Society Urges Historic Status for 74 Sites

The Glendale Historical Society is urging the city to act immediately to preserve its historic neighborhoods and buildings in the face of rapid development.

In a letter to the city Historic Preservation Commission, the society asked that 74 sites in one district be designated as historically significant, making them more difficult to demolish under city zoning laws.

The sites were identified in a 1984 federally funded survey of a 50-block area that made up the southern half of the original township of Glendale, roughly bounded by Brand Boulevard, Adams Street, Wilson Avenue and Lomita Avenue.

Society President David L. Smith said almost 100 sites originally were deemed worthy of preservation in the survey but that almost 25% of the structures have been demolished.

“So much development has taken place over the last five years that many of the buildings considered to have some importance are now gone,” Smith said. He has asked that the preservation commission, city Planning Commission and City Council take action to preserve the remaining sites.

The society had sought similar action in 1985 while the city was undergoing a massive rezoning project.

A historic preservation ordinance eventually was adopted, but it applies to only a few dozen buildings designated as significant in the city’s general plan. That ordinance delays for up to a year the demolition of designated buildings unless preservation creates an undue hardship on the owner.

Otherwise, the city took no action to preserve the large number of sites identified in the historical survey, largely because officials could not agree on who should bear the cost of preservation.

“Basically, we’re still at square one,” Smith said.

The 1984 survey, funded by a grant to the historical society, was the first systematic historical study conducted in Glendale. It designated sites with such characteristics as pre-World War II bungalow courts and duplexes, and old, tree-lined neighborhoods around East Harvard Street between Chevy Chase Drive and Glendale Avenue.

Many of the old neighborhoods in south Glendale have wide streets and large lots zoned for multifamily units, making them prospects for high-density development. As a result, the city is again revamping its zoning laws to curtail growth.

Society members are asking that new laws contain provisions to protect historically significant buildings and neighborhoods. “We think the time has finally come for action,” Smith said. He also is asking that similar historical surveys be conducted throughout the city.

Some city officials have indicated recently that they, too, are concerned about the dwindling number of older homes and apartments. Mayor Jerold Milner has suggested that the city purchase older properties and resell them to city employees who cannot now afford to live in Glendale.

The society’s proposal is expected to be brought before the preservation commission at its next meeting, March 5.