Page 12 - laconservancy2014

LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY Preservation Report Card | 2014

NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS

Congratulations to the following cities, which have made significant
strides in their preservation programs since the release of our last Preser-
vation Report Card in 2008.

Beverly Hills
In 2008, Beverly Hills had a very weak historic preservation ordinance that
offered honorary landmark status and no true protections (and had never
even been used to landmark any structures). The city had updated a 2006
survey of its commercial area, but the existing citywide survey from 1986
was over twenty years old and sorely out of date.

Sometimes, the threats to a specific historic building—and the efforts to save
it—galvanize support that leads to something much bigger. Beverly Hills is
a good example; in the wake of some high-profile demolitions, the city cat-
apulted ahead with a strong and active historic preservation program. The
city adopted an innovative and strong historic preservation ordinance in
2012 and has implemented the Mills Act program, a powerful preservation
The Witch’s House (1920), a designated incentive. The city has also hired a dedicated historic preservation planner
local landmark in Beverly Hills. and created a Cultural Heritage Commission. Now celebrating its cente-
Photo by Lori Branham on Flickr.
nary, Beverly Hills is conducting a comprehensive update to its citywide
survey and has already designated more than a dozen local landmarks.

Burbank
In 2008, Burbank had yet to designate any local landmarks, despite hav-
ing had a historic preservation ordinance since 1994. The ordinance did
not allow for the designation of historic districts, and it contained land-
mark designation criteria that were not based on state
or national models. Since 2009, Burbank has trans-
formed its approach to historic preservation by making
significant improvements to its program. The city com-
pleted a citywide survey and historic context statement
in 2009, adopted the popular Mills Act program in 2010,
and has begun to designate local landmarks.

The city updated its historic resource management or-
dinance in 2011, with notable amendments including the
ability to designate local historic districts. The city has
Bob’s Big Boy (1949) in Burbank, a beloved community further demonstrated its commitment to historic preservation through
gathering place that was once threatened with demolition.
Photo by Holly Hayes on Flickr. public education and outreach via the web. Like a growing number of com-
munities, Burbank has a dedicated webpage for its historic preservation
program that includes links to its historic context report and preservation
plan. To engage the next generation, Burbank has also developed a kid’s
section on its website.

PAGE 12