Posted on 12/15/2018 3:28:16 PM PST by lowbridge
A property owner who illegally demolished a 1936 Twin Peaks house designed by a renowned modernist must rebuild an exact replica of the home rather than the much larger structure the property owner had proposed replacing it with, the City Planning Commission ruled this week.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote late Thursday night, the commission also ordered that the property owner Ross Johnston, through his 49 Hopkins LLC include a sidewalk plaque telling the story of the original house designed by architect Richard Neutra, the demolition and the replica.
The commission directive, unprecedented in San Francisco, comes more than a year after the home at 49 Hopkins Ave., known as the Largent House, was almost entirely knocked down. All that remained of the white, two-story redwood-and-concrete-block home was a garage door and frame.
Johnston had received planning permission only to remodel with a design that would have largely kept the first floor of the existing home intact.
Two months after the demolition, Johnston applied for a retroactive demolition permit and for permission to construct a new home that would increase the size from about 1,300 square feet to nearly 4,000 square feet.
The case attracted attention because Neutra is considered one of the most important modern architects and because it highlighted the trend of speculators illegally razing modest homes with the intention of replacing them with mega-homes. The new houses can fetch upward of $5 million, double or triple the price of an average house in already expensive San Francisco.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfchronicle.com ...
All of Wright's designs were for "Short People"
Reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright’s style. I have little doubt with that flat roof that they leak like crazy just like a lot, not all but a lot of, Wright’s did.
Lot of midwest schools went flat roof route and ended up with major roof problems on an ongoing basis.
If it were Hillary’s house, what would she have done?
Would the planning commission have taken any action against Hillary?
It cracks me up to see Californians transplanted to snowy regions still building flat roof houses. More than one has had a gable roof added on a few years later.
There aren’t many flat roofed homes here in MA but 2 years ago we had tons of snow and the roof of a skating rink,with lots of young kids on the ice,,collapsed-———it was a miracle that none were hurt.
Within days the roofs of all the strip malls had guys shoveling snow.
These preservation rules are unconstitutional. If the city wants them preserved, they should be required to buy them.
“In a unanimous 5-0 vote...” Sad but true. Do not destroy historic homes without getting city permission. Neutra homes are rare and very expensive. Eichler are numerous and worth preserving. The Neutra home in Palm Springs is amazing. There are 300 Eichler homes in Fullerton, another 300 in Thousand Oaks and another 300 in Santa Clara. Mid Century is popular because it focused on the family. The chucklehead who destroyed the Largent house is ignorant and yes, very wealthy.
“Frank Loyd Wrong”?
You need to review your multiple spelling errors as well as reconsider your weak attempt to introduce Randy Newman into your post.
Good grief...keep your day job.
I like it. But people should be allowed to do what they want with their own property.
True - but when one opts to ignore current laws and then ask forgiveness rather than permission up front, one bares his own throat (and the story says he has a history of this activity) .....as it is, none of us own our property for as long as it’s existence is taxed and non-payment of taxes can result in them wresting it from us...
1 in 7 FLW homes have been destroyed.
We’re conservatives; some things are worth conserving.
The way such homes are conserved should be changed, but worth conserving nonetheless.
.
My day job is getting idiots like you out of the messes they got into thinking they knew anything at all about housing.
I hate Frank Loyd Wright. He’s awful. He was a horrible human being. He had bad BO. He stuttered and never brushed his teeth. His suits all fit wrong. He was not a hit with the ladies but kept imposing himself on them. He was balding. He never visited his folks. He hated Star Wars. His penchant for sneezing was annoying.
LOL! Well, I suggest find another day job...maybe at HuffPo?
That, in itself, qualifies him as an intellectual genius with an ability to grasp reality.
I left that in there as a trap. FLW died in 1959, Star Wars came out in 1977.
And I missppellled Frank Loyd Wright on purpose. It's Frank LLOYD Write.
You missed that one as well.
.
I wouldn’t want to cut you out of your job!
With your dearth of competence, its either Huff-Po or school teacher.
.
He’s doing his best...
I moved to a town/state that has few if any zoning laws. At first I thought , *GREAT!* No one seems to care what you do on your own property.
Well, then there is this place down the road from me....
Be careful of what you wish for. Jes sayin'. :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.