Building Demolition Ban Dropped : Preservation: Amendment to landmarks ordinance would allow Santa Monica to review proposals to raze buildings built before 1940.

A boisterous group of property owners and real estate agents Tuesday night persuaded the Santa Monica City Council not to impose a 45-day moratorium on the demolition of buildings constructed before 1940.

The City Council instead unanimously approved a compromise plan to be drafted and voted on next week. It would amend the city’s landmarks ordinance to include review by the city of all pre-1940 buildings scheduled for demolition, rehabilitation or remodeling. It would empower the city to consider not only whether such buildings have historic value on their own, but whether they may have value as part of a historic district of buildings of similar architectural style.

The moratorium had been proposed as a stopgap measure until the landmarks ordinance could be updated to preserve the architectural style of many of the city’s older buildings.

More than 50 speakers most opposing the moratorium, addressed the council during the two-hour discussion, which was marked by rowdiness and shouting.

“I own a house built in 1924,” an elderly woman told the council. “I assure you, it should be torn down.”

Many of those who spoke accused Mayor Dennis Zane of attempting to weaken the state Ellis Act, which gives building owners the right to evict tenants and convert the buildings to condominiums. The moratorium could have discouraged such evictions by preventing owners from demolishing and rebuilding or remodeling.

Zane said after the meeting--and residents supporting historic preservation agreed--that circumventing the act was not the focus of his efforts.

Supporters of the moratorium at the meeting included representatives of neighborhood groups such as Mid-City Neighbors. Residents of the mid-city area first brought the issue to the mayor’s attention last month. A few renters feared that if they were evicted, the older, possibly historic, homes they occupy would be destroyed without review by the landmarks commission.

Merritt Coleman of Mid-City Neighbors said the group was concerned “over the significant loss of pre-1940 buildings” in the city. “What our concern was, was the change of character of the city of Santa Monica,” he said.