Planning Commission Supplemental Materials 11-12-25 (2)

State of California - The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: 4400 Black Ave Page 17 of 21 DPR 523K (9/2013) businesses. Bras, a white male, was not re-hired at that point and sued Pacific Bell and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for reverse discrimination. Pacific Bell settled with Bras, but the PUC tried to block the case until the US Supreme Court ruled that it could not be dismissed (Nodell 1996; Oakland Tribune 1995). CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES (CRHR) EVALUATION Our research did not reveal any important events or patterns of history associated with 4400 Black Ave. The property is associated with themes of commercial development in Pleasanton and telecommunications in the larger East Bay region, however it was not significant in the context of either of these patterns. The building at 4400 Black Ave, therefore, appears to be not eligible under CRHR Criterion 1. No individuals associated with the call center at 4400 Black Ave appear to have achieved significance in the history of California or the nation. The property, therefore, appears to be not eligible under CRHR Criterion 2. Architecturally, the best part of this building is the walled garden. The square wooden posts in this area, the garden walls, and the trellis-like beams form a pleasing composition, one that relates visually to nearby features, namely the posts that support the roof over the entrance area and to the pilasters in the building’s front wall. These features, however, form only a small part of the overall building and, for that matter, only a small part of the front of the building as viewed from the front parking lot. With the exception of the clay tiles at the roof perimeter, the rest of the building seems to be built of inexpensive materials and the design seems unexceptional. The different wall areas – of plaster and of diagonal boards – do not relate very well to each other and do not seem to be arranged according to an ordered plan. The clay tiles at the roof harken to Spanish California and to the Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival styles that were common in the state during the 1920s-1930s, and they seem out of place in this modern building. These clay roof tiles also do not relate well visually to the plaster soffit of the broad roof overhang. Overall, the design of this building seems to lack distinction. There is a larger design issue to consider as well. The building is set far back from the street behind a large parking lot. Such placement of buildings was common in suburban areas during the 1970s, but placing a building behind a large parking area makes it subordinate, visually, to the parking. In this case, it is all but invisible from the public right-of-way (Black Avenue). Furthermore, the architect J. Jack Bras’s was not a “master”; research indicates that his work was unexceptional and was not recognized in the field of architecture. For these reasons, this property does not appear to be eligible for the California Register under Criterion 3. Criterion 4 is usually used to evaluate archaeological sites. In some cases, a built environment resource may contain useful information about construction techniques or the use of materials by builders. However, 4400 Black Avenue was constructed using materials and techniques that were typical of its period. Therefore, the property does not appear to be eligible under CRHR Criterion 4. In conclusion, the commercial building at 4400 Black Ave appears not eligible for the California Register because it is not significant under California Register Criteria 1, 2, 3 or 4.