Glen Summer Road Becomes a Landmark District

160 Glen Summer Road. – Courtesy Photo

By J. Shadé Quintanilla

Homeowners on Glen Summer Road were perfectly happy with their street until late last year. Filled with homes mostly built in the 1930s and representative of architectural styles from the Period Revival era, the street has received mention by the LA Times and LA Confidential Magazine for its beautiful houses. But last year, one resident on Glen Summer Road decided to make some home renovations that did not sit well with many residents.

In October 2014, the owner of 140 Glen Summer Road informed neighbors about his plans to renovate his one-story ranch-style house. He told residents that he was going to add a room to the front of the house and move the garage to his backyard. A few months later, residents were shocked to see that instead of an extra room, there was framework to add a second floor to the house and create a flat roof. In between earth-toned homes designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style, the renovated house is designed in a contemporary style that appears to be box-like and a break from the original aesthetic of the home.

In an emails sent to city council, residents noted their disappointment with the new design. “A pending remodel of a home on our street, Glen Summer Road in the San Rafael neighborhood, is essentially a teardown,” Kathleen Hamilton wrote. “The classic charm of the entire area is diminished with this type of thoughtless construction.”

Another resident, Jan Price, wrote, “We are very protective of our beautiful and highly desirable neighborhood, and of our property values. At present, this addition is our worst nightmare.”

Angry about the renovations, Glen Summer Road residents came together in order to fight to preserve the aesthetic of their neighborhood. When they complained to the city of Pasadena about the new construction to the house, they found that the city had no control over the renovations because it was not in a protected zone. Residents then quickly formed an ad hoc committee to get the city to designate Glen Summer Road as a landmark district.

Last week, the Pasadena City Council unanimously voted to approve Glen Summer Road as a landmark district. The new district will include 59 houses, many of them built between 1927 and 1941 and in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style and the Minimal Traditional Style.

The landmark district status of Glen Summer Road will protect and maintain the historic and architectural character of the neighborhood. Through the designation, homes in the district may be required to make some minor changes, such as the replacement of doors and windows that match original architectural designs and alterations to garages and side yard fences. In addition, residents who want to make major home renovations are now required to go before the Pasadena Historic Preservation Commission for review and approval at a public hearing.
Glen Summer Road will be the city’s 22nd protected landmark district.

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