COUNCIL OKS HISTORIC DISTRICTS ORDINANCE DESIGNED TO PRESERVE ARCHITECTURAL STYLES.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Defenders of Glendale's older, landmark homes have won the right to seek historic-district status for their neighborhoods - a classification that could restrict changes - down to the style of window frames - to preserve the homes' authenticity.

The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a process for designating such districts, requiring approval from more than 50 percent of a neighborhood's homeowners, along with public hearings and endorsement by four of five council members.

Residents of at least four neighborhoods have signaled their intent to pursue historic status.

``The idea is to protect as many of the historic period neighborhoods as we can,'' said Helen Sipsas, chairwoman of the Glendale Historical Society Districting Committee.

Sipsas owns a 1929 Spanish-style house in an area known as Cumberland Heights - between Kenneth Road and West Mountain Street to the west and east, and Grand View and Highland avenues to the north and south - which would be among the first to apply for historic districting.

Councilman Bob Yousefian, a general contractor, said he supported the ordinance but is wary of creating more restrictive building codes.

``I intend to examine every district that comes in front of me with a fine-toothed comb,'' Yousefian said. ``I will not approve anything that does not have strong neighborhood support, because I do not believe the government should apply new and rigorous standards to people who have already purchased their houses after the fact.''

Peter Montgomery, who owns a 1933 house at Highland and Cumberland Road, wants to see the neighborhood's hundreds of historic homes protected.

California Spanish Revival homes with terra-cotta roofs and authentic 1920s metalwork line the well-kept northwest Glendale streets, and area residents consider them an architectural treasure.

``If you destroy these homes, they cannot be replaced,'' Montgomery said. ``I don't want to see this become like every other cookie-cutter neighborhood - you cannot re-create this.''

Sipsas said building codes imposed in historic districts would restrict changes owners could make to a home's exterior.

For example, on Spanish Revival houses, tile roofs and wooden window frames would be required, balconies could not be covered or removed, and additions would need to conform to strict architectural standards, Sipsas said.

Among opponents to the ordinance is Armenian American Real Estate Association President Roobik Ovanesian, who owns a home in the Cumberland Heights area.

``Glendale already does not have a good reputation in the development community, and this is adding more bureaucracy,'' Ovanesian said. ``Changing your front door could take as much as six months to get approval.''

In Pasadena, which adopted a similar ``landmark district'' ordinance in the 1980s and has since established several districts, critics contended that historic-districting guidelines were too restrictive.

``There are those who see this as a property rights violation - some people consider this the government getting into their business and getting into their homes,'' said Pasadena city spokeswoman Ann Erdman.

But Sally Mac Aller, whose 100-year-old home in the West Indian Plantation style is the pilot house for the proposed Cumberland Heights Historic District, said the preservation of history is worth the hassle.

``It is time for Glendale to be awakened to its past - it has a marvelous history,'' Mac Aller said.

The entire application and approval process would take between 10 months and 12 months, Glendale City Planner Juliette Arroyo said.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) The Glendale City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a ``historic district'' ordinance - which would limit changes homeowners can make - aimed at preserving architectural styles like that of this home.

(2) Helen Sipsas points to a map of historic homes around her Glendale neighborhood. Sipsas is an advocate for the historic district ordinance passed by the City Council on Tuesday.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer