. 1039) at 1930 Sikh Temple Street (Attachment A - Location Map). The site is described by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) as follows:
No. 1039 Sikh Temple Site - The Sikhs from the Punjab region of India are an important immigrant group in California since about 1900. Most were drawn to agriculture in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, since those flat expanses were similar to the Punjab. The 1915 temple was one of the first religious centers for Indians in the United States. A replacement temple was constructed in 1930 and the 1915 building is used as the temple library. The temple helped maintain Punjabi traditions and to establish better understanding of the Sikh people by the community at large. Many events at the temple, and the temple’s charity kitchen, were open to all, regardless of religion or nationality. Stockton’s Sikh Temple is still an important institution for many Sikhs that remain in the region.
The large, two-story brick Sikh Temple was constructed in 1929, and was designated a City Historic Landmark on March 30, 2004. The library building was the original Sikh Temple structure constructed in 1915 and is cited as a contributing structure for the 2004 Landmark designation. A Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) form (Attachment B) was prepared by Leslie Crow on August 1, 2003, which states “In 1929, the original temple structure was moved onto a new foundation onsite and a new temple constructed on an enlarged foundation. It was converted to use as a library.”
On September 27, 2018, a Certificate of Appropriateness (P17-0558) was approved for the construction of a new 6,135± square foot building to provide additional assembly space, banquet facilities, a commercial kitchen, and restrooms (Attachment C).
Religious facilities are an allowed use in the RL (Residential, Low Density) zoning district. The proposed canopy will provide shade and shelter during religious festivals and the feeding of the needy. The feeding of the needy has historically occurred onsite and is considered an accessory use to the religious facility.
Project Description
An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness was submitted on March 31, 2024. Pursuant to Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) Section 16.220.060(A)(1)(b) and (c), a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for the project because it involves the relocation of a contributing structure being the temple library and new construction on the property of a landmark.
The project consists of the construction of a 6,000± square foot roof canopy to be located to the south of the historic Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in front of the 6,135± square foot building built in 2018 (Attachment D - Site Plan). The canopy will be a metal structure which will initially be painted gray. The bottom 4’-0” of the support posts will be surrounded with brick to complement the historic temple. It will have a gable roof, 27’-0” tall at the ridge line, with a 24’-0” eave height as shown on Attachment E - Elevations.
The existing 2,250± square foot temple library will be relocated onsite, for a second time, approximately 40 feet south of its current location. The library building has a raised wood floor. During relocation, large steel beams will be placed below the structure, and it will be lifted in one entire piece using trailers or other methods depending on the contractor. The temple library will be situated directly behind an existing office building.
According to the calculations provided in the previous Certificate of Appropriateness (P17-0558), the uses onsite require eighty-three (83) off-street parking spaces, of which 60 are provided onsite and twenty-three (23) were provided by the off-site parking lot located at 1901 and 1911 Sikh Temple Street. The site plan for the current project indicates forty-two (42) onsite parking spaces after the construction of the roof canopy and relocation of the temple library, necessitating the development of eighteen (18) off-site parking spaces. This Certificate of Appropriateness will be conditioned to require that prior to issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, the off-site parking facility authorized under the Administrative Use Permit P24-0047 shall be constructed and will have received final inspection approval.
Staff Analysis
Stockton Municipal Code Section 16.220.060(G) requires six (6) findings of fact to be made in order for the CHB to approve the application for Certificate of Appropriateness. The findings have also been met for the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. SMC 16.220.060(C)(1)(d) requires the project applicant to provide evidence in support of the City’s required findings, and that evidence is shown in italics following each individual finding below:
1. Designate, enhance, preserve, protect, restore, and perpetuate those historic districts, neighborhoods, sites, structures, and zones, which contribute to the aesthetic and cultural benefit of the City.
The relocation of the library building and new roof canopy structure will assist in the continuation of the use of the temple as a cultural and religious center within the City and San Joaquin County. The historic integrity of the Sikh Temple will be preserved by the separation of the new roof canopy structure from the temple building.
2. Encourage public appreciation, knowledge, and understanding of, and a sense of identity with, the City’s past.
The proposed new canopy structure will provide shade and shelter from inclement weather, allowing greater utilization, awareness, and appreciation for the history of the Sikh Temple including its place within the context of the City’s history.
3. Foster civic and neighborhood pride in the accomplishments and beauty of the past.
The proposed project is indicative of a desire to invest in the future of the site as an important center for the Sikh community and the City, while maintaining the historic integrity of the Sikh Temple.
4. Stabilize and improve the economic value of historic districts, neighborhoods, sites, structures, and zones.
The investment in new construction resulting from the project and continued utilization of the site will serve to stabilize the economic value of the historic site.
5. Help preserve the diverse architectural design and styles that reflect phases of the City’s history and encourage complementary design and construction.
The design of the canopy structure will reflect and complement elements of the design of the temple building (i.e., the brick bases on the posts), while not mimicking the roof design or creating false historicism.
6. Promote and encourage continued private ownership and utilization of structures currently owned and used.
The relocation of the temple library and the construction of the roof canopy structure will increase economic viability and continued utilization of the site by allowing activities and events during inclement weather.
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards
7. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
Under the project, the Sikh Temple site will continue to be used for religious purposes as originally established in 1915.
8. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
The historic character of the Sikh Temple will be preserved, because the canopy structure will be developed south of it and will not display false historicism. The temple library is only being moved enough to allow the construction of the canopy structure. The relocation will not result in the removal of historic materials or alteration of features of the temple library.
9. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
The proposed roof canopy structure has a modern appearance and will not create a false sense of history. The relocation of the library building, which was previously moved from its original location, will not present a false sense of historical development.
10. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
The temple library building was the original 1915 Sikh Temple but was moved in 1930 to accommodate the new Sikh Temple. The Temple library structure was only identified as a contributing structure on the DPR form when the site was reviewed in 2003. Relocation of the structure is an alternative to its demolition and will aid in its preservation for years to come.
11. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.
The features of the Sikh Temple will not be affected by this project. The relocation of the library building will only affect its place on the property and will not affect any distinctive features, finishes, or construction techniques that characterize the structure.
12. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
No historic features are to be altered by this project.
13. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
The use of chemical or physical treatments are not proposed by this project.
14. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
The project will be conditioned to comply with Section 16.36.050 of the SMC, which addresses the discovery of archaeological resources and/or human remains during the construction phase.
15. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
The new roof canopy is of modern design and will be differentiated from the Sikh Temple structure.
16. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
The roof canopy will not be affixed or attached to the Sikh Temple or temple library at any point; therefore, preserving its integrity and enabling the removal of the roof canopy without impairment of the temple.
Public Comments
Per SMC Section 16.220.060(C)(3) (Noticing), a public notice or hearing is not required for the Review Authority’s action on a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Environmental Clearance
The proposed project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (relocation of an existing facility) and 15303 (new construction of an accessory structure).
Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photo
Attachment B - 2003 DPR form prepared by Leslie Crow
Attachment C - Certificate of Appropriateness (P17-0558)
Attachment D - Site Plan
Attachment E - Elevations
This staff report was prepared by Alex Guilbert, Senior Planner. (209) 937-7095; alex.guilbert@stocktonca.gov.