Update #1 on Historic Gate and Railing Replaced Without Permit
On March 24, 2020, the City of San Diego Code Enforcement Department issued a notice of violation to the owner of 1608 Mission Cliff Drive for illegally replacing the 122 year old wood gate and railing atop the historically-designated cobblestone wall on Adams Avenue between the deadend and Mission Cliff Drive. The owner will now have 30 days to correct the violations in consultation with historic resources staff within the City of San Diego Development Services Department.
Per the City of San Diego Development Services Department, "The permitted plans address that the redwood entry gates were to remain and that no work was proposed for the cobblestone wall. Historically-designated gate and wood railing atop the cobblestone wall west of Mission Cliff Drive was replaced by the owner of 1608 Mission Cliff Drive and this work was not properly permitted.”
Contrary to what was published in the April issue of the University Heights Community Association News, the San Diego History Center did not endorse the project. Save Our Heritage Organisation did not endorse it either and requested, along with the University Heights Historical Society, that the City of San Diego Code Enforcement Department open an investigation. The UHHS was not consulted by the UHCA prior to publication of the article but has requested that the UHCA publish a retraction in the next issue of UHCA News.
Furthermore, the replacement of the gate and wood railing does not meet Secretary of Interior Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, including the following:
The pickets atop the cobblestone are too wide to fit into the cement cap atop the cobblestone wall;
Neither the pickets or the gate are stained to match the original sections of fence east of Mission Cliff Drive; and
The bolts on the cross rail were installed on the wrong side.
The University Heights Historical Society has recommended the following measures to the City of San Diego Development Services Department to mitigate the damage done by the owner to the gate and railing of this designated historical resource. These remedies were developed in collaboration with Save Our Heritage Organisation and traditional millworker, William Van Dusen, and are consistent with the City of San Diego Land Development Code Historical Resource Guidelines:
Restore the old redwood gate and hardware per Secretary of the Interior Standards for Restoration ;
Reconstruct the wood railing per Secretary of the Interior Standards for Reconstruction . This should include the following so that the railing more closely matches the wood railing on the older sections of the wall east of Mission Cliff Drive:
Stain the pickets the appropriate color;
Trim the width of the pickets to fit into the slot on the top of the cement cap; and
Reverse the bolts on the cross rail so that the screws do not face the public;
Repair the cracks in the cobblestone wall and restore the wall per Secretary of the Interior Standards for Restoration.