By Roger Genser Chair Pro-Tem Santa Monica Landmarks Commission
I would like to set the record straight regarding several erroneous allegations by Bill Bauer in his column in the Daily Press, Feb. 21.
In the case of the now famous 18th Street... the city has done periodic updates of the Historic Resources Survey, first completed in 1983. It was revised is 1993. The goal is to survey the entire city every five to 10 years. In 2001-2001 the survey was updated north of Montana Avenue.
The Landmarks Commission made no recommendations regarding districts. It merely received a report from a professional historic consulting firm. This report was seized upon by preservation foes as proof that the Landmarks Commission wanted to take control of all of north of Montana and make it a historic district. This created fear among the residents. In fact, the report was inconclusive regarding the area around 18th Street. Second, Mr. Bauer has questioned the make up of the Landmarks Commission itself. It is composed of some of the most specific seats of any commission. Of the seven seats, the following are required by the ordinance: 1) Registered architect 2) Real estate licensee 3) Architectural historian 4) Local historian. The current commission consists of seven homeowners.
Lastly, I never discussed my appointment to the commission with Councilmember Genser, who, yes, is my third cousin. In fact, I was urged to apply by commission liaison and Councilmember O’Connor because of my knowledge of Santa Monica history and my previous city involvement. That involvement spans almost 25 years and predates my meeting the other Mr. Genser in 1981. He is a hell of a nice guy, however!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 26, 2003. Read the original PDF.