BELLEHURST

HISTORIC DISTRICT

GLENDALE

HISTORIC DISTRICT

WHO | WHAT | WHERE | WHY

Welcome neighbors!

This website supports the creation of a new Bellehurst Historic District in Glendale, California, and serves as a practical resource for useful information, updates and highlights about the special qualities, unique homes and history of our neighborhood and how we can preserve it for generations to come.

Who are we?

We are a group of your neighbors who have submitted the proposed Bellehurst Historic District application to the city of Glendale. Please click here: ABOUT US for details and how to contact us.

What is a Historic District?

The City’s goal in creating historic districts is to help residents protect and enhance the appearance of neighborhoods that reflect important aspects of our history due to their architectural or historic character. By regulating changes proposed in these areas, we hope to discourage the alteration or removal of historic features and design elements that could affect the overall appearance of neighborhood. This doesn’t mean that properties are frozen in time and can’t be changed – all buildings change over the years and we don’t intend to keep that from happening. Basically, the main difference between owning property in a historic district and any other part of Glendale is that when owners in a district apply to do work on their house or building, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reviews the proposal instead of the Design Review Board (DRB). That way, the City’s historic specialists are involved to make sure we don’t lose the character that makes Glendale’s historic districts such special places.

Historic districts are only created after community members file an application with the City, which then begins a process that thoroughly reviews the area’s historic background and current condition to determine if it meets the City’s standards. The designation process includes many public meetings and hearings where property owners and area residents can voice their opinion about a proposed district.

Where is the (proposed) Bellehurst Historic District located?

The Bellehurst Historic District overlay zone is comprised of 306 single-family properties at the base of the Verdugo Mountains. The area is roughly bounded by N. Jackson Street at the west, E. Mountain Street to the north (including Cordova Avenue and Carmen Drive north of E. Mountain St.), Carmen Drive at the east, and Stocker Street to the south. The proposed Historic District contains properties with the following addresses or address ranges:

· 1304-1346 Carmen Dr.

· 1223-1349 Carmen Dr.

· 1152-1258 N Cedar St.

· 1155-1257 N Cedar St.

· 1224-1414 Cordova Ave.

· 1223-1415 Cordova Ave.

· 1160-1254 N Everett St.

· 1161-1247 N Everett St.

· 1162-1238 Geneva St.

· 1167-1243 Geneva St.

· 1164 -1242 N Howard St.

· 1165-1239 N Howard St.

· 1204-1246 N Isabel St.

· 1201-1245 N Isabel St.

· 1160-1260 N Jackson St.

· 1155-N Jackson St.

· 424-434 E Loraine St.

· 425-437 E Loraine St.

· 539-921 East Mountain St.

· 534-918 East Mountain St.

· 426-440 E Randolph St.

· 425-441 E Randolph St.

· 901-931 Rosemount Rd.

· 429-441 Ross St.

· 428-444 Ross St.

· 423-433 E Stocker St.

· 516 E Stocker St.

· 600 E Stocker St.

· 601 E Stocker St.

· 705 E Stocker St.

· 805 E Stocker St.

Bellehurst Park was created and subdivided by noted developer Walter H. Leimert in 1923, who purchased the Bellehurst Ranch property from the Thom family. The proposed Bellehurst Historic District collectively displays a range of popular styles from Spanish Colonial, Tudor Revival Monterey, American Colonial styles to later additions of charming Mid Century and California Ranch homes. Unique and wonderfully designed homes range from elaborate to humble, displaying excellent examples of the fine craftsmanship of their respective eras.

Bellehurst Historic District contains five properties currently listed in the Glendale Historic Register: the Anderson House at 1327 Cordova Drive (GR-47); the Peterson House at 1326 Cordova Drive (GR-50); 721 E. Mountain Street (GR-71);the Gray-Sherwood House at 1345 Cordova Drive (GR-90) and the Echols House at 711 E. Mountain St. (GR-141).

What are the steps in the process, and is there a timeline?

June 2018: Application for Historic District status submitted to Glendale Historic Preservation Commission.

Nov. 19, 2020: The Glendale Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) found that the proposed Bellehurst Historic District is eligible as an historic district overlay zone based on an application submitted by several residents ("the proponents") of the proposed district. Further details about the historic designation timeline can be found on the City website HERE. Approved.

Nov. 19, 2020: The Glendale HPC authorized the circulation of a digital petition among the 306 property owners by the applicants/proponents within the proposed Bellehurst district boundary requesting a historic resources survey to be undertaken by the City of Glendale. Completed.

March 10, 2021: 30% of all Bellehurst property owners (91 property owners and all co-owners) have signed this petition requesting the City to conduct the historic survey, and it was submitted to the City (this is above the required threshold of 77 property owner signatures representing 25% of owners). Completed.

March 31, 2021: The City notified all 306 Bellehurst property owners about a community meeting held online on 3/31/21. Bellehurst property owners were invited to call in to ask questions and gain further information about the historic districting process during the meeting. Completed.

IF you missed the ONLINE MEETING, please click to view it at any time: here

April 15, 2021: The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) met to review the 91 signatures submitted by Bellehurst property owners and voted to approve a "request for proposal" ("RFP") for the retention of a consultant to conduct a historic resources survey of 306 Bellehurst properties within the proposed district. Completed and Approved.

May 17, 2022: The Historic Resources Survey for Bellehurst was launched, with an expected date of completion in early 2023. Completed.

Pending, possible date in September 2024 TBD: After the Historic Resources Survey has been completed by the consultants (hired by the City); The City will notify and invite all Bellehurst property owners to a community meeting, P roperty owners will also be invited to call in and to view this meeting.

Pending, possible date in September 2024 TBD: The Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will meet to review the Historic Resources Survey and (hopefully) vote to approve the circulation of a final petition to Bellehurst property owners (during a six month period) by the applicants/proponents acquiring signatures of 50% (+1) of property owners requesting that the district be designated. Bellehurst property owners will be invited to call in and to view this meeting.

TBD: The completed petition must then be submitted to the City and HPC.

TBD: Ultimately, City Council must vote in favor of the designation for the zone change to be made.

The various steps of the process are established by ordinance and are depicted in the historic district designation process flowchart:

Why do this?

The goal of achieving Historic District status is to protect the beauty of our neighborhood’s environment through recognition, conservation and enhancement of its vintage homes and architecture.

Glendale residents have already created several Historic Districts (such as Rossmoyne, Cumberland Heights, Brockmont, and more) that protect the historic integrity and architectural significance of these neighborhoods and help residents to maintain an attractive and desirable place to live.

Historic districts help build community. Working together to create and maintain a historic district can bring neighbors together, build a sense of community, and foster civic pride. This cohesiveness often helps the neighborhood address other issues, such as crime and safety.

They encourage better design. Comparative studies have shown that there is a greater sense of relatedness, more innovative use of materials, and greater public appeal within historic districts than in areas without historic designations.

The City of Glendale has created design guidelines to assist property owners within Historic Districts.

Historic District Design Guidelines

The Design Guidelines were adopted by City Council to provide greater certainty for property owners conducting work on buildings within designated historic districts. The Guidelines provide recommendations for treatments of various building systems, such as windows and roofs, as well as information specific to particular architectural styles.

Work proposals that conforms to the guidelines are generally exempt for Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) review and can be approved "over the counter" by Community Development Department staff. Work that does not meet the Design Guidelines will need to be reviewed by the Commission for appropriateness to the property and the district.

For the full booklet (.PDF), please click HERE