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# Public kicked out of historic debate
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/public-kicked-out-of-historic-debate/
- Published: 2002-04-10T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T00:14:06.000Z
- Author: Andrew Fixmer
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Commission will publicly vote on historic issue*

The group deciding whether homes should be designated historic will discuss the hotly-contested issue behind close doors.

There just isn’t enough time to listen to the public’s input, members of the city’s landmarks commission say.

“It’s really hard to accomplish everything in our one meeting a month,” said commissioner Barbara Schnitzler. “In the subcommittee only three of us can meet at a time behind closed doors. It’s just too hard to get anything done any other way.”

The commission decided at its Monday meeting to seal off public discussion on the issue and hash it out in a subcommittee that meets privately.

The subcommittee consists of Roger Genser, Ruthann Lehrer and Schnitzler. They will meet to discuss the results of a recent survey of homes north of Montana Avenue. The survey recommends that six historical districts be created in one of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

If a home is designated historic, there are limitations on what the property owner can do to the building, like remodel or demolish it.

But the notion that the public has been stymied from such a political discussion has some residents crying foul. There are hundreds of property owners who could be affected by the group’s decision and they should have a say in the future of their homes, they argue.

“It bothers me for the sole reason that during this whole process they have been miscommunicating with the whole neighborhood,” said Marc Schrobilgen, an 18th Street resident, whose home was designated historic against his wishes. “It doesn’t set a good tone with the community if they go about it this way.”

Schrobilgen said he understands that commissioners may feel they can accomplish more in a private meeting without an opinionated crowd before them.

“But it’s not going to rub the community the right way,” he said. “I think communication is the most important part of this process, and if we had been told ahead of time what they were trying to accomplish, we might not have been as upset as we are now.”

After discussing how to prioritize which districts should be designated, the amount of city resources available, and a method in which to discuss the idea with homeowners, the subcommittee will make its recommendations to the full commission.

“We would make suggestions maybe, but any votes would be taken by the full commission publicly,” Schnitzler said.

Members of the landmarks commission discuss everything from designating historic homes to issuing demolition permits for homes on the city’s historic list.

Another resident, whose home was not historically designated by the commission, said he supports keeping the public out of the decision-making process.

“It might not actually be a bad thing,” said Greg Poirier. “It might make sense for them to get a clear sense of things amongst themselves and put that forward at a regular public landmarks meeting.”

Poirier is an active member of “Homeowners for Voluntary Preservation,” a newly-formed committee that is circulating a petition in an effort to allow homeowners a choice as to whether their homes should be classified as landmarks or historical buildings.

The group needs 6,000 signatures to place the measure on the November ballot, which would prevent the city from deeming homes historic without the consent of the owner.

Poirier said the group would continue to collect signatures to make historic designation a voluntary process in Santa Monica — a concept landmarks commissioners are vehemently opposed to.

“I think on that point, the commission and I are just going to have to agree to disagree,” he said

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 10, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/041002.pdf?ref=smdp.com)