§ 16.52.250. The Olan Hafley House.

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2.63 and with the recommendation of the Planning Commission, the City Council designates the following building as an historical landmark in the City: The Olan Hafley House.

A.

Location, Description and Reasons for Designation. Located at 5561 La Pasada, this single-family residence was designed by architect Richard J. Neutra. The five (5) room, one-story with a second story over the garage, is of wood frame and stucco construction. It was built in 1952-53 at the same time as the adjacent home at 5551 La Pasada. The two (2) homes appear to be twin homes. They were designed this way for the purpose of presenting an integrated architectural appearance. Building regulations dictated the use of pitched roofs, and in the Hafley House (5561 La Pasada) the roof timbers are left exposed internally in natural redwood. Sliding glass doors allow space to flow visually between the living room and the garden. Generally open-planned, the house also has an upper story in the form of a bedroom over the garage. There is an inconspicuous front door at the side of the house and a common entrance passage of redwood loggia arching the front walks for both 5551 and 5561 La Pasada. The back yards for the two (2) homes are also perceived as one (1) continuous yard, as there is no fence separating them. The smooth white stucco and the redwood timbers and high banded windows are also significant features of the home.

Mr. Hafley first heard of Mr. Neutra from a high school civics teacher in Du Quoin, Illinois, in approximately 1934, when the teacher quoted from a Time magazine article on a young up and coming Los Angeles architect that "designed the only homes fit for man to live in." In 1951, when the Hafleys decided to build a house, Mr. Neutra was interviewed and commissioned. Meeting with Mr. Neutra at least twice a month during the planning period, they reviewed their daily tasks, interests and entertainment styles. Interested in designing a unified look with the neighboring homes, he asked the Hafleys to contact the owners of the properties adjacent to their site. The Bethuel Moores, original owners of 5551, were interested. The two (2) homes were built at the same time. The homes reflect Mr. Neutra's philosophy of poetic imagery: "I try to make a house like a flower pot in which you can root something and out of which family life will bloom. It's not so much a question of ornamenting the flower pot as of fabricating it in such a way that something healthy and beautiful can grow in and out of it." Quoted from an article in the Los Angeles Times, Part VI, Sunday, March 13, 1977.

B.

General Guidelines and Standards for any Changes. The "Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings" prepared by the Secretary of the Interior (February 1978), as amended, are incorporated by reference, and the following additional guidelines and standards as recommended by the Cultural Heritage Committee are adopted:

Any alterations, modifications, or repair of the Olan Hafley House shall be done so in keeping with its historic character.

No environmental changes that deviate from the approved rehabilitation plan shall be allowed unless a certificate of appropriateness has been applied for and approved by the Cultural Heritage Committee or by the City Planning Commission upon appeal, authorizing such environmental changes.

(Ord. C-6206 § 3, 1985)