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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-28; Culver-Myers-Capp House Located at 3140 Highland Drive; Barberio, GaryTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date '/~<&/~ CA ~ CC v CM ✓ ACM ~ DCM (3) ✓_ Jan. 28, 2021 Council Memorandum To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council From: Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Curtis M. Jackson, Real Estate Manager Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager @ Re: Culver-Myers-Capp House Located at 3140 Highland Drive {cityof Carlsbad Memo ID #2021022 This memorandum provides information on the Culver-Myers-Capp House located at 3140 Highland Drive. Background On Jan. 8, 2021, via email (attached), and again on Jan. 12, 2021, during the public comment portion ofthe City Council Meeting, Rebecca Holbert and Paul Abodeely asked the City Council if the city would be interested in purchasing their family home located at 3140 Highland Drive (Culver House). As discussed below, city acquisition of the Culver House is not in any current City Council approved plan. Discussion Historic Site Designation On Dec. 22, 1986, the City Council approved Agenda Bill No. 8839, which designated historic sites located within the city as points of historical interest. Included in the designations was the privately-owned Culver House, which the City Council determined met the requirements for Historical Site Designation (Resolution No. 8924). Despite being included thereafter on the 1990 Historical Resources Inventory, the Historical Site Designation of the house did not include a plan or funding source for the city to acquire the property. Proposition H Proposition H, approved in 1982, and codified as Chapter 1.24 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code, states, in part, that "[t]he city shall make no real property acquisition and/or no improvements to real property the cost of which exceeds one million dollars in city funds, unless the proposed acquisition and/or improvement project and the cost in city funds is first placed upon the ballot and approved by a majority of the voters voting thereon at an election." If the City Council directs staff to pursue acquisition, staff will review whether a public vote by the electorate is required. Community Services Branch Real Estate Department 3096 Harding Street I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2836 t Council Memo -Culver-Myers-Capp House Located at 3140 Highland Drive Jan. 28, 2021 Page 2 Growth Management Program (GMP), Parks & Recreation Master Plan and Strategic Action Plan There is currently a GMP parkland surplus of 14.2 acres in the northwest quadrant of the city and a deficit in park land in the northwest quadrant at build out is not projected. Thus, the Culver House is not needed by the city to address the GMP Parks Performance Standard. Further, the acquisition, refurbishment, and on-going maintenance of the Culver House is not currently included in the City Council approved Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan r and Strategic Action Plan. Real Estate Strategic Plan On Oct. 17, 2017, the City Council approved the Real Estate Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan). The purpose of the Strategic Plan was to take a more strategic approach to how the city's major real estate assets are managed, both to maximize the return on the investment of public dollars and to leverage properties for the greatest public benefit, including addressing future city facility needs. The Strategic Plan included recommendations for 21 city-owned real estate assets, of which the Culver House was not included. Therefore, the acquisition of the Culver House is not currently included in the City Council approved Real Estate Strategic Plan. Next steps There are currently no city plans associated with the acquisition of the Culver House. If the City Council would like staff to pursue the acquisition of the Culver House, the City Council would need to provide such direction to city staff at a future City Council Meeting. Attachment: Jan. 8, 2021 Email cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director Suzanne Smithson, Library & Cultural Arts Director Attachment A From: paul <paulabo@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, January 8, 20211:54:29 PM To: rebecca holbert <rebecca.holbert@gmail.com>; Matthew Hall <Matt.Hall@carlsbadca.gov>; Council Internet Email <CityCouncil@carlsbadca.gov>; Scott Chadwick <Scott.Chadwick@carlsbadca.gov> Subject: Historic Culver House To the Mayor, City Council, Historic Preservation Commission, and the City Manager of Carlsbad; We are writing to you regarding the historic Culver house of 1887 located at 3140 Highland Drive. Our great uncle, Gerald Capp, purchased the house in 1969. Uncle Jerry, as he was known, recently passed away. He loved this house. He put twenty years of active work and love into it, including installing an electrical system, plumbing for indoor bathrooms to replace the outhouse, and doing the stained glass window work himself. The historic house sits on over an acre of land on the corner of Highland Drive and Oak Street that has Torrey pines, fruit trees and cacti that he planted. It's a sanctuary for many animals and birds. Mr. Capp bequeathed the house and property to eight members of the family and the reality is that the house will likely need to be sold and the proceeds divided. His grand niece, Rebecca, grew up in this house. She knows how much it meant to him. We do not want this house to be torn down and the land developed. We are writing in the hopes that the city of Carlsbad might be able to purchase the house and land in order to preserve it as a historic landmark and park for the enjoyment of the people of Carlsbad. Uncle Jerry would have loved nothing more! The history of this home, as outlined in this article, is a bit of a legend. The home was built by Alonzo Jackson Culver who also built the Twin Inns. Leftover lumber from the Twin Inns was used to build this sister home. The legend goes that Culver smuggled Chinese immigrants who had worked on the railroads until he was caught in 1900 and sent to McNeil Island Penitentiary. Reportedly there are tunnels that run between the barn and the house. Although these tunnels have yet to be discovered there is evidence of these people in the Mandarin inscriptions etched into the walls of the cellar. This writing has yet to be translated. The home was then passed to the Myers family where local artist Gertrude Meyers spent her whole life. We've found pieces of her art and sketchings throughout the house. She died the same day the home went into escrow. You can see the location of the house on page 17 of the Carlsbad city Working Paper on History, the Arts, and Cultural Resources. The Carlsbad Historical Society's 30th Anniversary presentation on historic Carlsbad architecture also describes the Victorian Queen Anne style of the home on page 2. Attached to this email are some pictures of the interior of the home today, the house following the Capp renovation years, the current exterior, and the house as it was when purchased by Mr. Capp. This home is a monument to the past. Uncle Jerry, an engineer, was amazed at the woodwork, all done without the use of electric tools. Many have given to this place and it's our hope that it lives on with the people of Carlsbad as a place of respite and wonder. A place to reflect on where we come from, where we are now, and where we want to go in the future. We would love to be able to speak at the January 11th meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. Sincerely, Rebecca Holbert and Paul Abodeely !CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safel