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# City’s historic designation comes under fire
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/citys-historic-designation-comes-under-fire/
- Published: 2002-03-26T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:10:31.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Group to circulate ballot measure giving homeowners final say*

A group of citizens plans to put a measure on the November ballot that would prevent the city from deeming homes historic without the consent of the owner.

Homeowners for Voluntary Preservation, a newly-formed committee, notified the Santa Monica city clerk Monday that it will be circulating a petition in an effort to allow homeowners a choice as to whether their homes should be classified as landmarks, or structures of merit. The group needs 6,000 signatures to place the measure on the ballot.

Committee members believe the current ordinance that imposes restrictions on private property constitutes an unwarranted intrusion of personal freedoms.

“It doesn’t make sense that they have more rights over your house than you do,” said Greg Poirier, an owner of a home on 18th Street that’s being considered for designation. “All we are saying is let the homeowner decide.”

> “It doesn’t make sense that they have more rights over your house than you do.” — — GREG POIRIER Homeowner

Without the permission of the property owner, the city allows the landmark’s commission to designate single family homes as landmarks or as having historical significance. The commission also can create historical districts in certain areas of Santa Monica.

Poirier said he tried to apply for a demolition permit to tear down his existing home, built in 1940, because it was too expensive to fix the aging foundation. But the city wouldn’t approve the permit because his home is now being considered as one with historical significance.

“This is fundamentally a question of personal freedom,” he said. “We do not believe that the city has the right to force single-family homeowners to submit to the drastic limitations contained in the landmarks ordinance with respect to remodeling or replacement of their homes.”

Landmarks commission member Barbara Schnitzler said the entire issue is being clouded with misinformation.

“If the issue of preservation is to be put to a vote, I would hope the public is able to cast its vote based on truthful and accurate information,” she said.

The two individuals spearheading the initiative, Poirier and property rights attorney Tom Larmore, are casting the commission as unwilling to work with property owners, Schnitzler said.

“Unfortunately neither Mr. Larmore nor Mr. Poirier have proven themselves reliable in this regard,” she said.

The ballot initiative was prompted not only by Poirier’s frustration and other homeowners who have recently gone before the landmark’s commission, but also because the city is considering creating “historical districts” throughout the city.

The city is currently updating its historical structure inventory list. A report completed by a city-hired historic preservation consulting firm — West Los Angeles-based Historic Resources Group — will be released to the public on April 2\. The report may suggest that some areas north of Montana Avenue and on 18th Street should be designated as historic districts.

Last month, about 200 homeowners gathered at Franklin Elementary School to discuss the possible changes to their neighborhood. Several homes in various neighborhoods throughout the city now feature lawn signs that read, “Say no to historic districts.”

The last time an inventory was taken was in the late 1980s, according to Liz Bar-El, a city planner and the liaison to the landmarks commission. She also said it’s not uncommon for a city to update its inventory every 20 years.

Bar-El has said in the past that historic districts are not generally designated if there no support for them. There will be many community meetings to gauge the public’s support after the study is made public.

There are two historic districts in Santa Monica currently — the Third Street neighborhood, which extends from Beach Street to Hill Street and the Bay Street cluster, which consists of four properties on Bay Street.

The next in line to be studied for historic designation could be Ocean Park, although that has not yet been determined.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/032602-01_01.jpg)

These lawn signs are popping up around town, sending a message to the city to back off on its desire to create historic districts. (Photo: Andrew H Fixmer/Daily Press)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 26, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032602.pdf?ref=smdp.com)