Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves delisting of Redmond‑Hirahara House from county historic inventory; critics say more should be done to save structure
Summary
After finding the 1897 Redmond‑Hirahara House structurally deteriorated and not feasible to restore, the board voted to delist the property from the county inventory and to submit documentation and salvage options as required by code. Local preservation advocates urged postponement and more exploration of restoration.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 5 to delist the Redmond‑Hirahara House, an 1897 Victorian house in South County designed by William Weeks and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, after county staff and consultants concluded the structure is too deteriorated to be restored.
County planners told the board the structure has been vacant since the mid‑1980s, has suffered decades of deferred maintenance and vandalism, and lacks the funding to achieve the preservation plan once envisioned by a nonprofit foundation. Staff presented a county building official’s inspection concluding the house is uninhabitable and an architectural historian’s documentation finding that the property’s preservation is not feasible given its advanced decay and loss of historic setting.
After hearing public comment from preservation advocates who asked the board to postpone action, file a demolition‑by‑neglect review, or pursue alternatives, the board voted 4–1 to adopt a resolution to delist the property. The vote was recorded as: DeCerpa (aye), Cummings (no), Martinez (aye), Koenig (aye), Hernandez (aye).
County code requires several post‑delisting steps; the board directed staff to:
• File a CEQA notice of exemption as appropriate.
• Submit the delisting resolution to the state Office of Historic Preservation and request removal from the California Register and the National Register.
• Require the property owner to run public advertisements offering dismantling or salvage of historic materials and to hire an architectural historian to document and preserve artifacts prior to demolition.
Why it matters: The Redmond‑Hirahara House has long been a touchstone for county preservationists and for describing the Pajaro Valley’s cultural history, including its Japanese American community connections. Supporters argued delisting would be premature and that stronger local tools should have been used earlier to require maintenance. County staff said prior fundraising efforts and a foundation failed and that the owner — now a private developer — has not produced a viable restoration plan.
What’s next: If and when the owner files for a demolition permit, the county will require the publication of salvage notices, documentation by a historian and outreach to potential museums or repositories for salvaged materials. The board did not order demolition; that remains at the property owner’s discretion.
