Historic Pinney House Faces Final Decision Tonight

The Pasadena City Council will grapple with yet another difficult historic preservation case Monday evening as it decides the final fate of the property at 180 South Euclid Avenue in Central Pasadena.

The original determination of the City Planning Department, with regard to the property, was that the early 1900s property was “consistent with the purposes of design review and the design guidelines in the Central District Specific Plan” and would “not cause a significant adverse effect on a historical recourse” and thus was approved for demolition.

The Planning Department did recommend that the applicant, Balian Investments LLC, shall “study the incorporation into any future development project on the site features on the street-facing elevation that recall the scale, covered and elevated front porch, porte cochere and former pergola of the existing house on the property.” The department report added that such features “need not be exact replicas of the existing features, but should be stylistically compatible with the design of the new project, and would be subject to review and approval by the Design Commission.”

The Design Commission, however, disagreed, and found twice—most recently in February of 2016—that the property qualifies for historic designation, and disapproved the recommendation of the Planning Department. In April, however, the Planning Department, looking at newly submitted evidence and examining the integrity of the building according to national Historic Register standards, once again recommended that the building be approved for demolition.

The Mission Revival Arts and Crafts Period bungalow property, known as the Pinney House, was designed by Charles W. Buchanan. According to the current owners, according to a study by SWCA Environmental Consulting, the property has been the victim of neglect and has “lost integrity of design, materials, workmanships and setting, and therefore, no longer qualifies for designation as a landmark.” Among the changes over the years, has been the conversion of the original clay tile roof to a tin roof, as well as changes to the front windows and doors. In addition, according to the report, the original brick chimney is unreinforced.

According to the Planning Department, should the house be approved for demolition, however, no demolition would be allowed to take place until a building permit for a new development on the property was approved, a process which could take another year.