Los Angeles Preservation Ordinance 2009

Below is direct correspondence from Ken Bernstein, Director of the Office of Historic Resources.
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Today, the City Planning Commission voted 7-1 to approve the staff recommendation on the proposed amendments to the Cultural Heritage Ordinance.

Most of the discussion focused on the review of interior spaces in Historic-Cultural Monuments. The Commission supported the staff recommendation, which emerged from meetings of a Working Group on Interiors, to go back to the status quo on interior review. Under this proposal, all interior permits would continue to be referred to the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Office of Historic Resources for review, as has occurred since 1962. As in the current ordinance, the CHC could not deny approval of interior work altogether: it could only object to the issuance of the permit for no more than 180 days, with a possible 180-day extension of the objection period upon approval of the City Council.

We felt that this compromise lessened any potential burden on property owners, while still protecting Monuments whose significant interiors are often inseparable from the building's overall architectural significance. The new ordinance would require that exterior work, additions, or new construction be subject to a "Certificate of Appropriateness" that could be denied. The ordinance version approved today also maintains our staff recommendation to enhance protections for historic properties by giving the Cultural Heritage Commission the power to deny demolition requests for Monuments.

Next, the ordinance will go to the City Attorney for review and possible refinement. The City Planning Commission also voted to request that the City Attorney and Department of City Planning staff review and refine how the Cultural Heritage Ordinance provisions will interact with requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Because these reviews may take a few months, we anticipate that the ordinance may not proceed to the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee and City Council for final approval until early 2010.

Sincerely,Ken Bernstein

Charlie Fisher: Community Hero

Charles J. Fisher was given the "COMMUNITY HERO" award last Thursday night at the Heritage Square Museum Summer night concert. Susie Hansen's Latin Band was the featured live music for the warm summer evening. Charlie has volunteering tirelessly in the Highland Park community and greater Los Angeles area for Historic and Cultural Resources. He is commended for his work as the Chair of the Highland Park HPOZ Board. He also serves as Board member of the Highland Park Heritage Trust. Charlie is pictured here next to his wife Anne Marie Wozniak, Membership Officer for the HPHT. Thank you Charlie and Anne Marie for all your community service!

Sycamore Grove Walking Tour

What a wonderful Walking Tour on June 27th!!! We had a very engaged and interesting group of people, including a couple from Orlando, Florida! At the La Boheme House, we tasted delicious jellies made by Hillary Danner from her fruit trees and fresh squeezed lemonade. We're hoping to see the Baker House next door for the August 22nd tour. Sign up for the next tour!

Tour docents include: Pat Griffith, Charlie Fisher and Justine Leong. Troy Evans and Heather McLarty are always gracious hosts of the Hiner House. And to top it off, refreshments at the Avenue 50 Studios! Thank you Kathy Gallegos for being a great hostess of the Studios.

The "Sousa Nook":

Entrance to "La Boheme": Hillary and her Jenkin's Jellies:

Successful Move for the Donnelley House!

See the pics below taken by Charles Miller last night.
The House was moved by truck from Chinatown to Ave. 64 in Garvanza!

Update to Donnelley House Move!!!

The Donnelley House is scheduled to move Thursday, June 25, starting at 11:59PM. The move will be finished by Friday, June 26 at 1:30am. At 7am on Friday morning, the house will lifted by a crane 100' up in the air to its final resting spot.

Come watch the show!!!

The Donnelley House is Moving to Garvanza!

The Donnelley House is moving to the Northeast Community of Garvanza! The 1870s Gothic Revival Cottage will be coming through Highland Park from Chinatown to Garvanza along Marmion Way to Monte Vista, turning onto Piedmont then N. Figueroa Street, proceed East on York Boulevard and, finally, North to its new home at 1135-1153 N. Avenue 63 across from the Church of the Angels. Due to a Caltrans glitch this week, the move was postponed until the week of the June 22.

The Donnelley house has been located on 829 W. Bartlett Street in Chinatown since it was moved there in 1886 on land that had been subdivided by former Los Angeles Mayor Prudent Beaudry. John A. Donnelly and his family initially leased the land from Beaudry, but then bought it in 1889. Beaudry also owned the land in Garvanza where the house will settle until he sold it to Augustine Campbell-Johnston whose family established a ranch on the property. The House is one a very few remaining extant structures dating from the period of Los Angeles history between the Civil War and the coming of the Great Land Boom of 1885-1888.


Preservationist Brad Chambers is the owner of the Garvanza land. He plans to place the house on a hillside above Avenue 64, across the street from the Historic Church of the Angels, which is an Ernest Coxhead designed stone Gothic church that was built in 1889. Chambers has a proven track record with preservation and restoration, including in the area of stucco removal. He received an award from the Highland Park Heritage Trust for the removal of stucco and the restoration of another Garvanza area home several years ago. In addition, Chambers is currently serving on the Whitley Heights H.P.O.Z. Board in Hollywood.

The house had been sheathed in stucco since 1986 and was scheduled for demolition until it was researched for the landowner and its true rarity was determined. Arrangements were made with Chambers to move the house to the Garvanza property where he moved and restored another historic Chinatown home several years ago.

In preparation for the move, Chambers had the stucco removed and exposed the structures original siding and shingled gable. The aluminum slider windows were removed and historic windows matching the original openings were installed. At its new site, the house will be lifted by a crane onto its new foundation that is on a small bluff at the rear of the Garvanza property. Once reassembled and restored, the house will be nominated as a Historic Cultural Monument for the City of Los Angeles. Below is a before picture:

Lummis Day in Sycamore Grove Park

Lummis Day rocked! The beautiful day in the park was full of live music, tasty treats and local booths.

At the Highland Park Heritage Booth, Tina and Charles Miller were having tons 'o fun. Brian Sheridan was looking happy from Heritage Square. The Main Stage at the Historic Band Shell featured many local musicians. Janet Hansen was holding the fort at the Office of Historic Resources SurveyLA Booth. Casa de Adobe was open for the day .The courtyard hosted a plein air painter and other artists. A family even brought their baby duck!