A developer who wants to replace the historic Anoakia estate with a 31-home gated community received tentative approval Tuesday night from the Planning Commission.
The Anoakia estate will most likely be demolished in three months, but its destruction could prompt the city to identify and protect other historic buildings.
The City Council voted to allow the developer, Anoakia Oaks, to proceed with the tearing down of Anoakia, the 1913 Anita Baldwin mansion, and to build 31 houses on the property.
Sounding bitter complaints about a construction project at Santa Anita Park that is halfway finished, nearly a dozen residents and preservationists appeared at Tueday's City Council meeting to criticize the city's approval of the project.
Preservationists are protesting the remodeling at the Santa Anita Park race track. The Los Angeles Conservancy opposes the twin elevator towers and other plans under development.
The 49-year-old Anoakia School, facing a June deadline for relocation, has opted for local print advertising. Owner Lowry McCaslin apparently wants to develop the property at Foothill Blvd. and Baldwin Ave. However, the school also has numerous city fire code violations and a building that is not up to seismic standards. The school currently has 279 students from K-8th grade.