Los Angeles : Historic Preservation Zone

A proposal to protect the architectural integrity of a Miracle Mile North neighborhood cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when a city Planning Commission hearing examiner approved making the area an historic preservation overlay zone.

Hearing examiner Michael Davies supported neighbors’ claims that the area is unique and deserving of preservation. He reported that the area--north of 3rd Street and west of La Brea Avenue--has kept its Spanish/Mediterranean and English Tudor style architecture intact since the 1920s, when the first of the modest stucco and red-tile homes were built.

The city Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the matter at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 in Room 350 at City Hall. If approved by the commission, and subsequently by the City Council, the neighborhood will become only the fourth such zone in the city of Los Angeles, Davies said.

Davies said that there is virtually no opposition to the plan and that it is expected to go into effect sometime in February if approved.

If approval is granted, a neighborhood review board would be established that would screen all proposals for building and remodeling to make sure they conform to the area’s architectural style in shape and size. The board would pass on recommendations to the city planning department. Although advisory in nature, the review board could help prevent architecturally or historically significant buildings from being demolished.

Davies said he modified the proposal slightly, so that a public library and park in the area, as well as Daniel Murphy High School, would be left out of the advisory board’s jurisdiction because they are overseen by other planning agencies.