Fullerton's Design Standards Archives - Page 4 of 8

August 12, 2009August 13, 2009Arts & Architecture

The North Platform Fiasco – Scherzo

Dear Friends, in our painful relation of the The Great North Platform Disaster of 1993, we have already narrated the construction of a useless wall, non-functional canopies, and positively detrimental block planters on the passenger platform. And now we turn our attention to perhaps the most ludicrous aspect of the new additions. In musical tempo description “scherzo” means joke.

A group of four trees was planted on the platform, adding more obstacles for hurried commuters to negotiate. Trees. On a train platform.

An unwelcome addition to the urban forest. — A most unwelcome addition to the urban forest.

It seemed to observers almost as if the “designer,” local well-connected landscape architect Steve Rose, was intentionally trying to harass commuters by throwing up barriers in their path, not to mention obscuring the great southern elevation of a National Register structure.

Steve: I know. let's hide that historic structure! Terry: sure, why not? — Steve: I know. Let's hide that historic building behind some nice trees! Terry: well, okay, if you say so, Steve.

Well, Steve Rose wasn’t finished, and neither are we. So stay tuned, Friends…

August 11, 2009December 30, 2009Arts & Architecture

The North Platform Fiasco – Trio & Menuetto

by The Fullerton Harpoon5 Comments

Ah, Friends! Would that we could end this sorrowful tale of the Fullerton train station north platform without taxing your delicate sensibilities further. Yet, alas, we cannot. We have already detailed the story of the useless block wall that was built right in front of an existing wall, as well as the comically useless canopies built therein. But the “designer” was far from finished with the addition of masonry!

When you're late for your train there's just nothing quite as exhilarating as leaping over a block planter!

A huge block planter was placed in the middle of the platform – blocking direct access to the trains; a smaller one was inconceivably built on the footprint of the future elevator tower without anyone noticing. The idea of placing this practical barrier right between passengers and their destination seems odd to us non-professionals, but not, apparently to landscape architect Steve Rose who drew it there on his plans, nor to Redevelopment’s in-house Master of Disaster “manager” Terry Galvin, whose job it was to review the plans; nor even to the Design Review Committee which at that time included two interior decorators.

A pallisade of block on a train platform! What were they thinking?

Good Lord! it looks even stupider from up here! — Good Lord! It looks even stupider from up here!

Well, Loyal Friends, in case you thought that things couldn’t get much worse, you would be wrong. Stay tuned as we continue the lachrymal tale of The Great North Platform Disaster!

August 10, 2009August 13, 2009Fullerton's Design Standards

The North Platform Fiasco – Andante Cantabile

by The Fullerton Harpoon4 Comments

When we left off our sad story of The Great North Platform Disaster, the “improvement” project of 1993 was underway. The original brick paving, simple and functional for decades, had been ripped out and new elements “designed” by local landscape architect Steve Rose were being constructed. But astute Fullertonians who were watching soon came to see that something was amiss with the new “design.” Really and truly amiss.

A new, massive block wall was was built directly in front of the existing fence, creating a weird, inacessable strip of land ultimately to be landscaped! The columns of triangular truss shade canopies were actually placed inside the wall, so that the back half projected over the empty space, accomplishing nothing.

A wall in front of a fence. Now there's a novel idea! — A wall in front of a fence. Now there's a novel idea: let's waste 4 feet of space and thousands of dollars in masonry! No one will miss it. This is Fullerton!

The waste of material in this completely unnecessary wall was obvious, but it was the foolish misdesign of the canopies that really resonated with the public. What on earth was the point of a shade canopy that extended over an area that nobody could even get to?

Hmm. Well "no-man's land" will stay dry if it rains. — Hmm. Well "no-man's land" may stay dry if it rains.

But the ludicrous and superfluous wall was just the beginning. The true scope of the calamity on the platform was unfolding for all to see.

August 4, 2009August 4, 2009Dick Jones

Euclid Commons: What Is It?

by The Fullerton Harpoon8 Comments

Yesterday we ran a post on the duplicitous way the City started the ball rolling behind closed doors on a big housing project that promises CEQA impacts on its neighbors. In fact decisions are already being taken that should have been done under the illumination of a public hearing.

The project even has a name, “Euclid Commons” that makes us wish to make a quick pit stop at the West Harbor Alley Improvement Project vomitorium. A couple of comments provided descriptions of what was being proposed that seemed to differ considerably and so we provide la tabula rasa for our Friends to chime in and see if any clarifications are forthcoming.

The issue of starting negotiations is being addressed tonight (Aug 4th) behind closed doors since the public can’t be trusted to even know that a project is now officially (if secretly) sanctioned by the City Council. There will be “reporting out” but no public comment. Really, what have they got to hide?

August 3, 2009August 3, 2009Downtown Fullerton

The West Harbor Alley Improvement Project

by Mr. Peabody21 Comments

The other day I took my elementary-age children to Cafe West for a cool drink, and found this postcard on the counter:

harbor-alley harbor-alley2

The triptych above seems to reflect a strategy all too common in the city:

Phase #1: tear out trees (and put in a subsidized fire line for the “night clubs”)
Phase #2: fill holes with temporary asphalt
Phase #3: ask questions later

To most of us, this would seem a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but one has to wonder if the RDA sees it that way.

donkeywork — Redevelopment Project Overload; Council Loses Traction

What’s the mystery here? For goodness sake, this is just an alleyway, all they’ve done is yank out a few trees! What kind of “design” is required here? Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!

My own kids provided some helpful suggestions as to what to do with the freshly vacated space in the alley. One of them thought a modern sculpture would be appropriate, while the other mused that perhaps another luxury apartment complex could be squeezed into that tiny space. Hey, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The view's not all that great, but the rent is reasonable! — Or how about affordable housing? Alley-style!

However, given Fullerton’s recent trend of rolling out the red carpet to the bar scene, perhaps a European-styled “pissoir” could not only provide a visually attractive option, but one that’s functional as well.

True, a few fumes may greet the occasional pedestrian walking through the alley, but this would be one project the RDA could actually claim where form follows function.

This triptych seemed to reflect a strategy all too common in the city:

July 29, 2009Fullerton's Design Standards

The Giant Pole on Elk Hill. Hang A Flag Off It And Maybe Nobody Will Ask Any Questions

by admin22 Comments

It’s probably not too often that a flag pole becomes a topic of a blog. But today it is. We have already posted previous stories about the complete failure of the Elks/CSUF housing fiasco up on Elk Hill, and now it’s time to take a look at the Elks Lodge “flag pole.” We’re pretty sure there is something else going on here, and we wonder how this odd-looking object got here in the first place. This thing must be over three feet in diameter, and has no taper, making it officially the widest and most ungainly flag pole we’ve ever seen.

This giant tube sure looks funny, whatever it is really for, although we really can’t say that it offends any of the rest of the, um, ecclectic architectural assemblage up there on the Fullerton Acropolis.

We would like to hear from you Loyal Readers about your thoughts regarding this huge erection at the new Elks Lodge.

July 2, 2009December 28, 2009Downtown Fullerton

Fox Block: Fullerton Rejects Fake Old McSpanish Architecture

by Travis10 Comments

The room filled with cheers and applause at last night’s Fox Block community meeting when a citizen stood up and pronounced that the Redevelopment Agency should avoid creating more buildings that are meant to look like fake old clones of existing historic buildings.

The developer who was giving the presentation wanted to make sure that he was hearing this right… he asked for a show of hands – who wants Spanish/Mediterranean-style architecture that mimics the current Fox Theater? Two people out of 50+ raised their hands. Judging by the earlier applause, the vast majority of citizens were in support of creating long-lasting buildings in a contemporary style that would one day become historically significant themselves. The developer even went on to openly mock existing redevelopment buildings in Fullerton, at which point Redevelopment Director Rob Zur Schmiede stood up and absolved himself of responsibility, saying that the fake old buildings were created before his tenure.

Where did this sudden hatred of fake old design come from? We can only surmise that the audience was filled with citizens who have been reading this very blog, which has been loudly criticizing these projects for several months.

There are still many serious problems with this development project (we’ll get to that later), but it’s good to see that FFFF is having a positive impact on the future of architecture in downtown Fullerton.

June 26, 2009June 27, 2009Fullerton City Council

A Typical Redevelopment Light Fixture

by admin9 Comments

May 30, 2009December 30, 2009Fullerton's Design Standards

Rosecrans/Euclid Project Update

by admin11 Comments

Does RDRC like fake 2nd floors? — The RDRC likes fake 2nd floors.

A few months ago we posted on the remodeling underway at the Rosecrans/Euclid shopping center. We shared information that a city planner had insinuated himself into the design process; we opined that government and good design rarely mix; and we promised periodic visual updates.

On that last point we have been remiss, and so we now share some images. They don’t seem to have made a lot of progress, but as you can see all that wasted space has been wrapped in lath and stuccoed – all wasted materials, too.

Are those multi-units above retail, or, perhaps mixed use? — Are those multi-units above retail, or, perhaps it's a mixed use project? We will soon find out.

May 27, 2009December 30, 2009Dick Jones

Design Review Member Steve Lynch on Jefferson Commons

by admin8 Comments

Stucco, Styrofoam, and lots of it — Stucco, styrofoam, but where's the parking structure?

Greetings Everyone-

I would like to apologize to you for the manner in which I left the meeting last night. I wish I could fabricate a better reason than being absolutely disgusted with JPI Development for their thinly veiled deception of the RDRC and Staff…but I can’t. I felt my blood pressure elevating and thought it was best for me to leave before making any more comments regarding their six shades of shadiness. As you may have guessed by now I believe the JPI group deliberately misrepresented the mass of the parking structure in the colored elevation drawing that they presented to us at the RDRC meeting in which they earned our approval. I also believe it was a calculated move for them to casually slip the actual scale of the structure into the elevations in the construction drawings and hope nobody caught it. If I am not mistaken Heather caught this little “revision” and that is why they were a last minute addition to our agenda last night. If I had to do it over again I would have dug my heels in and tried to sway the other members towards my belief that what JPI presented last night was significantly different than what was approved, however, I felt at the time that would have been futile as the other members didn’t seem too affected by the change. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things none of this is going to make any difference to anybody and the building will get built and the citizens of Fullerton will be none the wiser to what the building should have looked like, but I know, and the sense of satisfaction I once felt for having collaborated on this project is now a bit corrupted. When the minutes are being drafted for last nights meeting I would like the record to reflect my true feelings as accurately as possible.

Jay/ Heather…if it’s not in violation of any policy, I would like this email shared with the other members of the committee.

Regards,

Steve Lynch

Last October, this letter was sent to the Fullerton Observer, but NEVER got published.