Editor,
Thanks so much to Ann Christoph for her insightful and timely column last week concerning historic preservation. It definitely helps to set straight the misinformation promulgated at City Council and other meetings about the 1982 Historic Resources Inventory and the Historic Ordinance. I have a few points to add.
First, it was not a “drive-by” survey as was stated in a recent City Council meeting. It was conducted on foot by the volunteers. Only the exteriors of buildings were considered.
Second, there was an opportunity to request that a property not be considered on the inventory. Ten property owners opted to do so, and their addresses are listed at the beginning of the survey, available on line on the city’s website. It is true that photos of their properties are in the survey, but they are annotated to conform to their owner’s wishes.
Third, according to Eric Jessen, chair of the Historic Survey Advisory Board, after the survey was finished letters were sent to all the homeowners on the inventory. These letters informed property owners of the status of their property and of the benefits available to properties placed on the Historic Register. These benefits include refunding of city fees, leeway on variances concerning setbacks and parking, and the right to add up to 50% to their houses as long as historic character is maintained. Unfortunately, as properties changed hands, knowledge of the historic designation, although available in the City Hall files, was not always transferred to the new owners. That is a factor in the current discontent with the ordinance.
As Ann notes in her column, CEQA requirements have complicated the historic preservation issue. The city, with the assistance of the Heritage Committee, has to make the process more transparent and user friendly. With incentives offered by the city for Historic Register properties, as well as the Mills Act for K and E rated properties, historic preservation can be a winner for the homeowner. And, don’t forget that our historic built environment is a significant tourist draw as well.
There has been talk lately of rolling back the protections currently available to historic properties in Laguna Beach. Some cities, such as Beverly Hills (“Beverly Hills council to weigh weakening of historic preservation law”), are pursuing this path. However, that could leave historic properties open to demolition with the likely result of mansionization of neighborhoods. Laguna Beach does not have strong policies in regards to mansionization. But that’s a whole other topic!
Anne Frank, Laguna Beach
