The Santa Monica City Council held a public hearing Tuesday on whether to preserve a modest 1923 Craftsman bungalow at 1125 18th Street, considering an appeal that could overturn the city's Landmarks Commission and clear the way for potential demolition.
The hearing followed the commission's controversial 4-2 vote in July that designated the 952-square-foot residence as a "Structure of Merit", a lower-tier historic classification unique to Santa Monica. City staff recommended the council approve the appeal and deny the historic designation.
The case pits property owner H. Joseph Naim, a physician and surgeon who purchased the property in December 2021 with plans to redevelop it, against preservation advocates who see the bungalow as part of the city's vanishing architectural heritage.
"I truly believe that real preservation should highlight exceptional examples of history — not restrict the modification of properties that simply don't meet that level of significance anymore," Naim told the council in written comments submitted for the hearing.
Naim emphasized his track record of preserving historically significant properties, including a 1924 Italian Renaissance Revival building in Wilmington designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument in 2022, and a 1908 Craftsman home in Los Angeles's Jefferson Park historic district.
"When I purchased 1125 18th Street in December 2021, I did so knowing its R2 zoning and its potential — I planned not to erase history, but to contribute something thoughtful and positive to Santa Monica's evolving community," Naim stated.
The appeal was filed by Landmarks Commissioner Pam O'Connor, who argued the commission had misapplied preservation standards by focusing on the property's rarity within the tiny Green Acres Tract rather than considering the broader neighborhood context.
City staff and an independent consultant, Page and Turnbull, recommended against the designation, finding that modest Craftsman bungalows remain "relatively common" in the Wilshire-Montana neighborhood and throughout Santa Monica. According to the city's 2018 Historic Resources Inventory, 178 Craftsman-style buildings were identified citywide, with 30 in the Wilshire-Montana area alone.
"The modest Craftsman bungalow remains a relatively common building type within the neighborhood," Design and Historic Preservation Planner Stephanie Reich told the Landmarks Commission at its July meeting, summarizing staff findings.
The case has reignited debate over Santa Monica's "Structure of Merit" designation — a two-tiered preservation system established in 1975 that city officials acknowledge has been difficult to apply consistently.
Unlike the city's 143 full "Landmark" designations, which provide strong protection against demolition, the Structure of Merit classification allows demolition after a 180-day waiting period if the city cannot negotiate preservation alternatives with the property owner.
Several council members raised questions about legal ambiguity in the city's preservation ordinance, particularly regarding Criterion A, which allows designation simply because a property "has been identified in the City's Historic Resources Inventory."
"It would seem to me that we might need to update our ordinance, because the way that our ordinance is being applied here seems inconsistent with like the written letter of the law," Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis said during the hearing.
Multiple council members suggested the property appeared to meet the technical requirements for Structure of Merit status under the city's current code, even as they questioned whether the designation made sense.
"If I'm reading the letter of the law, it reads, does it meet criterion A or criterion B? If it meets criterion A, and we confirmed that it does, then the structure meets the criteria for a structure of merit," Council Member Dan Hall said.
Council Member Ellis Raskin questioned staff's interpretation: "Aren't we not supposed to read parts of statutes and ordinances as a circle? It sounds to me like this is speaking to the distinction between structure of merit and the landmark designation, and that there is an intentionally lower bar for the Structure of Merit."
The property attracted significant public interest, with neighborhood residents divided. Preservationists argued the bungalow represents a disappearing architectural heritage, particularly in the eastern portion of the Wilshire-Montana neighborhood where only a handful of Craftsman homes remain.
Resident Neil Risch conducted his own survey of Craftsman homes in the area, finding that only two such structures survive in the historic Green Acres development tract spanning 17th to 21st streets.
However, opponents argued that preservation was being weaponized to block housing development in a city facing affordability challenges. Several speakers urged the council to not only deny this designation but to eliminate the Structure of Merit category entirely, citing concerns about reduced city revenues from Mills Act tax breaks.
The Santa Monica Conservancy, which filed the original designation application in response to Naim's demolition permit, defended the property's significance.
"The Conservancy's in-depth knowledge of Santa Monica's architectural evolution, cultural histories, and other historical associations can bring a nuanced, contextual perspective not always uncovered by outside consultants," wrote Ruthann Lehrer of the conservancy in written comments.
The 103-year-old bungalow features characteristic Craftsman elements including a low-pitched gable roof, exposed rafter tails and prairie-style window muntins. The property also includes a second residence at the rear of the lot, which was never part of the designation consideration.
The hearing marks the latest clash in Santa Monica between historic preservation advocates and housing development proponents, a tension likely to intensify as the city continues grappling with limited housing supply and rising costs.