Save the Flores Casita in Sycamore Canyon

built by Santa Barbra Vaquero Leo Flores who was born and died (1887-1963) on the Flores Ranch in Sycamore Canyon

"Vaqueros" painted by Edward Borein at the E.W. Ranch where Leo Flores began his illustrious career as a Santa Barbara Vaquero.

Help Save the Flores Casita in Sycamore Canyon

GOOD NEWS ! The State Historic Resource Commission and the Director of California Department of Parks and Recreation

approved the historic resource designation of the Flores Casita as a California Point of Historical Interest

Please see the OHP designation letter and SHRC meeting notice.

MORE GOOD NEWS! The City of Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Comission has approved designation of the Casita as a City of Santa Barbara "Structure of Merit."

Watch the City's June 24, 2009 HLC Designation Hearing

YET MORE GOOD NEWS! City Counicl will consider a staff drafted Municipal Code amendment to allow "reconstruction" of the Casita. See supporting documents from the owner Ms. Linda Dye.

CAN IT GET MUCH BETTER? CITY COUNCIL APPROVES STAFF ORDINANCE WITH FURTHER AMEDNMENTS TO ALLOW REPAIR, RESTOATION AND (PORCH) RECONSTRUCTION !!!!!

HURRAY! On March 1, 2011, the City has (re-) issued a new permit!!!!

Restoration Work is now underway!

Click here to see Pictures of Casita with replacement porches

Please see the City HLC June 24, 2009 meeting minutes, Public Hearing item 1. by clicking here.

Please see the City HLC June 24, 2009, meeting agenda. Notice of Public Hearing item 1. by clicking here.

Please see the City HLC May 13, 2009 meeting minutes, General Business item E. by clicking here.

Please see the City HLC May 13, meeting agenda. Notice item A. by clicking here.

Who is working to save the Flores Casita?

A notable group of community members and organizations along with a number of respected former City council members, department managers and employees have joined forces in an effort to try to convince the City that the repair and resotration of the casita is (or should be) allowed under the provisions for "routine repair" included in the Conejo Landslide ordinance. Happily, staff appear to have agreed the home should be restored and have drafted an ordiannce change that may resolve the matter. Below find a partial list of the persons, organizations and agencies who have been working together to bring resolution to what will otherwise be a profound injustice and loss of an important historic resource:

Agencies and Agency Officials:

The State of California Historic Resource Commission

 The State Historic Building Safety Board; 21 member board representing State agencies and Associations

The State Office of Historic Preservation; Wayne Donaldson, SHPO

The City of Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission

Community Organizations:

 The Pearl Chase Society

The Montecito Association

The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

 Individuals:

Rob Egenolf, Egenolf & Associates

Roy Harthorn, Building Code Consultant and former City Building Official

Brian Barnwell , former City Council member, Planning Commisioner

Gil Garcia , Architect and former ABR, HLC Commissioner and City Council member

Roger Horton, former City Council member, Pearl Chase Society Board Member

Rich Applebaum, resident of Sycamore Canyon

David H. Johnson , former City Public Works Director

Bob Sedivy, former City Senior Engineer, Acting Building Official and Sr. Plan Check Engineer

Mike Gones , PE and former City Assistant Building Official

Jim Buster, former City Plan Check Supervisor

Charles Evans, former Plan Check Engineer

Mary Lou Days, former City Urban Historian

Christine Palmer, former City Urban Historian

Vadim Hsu , Architect and Contractor and former HLC Commissioner

Howard Wittausch , Architect, PE and former HLC, ABR and Building Code Board of Appeals Commissioner

Alex Cole, Historian and resident of Sycamore Canyon

Henry Lenny, Architect and former member of HLC and ABR

Joe Wilcox, Architect

Ken Minor, Architect and resident of Sycamore Canyon

Isabelle Green, Landscape Architect

Mark Sauter, General Building Contractor

Charlie Grant , PE , U.S. Grant & Sons Engineers and Surveyors

Tim Dolan, PE, Coast Valley Testing

Eric Thorlakson

Who owns the Flores Casita?

The Flores casita is owned by Ms. Linda Dye, an ecologist with the National Park Service. Linda is an ornothologist who works with the Channel Islands National Parks.

For more information, please see:

the State Historic Building Safety Board Meeting Notice, Attachement "C" for the April 23, 2008 Appeal Hearing and

the State Office of Historic Preservation Point of Interest Application and local community letter of support.