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Historical Resources Board designates ‘complicated’ La Jolla Shores house as historic – San Diego Union-Tribune

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For more than an hour, members of the San Diego Historical Resources Board debated among themselves and with applicants whether to designate a rehabilitated property in La Jolla Shores as historic.

The property at 7960 La Jota Way is a Ranch-style single-family residence with a detached garage. It was built in 1952 and designed by master architects Robert Mosher and Roy Drew, according to a city report. The house is in its original location on a sloping lot at the north end of La Jota Way.

A second-story addition was built in 1998 and a rehabilitation project was done in 2022.

The applicants, Daniel and Carrie Aisen, hoped the property would be designated historic July 25 under the board’s Criterion C (indicating the property embodies distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period or method of construction or is a valuable example of the use of natural materials or craftsmanship) and Criterion D (indicating the property is representative of a notable work of a master builder, designer, architect, engineer, landscape architect, interior designer, artist or craftsman).

But city staff recommended that the property “not be designated under any adopted HRB criteria.”

“It is not a good example of the Custom Ranch style and has not been demonstrated to be representative of the notable work of established master architects Robert Mosher and Roy Drew,” according to a staff report. “Additionally, the modifications that occurred prior to 2022, coupled with the extensive replacement of original materials due to their condition, have resulted in a loss of integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, all of which are critical to conveying significance.”

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However, Scott Moomjian, representing the applicants, said several “complicated issues” needed to be considered, including that the modifications were done to return the house to its original condition.

“Our clients have done everything that has been asked of them by the city of San Diego [to restore the property],” Moomjian said. “They have [expended] their resources, time, energy and money. We believe, as a result, the property merits designation.”

Local architect Ione Stiegler said some of the modifications were needed due to “a shocking degree of deterioration” on the property, including “exposed weathering, severely weathered and solar-burned original wooden wall shingles, haphazard replacements of wall shingles, deteriorated wood roof shades” and more.

“Candidly,” she added, “I’m surprised that staff’s report questioned … whether our installation of the shingles was historically accurate. We fully researched the shingles for size, spacing, finish, exposure and installation methods.”

In the case of potentially historic properties, Stiegler said, deteriorated sections can be replaced if they match the old ones in terms of visual quality and, when possible, materials. Stiegler said the shingles were replaced “at great cost” to the homeowners to be historically accurate.

Furthermore, she said, city staff was consulted in the renovation process and was informed that the applicants intended to seek historic designation. She said she never got the impression that staff would not support the designation.

Moomjian added that “multiple techniques” Mosher and Drew used were employed in the renovation.

City planner Suzanne Segur said staff worked with the applicant team during the concept and design phase,  but upon reading the report on the completed property, she agreed that the rehabilitated house does not merit designation.

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During public comments, La Jolla historian Diane Kane spoke in support of the renovation.

She said the purpose of rehabilitation is to “keep a property in service. There are going to be changes made because features have deteriorated. … The owners [of this property] are to be commended for taking something that was in miserable shape and rehabilitating it and keeping it in service.”

Bruce Coons, executive director of the Save Our Heritage Organisation, said the property “is imminently qualified for the local [historic] register” and “meets all the criteria.”

He praised the owners for “doing actual restoration and not just rehabilitation, and bringing back significant elements [of the house].”

During board comments, member Ann Woods said “it’s a beautiful house and I commend all the restoration work.” But she said there are “substantial integrity issues” because of the second story and other added features.

The board voted to designate the property under Criterion D for its association with the master architects, but not under Criterion C, largely citing the modifications made.

The decision was made via two motions, each of which needed six votes to pass. A motion to support designation under Criterion C failed on a 4-2 vote, with Woods and HRB member Rammy Cortez opposed. A motion to support designation under Criterion D, but excluding later additions by architects other than Mosher and Drew, passed 6-0.

Benefits of historic designation include availability of the Mills Act program for reduced property tax for owners to help maintain, restore and rehabilitate historic properties; use of the more flexible Historical Building Code and the historical conditional use permit, which allows flexibility of use; and flexibility in other regulatory requirements. However, houses cannot be modified significantly once they are designated historic.

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The San Diego Historical Resources Board meets monthly. To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/development-services and click on “Public hearings, meetings and notices.” ♦

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