It has been a bit of a bumpy road lately. I was hoping to have more interesting topics to discuss by now.
One thing I am learning along the way is that this restoration
WILL NOT BE EASY!
Even when it should be easy, there will always be something or someone trying to get in the way.
I recently took another trip down to Building and Safety to discuss my plans for restoration.
And so began:
The First Pitfall of Restoring A Historical Home
WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!
It left a taste, something like Miracle Whip in my mouth, which if you know me, that is NOT A GOOD thing!
The last time I visited, they informed me that I would have to present plans to them to do repairs.
They actually wanted to see the original floorplans…
REALLY?
I am only trying to do repairs on existing areas of deffered maintenance
And besides, the house is 123 years old.
They do NOT exist!
So….I spent the last several weeks waiting for an architect to draft plans of the existing house.
Now back to “B & S”
That’s short for Building & Safety
I know what you were thinking, ha ha.
He took one look at the plans and then informed me that SEVERAL of my existing windows would NOT meet code
My heart raced…..NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!
I said, I am merely repairing the existing windows.
“Nope, if you touch them they will have to be brought up to code”.
If you know me, then you know I went a bit NUTS!
I became entertainment for the other folks waiting for their turn in planning.
And, informed the gentleman that I did NOT buy this home so I could RUIN it with modern windows that meet their code.
I informed him that I was doing a RESTORATION!
That’s Restoration… R-E-S-T-O-R-A-T-I-O-N!
NOT Remodel!
NOT New Construction!
NOT Flipping!
There has to be some sort of protection for this beautiful, HISTORIC, old home.
He says, “Well, you DON’T HAVE Historical Status”!
At that point I had to leave because I was not going to sit by and listen to this ridiculousness.
I immediately jumped on the phone with my contact from the Office of
Historic Resources, who is helping me obtain Historic Cultural Monument Status on my dear Queen.
I also called my friends Kara & John from the San Pedro Bay Historical Society
They all quickly put my mind and my heart at ease.
They assured me that I would be able to restore my home!
I have found out that the Office of Historic Preservation has special code for HISTORICAL HOMES!
It’s called the California Historical Building Code
Let’s take a moment to THANK GOD!
Right about now, you may being saying out loud:
“But you DON’T have Historical Status”!
Ahhhhh, but thanks to Survey LA and Historic Places LA, I AM Eligible to use this code.
Back in 2012 Survey LA did a very thorough report on the San Pedro area.
Thankfully, they drove around San Pedro looking at all of the historic homes and buildings.
The Queen mustered all of her energy and apparently won them over with her charm and grace.
She is on page 16 of this Survey LA report
And here, on page 28 of an Appendix to the Survey LA report is a more extensive report on the Queen herself,
citing why her majesty should be awarded the honor of Historical Status!
REASON: Rare, intact example of late 19th Century residential development in San Pedro; residence pre-dates San Pedro’s consolidation with the City of Los Angeles in 1909. One of the few examples remaining from this period in San Pedro.
Good Lord, if that statement doesn’t SAY IT ALL!
Historic Places LA also uses this report to further build a case for the Queen.
I can’t thank the folks who spent countless hours driving around San Pedro and seeing the Historical Significance and appreciating her Untouched Beauty as much as I do!
She apparently has a lot of people who believe in her as much as I do.
I can see now how she possibly fell into disrepair.
She has not had anyone fight for her and cut through all of the red tape.
But, I am here now.
I will NOT let her down!
In closing, I want to stress, that I do respect B & S for their services, however,
I do believe there should be someone in their office that specializes in codes for Historic Preservation.
If we continue to demolish or ruin these last remaining iconic time capsules in the name of progress, we will continue to lose the rich history of our beloved city of L.A.
Afterall, in the words of Richard Moe:
There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here and there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.
If you missed seeing My First Meeting With The Queen, check it out.
As always thank you so much for stopping by to read about the Queen! Much Love!
