Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Planning panel orders research and reconstruction plan after Neutra‑era house partly demolished
Summary
After commissioners heard DBI and the owner explain an unpermitted partial demolition at 49 Hopkins Avenue — a house originally designed by Richard Neutra but altered over decades — the commission directed the sponsor to work with historic‑preservation staff to research archival records and to develop a reconstruction plan consistent with Secretary of the Interior standards; commissioners also asked for a public plaque recording the outcome.
The Planning Commission on Dec. 13, 2018 reviewed a contentious after‑the‑fact matter at 49 Hopkins Avenue, where substantial portions of a Neutra‑designed house were removed without prior discretionary authorization. Department of Building Inspection staff told the commission that a complaint prompted an inspection in October 2017, a notice of violation was issued and work was stopped. DBI said the remaining site now contains only a portion of the garage and that the job was barricaded after inspectors concluded the scope of work exceeded the approved permits.
The property owner, Ross Johnston, and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
