Historic review board upgrades 439 Camino Del Monte Sol to "significant" after split vote

The Historic Districts Review Board voted on Aug. 26 to upgrade the historic status of the single‑family house at 439 Camino Del Monte Sol from "contributing" to "significant." The board's decision followed more than an hour of staff presentation, public comment and deliberation and was approved after a tie vote that was decided by the chair.

Board members and staff said the house, built in 1925, meets the ordinance's age and association criteria and that its links to early Santa Fe cultural figures weighed heavily in favor of upgrading its status. Opponents and a preservation consultant said later additions and alterations have eroded the building's integrity and questioned whether it should be classified significant.

Preservation staff recommended the upgrade, telling the board the main structure "was built in 1925 on a 0.73 acre parcel and comprises of 5,894 square feet of roofed area" and that the 1991 New Mexico Historic Building Inventory recorded its Spanish Pueblo Revival character. Paul, a preservation staff member, told the board, "The age of the house is a 100 years old." He recommended designating the entire existing footprint as significant while excluding a 1997 courtyard wall.

Board members split on whether the house retained a "high level of historic integrity" required under the code. Attorney Rubalik read the ordinance definition in Section 14‑12.1 aloud for the board, noting that a structure designated significant must be ‘‘approximately 50 years old or older and . . . retain a high level of historic integrity.'' Member Cherry and several members argued that portions of the east facade — notably a bay window described in filings as being altered in the 1990s — are nonhistoric and could properly be excluded from a significant designation in other cases. Paul said staff's recommendation was to treat the current primary facades as significant except for the 1997 yard wall.

Supporters of the upgrade emphasized the house's associations. Member Mather and public speakers pointed to the building's links to Mary Austin and early designers active in the 1920s and to the property's role in Santa Fe's cultural history. Public commenter Stephanie Benonato said the property meets multiple criteria for significance, including historic associations, and urged the board to upgrade the status. Elizabeth West and Francesca Banchi also spoke in favor of elevating the house's status, highlighting its role in the city's artistic and preservation history.

By contrast, John W. Murphy, who said he served on the city's cultural properties review committee and authored recent research on the property, recommended against upgrading the building. Murphy told the board his reading of the assembled documentation led him to conclude the building "does not communicate its historical period" and that later massing changes have "obliterated" intimate historic spaces, including exterior chimney elements and original room footprints. Applicant Ray Hoops told the board he believed the building "does not have that integrity that a historic building should," and said that based on his review he would not recommend the property for the state historic register.

After extended discussion, a board member moved to adopt staff's recommendation to upgrade the property to significant. The motion was seconded and the roll call produced a tie; Chair Jerry Rios cast the deciding vote in favor of upgrading the building to significant. The chair noted the designation does not preclude the board from scrutinizing or requiring changes to later nonhistoric elements in any future permit applications.

The board and staff acknowledged in the finding that some exterior alterations on the property may be nonhistoric and said those features could be considered in future applications for alterations or restorations. The ordinance sections cited during deliberations included the definition of significant at 14‑12.1 and the historic‑district standards at 14‑5.2.

The board's action upgrades protections for the property under the city code: significant buildings are generally subject to review of all façades rather than only primary façades applied to contributing buildings. Staff said it will incorporate the board's findings into the formal designation notice and will note possible nonhistoric elements for future consideration.