Making a statement for preserving local beach cottages and the vibe they create, the Ocean Beach Planning Board (OBPB) has voted to disapprove the demolition and replacement of a more-than-a-century-old residence at 4677 Niagara Ave.
The vote to save the structure was 8-2 (with one abstention) at the board’s monthly meeting Feb. 4. Like the other 40-plus planning boards sanctioned by the city, the OBPB makes nonbinding recommendations on land-use and quality-of-life matters.
The owner wants to raze the structure and build two three-bedroom detached condos on the 0.16-acre site. As a “Process 3” proposal, the project’s fate will be decided by the San Diego Hearing Officer, with appeals allowed to the San Diego Planning Commission.
“I fell in love with these cottages a long time ago,” said Pat James, who chairs the Ocean Beach Historical Society. “Please don’t tear our cottage down. You’re destroying the character of our neighborhood. We want to keep the charm we have here.”
James pointed out Ocean Beach has been designated as one of 16 historic districts in San Diego by the city’s Historical Resources Board. That designation was in large part due to the work of the late Pricilla McCoy, who spearheaded a survey of beach cottages and bungalows in the original Ocean Beach subdivision, he said.
Today, 70 cottages and bungalows built between 1887 and 1931 appear on the Historic Resources Board’s list of historic landmarks as “contributors” to the Ocean Beach Cottage Emerging Historical District, the boundary of which was approved in 2000, that mirrors that of the Ocean Beach Planning Area. But despite its age, the house at 4677 Niagara Ave. is not on the list, records show.
The plan’s architect, Craig Friehauf, said he ruled out preserving the building because it lacks significant architectural elements. He said he reached that conclusion after researching permit records, studying photos and consulting other architects.
“It had been altered so much, we didn’t see any significance in it,” Friehauf said, noting the addition of bathrooms and the removal of windows during a remodel sometime in the 1970s.
“I know there’s a cottage feel you’re missing, but there’s nothing historic,” he said.
But most board members said the building’s age was enough of a reason to at least consider preserving the facade.
“The New York Times has characterized Ocean Beach as one of the last beach communities because of our old cottages. And this is one of those cottages,” board member Jane Gawronski said.
She said Ocean Beach homeowners have found creative ways to add square footage to their cottages and cited an instance where a house was lifted to allow a basement to be built underneath.
Vice Chairman John Ambert agreed, though he cast one of the two votes against the motion, citing his advocacy for the homeowner’s property rights. “If there’s a way to utilize the facade or maintain a relationship to the existing building, you’d gain more support,” he said.
Drew Wilson cast the other dissenting vote; Andrew Waltz abstained.
Though he voted with the majority, Chairman Peter Ruscitti praised the design and the applicant’s willingness to work with the community. Friehauf said he met with concerned neighbors and offered to allow them to decide what species of trees to plant. In other Planning Board news:
-The price tag for deferred maintenance and backlogged projects could be more than $2 billion when studies conclude next month, said Conrad Wear, aide to District 2 San Diego City Councilmember Lorie Zapf. The studies could set the stage for an infrastructure bond to be placed before voters next year, Wear said. A bond could pave the way for two popular, big-ticket capital improvement projects that currently have no funding: an expanded library and new lifeguard tower.
-The newest board member is a familiar face. OBPB members appointed Craig Klein to fill out the remaining year on a vacancy on the planning area’s Fourth District. Klein, an attorney and owner of the historic Kraft Building on Newport Avenue, previously served from 2004-12 before being termed out. Asked how his holdings might influence his decision-making, Klein replied: “My aim is to discourage, in any way, any development that would change the small-town, mainstreet character of Newport Avenue.”
-Half of the board’s 14 seats will be up for grabs for two-year terms at the next annual election March 10. Candidates must be at least 18; live, own property or run a business in the Ocean Beach Planning Area; and gather 35 signatures in the district in which they run. It’s too late to appear on the ballot but hopefuls can still run as write-ins. More information is available at oceanbeachplanning.org/elections.