Romer House Demolition OKd--With Items Saved

A permit to demolish the Romer House was approved this week by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission on the condition that the historically significant parts of the building be salvaged.

“Architectural features like French doors, fireplace mantels, crown molding and patio brick must be salvaged for reuse,” said William S. Ramsey, the city’s senior planner.

In June, the city received a request from Carlos Romer to demolish the house on the hill overlooking Del Obispo Street and Calle Aspero.

Because the home is listed on the city’s Buildings of Distinction list, permission from the Cultural Heritage Commission was required.

While finding that the single-story house, built in 1922, is “an excellent example of the Spanish-Colonial Revival style architecture,” the commission was unable to determine if the house had been designed by renowned Southern California architect Paul R. Williams.

“It’s the house I was born in,” said Romer, a landscape architect, “but it’s just old and tired now, like people get.”

Romer said he hopes to save many of the adobe-style home’s features by incorporating them into the new house he plans to build on the same site in the next year.

He said the new home will look very similar to the current one, but with modern amenities.