The Los Angeles Conservancy graded local cities on their efforts to preserve historic buildings. Arcadia was deemed a preservation truant and received a report card grade of F.
Historic preservation coming to Arcadia. City is in process of drafting ordinances on historic preservation aimed at safeguarding historic districts, structures and buildings. Ordinances are expected to provide defined procedures and criteria for property owners and communities to judge their historic relevance. Correction: see Arcadia Weekly, p. 10, February 22, 2018 and another correction Arcadia Weekly, p. 13, March 1, 2018. Correction to the Historic preservation coming to Arcadia article. Arcadia Weekly recently ran an article about the Arcadia City Council drafting a historic preservation ordinance. It incorrectly read, "The draft would demand the consent of 60% of property owners along with Planning Commission review and City Council adoption." The corrected statement reads, "The Draft Historic Preservation Ordinance proposes that at least 60% of properties within the district must contribute to the historic significance of the district and 75% of the property owners within the district need to consent to the designation."
Arcadia City Council is divided over preservation vs. development. Should the city update a 2001 historic preservation survey of buildings and homes in Arcadia? Council members held a lively discussion about merits and costs of preserving Arcadia's historical commercial buildings and homes, designed by renowned architects.
"Mother Road"-clear road ahead to make Route 66 a historic trail. A bill that passed the House of Representatives by unanimous vote June 5, could make Route 66 a National Historic Trail, meaning the 2400 mile road that passes through 8 states, could get federal dollars for preservation, promotion and rehabilitation. Part of the road runs through Arcadia.
City lacks votes to adopt a temporary moratorium. Arcadia City Council will not consider a temporary moratorium on any stage of residential development because they don't have enough votes (4 are required) to pass the proposed ordinance. A moratorium would have initially been in place for 45 days, with an option to extend it, while the city updates its residential and commercial standards and conducts a historic preservation survey.
Arcadia City Council hears public concerns over historic preservation on February 19. In 4-1 vote City Council agreed not to accept the current ordinance as is, but instead to have city staff revise it. Councilman Roger Chandler took some angry digs at local historians such as Carol Libby about the proposed ordinance. Marcello Vavala, of the Los Angeles Conservancy, said the proposed ordinance was fair because it would require consent of the homeowner to officially designate the home a historic entity.
Is historic preservation important to Arcadia? Arcadia City Council recently met and considered the most recent historic preservation proposal. It did not pass but was not entirely dismissed. Several city council members agreed that the City should adopt some sort of historic preservation policy, but the citizens fear homeowner's rights will be infringed upon. See hard copy in VF City Council 2010-2019.
Arcadia settles building project lawsuit, paves the way to update residential zoning code and including Highland Oaks neighborhood in a citywide historic preservation survey.
The Los Angeles Conservancy gave an F grade to Arcadia, Bradbury, Diamond Bar, El Monte, Industry, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Monterey Park, Rosemead, Santa Fe Springs, Temple City and Walnut, in a report card of local cities. The cities were judged on whether or not they had an ordinance allowing designation of historic landmarks, how many landmarks are designated, if cities provide for implementation of the Mills Act and other criteria.
Arcadia City Council makes changes to Historic Preservation Ordinance. Council member Tom Beck speaks about saving Clara Baldwin Stocker's home, which is facing possible destruction. See hard copy in VF City Council (2010-2019).
Arcadia City Council puts restructure of zoning on hold; exempts Highlands from historical preservation due to ongoing lawsuit that Highlands residents filed against City Council. The lawsuit, filed in March by a group called Save the Arcadia Highlands, seeks to force the City Council to rescind its approval of two construction projects that would replace existing mid-20th century homes with significantly larger homes. Council members Tom Beck, Sho Tay, and Mayor Gary Kovacic voted to move forward with establishing historic preservation guidelines and exempt the Highlands HOA territory from the forthcoming ordinance.
1. "Historic house faces wreckers." Pasadena Star News, March 2, 1961. O.D. Harris home. 2. "The start of it all." News clip, no date. Hiram Unruh home. 3. "The first house on Arcadia town site." Note paper printed by Edna Lenz. O. D. Harris home. 4. "Historic Otto Winkler house demolished." …
1. "Historic house faces wreckers." Pasadena Star News, March 2, 1961. O.D. Harris home.
2. "The start of it all." News clip, no date. Hiram Unruh home.
3. "The first house on Arcadia town site." Note paper printed by Edna Lenz. O. D. Harris home.
4. "Historic Otto Winkler house demolished." Arcadia Tribune, April 27, 1975.
5. Letter from W. T. Beckwith regarding the Richard Neutra designed house on Sycamore and Oakwood.
6. "The Unruh home." Arcadia Tribune, August 16, 1973.
7. Fact sheet on the house at 100 North First Avenue.
8. "Colorful bit of history torn down." Arcadia Tribune, June 22, 1978.
9. "An old house gets a new look. Peter Cuccia home, now owned and used by Our Savior Lutheran Church at 512 West Duarte Road." Arcadia Tribune, October 19, 1978.
10. Title search papers conducted on property at 15 West Colorado Boulevard. O.D. Harris house shows place built circa 1887.
11. Title search on property at 206 North First Avenue, north-east corner of First and Santa Clara, February 1981. Five pages from Title Insurance listing names and owners from Hugo Reid to date.
12. Historical Arcadia home to be shown on Holiday Homes Tour. Includes name of colonel Northam who originally built the Clara Baldwin Stocker house.
13. "Old jailhouse faces destruction." Arcadia Tribune, circa 1964-1965.
14. "City Council has expressed interest in creating as a historical site - the jail." Arcadia Tribune, circa 1964-1965.
15. Pasadena Showcase House of Design catalog describing house at 995 Hampton Road built by Roland E. Coate, Sr. for Lawrence and Josephine Garat Wilcox Barker of Barker Brothers fame. Apr/May 2000.
16. Arcadia 1940's estate is Showcase House of Design. (995 Hampton Road) Pasadena Star News Spring 2000.
17. "Twin Oaks" home background written by Sandy Snider. (Clara Baldwin Home)
18. "Robin's Nest reflects turn-of-century elegance." Article on the two-story house at 6502 Temple City Blvd. that was built as a honeymoon cottage for Anita Baldwin on the occasion of her marriage to George Baldwin. The house was named "The Robin's Nest" and was a gift from her father Elias "Lucky" Baldwin. Temple City Times. January 6, 1977.
19. Memo from Jason Kruckeberg, Arcadia Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director dated November 6, 2012 recommending a special use permit to allow the Pasadena Showcase House to renovate a property and house for the 2013 Pasadena Showcase House and Design Event from April 21, 2013-May 19, 2013. The showcase house will be 995 Hampton Road in Arcadia.
20. Pasadena Showcase House of Design catalog describing house at 995 Hampton Road built by Roland E. Coate, Sr. (bio p. 46) for C. Lawrence Barker and Josephine Garat Barker (bio p. 47) of Barker Brothers furniture fame. Apr/May 2013.
21. Description and history of house at 995 Hampton Road, Arcadia, a 1941 "Monterey Colonial"house designed by architect Roland E. Coate. It has been the site of Pasadena Showcase House of Design in the past. Description and history written by Tim Gregory.
22. Table 4.5-2 list of "Built Environment Historic Resources" (addresses of possible historic structures) from the Arcadia General Plan Update Draft Program EIR 2010. Retrieved from www.ci.arcadia.ca.us/docs/deir_4.5_cultural resources_7-19-10.pdf on May 31, 2014.
23.Five documents: 1. Arcadia Citywide Historic Resources Survey (by Architectural Resources Group-ARG) frequently asked questions. 2. Arcadia Historic Preservation Ordinance Draft August 2, 2018. 3. Fact Sheet Draft Historic Preservation Ordinance. 4. Translation in Chinese text of Fact Sheet Draft Historic Preservation Ordinance. 5. Notice of Special Meeting study session to report, discuss revisions to the draft Historic Preservation Ordinance, September 27, 2018.
24. 2020 Pasadena showcase house selected in Arcadia, the first time Arcadia has hosted since 2013 and third time ever. The house is at 1220 Rancho Road. From Arcadia Weekly, October 17, 2019.
25. 2020 Pasadena Showcase House: The Locke House, in Arcadia, is for sale. Asking price $6.998 million. It is a 1937 Federal country-style estate by Hollywood's society architect Gerard R. Colcord, in the Santa Anita Oaks neighborhood.
Representatives of the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Santa Anita Park race track has been named to their list of the country's most endangered historic places. Efforts mount to preserve Santa Anita's architectural integrity.
A tale of two cities: Arcadia and bygone Arcadia. Noted historians Carol Libby and Sandy Snider slighted by longtime Councilman Roger Chandler's remarks about Anoakia, Anita Baldwin's mansion, and the historic preservation issue. See hard copy in VF City Council 2010-2019
The Hugo Reid Adobe still stands in disrepair at the Los Angeles County Arboretum five years after preservation and restoration efforts should have started. At issue is whether it should be preserved as the Hugo Reid Adobe or reinterpreted as the Elias J. ("Lucky") Baldwin Adobe.