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San Diego City and County Designations
By Amie Hayes & Marlena Krcelich
May/June 2021

In March and April, the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board (HRB) designated ten new historical resources and established a new master architect, Richard Wheeler.

Owners are appealing several recent designations. At press time, we can report victory over one challenge: The City Council upheld the designation of 540 Thorn Street in Bankers Hill; see details in another story in this issue. Both 2004 Fourth Avenue and 328 Grape Street will be heard on May 18. Appeals have also been filed for 550 Washington Street in Hillcrest, and at University and Goldfinch in MIssion HIlls, but hearing dates have not yet been set.

Please keep these appeals on your radar as the dates approach, because the new City Council will find it helpful to hear from the broad preservation community when deciding to uphold historical designation.

More positive news includes an update to the Historic Preservation Planning webpage and the 2021 work program, which focuses on four new historical districts. These are the Park Boulevard Residential Historic District in Hillcrest, the Culverwell and Taggarts Historic District in Golden Hill, and the Altadena and Kalmia Place historic districts, both in North Park.

Staff also gave an update on the status of the Red Roost and Red Rest cottages on La Jolla Cove, which suffered extensive damage in a fire in October 2020. In December, the owner was fined for lack of maintenance and neglect of a historical resource. Historic Resources staff met at the cottages in mid-March to discuss stabilization plans and use of the remaining original material, and are currently awaiting a formal submittal from the property owner. The proposal could include development plans for the entire site; however, this would likely trigger a Site Development Permit, a longer and more rigorous process.

820 West University Avenue in Mission Hills is a c. 1913 Arts and Crafts era bungalow that was relocated from the corner of Goldfinch in 1927. Designated under Criterion A, this intact and relocated bungalow represents an aspect of historical, economic, and architectural development. Moved to accommodate new commercial growth, this change speaks to the evolution of Mission Hills's commercial center.

2225 Hickory Street in Mission Hills is a c.1926 Spanish Colonial Revival style home with Italian Renaissance influences. Designated under Criterion C for exemplary architecture, character-defining features include its two-story massing with hip roof covered in red clay tile, irregular and boxy form, smooth stucco exterior, prominent stucco chimney, recessed front entryway with quoins, wing walls, and divided-lite wood casement windows.

3951-3957 Goldfinch Street, on a prominent Mission Hills corner, is an intact Spanish Eclectic style commercial building dating to 1927. Designated under Criterion A, this rare, 20th-century commercial building is a special element of historical, economic, and architectural development that contributes to the evolution of Mission Hills's commercial center. Also designated under Criterion C as an excellent and intact example of the Spanish Eclectic style and a Two-Part Commercial Block building, its features include the symmetrical front facade, simple parapet and "visor roof" covered in red Mission clay tile, smooth stucco exterior, Moorish-shaped transoms with wooden spindle work, divided-light wood windows, and central arched ground floor opening.

4415 Long Branch Avenue in Point Loma Heights is an Arts and Crafts era home with Tudor Revival influences designed by Master Architect Charles Salyers. Designated under Criterion C for exemplary architecture, characteristics of this 1929 home include the stucco exterior with a brick wainscoting, cross gable roof with exposed rafter tails and wide eaves, asymmetrical front facade highlighting a large focal turret, red brick chimney, and arched wood casement windows. Also designated under Criterion D for the work of Master Architect Salyers, this house represents a unique example of his work combining two different architectural styles. Photo courtesy Redfin

5285 Marlborough Drive in Kensington is a Custom Ranch style home with Colonial Revival influences. Built in 1948, it is also a significant work of Master Builder Chris Cosgrove. Important features include the single-story form, a low-pitched hip roof, wide and asymmetrical massing, wood shingle siding, attached garage, bay and bow windows featuring Arizona flagstone below, double-hung and casement wood windows, and a recessed front entryway. Designated under Criteria C and D, this is a unique architectural design with a combination of distinct features and showcases Master Builder Cosgrove's signature building material, Arizona Flagstone. Photo courtesy Redfin

977 Albion Street in Point Loma is designated under Criterion D as the first house that Master Architect Sim Bruce Richards designed for himself, and one of his early independent designs. Built in 1948 and designed in the Organic Geometric style, which Richards preferred, this house retains the original design intent and high integrity, while representing Master Architect Richards' stylistic preferences. Photo courtesy Realtor.com

In April, the HRB approved two annual reports in addition to naming Richard Wheeler a master architect.

The Standardized Report of City Boards and Commissions documents the meetings, actions and vacancies of the board, while the Certified Local Government (CLG) report, which also documents the board and staff activities , is submitted to the State Office of Historic Preservation to fulfill the City's CLG requirement.

3406 Olive Street in North Park illustrates the Spanish Eclectic Revival style. Built in 1929 and designated under Criterion C for architecture, its character-defining features include the asymmetrical front facade with a red clay tile roof and exposed rafter tails, hand-trowel stucco exterior, clay tile venting, a partial width front porch with square beams and corbels, and arched focal and double-hung wood windows.

3576 Granada Avenue in North Park is a c. 1924 Spanish Eclectic style house. Designated under Criterion C, for embodiment of the style, its important features include the asymmetrical facade, a simple parapet stepped at the corners, stucco exterior with decorative details, wood sash and divided-light transom windows, wooden doors, tripartite windows, a buttressed wing wall, and more.

736 Fern Glen in La Jolla, c. 1932, is the notable work of Master Architect Charles Salyers in the Tudor Revival style. Significant under Criteria C and D, for exemplary architecture and representative work of Master Salyers, the important features include the steeply pitched roof, exposed rafter tails, a smooth stucco exterior, divided-light wood sash and leaded glass windows, wood entry door, and much more. An early work of Master Salyers with strong integrity, this is the only known example in the Tudor Revival style.

3551 Garrison Street in the Roseville neighborhood of Point Loma is a c. 1955 Custom Ranch style house designed by newly established Master Architect Richard Wheeler. Features include the single-story and horizontal massing, a low-pitch gable roof with deep eaves, attached garage, and custom entry. Designated under Criteria C and D, as a good example of the style and the notable work of a master; this is a rare and early residential design. Wheeler went on to design several of San Diego's iconic Modern-era buildings including Humphrey's Inn on the Bay on Shelter Island (1960), 101 Ash Street (1968), and the Westgate Plaza Hotel (1970). Photo courtesy Realtor.com

All photos are from the California Historical Resources Inventory Database (CHRID), except where noted otherwise. The above designations were reviewed and approved by the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board (HRB) or the County of San Diego Historic Site Board (HSB).

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