Palm Springs board approves demolition of two Town & Country buildings for future fire station, with conditions to document and stabilize remaining historic set

The Palm Springs Historic Site Preservation Board on July 7 approved the City of Palm Springs’ request for a major certificate of appropriateness to demolish two structures (Buildings 171 and 181) at the Class 1 Town and Country Center, clearing the way for a proposed fire station on part of the site.

Staff framed the request as a phased project that would protect and rehabilitate the site’s most significant building (Building 169) while removing two lesser-significance structures to accommodate the fire station footprint. Historic Preservation Officer Sarah Yoon said staff finds the removals of 171 and 181 "do not materially impair" the designated resource provided the board’s recommended conditions are met, including archival documentation of character-defining features, a shoring and stabilization plan reviewed by the building official, and a requirement that any major alterations for a new fire station return to the board for review.

Assistant City Manager Flint Fagg told the board the city will begin immediate repairs on items such as the roof and intends to prepare a restoration plan, but cautioned that committing a detailed timetable is difficult because of competing major projects. "Approximately two years is what we anticipate" for the fire station design and construction process, Fagg said when asked about the schedule.

Preservation advocates and a representative of the Ox Springs Modern Committee urged the city to begin a detailed repair and restoration plan for Building 169 immediately rather than waiting until a future use is defined. The committee recommended that the restoration timetable include implementation milestones and periodic progress reporting to the board.

Board members pressed staff on ownership and boundary issues, CEQA classification and what elements of the Town and Country Center must be preserved. Staff said the designation boundary does not necessarily follow ownership, the city’s demolition request covers the purchase area outlined by staff, and that the project was being treated as a lead-agency CEQA determination with a categorical exemption because staff concluded there is no substantial adverse impact to the historic resource.

A board member moved to approve the city’s request with staff recommendations; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote, recorded as seven ayes and no opposition. Conditions tied to approval include archival documentation of character-defining features attached to Building 171, immediate shoring and stabilization requirements prior to demolition permits, and engagement of a historic preservation consultant to guide reconstruction and adaptive-reuse phases. The board noted that any major alteration to the Class 1 site (including the fire station design) will return for review under the board’s criteria.