Dear Robin,

I wrote a few weeks ago to clarify that LA County does not require owner consent to designate a property a historic landmark (“Info on Historical Preservation,” August 16, 2018, p. 9). Thank you for publishing my letter. I want to address potential confusion that may arise from the Editor’s Note, which stated “The City of Glendale requires owner cooperation to secure historic protections…” First, like LA County, the City of Glendale does not require owner consent to designate a property as a historic resource on the Glendale Register, although a supermajority City Council vote is required if the owner does not support. In addition, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), properties that are eligible for the Glendale Register are considered historic resources, whether or not they are listed on it, and an environmental review must be prepared before they can be demolished or significantly altered. The environmental review process is what is normally meant by “historic protections.” One reason the City recently had prepared and adopted a Historic Resources Survey for South Glendale at the request of community members was to help give owners more certainty about the status of their properties.

Sincerely,
Catherine Jurca
Verdugo Woodlands