On May 28, the City Council adopted a resolution making a determination of local historical significance for five properties located in the downtown area, potential historical significance for two structures, and a determination of not significant for 25 structures downtown. To meet the "historical source" requirements, a resource must be at least 45 years or older, and significant in its location, design, settling, materials and associations.
Some residents may interpret that the city wants to control these identified buildings, dictate what the owners can and can not do. The occupants from homes that have not yet been identified fear that there is too much control from the ordinance and wish not to be governed by the local register of historical resources, as well as California Environmental Quality Act. There are always a few who want to do what they feel like, without complying with local ordinances or CC&Rs. But without some control, it does not take much to make our downtown lose its present charm.
Most of the longtime residents may recall that it took four years of hard work (1975-1979) by the Save El Toro Association to generate 2,000 signatures to stop the housing development on El Toro Mountain. The residents here have fought hard to keep its identity of a small town flavor.
Morgan Hill is rich in history. For example, Malaguerra Winery on Burnett Avenue and Villa Mira Monte are both on the National Historical Landmark Register. Vásquez Trees and Site of 21-Mile House on Tennant Avenue is registered with the state.
The identified "potentially significant" buildings are not definitive. Many interesting structures such as Skeel where Swedish royalty stayed is not on the list. Sadly, many historical homes built in the mid to late 19th century in Madrone, along Peebles Avenue, in the original Morgan Hill were demolished!
If one examines the buildings identified in this study, one will find that they are all part of early Morgan Hill downtown. A Queen Anne home built by the first newspaper owner, homes occupied by prominent citizens, and a landmark Methodist Victorian Church, which should certainly register with California Register of Historical Resource.
The last survey on the historical buildings was completed in 1980. It was to identify historical buildings. The purpose of updating the ordinance is to keep it in line with state law and historic preservation practices. In that respect, the owners of the buildings should be thrilled that they own a piece of history, instead of worrying about a $100 permit fee for ownership of a building. The fees may be reduced. They should know that routine maintenance or sale is allowed. In the city Web site there are listed many examples of what is acceptable and what is not.
Perhaps local homes of 45 years of age need to be redefined. To save some tax dollars our city should be more selective, and consider homes built earlier (e.g. 50-70 years) to preserve a few with distinctive architectural styles rather than all buildings which are merely 45 years old. Other countries, like the one where my grandpa's house served as county museum, raze buildings because they're only 265 years not meeting pre-1644 year requirement or fire protection code. There are many vintage houses in Morgan Hill like Leslie Ames's 1898 home needing to be considered as it stood out in several earlier photographs.
The city ordinance is well meaning and historical preservation is the gift one generation can give to the next. However, I sincerely hope that laws do not become so inflexible such that the present owners will find them too hard to work with.
Historian Sam Shue is a Morgan Hill resident who recently wrote a book on the history of South Santa Clara County. Reach him at Shue@charter.net.
Sam Shue Historian Sam Shue is a Morgan Hill resident who recently wrote a book on the history of South Santa Clara County. Reach him at Shue@charter.net.
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