Preservation panel tables review of proposed addition to landmark 510 Garnet Street

Commissioners on the Redondo Beach Preservation Commission on Wednesday paused action on a certificate of appropriateness for 510 Garnet Street, a locally designated landmark known as the Lowe House, saying key design and visibility questions need more work.

Staff presented the application and technical review, describing a plan that would add about 1,000 square feet on the first floor and roughly 697 square feet on the second floor to a 1,831‑square‑foot California bungalow on a 6,400‑square‑foot lot. Planning Manager Sean Scully and planner Andrew Swiatek told the commission the proposal complies with applicable zoning standards (setbacks, FAR and height) and that staff had recommended approval under the city’s preservation ordinance and the Secretary of the Interior’s standards.

Commissioners said the project, which sits on a corner lot and is visible from multiple street frontages, raised several preservation concerns: removal of original windows, changes to historic trim and garage detailing, the scale of the second‑story/garage extension and a rooftop deck that several commissioners described as visually dominant. Commissioner comments repeatedly asked whether the proposal preserves the character‑defining features that supported the house’s landmark designation and Mills Act contract.

The architect, Miles Pritzkat of Pritzkat Johnson Architects, told the commission the design team tried to keep the porch and other defining elements intact and make additions “subordinate” by setting back new volumes and using different siding widths to mark old versus new. Pritzkat also described structural issues in the existing house (sagging floors, poor headroom, deteriorated foundation mortar) and argued that the owner needed additional, usable square footage to make a long‑term investment in the property.

Owner Kim Davidson told the commission she bought the house in 2022 and described extensive deferred maintenance and safety issues (electrical, plumbing, shifting brick piers) that she says justify the work. “My Garnet home became my sanctuary for peace and happiness,” Davidson said, adding that she intends the project to keep the house viable for future owners.

Several nearby residents and neighbors spoke in favor of the application, saying the design respects the street and asking the commission to preserve homes by allowing thoughtful retrofits. But commissioners pressed on the visual impact of the left‑side second‑story addition, the loss of multiple original windows, and the prominence of the proposed rooftop deck.

After discussion the commission voted by voice to table the item so staff can work with the applicant and architect on revisions. Commissioners asked staff to return with clearer options that reduce the visual prominence of new elements (particularly the rooftop deck and the addition above the garage), retain original windows where feasible, and document how the project would preserve the structure’s landmark characteristics.

The commission did not adopt the certificate of appropriateness this evening; the matter was continued to a date uncertain for further review and revision.