Rossmoyne poised to become Glendale’s biggest historic district
With the majority of affected residents on board, a North Glendale neighborhood nestled in the foothills is poised to become the largest historic district in the city at nearly four times the size of the other districts combined.
The City Council is set to vote Tuesday on giving 504 properties in the Rossmoyne neighborhood historic status, activating a layer of oversight rules and restrictions designed to protect the facades of homes that represent a mix of architectural styles.
“Rossmoyne is an exceptional neighborhood with homes from different eras and design that are no longer prevalent in modern construction,” said Mayor Frank Quintero, who once led the homeowners group that’s in charge of the historic designation effort.
Quintero lives in the hills above Rossmoyne and won’t be affected by the proposed change, but he said he is happy to support naming Rossmoyne a historic neighborhood since it protects a housing stock that needs to be preserved.
“I don’t think there’s any advantage to destroying these period homes,” he said.
The Rossmoyne neighborhood was established in the 1920s and includes a variety of architectural styles, including Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, English Tudor Revival and French-inspired. The district would be bounded by Ethel Street, Glenoaks Boulevard, Cordova Avenue and Hillcroft Road.
Councilwoman Laura Friedman echoed Quintero’s sentiment, adding that the push for historic status was a grassroots effort.
“It’s something that comes from the ground up,” she said on Monday.
A group of residents collected signatures in support of the historic overlay zone from 71% of the affected property owners, beating the 50% threshold, said Glendale’s Historic Preservation Planner Jay Platt.
Friedman added that historic status may increase property values, reinforce community pride and add value to the city.
“I think it strengthens the unique character of each of our historic neighborhoods,” she said.
The city’s current historic districts — Royal Boulevard, Ard Eevin Highlands and Cottage Grove — cover 131 properties. There are two other neighborhoods, North Cumberland, with 179 homes, and Brockmont, with 58 homes, also seeking historic status.
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