I am an architect and have been a resident of Hermosa Beach since 1977. The original preservation ordinance, enacted in 1998, was a good beginning to a process that needs to be taken to the next level, if the historic fabric of this City is to be preserved. Back in 1998, I reviewed a list of historic buildings that was identified by a City consultant, that needs to be revisited for completeness. As I understand it, the list was assembled primarily from a "windshield survey" by the consultant. Windshield surveys are visual, cursory at best, and do not reflect the scope of the criteria for historic designation specified in the 1998 ordinance. Given the current, rapid replacement of existing buildings in the South Bay by newly constructed developments, the need for a thoughtful update to the ordinance is warranted. I urge the City Council to devote resources to the revitalization of our historic preservation process.
As a resident and property owner in Hermosa beach since 1980, I wish to keep Hermosa as the lovely coastal city we have had. I support
being able to establish landmark status on older homes. I feel the fees that are imposed just to look into this status are outrageous.
I support looking into this process, and having a review, especially regarding Marsha Majka's historic corner home. It certainly adds
to the neighborhood and I would like to see it remain as it is. Many homes in Hermosa have been in the same family for decades and are kept up and add to our history.
As a 50ish year Hermosa Beach resident and property owner, I am in support of reviewing our process for declaring residential properties as Historical Landmarks. I would like to keep Hermosa Hermosa as best we can.
We have had wonderful events and we have fought wars together (i.e. oil drilling) to keep Hermosa Hermosa. That is who we are.
In addition, there are a few opportunities for us to preserve reminders of our past. That would include residential Historical Landmarks. I believe that we should facilitate homeowners who voluntarily offer their properties for this purpose. Some have spent their lives and money preserving what our ancestors built. Those homes and their stories will keep Hermosa Hermosa!
The city of Hermosa Beach should do everything in its power to incentivize historic preservation, especially of residential properties. Charging Marsha Majka a $4,416 fee to designate her home a historic landmark sends the wrong message to homeowners. It’s no accident that Redondo Beach has 104 Mills Act historic homes. They do not charge fees for residential landmark designations. The HB council should waive Majka’s fee and those of future conservationists.
Considering the unusual circumstances with this application, especially since as I understand the property tax reduction will not amount to much, the fees should be reduced or waived.
However, the historical designation process clearly needs to be revised to make the fees reasonable and waived in circumstances where there is hardly any tax reduction. We should look at ways to streamline the process to reduce the city costs, possibly utilizing the historical society for some of the initial application and reviews and delay other fees until designation has been granted.
I served as a Preservation Commissioner in Redondo and this city should be used as a good example of how a program is set up and works. Redondo has numerous landmarks and complete neighborhoods set up as historical resources. I would support and be happy to help work on such a project.
Members of the City Council: please consider waiving the fees in connection with the application Marsha Majka is seeking to file for historic designation of her home on Monterey Boulevard. Supporting this request is a petition previously delivered to the city manager, gladly signed by 44 neighbors (a month ago, in less than 48 hours), speaking for hundreds of others. I look forward to offering thoughts by zoom tomorrow evening on action items you might consider in response to the staff report that will be before you. Thank you for your consideration.
I am deeply saddened to watch our beach town disappearing one house at a time being replaced with two and three-story houses. This small-town atmosphere with its single-story beach homes is what convinced me to buy here 28 years ago. Government established an ordinance to supply incentive to people living in these vintage homes to help maintain and preserve the craftmanship used back in the day. Please give extra consideration to the very special house at 2204 Monterey Blvd. on the corner of Park Ave.; it is also a landmark location being one of the oldest, original, curved streets in town. It is truly one of the cutest homes in Hermosa, I love the front sunroom constructed with extra-large cinder blocks and wood shingles with vintage casement steel small paned, opening windows.
Please consider a way to make this affordable for Marsha Majka, in light of her fixed income, to make it possible for her to leave a bit of history to Hermosa Beach.
Thank you.
I support a Historic Resources Preservation Ordinance so that a homeowner can declare their home a historic property only if the home owner initiates the process. Understanding that there could be fees, the fees to process the request should be reasonable.
Dear City Council,
I am writing in favor of the City Council’s Historical Resource Preservation Program to consider waiving of fees for historical designations in Hermosa Beach. I have always hoped some Hermosa Beach homes could be deemed as Historic Preservation sites for current and future residents and visitors to enjoy seeing. Our city’s charm and past history is something I feel is important for future generations to be able to see. I am hoping that you will consider making Marsha Majak’s little cottage on Monterey and Park eligible for Historic Preservation without requiring her to pay fees that are not affordable to her. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Amy Irwin
510 24th Place
Hermosa Beach CA
Honorable Hermosa Beach City Council:
It would be a shame for historical homes in Hermosa Beach, whose owners wish to designate them for preservation, to not be protected from demolition because of too many hoops to jump through in the process or the financial burden that prevents an application from ever being submitted! Clearly there are fewer and fewer structures with historical significance remaining in HB these days due to rebuilding in the beach communities. Knowing that, and the lack of ANY private homes that have been designated as historical in HB since City Council’s 1998 resolution, it seems that it would be in the City’s best interest and within HB City Council’s duties to review this program and it’s application/fee structure to make it more beneficial or less of an onus to the homeowners who might be considering foregoing any future benefits and “leaving” their homes to HB as a historical landmark the citizens can be proud of and enjoy forever!!! Granted the process does have significant costs associated with it ( thanks Staff report) but to this citizen and his family, they are costs that we feel should be shared, all or in part, by the City of HB and its citizens based on the benefits we gain by the historical preservation of a portion of our Hermosa Beach identity!!! The state property tax reduction program for historical structures an owner might receive if HB chose to participate, as The Staff report points out, can, I believe, only be considered once a local historical designation is on the books. This does little to promote initial homeowner interest or lessen the initial financial outlay of the HB application process. Our understanding is that the home on the NW corner of Monterey Blvd. & Park Ave. is currently a prime example of why we have no officially designated historical homes in Hermosa Beach, the HB application fee and process obviously isn’t working!!! Thanks for your efforts on this topic and every other concern the City Council and Staff fully addresses on our behalf!!
Kenneth Irwin
This issue is in front of you tonight due to the desire of our friend & neighbor of over 40 years, Marsha Majak, to have her beloved home of almost 50 years declared eligible for Historic Preservation. She isn't looking for property tax reduction for herself, which is what is one of hte things provided via the Mills Act, as her taxes are already very low. What she does want is for her beautiful home to be preserved for others to enjoy after she is gone. Most homeowners who live in similar dwellngs would want their beneficiaries to do whatever they want for the highest financial gain once the property passes on to those beneficiaries, and that almost always means tearing down and replacing the dwelling with something big and new. That has been the case with almost every wonderful little bungalow or even larger, older homes here in Hermosa Beach. Because of that we lose precious reminders of our past, like the beautiful little beach cottage that is Marsha's. Marsha is in a position that all she wants is to ensure that her little piece of Hermosa history remains on the corner of 24th & Park for generations after her to enjoy, but the fees imposed by the process make it impossible for her to do so. There must be a better way for those like Marsha to achieve the guarantee that ther homes will receive the designation they deserve, to protect them from demolition by a future owner, and to preserve these dwellings for the right homeowner to proudly own and continue to preserve. I look forward to the discussion of this agenda item to learn more about a possible solution for Marsha and for what I'm guessing will be the very few others who will want to put a lock on future develplment of their historic property, preserving it for future Hermosans and visitors to remeber as a chapter of our past. Thank you for considering this matter.
As more and more of Hermosa Beach's costly residential properties undergo development, the small, charming beach cottages of the city's historic past, evidence of its one-time unique, small-town personality, are quickly disappearing. Any owners of the few remaining early homes who wish to preserve and maintain these vestiges of Hermosa's past should be aided and encouraged in doing so, for the benefit of us all, as they add interest and a special kind of beauty to our streets, perpetuating one of the distinct pleasures of living here and thus adding value to their neighborhoods.
I support preserving history. Homes like Ms. Majka that are well maintained are definitely worth preserving. I do, however, find the fee the city charges to get a historic designation a bit high. Many of these types of homes have been owned by the same person/family for a number of years and the owners are typically elderly and/or retired. The council should consider a fee based on the owner's income vs. a single value.
Thank you. Lee Hennis.
I definitely support reviewing this process and allowing residents to have their home declared a Historical Landmark, but definitely only if it is their wish.
I am an architect and have been a resident of Hermosa Beach since 1977. The original preservation ordinance, enacted in 1998, was a good beginning to a process that needs to be taken to the next level, if the historic fabric of this City is to be preserved. Back in 1998, I reviewed a list of historic buildings that was identified by a City consultant, that needs to be revisited for completeness. As I understand it, the list was assembled primarily from a "windshield survey" by the consultant. Windshield surveys are visual, cursory at best, and do not reflect the scope of the criteria for historic designation specified in the 1998 ordinance. Given the current, rapid replacement of existing buildings in the South Bay by newly constructed developments, the need for a thoughtful update to the ordinance is warranted. I urge the City Council to devote resources to the revitalization of our historic preservation process.
As a resident and property owner in Hermosa beach since 1980, I wish to keep Hermosa as the lovely coastal city we have had. I support
being able to establish landmark status on older homes. I feel the fees that are imposed just to look into this status are outrageous.
I support looking into this process, and having a review, especially regarding Marsha Majka's historic corner home. It certainly adds
to the neighborhood and I would like to see it remain as it is. Many homes in Hermosa have been in the same family for decades and are kept up and add to our history.
As a 50ish year Hermosa Beach resident and property owner, I am in support of reviewing our process for declaring residential properties as Historical Landmarks. I would like to keep Hermosa Hermosa as best we can.
We have had wonderful events and we have fought wars together (i.e. oil drilling) to keep Hermosa Hermosa. That is who we are.
In addition, there are a few opportunities for us to preserve reminders of our past. That would include residential Historical Landmarks. I believe that we should facilitate homeowners who voluntarily offer their properties for this purpose. Some have spent their lives and money preserving what our ancestors built. Those homes and their stories will keep Hermosa Hermosa!
Please preserve 2204 Monterey Blvd; I am in favor of saving the older homes
The city of Hermosa Beach should do everything in its power to incentivize historic preservation, especially of residential properties. Charging Marsha Majka a $4,416 fee to designate her home a historic landmark sends the wrong message to homeowners. It’s no accident that Redondo Beach has 104 Mills Act historic homes. They do not charge fees for residential landmark designations. The HB council should waive Majka’s fee and those of future conservationists.
Sent from my iPhone
Considering the unusual circumstances with this application, especially since as I understand the property tax reduction will not amount to much, the fees should be reduced or waived.
However, the historical designation process clearly needs to be revised to make the fees reasonable and waived in circumstances where there is hardly any tax reduction. We should look at ways to streamline the process to reduce the city costs, possibly utilizing the historical society for some of the initial application and reviews and delay other fees until designation has been granted.
I served as a Preservation Commissioner in Redondo and this city should be used as a good example of how a program is set up and works. Redondo has numerous landmarks and complete neighborhoods set up as historical resources. I would support and be happy to help work on such a project.
Members of the City Council: please consider waiving the fees in connection with the application Marsha Majka is seeking to file for historic designation of her home on Monterey Boulevard. Supporting this request is a petition previously delivered to the city manager, gladly signed by 44 neighbors (a month ago, in less than 48 hours), speaking for hundreds of others. I look forward to offering thoughts by zoom tomorrow evening on action items you might consider in response to the staff report that will be before you. Thank you for your consideration.
I am deeply saddened to watch our beach town disappearing one house at a time being replaced with two and three-story houses. This small-town atmosphere with its single-story beach homes is what convinced me to buy here 28 years ago. Government established an ordinance to supply incentive to people living in these vintage homes to help maintain and preserve the craftmanship used back in the day. Please give extra consideration to the very special house at 2204 Monterey Blvd. on the corner of Park Ave.; it is also a landmark location being one of the oldest, original, curved streets in town. It is truly one of the cutest homes in Hermosa, I love the front sunroom constructed with extra-large cinder blocks and wood shingles with vintage casement steel small paned, opening windows.
Please consider a way to make this affordable for Marsha Majka, in light of her fixed income, to make it possible for her to leave a bit of history to Hermosa Beach.
Thank you.
I support a Historic Resources Preservation Ordinance so that a homeowner can declare their home a historic property only if the home owner initiates the process. Understanding that there could be fees, the fees to process the request should be reasonable.
Dear City Council,
I am writing in favor of the City Council’s Historical Resource Preservation Program to consider waiving of fees for historical designations in Hermosa Beach. I have always hoped some Hermosa Beach homes could be deemed as Historic Preservation sites for current and future residents and visitors to enjoy seeing. Our city’s charm and past history is something I feel is important for future generations to be able to see. I am hoping that you will consider making Marsha Majak’s little cottage on Monterey and Park eligible for Historic Preservation without requiring her to pay fees that are not affordable to her. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Amy Irwin
510 24th Place
Hermosa Beach CA
Honorable Hermosa Beach City Council:
It would be a shame for historical homes in Hermosa Beach, whose owners wish to designate them for preservation, to not be protected from demolition because of too many hoops to jump through in the process or the financial burden that prevents an application from ever being submitted! Clearly there are fewer and fewer structures with historical significance remaining in HB these days due to rebuilding in the beach communities. Knowing that, and the lack of ANY private homes that have been designated as historical in HB since City Council’s 1998 resolution, it seems that it would be in the City’s best interest and within HB City Council’s duties to review this program and it’s application/fee structure to make it more beneficial or less of an onus to the homeowners who might be considering foregoing any future benefits and “leaving” their homes to HB as a historical landmark the citizens can be proud of and enjoy forever!!! Granted the process does have significant costs associated with it ( thanks Staff report) but to this citizen and his family, they are costs that we feel should be shared, all or in part, by the City of HB and its citizens based on the benefits we gain by the historical preservation of a portion of our Hermosa Beach identity!!! The state property tax reduction program for historical structures an owner might receive if HB chose to participate, as The Staff report points out, can, I believe, only be considered once a local historical designation is on the books. This does little to promote initial homeowner interest or lessen the initial financial outlay of the HB application process. Our understanding is that the home on the NW corner of Monterey Blvd. & Park Ave. is currently a prime example of why we have no officially designated historical homes in Hermosa Beach, the HB application fee and process obviously isn’t working!!! Thanks for your efforts on this topic and every other concern the City Council and Staff fully addresses on our behalf!!
Kenneth Irwin
This issue is in front of you tonight due to the desire of our friend & neighbor of over 40 years, Marsha Majak, to have her beloved home of almost 50 years declared eligible for Historic Preservation. She isn't looking for property tax reduction for herself, which is what is one of hte things provided via the Mills Act, as her taxes are already very low. What she does want is for her beautiful home to be preserved for others to enjoy after she is gone. Most homeowners who live in similar dwellngs would want their beneficiaries to do whatever they want for the highest financial gain once the property passes on to those beneficiaries, and that almost always means tearing down and replacing the dwelling with something big and new. That has been the case with almost every wonderful little bungalow or even larger, older homes here in Hermosa Beach. Because of that we lose precious reminders of our past, like the beautiful little beach cottage that is Marsha's. Marsha is in a position that all she wants is to ensure that her little piece of Hermosa history remains on the corner of 24th & Park for generations after her to enjoy, but the fees imposed by the process make it impossible for her to do so. There must be a better way for those like Marsha to achieve the guarantee that ther homes will receive the designation they deserve, to protect them from demolition by a future owner, and to preserve these dwellings for the right homeowner to proudly own and continue to preserve. I look forward to the discussion of this agenda item to learn more about a possible solution for Marsha and for what I'm guessing will be the very few others who will want to put a lock on future develplment of their historic property, preserving it for future Hermosans and visitors to remeber as a chapter of our past. Thank you for considering this matter.
As more and more of Hermosa Beach's costly residential properties undergo development, the small, charming beach cottages of the city's historic past, evidence of its one-time unique, small-town personality, are quickly disappearing. Any owners of the few remaining early homes who wish to preserve and maintain these vestiges of Hermosa's past should be aided and encouraged in doing so, for the benefit of us all, as they add interest and a special kind of beauty to our streets, perpetuating one of the distinct pleasures of living here and thus adding value to their neighborhoods.
I support preserving history. Homes like Ms. Majka that are well maintained are definitely worth preserving. I do, however, find the fee the city charges to get a historic designation a bit high. Many of these types of homes have been owned by the same person/family for a number of years and the owners are typically elderly and/or retired. The council should consider a fee based on the owner's income vs. a single value.
Thank you. Lee Hennis.
I definitely support reviewing this process and allowing residents to have their home declared a Historical Landmark, but definitely only if it is their wish.