Heritage Committee gets an earful on preservation ordinance

A majority of Laguna Beach residents attending a meeting Tuesday night said they should be able to decide if their home is on a designated list of historic properties, not the city.

During the special meeting, the city’s Heritage Committee received varied opinions on the first draft of a revised Historic Preservation Ordinance meant to make it easier for homeowners to contest a property’s historical designation.

As part of the ordinance’s revision, the city and historic preservation consultant Jan Ostashay are updating an inventory of 852 houses built before 1940 — a list created by the county in the early 1980s — to align with state and federal preservation standards.

Residents who want to remodel or add to their houses said they feel strapped by current rules and claimed existing incentives, such as waived building permit fees and potential property tax breaks, are not enough to compensate for the difficulties that come with preserving their home’s historic character.

Others worried that Laguna could lose important aspects of its past if certain properties are eliminated from the inventory.

The city is proposing that some structures with the city’s lowest historical rating be removed from the inventory.

The city rates its historic properties using a letter system. E represented those with outstanding historical architectural integrity; K was for structures that had very good historical integrity; and C was reserved for buildings that contributed to the overall character and history of a neighborhood but were not necessarily unique.

The suggestion to remove C-rated properties concerned some residents, including former Councilwoman Verna Rollinger.

“The reason our historic inventory is so large is that the general plan places a high priority on preserving the character of diverse neighborhoods,” Rollinger said during the meeting.

“[Neighborhood houses] are our history; it’s more than a few landmarks,” Rollinger said by phone Wednesday.

Lee Avallone is pro-historic preservation, but he said he wants the freedom to add bathroom or bedroom space to the 1928 Victoria Drive house he bought 11 years ago.

Avallone, who lives in Newport Beach and rents the 1,800-square-foot Laguna home, learned Ostashay upgraded the house’s status from C to K. He said he has not made any major remodels or renovations.

In a later interview, he said if the house was 3,500 or 4,000 square feet he would have no problem being on the inventory.

Committee member Michael Boone favored greater preservation incentives. As an example, Boone suggested waiving the first five tickets for leaving a car parked on a designated street-sweeping day.

“If we have modest rewards, we’re going to punish people who have great design sense and hire brilliant architects,” Boone said. “We’re going to punish people who maintain their house so well.

“I’d like to see an ordinance that is so pleasant and so desirable that people will want to preserve their home. Otherwise we’re taking the role of a benevolent dictator.”

Committee member Jon Madison favors a simpler system where less emphasis is placed on specific letter ratings.

“Either a house is historic or its not,” Madison said. “Let’s make it easy and not so convoluted.”

Homeowners can contest a revised rating by submitting a letter and any accompanying information, such as photos, to the city at no cost, Community Development Director Greg Pfost said.

Ostashay will review the request and determine if a rating should be changed.

Pfost said it is unclear whether there will be a fee in the future. The Heritage Committee will review the ordinance June 15. The Design Review Board and Planning Commission must also analyze the ordinance before the City Council weighs in.

During a special meeeting meeting, the city’s Heritage Committee received varied opinions on the first draft of a revised Historic Preservation Ordinance meant to give homeowners more control over a property’s historical designation. Should say “ meant to make it easier for homeowners to contest a property’s historical designation.