Historic Preservation Commission to Hear Call For Review on Craftsman Bungalow in Heaven Home

Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday will hear a call for review for a certificate of appropriateness application at 1124 N. Mar Vista Ave. within the city’s Bungalow Heaven Historic and Landmark Districts. 

The residence is a one-story Craftsman Bungalow designed by architect John C. Austin and constructed by William Tucker in 1915. A staff report from the Department of Planning and Community Development said it is a contributing resource to the Bungalow Heaven Historic and Landmark Districts, with character-defining features such as wood shingles laid in alternating bands of narrow and wide exposures, a cross-gabled roof with large braces, and exposed rafters in the eaves, vertical slat vents in the gable ends, and a broad wrap-around open porch supported by massive brick piers. 

Additional features include two brick chimneys, wood sash casement windows, a large fixed window adjacent to the porch, and French doors with true divided-lights facing the porch, the report said. The house was previously altered with the addition of aluminum-framed screens in between the brick piers of the porch, a flat cover over the open porch pergola, and the installation of aluminum awnings. 

The owner had applied for a  certificate of appropriateness to be able to add a side yard fence and a driveway gate, and replace a door and install new porch railings at the residence. On Jul 7, the Department of Planning and Community Development approved the application, with conditions. 

The conditions include painting the proposed wooden fence and driveway gate with a clear protective coating to protect them against the elements and maximize the longevity of the natural wood, replacing the double French doors on the north elevation in-kind to match existing original doors, revising the design of the proposed railings to a single substantial horizontal wood member similar to the design of the existing railings at 1165 N. Mar Vista Ave., and subjecting the project to a final site inspection and sign-off by staff of the Design and Historic Preservation section to ensure that the work plan undertaken is as specified in the decision. 

On July 19, Commissioner Tina Miller initiated a request for a call for review of the decision. A request for a call for review opens an opportunity for the commission to hear the applicant’s appeal on the decision and to determine whether a majority of the commission members present at the meeting agree that the decision should be formally called for review.

With a call for review, the commission will then conduct a “de novo” review of the project, which means that the lower decision is set aside and the entire application is reviewed as a new proposal. 

Tuesday’s special meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission begins at 4:30 p.m. Members of the community may access the meeting through https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83181713480 or by calling (669) 900 6833 and using the webinar ID 831 8171 3480. 

Public comments may be submitted by email to mtakeda@cityofpasadena.net before Tuesday, or through www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/public-comment.