Initiative sets ‘dangerous’ precedent, preservationists say
A coalition of national and regional conservancy groups joined forces Tuesday to oppose a measure that would make historic preservation voluntary in Santa Monica.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the California Preservation Foundation, the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Santa Monica Conservancy announced they would join with “Save Our Neighborhoods” to oppose Proposition A, which is also known as the Homeowners Freedom of Choice Initiative.
Special election ballots for the initiative will be sent out in less than three weeks to registered Santa Monica voters, who will have a month to send the forms back to the City Clerk’s office.
The initiative would allow Santa Monica property owners to opt out of the city’s landmarks ordinance. For a residence to be designated a landmark, a structure of merit or included in an historic district, property owners would have to agree to it.
Preservationists say the initiative is a way for developers to tear down homes to build larger ones. Supporters dismiss the charge and say they are protecting their rights as property owners.
Both sides are gearing up campaigns to convince voters of their positions. And while residents can expect in the coming weeks to see yard signs and fliers in their mail boxes, the mud-slinging already has started.
“The developer-funded supporters of the measure have spread false information about the landmarks ordinance and historic preservation to frighten voters,” said Bea Nemlaha, a spokesperson for the group. “If Proposition A passes... we will no longer be able to protect our city’s few remaining significant and unique architectural and historic houses and neighborhoods from real estate speculators.
“Their investment in Santa Monica is only for short-term profits,” she added. “The community, not the developers, should determine the character of Santa Monica’s neighborhoods and be able to preserve its history for our children and future generations.”
Supporters of the measure admit some of them are developers and land use attorneys by profession, but they say those individuals are acting only as concerned homeowners and nothing more.
They accuse preservationists of bringing in carpet-baggers who are trying to tell Santa Monica homeowners how to think.
“Our supporters are the people who live in the neighborhoods,” said Greg Poirer, an 18th Street resident who supports the initiative. “We don’t need a lot of outside organizations to come in and tell us how to think. We don’t take our marching orders from the L.A. Conservancy. We’re Santa Monica people.”
The historic preservation law, passed by voters in 1976 to save the Santa Monica Pier, requires the Landmarks Commission to review demolition permits for old buildings to ensure important architectural and historic buildings are not torn down. During the 26 years the law has been in effect, 16 homes have been landmarked and one historic district has been created.
If a home is designated as historic, there are limits to what the property owner can do to the exterior of the structure. The Landmarks Commission reviews proposed changes and either approves or denies them before the property owner can do anything to his home.
Preservationists say because the initiative would require unanimous consent from property owners, a single objection would prevent the designation from going through.
“Proposition A threatens irreparable harm to Santa Monica’s historic neighborhoods,” said Holly Fiala, Director of the Western Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in a prepared statement. “If passed, this initiative would fuel Santa Monica’s tear-down trend, resulting in further erosion of community character as older homes and established landscaping give way to insensitive ‘monster mansions.’
“This is a dangerous precedent-setting campaign, likely to spread to other California communities if successful in Santa Monica," she added.
But the initiative’s supporters said the city has previously considered creating historic districts that don’t contain every house in a neighborhood. They say there should be no reason future districts can’t be created with homeowners that want to participate and exempt those that don’t.
“Historic districts can look like anything they want it to look like,” said Poirer of city officials. “To say they can’t do it would seem disingenuous since they have tried it before.”
Tom Larmore, an initiative supporter, said preservationists are trying to scare people into thinking voluntary preservation will lead to “monster mansions.” Larmore and others point out that Santa Monica already has zoning ordinances that prevent over-sized homes, and the initiative would not affect those.
Historic districts from “Brooklyn Heights and Georgetown to Pasadena and San Francisco” have increased in property values faster than surrounding properties, according to preservationists.
But the initiative’s supporters say property values will fall, maintenance costs will rise, and property owners will lose the ability to modify their homes, inside or out.
“What we keep saying is that nobody will know for certain what will happen in any historic district,” said Poirer. “Our measure doesn’t address property values, it addresses homeowner choice.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 29, 2003. Read the original PDF.