Redondo Beach commission removes two North Redondo homes from potential historic resources list

The City of Redondo Beach Public Amenities Commission voted to remove two North Redondo properties from the city’s Potential Historic Resources Inventory, clearing the way for owners to seek demolition permits without a certificate of appropriateness. Commissioners voted 4–3 to remove 1224 Harper Avenue and unanimously to remove 1811 Clark Lane.

City staff and outside preservation consultants told the commission both properties had been altered to the point that they no longer met local, state or federal historic-designation criteria. The commission’s decisions were based on staff summaries of two professional reports — a Chronicle Heritage assessment for 1224 Harper Avenue and a Kaplan Chen Kaplan analysis for 1811 Clark Lane — and on public testimony from the owners and their representatives.

Mark Weiner, director of community development for the city, told the commission the municipal code (chapter 4, title 10) sets the local process for listing and delisting potential historic resources and requires a certificate of appropriateness only for properties that remain on the list. He said the city will seek further policy direction from the City Council on how to update the inventory and the program going forward.

The consultant who authored the Harper Avenue report, Carrie Chastain of Chronicle Heritage, testified that the house there had been substantially altered and “the integrity of the building has been severely compromised, and it no longer reflects the early history of Redondo Beach.” The consultant for the Clark Lane property, Kaplan Chen Kaplan, reached a similar conclusion in its May 2025 evaluation, finding that the Clark Lane house lacks defining craftsman features and that later changes had eroded the building’s integrity.

Owners and family members appealed to the commission on personal and financial grounds. Josh Mata, the real estate broker representing the Drake family (owners of 1224 Harper), said the house has been family property for decades and that net sale proceeds are the heirs’ “safety net and their future,” stressing that removing the listing would allow a sale and redevelopment that the family needs. Other neighbors and family members spoke in favor of delisting, saying the neighborhood already contains many newer multifamily and “tall-and-skinny” developments and that preservation at those parcels would be inconsistent with the surrounding pattern.

Commissioners and members of the public also raised process questions. Several commissioners and speakers noted the city’s historic-resources inventory was created and last fully surveyed decades ago (1986 and a subsequent 1996 inventory were cited in staff comments), and that the inventory is supposed to be revisited periodically under state guidance for CEQA purposes. Commissioners urged the city to notify property owners listed in the inventory and to move forward with a planned update to the survey and a policy discussion at City Council.

The commission’s approvals remove each property from the potential-resource list. As staff explained, once a property is delisted it no longer requires a certificate of appropriateness under the municipal code before demolition; that process applies only to properties that remain listed. Commissioners noted applicants may still appeal a decision to the City Council.

The two delistings followed the city’s standard practice of relying on independent professional reports submitted by applicants for an eligibility determination. At least one commissioner asked whether the city should instead commission its own independent reviews when applicants seek delisting or demolition, a point staff said they will raise in upcoming policy work with council.

Votes at a glance

- 1224 Harper Avenue — Motion to approve removal from the Potential Historic Resources Inventory: Passed 4–3. Staff relied on a Chronicle Heritage assessment concluding the property’s historic integrity was lost after extensive alterations and demolition of a secondary structure. The commission’s vote removes the property from the inventory; demolition would not require a certificate of appropriateness once delisted. (See actions[] and provenance for evidence spans.)

- 1811 Clark Lane — Motion to approve removal from the Potential Historic Resources Inventory: Passed unanimously. Staff and Kaplan Chen Kaplan found the small bungalow had nonoriginal siding and windows, later additions and detailing inconsistent with craftsman-style character and insufficient integrity to meet local/state/national criteria; the commission removed the property from the inventory.

What’s next

Staff told the commission the City Council has already funded an updated historic-resources survey and that staff will bring recommendations to council on whether the program should remain largely voluntary or include stronger mandatory protections and outreach. The commission’s decisions can be appealed to City Council, and staff said applicants may pursue demolition permits or redevelopment consistent with zoning now that the two parcels have been removed from the city’s potential-resource inventory.

Editors’ note: The Public Amenities Commission heard extended public comment and staff testimony before voting. The article quotes only statements recorded on the meeting record.