Conservancy News

At the Santa Monica Conservancy’s Annual Meeting on May 18, 2019, new Board members Catherine Conkle and Ann Graham Ehringer, PhD, were elected to three-year terms. Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Nina Fresco and Ruthann Lehrer were re-elected to the Board. Continuing members of the Board are Tom Cleys, Liz Coughlin, David Kaplan, Carol Lemlein, Libby Motika, Libby Pachares and John Zinner.

The volunteer Board of Directors meets monthly to set policies, track programs and projects and govern the organization.  Directors and Officers play an active role in fundraising and many chair the Conservancy’s committees, which are responsible for the majority of the work of the organization.

The 2019 Nominating Committee was co-chaired by Ruthann Lehrer and Carol Lemlein, and included Chantal Prunier and Leslie Lambert.

Catherine Conkle is Chair of the Preservation Resource Center Operations Committee and a Shotgun House docent. She is completing the UCLA Extension Architecture + Interior Design certificate program and plans to begin the Master of Interior Architecture program at Cal Poly Pomona this fall. Before beginning her design education, she was an event producer in the entertainment industry, most recently at DreamWorks Animation.

Ann Graham Ehringer, Ph.D., has been a Conservancy member since 2013. She has been a director on the boards of a wide range of public, private and non-profit organizations. Ann has extensive experience as a strategic consultant/coach to company owners and was as an associate professor of entrepreneurship at the USC Marshall School of Business. Ann purchased and revitalized Saddle Peak Lodge in 1992 and sold it to new owners in late 2016.

Mario Fonda-Bonardi has served on the Board since 2010. He is a principal of Fonda-Bonardi & Hohman Architects, specializing in residential design, and serves on the Santa Monica Planning Commission. In 2008, Mario received the Conservancy’s David G. Cameron Preservation Award in recognition of his outstanding dedication to the preservation of Santa Monica’s landmark Shotgun House.

Nina Fresco has served on the Board since 2004. She built the scale model of the Shotgun House in the Preservation Resource Center and developed its display boards and the detailed map of the City’s historic sites. She also authored the Building a Neighborhood curriculum for schoolchildren. Nina serves on the Santa Monica Planning Commission, chaired the Civic Auditorium Working Group and previously served three terms on the Landmarks Commission.

Ruthann Lehrer has served on the Board since 2004 and co-chairs the Advocacy Committee. She leads the docent program at the Annenberg Community Beach House and was for many years Chair of the Program Committee. Ruthann was the designated architectural historian on the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission from 1999-2014. She was the first Executive Director of the L.A. Conservancy, afterward serving on its Board of Directors, and is a former President of the California Preservation Foundation.

Expiring in 2020: David Kaplan, Carol Lemlein, Libby Pachares, and John Zinner.

Emeritus Board Members:  Ken Breisch, Ph.D., and Doris Sosin

The Santa Monica Conservancy recognized eight exemplary contributors to the preservation of Santa Monica’s architectural and cultural heritage. The Awards Committee was chaired by Board member and architect David Kaplan and included Margarita Jerabek, Ruthann Lehrer, Carol Lemlein and Rachel Pietron. Kaplan congratulated the families, businesses and individuals who worked to preserve our city’s historic places.

David G. Cameron Award: Carol Lemlein

Celebrating 11 years of extraordinary service as President of the Conservancy, Carol Lemlein began her involvement in the Program Committee and co-developed our signature Downtown Walking Tour. She is the face and voice of historic preservation in Santa Monica, attending nearly every Landmarks Commission meeting and countless hearings for the Architectural Review Board, City Council and Planning Commission. She has collaborated with the California Office of Historic Preservation and National Trust for Historic Preservation, and brought the California Preservation Foundation conference to Santa Monica in 2011. Among her outstanding achievements is the adaptive reuse of the Shotgun House as the Conservancy’s Preservation Resource Center, for which she helped fundraise, relocate and rehabilitate. Today, the Center welcomes and educates nearly two thousand visitors each year.

President’s Award: Sherrill Kushner

Sherrill Kushner is a founding member of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors and has made outstanding contributions, most recently as Chair of our very successful 2019 Gala. Kushner’s efforts, skills and leadership resulted in a memorable event that established a new model for the Conservancy’s fundraising to support our advocacy and educational programs. Additionally, Kushner was a leader in the rescue and restoration of the Shotgun House, an early member of the Program Committee, active in forming two historic districts and has also enriched the Conservancy’s communications and marketing over her years of service.

Historic Preservation Award: Mel’s Drive-In

The 1959 Armet and Davis-designed Penguin Coffee Shop was restored to its original use by Mel’s Drive-In owner Steven Weiss, assisted by Googie architecture advisors Adriene Biondo and Chris Nichols. The distinctive sign was meticulously repurposed with the Mel’s logo, avoiding loss of the “meritorious” status which allowed it to stand despite its lack of conformance with current sign codes. The interior’s ambience was re-established with period-specific furnishings and lighting. And the Mel’s team highlighted the Drive-In’s location at the end of Route 66.

Historic Preservation Award: Grace Akazawa & Mike Necci, 1129 Ashland Avenue

Designed by Charles Warren Brown, this classic 1916 Craftsman bungalow was a pioneering residence in Sunset Park when it was primarily agricultural. The house exemplifies classic Craftsman bungalow characteristics with its prominent cross-gable roof, wide open eaves and exposed rafter tails, post-and-beam articulation of the full-width porch, and wood cladding with heavy masonry piers. The living space has been expanded at the rear in harmony with the original architecture. The owners nominated the bungalow for landmark status last year and will apply for a Mills Act contract to ensure the house remains in pristine and authentic condition.

Historic Preservation Award: 954 5th Street

This landmark home is one of the last intact examples of the hipped roof, turn-of-the-century cottages within the boundaries of the original town of Santa Monica. The 1906 cottage was moved forward on its lot to match the setbacks of other structures on the street and enable construction of a three-story structure at the rear in 2011, but the project was abandoned. In 2015, new owners obtained a Certificate of Appropriateness for new units in a smaller rear structure with underground parking. They rehabilitated the severely deteriorated cottage, restoring the porch and original siding, and saving most decorative eaves. The rescued landmark retains its original qualities and historic character for the community.

Historic Preservation Award: R.D. Farquhar Residence, 147 Georgina Avenue

This French Beaux-arts Period Revival home was designed in 1911 by master architect R. D. Farquhar for himself and his wife, the daughter of Santa Monica co-founder, Senator John P. Jones. After it was moved from its original site at 628 San Vicente in 1952, additions and alterations were made. The current owners removed unsympathetic rear additions and modernized the house while preserving the home’s spirit. Original architectural features and materials on the façade were restored and a new rear wing created. An existing garage was repurposed as a guest house and studio, and a new garage was constructed. All rehabilitation work previously specified in the Mills Act contract for this property was revisited or upgraded.

Preservation Advocacy Award: Susan Suntree and Diane Miller with Friends of 11th Street and Mid City Neighbors

Early this year, Susan Suntree, with her co-chair Diane Miller, won a decades-long battle to designate a handful of early Santa Monica bungalows. Located between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, the neighborhood was zoned for multi-family development, and little remained of the original bungalows. With the support of Friends of 11th Street and Mid City Neighbors, these efforts won the support of the Landmarks Commission and this small group of early 20th century vernacular homes will continue to provide a window into the character of Santa Monica’s first Townsite tract.

Preservation Advocacy Award: Margaret Bach

A member and Chair of the inaugural Landmarks Commission beginning in 1976, Margaret Bach served again on the Commission beginning in 2006 and was appointed Commission Historian in 2014. She initiated an education program at each monthly meeting, using her research to offer portraits of various aspects of Santa Monica’s history. Her reports provided a rich context for Commission meetings and are now being shared more widely through local media, enriching our community’s awareness of local history.

Our Spirit of Preservation Gala was a smashing success! Our guests enjoyed cocktails and delicious food in the company of our honorees, friends and preservation community. Classical guitarist Mauricio Ortiz and the L.A. Love Band enhanced the lively atmosphere. And the extraordinary achievements and stories of Ernest Marquez and Doris Sosin inspired and moved us all.

Ernest Marquez with Diane Mausser (left) and Christi Walden (right). Photos: Omid Razavi

Doris Sosin (center) with Josefina Ortega and her daughter.

We are grateful for your participation and generosity! Thank you for making it an unforgettable evening. We express our gratitude to former Conservancy Board member and event coordinator extraordinaire Sherrill Kushner and her team: Margaret Bach, Tom Cleys, Phyllis Conkle, Kaitlin Drisko, Phillis Dudick, Mario Fonda-Bonardi, Nina Fresco, Sandra Itkoff, David Kaplan, Carol Lemlein, Steve Loeper, Diane Miller, Ali Moghaddam, Bea Nemlaha, Richard Orton, Kathy Solomon, Susan Suntree, Robin Tung and John Zinner.

View some of our Gala Tributes by Richard Orton below.

We Thank Our Sponsors & Donors

Doris Sosin
Leah Fischer
Harding, Larmore, Kutcher and Kozal, LLP
Westmount Asset Management
Architectural Resources Group
Mary Ann Hays
Historic Resources Group
Michael W. Folonis Architects
Sherrill Kushner
Carol Lemlein & Eric Natwig
Lauren Fedman
Susan McCarthy
OneWest Bank
Chattel, Inc.
Tom Cleys
Bea Nemlaha
North of Montana Association
Victor Fresco
Sue Larky
Barbara Schnitzler

.          .          .

Lauren Bloch
James D. Cherry
Chez Jay
Jessica & Alan Davis
DSJ Printing
Exec-U-Mail Direct
Ronald Goldman
Margarita Jerabek, Ph.D., Architectural Historian &
Roger Winston Bray, Architect, AIA, NCARB
John Merchak Painting
Tim Kittleson
Howard Laks Architects
Jean Leserman
Alan Polsky
Roger Genser, Prints & the Pauper
Susan Siegel
Barbara Solomon
Donald Solomon
Robin & Scott Venturelli
Eunice White, M.A.

by Alison Rose Jefferson, PhD

The California Coastal Commission adopted a new Environmental Justice Policy for equity and inclusion in the coastal zone at its March meeting. The Governor signed Assembly Bill 2616, sponsored by Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, which amends the Coastal Act to give the Commission new authority to specially consider environmental justice, non-discrimination and civic rights law in government code and action, and to appoint an Environmental Justice Commissioner to the Board.

Environmental justice is defined in the Government Code as “the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” This policy will impact permits for new and rehabilitation housing and other projects in Santa Monica, as well as heritage conservation and historic preservation issues and policy. See www.coastal.ca.gov/env-justice for more information.

Coastal Commissioner Effie Turnbull-Sanders (fifth from right) and staff pose with leaders of various organizations following a victory of the California Coastal Commission’s Environmental Justice Policy approval.

During the March meeting, I also worked successfully with the Commissioners in attaching a public history education and public art program as a condition for a permit for the City to build a new soccer field at 4th Street and Pico Boulevard at the Civic Center. This programming will recognize the history of the site, a former neighborhood of African Americans and other marginalized groups, which was razed to build the Civic Center structures between 1940 to 1950.

Updates on this development will be forthcoming.

Our March Newsletter is now available. Discover exciting preservation events, the latest preservation issues, features on the people and places of historic Santa Monica and much more. To view past issues, click here.

In this issue:

• Our Upcoming Spirit of Preservation Gala on March 31!
• Annual Meeting & Awards on May 18
• New 11th Street Historic District Designated
• Conservancy Awarded Two Grants
• Communitas Award for Conservancy President Carol Lemlein
• and more news and events!

Our newsletter is published quarterly and is a great way to stay updated on all the latest Conservancy news. Conservancy members receive a copy of each new issue in the mail. If you’d like to become a member, please join today!