Residents Fear ‘Historic’ Home Will Be Demolished

By JACQUELINE PRIMO | Reporter

Residents of the Huntington have recently expressed concern that a home they describe as a “historic property,” a Spanish-style 1930s home currently for sale with the potential of being sold as two separate lots, will be demolished once the property sells.

On the MLS, the addresses are 14989 and 14999 La Cumbre, listed at $4,699,000 and $5,599,000 respectively. They are listed as “Land,” and not as single-family homes.

Huntington resident John McNicholas, who will start his junior year at Loyola High School in the fall, has taken an interest in the property and its unique architecture since a photography class at Loyola required him to document the various types of architecture in his neighborhood, McNicholas told the Palisadian-Post.

“[The assignment] has given me a new appreciation of the classic Spanish style architecture of this property and how it presents a timeless image not only about history of the neighborhood, but also the history of California,” McNicholas said.

Vicki Cody, a 35-year resident of the Huntington, said the home has been in the neighborhood for longer than she has.

The property was purchased in 2014 by developer Jerome Nash. Curbed Los Angeles reported that a developer named Jerome Nash bought West Hollywood’s 1929 El Mirador in 2002 and kicked out the tenants with the intent to turn the building into condos. The website reported that the same developer also purchased and evicted the tenants of the 15-unit historic El Pasadero building also in West Hollywood.

Now, McNicholas and other residents including Cody fear that the historic Huntington home may not survive the developer’s plans to sell the property as one or two plots of land.

“Last year the property was purchased by a developer whose intent was to restore the property to its original splendor. However, there was no change in the property’s status over the past year, and now the developer has divided the property into two legal lots which are being sold independently of each other,” McNicholas said to the Post.

“My concern is that when these lots are sold, the historic home will be demolished. If this happens, a piece of Pacific Palisades history will be lost,” McNicholas said.

McNicholas added that he is “hoping there is some way to get the Huntington home designated as historic before both lots are sold and it is torn down.”

The budding architecture buff said he would also like to create a way for the Huntington to be able to protect its historic homes from being torn down in the future.

When asked about the plans for the home’s sale, real estate agent Enzo Ricciardelli of Sotheby’s International Realty who has the listing said, “The seller instructed us to list their property. We have no way to know who will buy the property or how they intend to use it. A buyer will only be able to do what the City allows.”

Ricciardelli confirmed that the seller is offering the lots for sale separately or combined.