Conservancy News

The Santa Monica Conservancy recognized ten exemplary contributions to the preservation of Santa Monica’s architectural and cultural heritage Continue reading →

The latest Conservancy newsletter is now available online, as well as past editions. Our newsletter covers upcoming preservation events, preservation issues, features on the people and places of historic Santa Monica and much more.

In the current edition:

• Upcoming 2016 Annual Meeting and Preservation Awards
• The Grand Opening of the Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House
• Happy Birthday, Marion! at the Annenberg Community Beach House
• Updates on the Downtown Community Plan
• More News, Reports, and Event Listings

Download the March newsletter , or click here to view past issues.

Our newsletter is published four times per year. Conservancy members receive a copy of each new issue in the mail. If you’d like to become a member, please join today!

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For years, it was the dream of Conservancy leadership and many community members to save and rehabilitate Santa Monica’s Landmark Shotgun House as a Preservation Resource Center for our community. Now that dream is a reality! (Read about the Shotgun House in the Los Angeles Times!)

Preparing the shotgun house for its first move.

Early one morning in 2002, a small house was under siege. A bulldozer arrived its front door and workmen began to dismantle the structure by hand. But community members intervened, and strengthened by the authority of the City of Santa Monica, the house was moved and saved from demolition more than a century after it was built.

House turning the corner by the Library. Photo credit David Kaplan.

Over the next sixteen years, the house became the property of the City, and was relocated two more times before a permanent location was found in the parking lot across from Norman Place and the Ocean Park Library. Under the guardianship of the Santa Monica Conservancy, an adaptive reuse plan was developed, a lease was negotiated, and funds were raised to sensitively rehabilitate and transform the little shotgun house into a Preservation Resource Center.

Docent training. Photo credit Carol Lemlein.

Today we are proud to present a model for adaptive reuse that showcases an important piece of our city’s history. The Center will provide residents and visitors with practical, user-friendly information about historic resources in Santa Monica as well as the methods and benefits of preserving older buildings. An interpretive program has been developed, and docent volunteers will welcome and inform visitors.

The shotgun house nearly ready for visitors.

Santa Monica has its first new historic district in fifteen years.  The City Council, on the recommendation of the Landmarks Commission, voted unanimously on December 15, 2015 to designate the iconic courtyard housing on San Vicente Boulevard from Seventh Street west. (Read the City’s staff report here.) Through the grassroots efforts of the Historic San Vicente Coalition, assisted by the Conservancy and endorsed by many local community organizations, this district will be the third historic district in our city, joining the Third Street Neighborhood District and the Bay Street Craftsman Cluster.

The next step is for staff to draft an ordinance with input from stakeholders regarding guidelines for changes to the properties within the district. Interiors are not subject to restrictions.

Congratulations to all those who worked hard to successfully shepherd this designation through the landmarking procedures!

Historic San Vicente Coalition and community members on the night of the designation.

The San Vicente Historic District Moves Ahead (November 2015)

The proposed San Vicente Courtyard Apartments Historic District moved a step closer to designation at the November 9 Landmarks Commission Meeting when, after a public hearing, the Commission voted to recommend district formation to the City Council. The Council hearing to make a final determination on the formation of the district will be held on December 15.

The Conservancy, in collaboration with the Historic San Vicente Coalition, offered a series of free walking tours to educate residents and the public about the proposed district, which stretches from Ocean Avenue to Seventh Street. Each of the three tour dates was quickly filled to capacity, attracting more than 200 people interested in learning about the proposed district and its distinct form of housing. The San Vicente Courtyard Apartments are characterized by multi-unit buildings configured around lawns and gardens set back from the street, and comprise the most significant and cohesive concentration of courtyard housing in Santa Monica.

More than half of the buildings in the corridor, constructed between 1937 and 1953, are considered significant contributors to the potential historic district. The neighborhood’s architectural character, harmonious scale and abundant landscaped green spaces have generated both public appreciation and concern that this important collection of courtyard housing might be lost to redevelopment. If designated, the San Vicente Historic District would be the third in the city, joining the Third Street Neighborhood District (formed in 1990) and the Bay Street Craftsman Cluster (2000).

San Vicente courtyard. Photo credit Douglas Brian Martin for the Historic San Vicente Coalition.

The San Vicente Courtyard Corridor (September 2015)

Characterized by buildings configured around lawns and gardens set back from the street, the San Vicente Courtyard Apartments between Ocean Avenue and 7th Street are the most significant and cohesive concentration of courtyard housing in Santa Monica. Rapidly increasing in its public appreciation and value, this distinctive neighborhood possesses a harmonious scale, architectural character,  and abundant landscaped green spaces. More than half of the buildings in the corridor, constructed between 1937 and 1953, are considered significant as contributors to a potential historic district.

How Historic District Designation Works

While an application for a historic district may be submitted by anyone, the application for the San Vicente district is being initiated by the Landmarks Commission. It has requested consultant and staff reports, expected in May or June, to determine if the San Vicente corridor courtyards meet the City’s criteria for designation. The procedures require property owner and neighborhood noticing, a public meeting, and public hearings before the Landmarks Commission and City Council. If the Landmarks Commission finds it justified, it will make a recommendation to City Council, which may then adopt an ordinance to create the district, and establish design standards and district guidelines concerning permissible alterations and maintenance.

Historic District designation is the strongest tool that exists to conserve the unique character of a neighborhood. If Historic Designation is approved, it would protect the scale and plan of the courtyards, the open landscaped spaces, the distinctive architecture, and the multi-family housing from demolition or significant change. Official recognition of these special qualities typically enhances property values, highlighting those neighborhood amenities that make the San Vicente corridor an attractive place to live.

Benefits and Incentives for Restoration and Renovation

The Landmarks Ordinance defines certain benefits for owners of contributing properties. These include eligibility for Mills Act contracts, which provide reduced property taxes in exchange for a written plan for preservation, restoration and/or maintenance of a historic property; fee waivers for applications; priority permit processing; and professional expertise from staff to advise applicants on issues related to their historic properties. The Zoning Ordinance allows many exemptions and waivers for designated historic properties so that nonconforming conditions may continue to exist. Owners may also request use of the State Historic Building Code, a tangible benefit that can result in considerable cost savings when remodeling or renovating.

Individual Properties

For more about individual properties in the proposed district, view the San Vicente Courtyard Historic District assessment.

Call for Nominations: 2016 Preservation Awards

Every year the Conservancy presents Preservation Awards to individuals and projects that represent exemplary contributions to the preservation of Santa Monica’s architectural and cultural heritage. These awards showcase the accomplishments of those who have invested time and resources in the revitalization of Santa Monica’s historic places.

Since 2004, award-winning projects have included residences, commercial and institutional buildings, and places of significance ranging in scale from small to large. They have included restoration, renovation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, and contemporary additions to historic buildings and homes. Awards are also presented to individuals for their stewardship of historic properties as well as for community service contributions as volunteers and as advocates of preservation. A complete history of the Preservation Awards can be found here.

Past winners: Horatio West Court, John and Anna George House, and Brecht House. Photos courtesy of DUB Studios and Brian Thomas Jones.

Nominate a person, structure or group for a 2016 Award! Send an email to awards@smconservancy.org and include:

1. A brief description of the individual, organization or project, and why you believe it warrants an award. A specific award category can be included in your proposal, but is not mandatory.
2. Your contact information (name, address, phone number).
3. A photo if possible.

This year’s awards jury – Margaret Bach, Mike Deasy, Barbara Flammang, David Kaplan, and Ruthann Lehrer – is eager to hear from you.  Deadline for nominations is January 15, 2016.

The awards presentation will be held at the Conservancy’s 2016 Annual Meeting on March 12 in the Grand Pavilion at Saint Monica’s Church. It’s a not-to-be missed event, as we celebrate, recognize, and are inspired by, the people and the projects that bring preservation to life in Santa Monica.