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# Garage appeal denied, becomes political issue
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/garage-appeal-denied-becomes-political-issue/
- Published: 2002-06-13T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:19:50.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: Government & Politics, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*Garage first project to be denied in historic district*

A Santa Monica woman’s plan to alter her historic home has been garaged by the city.

An appeal of a Landmark Commission verdict denying a resident in the Third Street Historic District from adding a garage to the front of her Ocean Park home was turned down by the Santa Monica City Council Tuesday night.

Shirley Bly, a local real estate agent, wants to knock down a large deck in front of her home and in its place install a two-car garage. Her plans had been denied by the Landmarks Commission, which oversees historic and landmark buildings. She appealed to the city council.

Only Councilman Robert Holbrook wanted to allow the garage, while his colleagues said they feel the project would intrinsically alter the appearance of the neighborhood.

“It just seems to me what is there now could be so much better,” he said. “It looks like a big wooden box is sitting in front of the house, blocking it from view.

“And I guess it’s going to stay that way for a very long time, unfortunately.”

However, opponents of the plan say by adding a garage door to the front of the structure, the historical nature of the 1920’s California-style beach bungalow would be destroyed.

And because the plans would tear down about 50 percent of a retaining wall directly in front of the home, they believe it would forever alter a unique feature of the 2500 block of Third Street.

“I think the deck is pretty bad and removal of it would be beneficial to the district,” said Councilman Ken Genser. “But so much of the character of the district is defined by the sloping hill and the retaining wall.

“Cutting into it would distract from the meter or the rhythm of the neighborhood.”

Council members Herb Katz and Pam O’Connor said they could support a new garage proposal that did not impact the front of the property, but Bly said that wasn’t likely.

“I don’t think I can afford to pursue it any further,” she said. “And anyway there isn’t anywhere else to put it. We can’t move it to the backyard because there’s not enough room.”

At least 100 residents from throughout the city jammed into the council chambers and overflowed into two areas set up with monitors displaying the televised meeting.

And instead of dwelling completely on the aspects of the garage project, the debate between residents quickly become tangled with a homeowners association which recently formed to combat the creation of future historical districts.

The group fears the city will take the results of a recently completed survey of homes north of Montana Avenue — one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city — and arbitrarily create six districts recommended in the report.

Calling themselves “Homeowners for Voluntary Preservation,” the newly-formed committee — headed by local land use attorney Tom Larmore — is 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 measure would create an ordinance which mandates that the homeowner have final say in whether or not his or her structure is historic.

The group needs 6,000 signatures to place the measure on the November ballot.

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

“I think people got a taste of the realities of having historic districts,” said Larmore. “And I think this will only help to strengthen support for out cause.”

Some council members felt the impassioned crowd was the result of dubious political tactics being used by the association, which calls itself Homeowners for Voluntary Preservation.

“In Santa Monica right now there is a difference of opinion” when it comes to historical districts, said Councilwoman Pam O’Connor. “Issues have been distorted for political purposes and scare tactics have been used.”

City officials point out that in the 12 years since the Third Street Historical District has been created, this is the first time a construction project has been denied.

“We’re not trying to freeze anything in time,” said O’Connor. “This is about preserving those characteristics that make this neighborhood unique.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/061302.pdf?ref=smdp.com)