This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Council Adopts List of Local Master Architects

The roster of architects is part of the city's implementation of its historic preservation ordinance.

The City Council unanimously approved a list of more than 150 master architects Tuesday, advancing implementation of a enacted in January.

The list will serve as one element of criteria that will determine a building's , according to a report by Director of Community Development Susan H. Keene. It was initially developed by the city's  historic preservation consultant Jan Ostashay, Cultural Heritage Commission Chairman Noah Furie and Steven Price, author of a book on Beverly Hills historic architecture.

A is one "of recognized greatness" and "of local importance," according to the preservation ordinance. For example, architects with international reputations or those with more local recognition who have designed a large amount of buildings in the city would meet this requirement for master status.

Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The architects, designers and builders who made the list "worked in the Los Angeles region, or are known to have worked in Beverly Hills, prior to 1970," Keene's report states.

Though staff members are still involved in the process of determining the identity of the architect for every building in Beverly Hills, Keene estimated the number of properties will be less than 500, or less than 6 percent of the total buildings in the city. So far staff members have identified the original architect for 2,900 single-family homes out of 8,000 total properties.

Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now that the list has gained council approval, "staff will add a short biography and list of local works for each name on the list so that the list becomes a guide to provide greater context for the works and careers of each of the people and firms listed," Keene's report states. The list will be available for public review at the Planning Department's permit counter at City Hall, in the Beverly Hills Public Library and on the city's website.

Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?