Wright Chat

peterm · Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2018 8:02 pm Post subject: Occasionally there is justice

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/City-requires-property-owner-who-demolished-13467909.php

Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 4216 Location: Mason City, IA

Prediction: Ross Johnston's wholly-owned 49 Hopkins LLC will file for bankruptcy and he will not be held personally responsible to rebuild the house and the lot will remain as pictured. He will walk away with a $1.7+M loss and move on.

If there is a followup to this article in six months, I would love to see someone post it here.
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Owner of the G. Curtis Yelland House (1910), by Wm. Drummond

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

I'll be watching . . .

S

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9612

When restrictions are placed on historically significant buildings, the process of securing permits to demolish or alter in any way should be directed by the bureaucracy in such a way that this sort of slipshod enforcement would not happen. Catch it at the beginning, and it might work.

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

Even the most vigilant bureaucracy can't prevent what happens on the weekend, or at night ? The determined scofflaw perhaps cleaves to the
old saw, that it is better to beg for forgiveness, than to ask for permission . . . ?

S

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

Today's SF Chronicle has a front-page story on the current state of affairs. The piece is not yet available online; if it doesn't show up by this evening I will copy and post.

Dion Neutra (92) says he's received 50 messages about the house, and he declares himself willing to assist in reconstruction, if that's what takes place -- which is unlikely for several reasons, of course.

In any event, this will be the first instance in San Francisco history, apparently, where an owner has been made to replace a building that was removed without a permit; in previous cases a fine was levied.

PS -- Here's a Neutra in LA that came on the market last month: https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Neutra-s-Millard-Kaufman-House-Is-Restored-and-13355820.php

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SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

Here's that article. If anyone is unable to open it, I'll gladly post a copy.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/City-ordered-rebuild-of-landmark-house-stirs-13473296.php?cmpid=gsa-sfgate-result

S

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

More from the same source:

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Making-house-razing-developer-squirm-It-feels-so-13486716.php?t=f5fcb81424

Neutra's 'forties work, particularly in Northern California (?), of wooden surfaces and ashlar masonry, seems to me a reply -- or a nod, at least -- to Wright's example.

His Kaufmann residence in Palm Springs is a particularly poignant example, given the architectural history of the client . . .

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Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 4216 Location: Mason City, IA

The bureaucrats can not prevent demolition in the dark of night especially when the elected mayor does it:

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/01/us/chicago-mayor-bulldozes-a-small-downtown-airport.html
_________________
Owner of the G. Curtis Yelland House (1910), by Wm. Drummond

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9612

What else would anyone expect from Daley? He is akin to Al Capone and his lot. The site of Meigs is still, 15 years later, a blank lot.

Paul Ringstrom · Joined: 17 Sep 2005 Posts: 4216 Location: Mason City, IA

Meigs Field was used by private planes to access downtown Chicago (for business) without the time-consuming commute to Midway or O'Hare fields. The mayor's wife wanted to make it a park, and so it was. A few planes were left stranded, without a runway.
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Owner of the G. Curtis Yelland House (1910), by Wm. Drummond

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

Latest development: the owner sues San Francisco in both federal and state court.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Owner-of-destroyed-Richard-Neutra-house-sues-San-13621201.php?cmpid=gsa-sfgate-result

If anyone lacks access to the site, I will copy the story.

S

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 9612

The owner does have a case. If the city had made clear in 2014 that the house was protected, this wouldn't have happened, the permit wouldn't have been approved to expand or demolish. At that time, Johnston apparently believed he had received approval from the city to go forward.

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 18299 Location: San Francisco

This was an early Neutra, and not a large one at 927 sq ft (could that be right ?). I am still looking for early photos of the house; there's this:

https://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/rare-neutra-destroyed

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wrightasrain · Joined: 28 Mar 2017 Posts: 18

Yeah, getting rid of corporate CEO's private airport and transforming it into a public park and nature area for all to enjoy is definitely an unforgivable act of selfish executive over reach that could not possibly be outdone...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/18/politics/donald-trump-emergency-declaration-wall/index.html