NBC News Story on Beverly Hills

[John in Covina]

110 Freeway

The best description of this stretch of freeway was:

"You need a rocket to get on it and a Parachute to get off!"

 

[Viola]

And this was the house - subtle, elegant and graceful

And this is the sort of clumping great monstrosity that gets built in the area nowadays and would have probably replaced Greenside

I can't be the only one who thinks these are *both* incredibly ugly, can I? And I don't see diddly subtle or elegant about the first any more than I do about the second.

What if I wanted to knock down some banal sub-division house built in 1982 out of Tyvek and spit, and put up something attractive and ecologically sound in its place? What if, instead of good knocked down for bad, I knocked down a McMansion so I could have a big garden in the city, and put up a teeny 900 sq ft house in its place? Would that bother you? When, in fact, is it my own house to do with what I please, because I'm the one who paid for it?

 

[Pilgrim]

I think the real challenge is the issue of balance.

Most of us, including those who speak most strongly for private property rights, recognize that there is a public benefit to preserving the architectural heritage of our respective countries. The way to preserve that heritage is to preserve buildings that have unique historical or architectural qualities or merits. Sometimes the merit is that they are the only such structures still remailing.

The question is - to what degree does this public benefit justify mitigating the rights of property owners to modify or replace the buildings they own? This is NOT an easy question to answer.

It's a bit easier to deal with the concept when a building is designated historical before a new owner buys it. Then the owner knows (or should know) the strings attached. But designating such a building as historic and restricting rights after a sale seems inappropriate to me, unless the building is of outstanding merit. Also, imposing limits on the rights of adjoining homes that are not historic seems imappropriate.

However - if we don't find a way to preserve buildings with historic merit - they won't be around long enough to be recognized as historic.

 

[Viola]

Then it would seem to me, Pilgrim, that the best way to preserve historic architecture is to give the owner some tangible benefit.

People don't usually futz with buildings for no reason at all. There's usually an added benefit or financial advantage to the change. If there was a reward for keeping a building at least VISUALLY historic, people would do so.

 

[Lincsong]

I'm no hypocrite

What if I wanted to knock down some banal sub-division house built in 1982 out of Tyvek and spit, and put up something attractive and ecologically sound in its place? What if, instead of good knocked down for bad, I knocked down a McMansion so I could have a big garden in the city, and put up a teeny 900 sq ft house in its place? Would that bother you? When, in fact, is it my own house to do with what I please, because I'm the one who paid for it?

If you want to tear down a banal sub-division house and put up a teeny 900 sq footer; go right ahead.

 

[Lincsong]

I hate to be picky here...but I will do so anyhow. The 580 is not the -only- stretch of road in the U.S closed to Semi's.

The 110 freeway in Los Angeles, north of the downtown area is an automobiles only freeway. This part of the 110 is known as the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Built in 1940, the oldest section of the route, has stop signs at the ends of all the entrance ramps..etc and the original speed limit on it was 45 mph.

I meant the only stretch of interstate highway that a State Legislature has closed to semi's.Sorry for my vagueness.

 

[Viola]

If you want to tear down a banal sub-division house and put up a teeny 900 sq footer; go right ahead.

Sometimes I'm very tempted. And I could have room for my plants. I found a lovely plan for a Gothic Revival cottage.

I'm pretty sure my fellow residents would accuse me of wrecking up the cohesiveness of the neighborhood, though.

 

[Lincsong]

Sometimes I'm very tempted. And I could have room for my plants. I found a lovely plan for a Gothic Revival cottage.

I'm pretty sure my fellow residents would accuse me of wrecking up the cohesiveness of the neighborhood, though.

Unfortunately there are too many people worrying about the guy down the street than their own home. Many times it's just jealousy.