Glendale pushes preservation, OKs Rossmoyne Historic District

While Los Angeles’ historic preservation overlay zones have generated bigger headlines and bigger controversies, Glendale has been quietly advancing support of its best period architecture, recently voting to make the Rossmoyne neighborhood the city’s third historic residential district.

The city granted the designation to 504 single-family Rossmoyne homes last month. The area, north of the 134 Freeway and just east of Brand Boulevard, is now Glendale’s largest historic residential district.

The designation does not instantly translate to increased property values for residents of the Rossmoyne Historic District but rather highlights a growing sense of community that has come with the preservation campaign.

“People are finally making connections with neighbors they’ve lived near for years and years but had never spoken to,” said Lorna Vartanian, president of the Rossmoyne-Mountain Homeowners Assn., a voluntary-membership group.

The neighborhood, established in the 1920s, is composed of homes in a variety of sizes and architectural styles. Classic examples of American Colonial, English Tudor, French Normandy, Italian Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival exist side by side. Though that may sound like a mishmash, the quality craftsmanship and period details have helped the district avoid any sense of architectural excess. Guidelines for Glendale’s historic districts dictate how windows, doors, roofs and other exterior features can be altered in keeping with character of the neighborhood.

“Historic districts such as Rossmoyne are important because they allow residents to preserve the architectural integrity, historic character,” said Greg Grammer, president of the Glendale Historical Society. “This ensures that any home additions or alterations are done in an appropriate and architecturally sensitive way that protects the historic charm and significance of the district.”

home@latimes.com