Historic Preservation Commission Likely to Vote to Stop Demolition of Historic West Pasadena House

A developer that purchased the property at 280 Avenue 64 in West Pasadena in May, believing the property did not have any historical significance, will now have to fulfill some new conditions before proceeding with plans to build a new single-family residence on the site and unless the conditions are fulfilled, the city is likely to decide to prohibit any demolition on the property.

City staff earlier indicated that the existing house on the site was neither historic nor architecturally significant, so the developer, Core Equity Properties LLC, proceeded with the purchase.

Later that month, staff was made aware of a Building Biography report that identified the building on the property as associated with the operations of the San Rafael Ranch Company, indicating potential historical significance. Staff immediately informed the Core Equity Properties representative, but the property was already under contract at that time.

At the present time, there’s an obligatory period of 180 days for the city to work with the applicant to identify alternatives to the proposed project, and since the city has to make a decision as to whether to allow demolition of the property to make way for the new construction, its Planning and Community Development Department is recommending a set of conditions the developer has to fulfill before issuing a Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition work.

Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission will review these recommendations in a meeting on Tuesday, January 16, and— depending on the developer’s response to the conditions—may vote to stop the demolition and preserve the property.

Further research on the property, which is now considered as a potentially eligible, but undesignated, historic resource, showed that the residence on the property has been evaluated for individual significance and is recommended eligible for listing in the National Register, the California Register, and for designation as a City of Pasadena landmark.

It has been considered significant under the City’s criteria for the development of Pasadena west of the Arroyo Seco, with the Cheviotdale and San Rafael Heights Tracts, and notablefo r its association with the productive life of Robert H. Lindsay, the ranch manager and vice president of the Ranch Company.

Additionally, the well located on the property appears to be separately eligible for its significance as an early water source associated with the ranch and the communities of San Rafael Heights, Cheviotdale, and Garvanza. Research on the property also showed the well as “a rare example of a structure that represents early lifeways of the surrounding communities.”

Before any Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition could be considered, Core Equity Properties LLC will have to fulfill these conditions, as stated in a memorandum for the Historic Preservation Commission by Planning and Development Director David Reyes:

• The house shall not be demolished until a building permit has been issued for a replacement project on the site unless the applicant applies for, and the Historic Preservation Commission grants approval of, an application for Relief from the Replacement Building Permit requirement.

• The developer shall provide complete archival photo documentation for the historical portion of the house according to city of Pasadena guidelines. The photos shall include exteriors and interiors of the historical portion of the house as well as the water well and remnant site features.

The developer shall also provide an interpretive display at the site documenting the historical significance of the house. The design and content of the display shall be reviewed and approved by staff, and the display shall be installed on the site prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for any house constructed on the site.