By Victor Fresco
Editor: Recently, north of Montana residents received fliers asking them to attend a city council meeting in support of a woman who was denied a permit by the Landmarks Commission to build a subterranean garage underneath her home in the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District.
While this appeal did not seem to have anything to do with my north of Montana neighborhood, the flier's author, attorney Tom Larmore, sought to make it an issue by targeting my neighborhood with a flier filled with misleading information (e.g., the flier's first sentence: “As you know, the Landmarks Commission is considering the creation of several historic districts north of Montana.” They're not. They are merely doing an inventory of homes in our area, which, as everyone, including Mr. Larmore knows, is what a Landmarks Commission is supposed to do).
Mr. Larmore's flier also gives the impression that he is acting as a concerned citizen, when he is, in fact, the attorney for the applicant. Inflaming the north of Montana neighborhood with misleading information in order to help his client win an appeal seems “ethically challenged” at best.
Mr. Larmore also neglected to point out that building a subterranean garage, which is what he was asking north of Montana residents to support, is something that would not be allowed to ANY north of Montana home, historic or not.
As I understand it, since the creation of the Third Street Historic District, this was the first time an area homeowner was denied a permit to do a desired remodel. The guidelines, designed by district residents themselves, allow for great flexibility. However, there must be SOME restrictions or a historic district would quickly cease to be historic.
Judging from Mr. Larmore's past statements, this appears to be his goal. But misleading my neighbors to get a big turn-out at city hall in support of his client does a disservice to everyone.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 14, 2002. Read the original PDF.