News & Advocacy

by Amy Green, Commissioner

As the Commission’s resident historian, Commissioner Margaret Bach opened the March meeting with a brief talk about Arcadia Bandini de Baker, providing an overview of her accomplishments and importance in shaping early Santa Monica.

Two Statements of Official Action were passed, one for the replacement and addition of exterior lighting fixtures on the perimeter of the Camera Obscura building in Palisades Park and another to expand the Landmark parcel where the Rapp Saloon is located.

No action was taken for the majority of demolition permits. Only one Certificate of Appropriateness was on the agenda. The scope for the site of the former Sears department store property included exterior sited improvements such as a new outdoor refuse enclosure within the surface parking lot of the property.

Two Santa Monica properties, 435 Georgina Avenue, nominated by the North of Montana Association and 133 Wadsworth Avenue, nominated by the owner, were designated at the April meeting. The Georgina home is a two-story Craftsman and 133 Wadsworth is a two-story Dutch Colonial. John Byers’ first house at 547 7th Street, which had been submitted for demolition by its owners in March, was nominated for designation.

The Commission asked for additional study of two additional structures submitted for demolition: the home at 154 Fraser Avenue and the structure at 101 Santa Monica Boulevard, part of the proposed mixed-use hotel, cultural, retail, and residential project designed by Frank Gehry.

Two other historic properties, the Boehme house at 1437 6th Street and the Bowling Alley at 234 Pico Blvd, were allowed to be demolished. The Bowling Alley sign, however, was designated in 2013 and will be preserved.

The Draft Local Coastal Program Land Use Plan (LUP) continues to move forward. The City has worked on the LUP with residents and a variety of agencies and organizations in compliance with the California Coastal Act. The draft LUP strategically promotes broader City goals to reduce the community’s carbon footprint, protect our coastal environment, and become more sustainable. The Commission is formulating its comments regarding the historic preservation issues in the plan.

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