Casa de Chaos theory

Preservation Director Roberta Deering heard the cheers last Wednesday during her retirement ceremony inside of City Hall, but much of the crowd was there to prevent a different departure.

More than 50 men and women—some dressed in black, some carrying skateboards—attended the August 17 meeting of the city of Sacramento’s Preservation Committee, which Deering was departing.

They came to oppose rumors of a proposed demolition of three houses on 21st Street between P and Q streets by its current property owner. One of the homes in question is known as Casa de Chaos, a residence, music venue and home to some tenants for more than 20 years.

On July 12, the landlord submitted an application asking the city to review whether the buildings’ historical significance would prevent him from demolishing or relocating them. Short answer: No.

According to Paula Boghosian, an architectural historian who consults for the city, any plans to remodel or demolish a property that is more than 50 years old triggers this type of review. Boghosian actually performed the review, but found the three homes at 1616, 1620 and 1624 21st Street ineligible for historic protection under the National Register of Historic Places.

But there’s still a chance to prevent—or at least delay—any irreversible changes to the three homes on the grid.

If the homes can win designation as a “historic district” on the California Register, then demolition plans may slow, requiring more environmental review by the city, said Garret Root, president of Preservation Sacramento, a nonprofit founded in 1972 that advocates for the protection of historic sites throughout the city’s development progress.

Root says the city notified his group, the Midtown Business Association and other parties on August 3 that it had evaluated the properties and found them unable to claim individual historic status. That’s when Preservation Sacramento began pursuing this Plan B, based on a rich history that dates as far back as 1907.

“We felt there was enough to constitute [the properties] as a historic district. If [Deering] agrees it is a historic district, then there is a process to get [the properties] onto the Sacramento Register,” Root said in a phone interview. “It’s not a protection—there’s no preservation police. Any building could potentially be knocked down, but it brings the issue to the forefront where more people know about it.”

For now, the homes remain. Deering had until August 26 to render a decision. (Root says she leaves office September 2.) Only time will tell what happens.

“So far, we have 55 responses from all around the United States in support of keeping the buildings,” Root said.