MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2002
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Volume 1, Issue 108
Santa Monica Daily Press Picked fresh daily. 100% organic news.
Historic district A St. Patty’s Day feast debate heats up Study to be released on city’s housing inventory BY CAROLYN SACKARIASON
be just one of several areas in the city that could be designated historic. The idea is to preserve the city’s oldest structures so the city’s character and history is preserved, BarEl added.
Daily Press Staff Writer
The neighborhoods north of Montana Avenue may soon officially become a piece of history. A report completed by a historic preservation consulting firm will be released to the public in two weeks, which may suggest that some areas north of Montana should be designated as historic districts. The study, conducted by West Los Angeles-based Historic Resources Group, is part of an effort to update the city’s historic resources inventory. The last time an inventory was taken was in the late 1980s, according to Liz Bar-El, a city planner and the liaison to the landmarks commission. The north of Montana neighborhood may
“It’s like they want your house to be a museum so they can drive by and look at it.” — TOM LARMORE Santa Monica homeowner
On any given morning, if you walk past Georgina Avenue and Fourth Street, you’ll likely see Zion Yu tending his gardens and 70-year-old bonsai pine tree. Although Yu’s home is a place for peace and serenity, it is located in an area that is turbulent with controversy. The city recently hired a consultant to determine whether areas north of Montana Avenue should be considered historic, which means designated homes wouldn’t be allowed to be altered on the exterior without heavy government scrutiny. The consultant’s report, scheduled to be released in April, has many homeowners fearful that the government will be able to rule over private property. Situated in the middle of the dispute is Yu’s home. The house is located in the
“Every 20 years or so, a city really should update its inventory,” she said. Many of the residents who live north of Montana are gearing up to fight the anticipated designation, arguing that it’s government intrusion at its worst. They say if homes are labeled historic, homeowners will be limited in what they can do to their properties because the status will prevent homes from being torn down or significantly changed on the outside. “If you get caught in one of these, it’s going to be a real problem,” said Tom Larmore, a homeowner north of Montana. Last month, about 200 homeowners gathered at Franklin Elementary School to discuss the possible changes to their neighborhood. Several homes now adorn lawn signs that read, “Say no to historic districts.” Roger Ginser, a member of the city’s landmarks commission and a local historian, said the homeowner “hysteria” is unwarranted. He said the city wants to grant historic status to small clusters of homes and some individual houses that are important to the city. He added that the city is not attempting to change the status of entire neighborhoods. Landmark designation only establishes design guidelines so that changes do not remove architectural features of a building, officials say. They also say that property values actually increase in historic districts because people know their neighborhood will always stay the same and be protected from developers that may want to build structures that are incompatible with the area. But the idea that historic landmark restrictions devalue properties is a very real threat
See HOUSE, page 3
See DEBATE, page 3
One of Santa Monica’s oldest homes lives on BY TIM MURPHY AND LARRY HOFFING Special to the Daily Press
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Nina Stewart Furukawa/Special to the Daily Press
Volunteers Steve Soto and Maria Luciani serve up a corned beef and cabbage dinner to hungry church patrons at St. Anne’s yesterday. According to Sean Davila, Director of Youth Ministry, St. Anne’s served over 200 traditional dinners.
SMMUSD security training heightened Officers on campus now properly trained BY ANTONIA BOGDANOVICH Special to the Daily Press
Security officers at local schools haven’t had the proper training to deal with potentially dangerous situations — until now. Last month, 21 employees of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were the first to complete a state mandated 24-hour training for campus security officers. By July, all school security officers are required to take the training, under a new state law. “I believe that school administrators all over need to take this class,” said Bryan Astrachan, the public safety
instructor who taught the course. “One problem is you have supervisors who don’t quite understand the codes and sections that the officers (are hired to enforce).” Before 1999, there were no requirements for school security at all, according to Astrachan. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and first aid have been the only requirements to become a security officer for Santa Monica and Malibu public schools. “What’s happened over the years is that their jobs have evolved into a quasi-law enforcement type — even though they don’t carry weapons,” Astrachan said. Pam Davis, the Santa Monica Superior Court Juvenile Judge was a guest speaker for the course. She See SECURITY, page 3
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