Hope burns a little brighter this morning after last night's City Council meeting.  Hearing the MOHPG appeal on the 1921 cottage bungalow at 256 N. Encinitas (the appeal was made to overturn the low status code given by the Historic Preservation Commission December 3 which would have made demolition possible), the City Council once again listened to its residents and voted to uphold the appeal.  The matter will be reconsidered at the February 17 city council meeting.

By that time the City hopes to have polled the residents of North Encinitas (between Foothill and Greystone) to gauge the interest in creating a historic district along that portion of the street.  The owners of the property at 256 also expressed a willingness to work with the city to reach a mutually beneficial resolution to the dilemma at hand.

There are 65 homes along this stretch of Encinitas, 43 of which were built before 1940 (in fact all 43 save one were built before 1931).  Many of these homes are Victorian cottages or Craftsman bungalows, and most are of the smaller variety. Nine have already received landmark status from the city, attesting to the rich architectural character of the neighborhood.

Shown below are the houses on North Encinitas Avenue between Foothill Blvd and Greystone Avenue.  Photos with a red border are of landmarked homes.

On December 11, 2014, the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group filed an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission's decision that would eventually allow the demolition of the 1921 Craftsman bungalow, located at 256 N. Encinitas Ave in Monrovia.  That appeal will be decided by the City Council at the Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 7:30 p.m., city council meeting.  The recommendation to the city council by city staff is that the appeal be denied.

MOHPG would encourage residents who wish to have a say before the city council to attend and voice their opinion.  Although there are building/demolition moratoriums in place until November, 2015, once those moratoriums are lifted, this home could be demolished unless the city council overrides the Preservation Commission's decision, rendered last December 3.  

The prospect that an oversized, bloated home could replace this vintage bungalow is very real.  Once a decision has been made by the council, no further preventative action will be possible.
To view the city staff report of this agenda item, click below.

On December 16 the City Council voted to extend the current 45-day moratoriums on demolitions of pre-1940 homes and construction of new homes (with conditions) until November 2015.  The original 45-day moratoriums were too constrictive and would prohibit development (e.g., Station Square) that all sides agreed should not be halted.  However, the moratoriums that are now in place will for the most part prohibit the construction of mansion-sized, two-story homes in most residential areas.

In the meantime members of MOHPG and city staff will work together to find solutions to the threat of "homes that do not fit" being built in vintage neighborhoods.  Because the issues are not simple ones (moratoriums were previously enacted in 1985 and 2004 for the same reasons and the essential problems still remain), the City will be seeking input from all members of the community to guide its decision-making and resolution on the key issues.

When those opportunities have been scheduled, they will be posted on this site.  We will continue to update you on progress.

Update:  Significant progress on the "Save the Grave" project has been made since the last check (see picture below).  An additional donation of $30,000 brings the goal of finishing the restoration tantalizing close to fruition.  See below if you would like to contribute to this worthwhile project.
Within the past year, the project of restoring one of Monrovia's first fire engines has begun in earnest.  Jump started by an anonymous donation of $100,000, the restoration of Monrovia's 1917 Seagrave Fire Engine is moving forward, with the hope that the fire engine can be completely restored by the year of its centennial 2017.  To meet that goal, however, approximately another $50,000 will be needed to complete the restoration.

If you would like to contribute to the effort to "Save the Grave", send a check payable to Save the Grave to:

Save the Grave
P.O. Box 2021
Monrovia, CA   91017

You will receive a receipt by mail acknowledging your donation which may be tax deductible; consult your tax advisor.

To view a detailed history of the Seagrave fire engine, written by MOHPG member Robb Stewart, click here.

Five volunteers from MOHPG installed the wooden portion of the fountain roof on Thursday, December 4 (see last photo below).  Once replacement roof tiles (to replace those destroyed in the automobile accident in August, 2013) have been delivered to Monrovia Public Works, MOHPG will finish the roof installation, and the fountain should look identical to when it was first placed in Library Park in 1907..

Last evening, Wednesday, December 3, 2014, five members (out of seven) of the Historic Preservation Commission were in special session to consider the demolition requests for two homes.  The two requests originally were on the HPC's October 27 agenda but were postponed until December 3 to allow time for further research on the homes.
The results were mixed from a preservation viewpoint.  The home at 188 N. Alta Vista Ave was given a 5S3 status code, meaning that an Environmental Impact Review would be required before the home could be torn down.  A similar motion was made for the house at 256 N. Encinitas Ave but it failed for lack of a second.  The motion that did pass gave the house a status code of 6L, meaning that the structure is not eligible for separate listing or designation under an existing local ordinance.

Preservationists and concerned citizens alike had reason to smile after last night's city council meeting.  The council members unanimously approved two resolutions to begin the process of addressing the protection on vintage homes in town and the construction of inappropriate new homes.  The first resolution placed a 45-day moratorium on demolitions of pre-1940 homes, while the second stops new home construction, also for 45 days.

In and of themselves these moratoriums do nothing to change the status quo.  What remains to be done by city staff and members of MOHPG is to formulate a plan to address this immediate and growing area of concern.  That plan will incorporate input from all segments of the community and will attempt to reconcile two major considerations:  individual property owners' rights and the preservation of vintage homes. 

Because this process will undoubtedly take many months (careful consideration of all sides of these issues is of paramount importance), the first order of business will be to lay out a timetable for the steps which must be taken.  In addition when the moratorium issues are revisited by the city council in 45 days,  a moratorium extension should not prevent home owners from making minor additions/changes to existing homes.
MOHPG encourages all residents in the community to make their voices heard so that the resolution of these concerns is indeed a consensus of feeling within the city.

Up Next:  The December 3 meeting at 7:30 p.m. of the Historic Preservation Commission will consider the demolition requests for the two structures postponed from the October 29 HPC meeting.  If you have been unable to attend any meetings up to this point to express your views, this will provide another opportunity for you to do so.  MOHPG IS ONCE AGAIN ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT - ATTENDANCE AT THIS MEETING WILL REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE TO THE COMMUNITY!

The November 4, 2014, City Council meeting saw a number of residents speak to the Council on an agenda item to institute a six-month demolition moratorium so that the City and residents alike can clarify and possibly alter current policies for dealing with demolitions of pre-1940 structures and the buildings that replace them.  

The city attorney will be drawing up the language for the proposed moratorium, to be presented at the next city council meeting on Tuesday, November 18.  MOHPG encourages residents to attend so that their voices may be heard.
MOHPG's position is that the City needs to adopt a completed survey of pre-1940 homes and potential historic districts.  The City did commission a survey back in 2004 but it was never adopted.  Without adequate information about existing vintage structures on which to base their conclusions, city staff is handicapped  when compiling staff reports.  This is of particular concern with regards to the Historic Preservation Commission which is tasked with considering demolition requests.
MOHPG remains committed to resolving this matter and will be working to assist the City in any way it can to arrive at a resolution that will allow us to move forward.

To remain current on developments on this topic, go to www.facebook.com/mohpg.

Watch a 5-minute video on the prospect of mansionization arriving in Monrovia by clicking below.

One of Monrovia's oldest homes, this Queen Anne Victorian which also has Colonial Revival influences, was built in 1887 and originally owned by a bookkeeper to William N. Monroe, founder of Monrovia.  Originally, the home was located just yards away at the corner of Magnolia and Hillcrest, and was moved to its present location sometime between 1904 and 1908.
To view a larger image of the home, click on the photo.

The home located at 624 E. Foothill Blvd is a 1917 Craftsman Bungalow with Colonial Revival influences. The single-story home was built by the Tifal Brothers, well-known and respected builders in Monrovia in the early 20th century. This home also has a Batchelder fireplace. | VIEW BATCHELDER SLIDESHOW
To view a larger image of the home, click on the photo.

At the September 16, 2014 meeting of the Monrovia City Council, the council members seconded the prior action of the Historic Preservation Commission and designated two more homes as local landmarks.  This makes five landmarks added in less than a year and a half.