Huscroft House gets its own lot

Deirdre Newman

The Huscroft House, which has endured more than four years of limbo,

will finally have a place to call home, on its own lot.

On Monday, the council approved John Morehart’s request to

subdivide the property he owns at 548 Bernard St. so he can sell the

Huscroft House independently of the other units on the property.

The historic Craftsman-style house is sitting on blocks next door

to the Bark Park. Late last year, Morehart came to the rescue when he

expressed a desire to move the home to his 12,000-square-foot

property on the Westside.

Morehart said he was delighted with the council’s decision to

preserve a part of the city’s history.

“What is this community but its history,” Morehart said. “It’s

great to see [the council members] came together and recognized that

they want to see the restoration of some of the past.”

Although the Planning Commission approved the move on June 9,

Morehart appealed the decision three days later because the

commission did not allow him to subdivide the property. Morehart said

he believed prospective buyers would be deterred if the historic

house were surrounded by rental properties. He also said subdividing

the property is the only way to ensure the historic glory of the

house -- which he will be renovating -- will be appreciated.

To subdivide his property, Morehart requested some exceptions to

requirements such as minimum lot area, parking and street frontage.

The Planning Commission denied the subdivision because it deemed

the move unnecessary.

The historic home, which was built in Santa Ana, was moved to

Costa Mesa in 1950. In 1998, the city of Costa Mesa spent $54,000 to

move the house from 2529 Santa Ana Ave. to TeWinkle Park. Three years

later, the council approved its restoration for use as a cultural

museum in Fairview Park, but later decided to sell the house and put

it out to bid. At the end of the formal bidding process, only two

bids had been received, both of which fell through.

At the end of 2001, the city said it would use the $200,000

designated from the Home Ranch development agreement to move the

historic home to Fairview Park, but expected the community to match

the money. That did not happen, and by September 2002, the

dilapidated home was headed to demolition. That was when Morehart

stepped in and offered to move the house to his property.

Some residents opposed the subdivision because they didn’t feel

the Huscroft House meshes with the Westside neighborhood it is moving

into.

“I like the idea of saving the house, but I think [Morehart]

should play by the rules and put it somewhere where it fits,” Kevin

Shannon said.

Mayor Gary Monahan said he supported the subdivision because the

exceptions Morehart requested don’t significantly change the

property.

“To make this property work, we need to do this for [Morehart],”

Monahan said. “It doesn’t change the footprint or move it closer next

door.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.