Reaction to demolition is vitriolic
TUDOR home formerly at 361 N. Citrus Avenue.
The reaction throughout Los Angeles to the sudden Oct. 23 demolition of the historic Tudor home located since 1927 at 361 N. Citrus Ave., at Oakwood Ave. just west of Hancock Park, has been tremendous — and often vitriolic.
The Larchmont Chronicle has received letters and online comments, some of which are in this issue, beginning on Page 2. The “lacurbed.com” article that appeared on the day of the demolition generated 315 comments in four days. Multiple letters appeared in the “Park Labrea News” / “Beverly Press,” on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, including one from a potential home buyer, Michael Rucker of Larchmont Village, who wrote on Nov. 14: “Not only am I sickened at the thought of one of my favorite houses in Los Angeles now being in rubble, my wife and I, trying to be first time home owners, are equally disturbed and angered at the thought that we could be outbid by couples like the Gradons who misrepresent their desires to protect historically significant homes.”
Protecting a home
Learning how to protect a home when it is being sold was a common theme of many letters and articles stimulated by the action of Reuven Gradon and his wife at 361 N. Citrus Ave. The “Larchmont Buzz” responded with a helpful Nov. 11 article about “An Architectural Loss… and Lessons Learned” that includes the recommendations: “Don’t leave preservation up to new buyers;” “Do look into preservation options well before you put your home on the market;” and “Be aware of the many kinds of preservation options” (such as Historic Preservation Overlay Zones [HPOZs], Historic-Cultural Monument designations, National Register of Historic Places listings, and conservation easements).
See:
larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/361-n-citrus-ave-an-architectural-loss-and-preservation-lessons-learned.
Conservation easements
The Los Angeles Conservancy’s Nov. / Dec. newsletter has some guidance on using covenants in a grant deed … that author Adrian Scott Fine describes as “the best way to save a historic resource.”
In his “Easements Demystified” article, Fine explains that conservation easements can provide stronger protection than traditional landmark or historic district designation.
See: tinyurl.com/uvtuegw.
For more information about conservation easements, visit: laconservancy.org/easements.
Category: News
