LAGUNA BEACH

The Design Review Board has agreed to share its oversight of historic building alterations after members of the Heritage Commission complained of having little clout in the process during a board meeting last week.

Heritage Committee members said they have grown tired of bestowing historic plaques to homes and businesses, only to later see the buildings altered far beyond their original design.

The city’s ordinance requires owners to go through the committee only to get on the historic registry list. Later alterations go to the Design Review Board, which considers requests for structural changes in the city.

Committee members said too often, a home or business owner has received registry status from the committee, but doesn’t check back when tearing down a portion of the historic structure or changing its original look.

The board agreed to send back to the committee any plans for alterations to historically registered structures.