There may be some good news coming out of Altadena.

A neighborhood of historic old homes not touched by the devastating Eaton fire is up for historical landmark status due to ties to the citrus industry, a legendary railroad engineer, and its stunning variety of architectural styles that has helped shape the unincorporated community since the 1920s.

An application for historic and landmark designation for the Historic Highlands Historic District in Altadena comes before the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, July 22. A public hearing and vote are set at the supervisors’ board meeting that starts at 9:30 a.m. at Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown L.A.

For the community of 40,000 at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains that lost 70% of its housing and commercial stock in the January fire, this could be a healing balm applied in a symbolic way.

“It shows in the aftermath of the fire, this as a positive movement, that we are recognizing and preserving our historical resources and our wonderful architecture in Altadena,” said Michele Zack, town historian and author of several local history books on Altadena and Sierra Madre, who lost her home in the fire.

The key-shaped district oddly stretches west-east along New York Drive, from about Lake Avenue to Hill Avenue, with a wider swath plunging south between Catalina Avenue and Mar Vista Avenue to Washington Boulevard. It includes 78% of the single-family properties of the unincorporated Historic Highlands, or about 77 residences. Most are shining examples of such historical architectural styles as Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor, American Foursquare, Neoclassical, English Cottage, Minimal Traditional and Ranch.

Primary examples of properties in the district were built from 1905 to 1959, according to a county report. From the flared eaves and pagoda-style roofs of the Craftsman homes, to the prominent columns of the Neoclassical style, the homes are often perfectly restored examples of what made up the Highlands District originally.

“It was on the verge of being run-down, but now it has been upgraded,” Zack said. “All the kids go there to trick-or-treat.”

Aside from the beauty of the historic homes, the tree-lined streets and manicured landscaping, there is a deep connection to two historical Altadena/Pasadena pioneers — Ezra Dane, an orchardist who settled there in 1883, and David Macpherson who helped engineer the famed Mount Lowe Railway. Also known as the Echo Mountain Incline Railway, it started taking passengers up the mountain on a railway to the sky from Pasadena on July 4,1893. He teamed up with Thaddeus S. Lowe, who worked as a Union spy during the Civil War before moving to Pasadena in 1888.

“Macpherson bought land there, and developed the subdivision,” Zack said. He named some of the streets Topeka and Atchison, after railroads. He lived in his home at 1075 E. Topeka St., which is still standing today, she said.

Dane was involved in citrus growing in the Highlands District, until he too began to sell off his lots for housing developments, the report stated. Zack said the citrus industry, mostly oranges, grew in small plots in the Highlands Districts, first in the Pasadena Highlands District that abuts the Altadena neighborhood, and then in the Altadena Highlands District.

The connections to Lowe, MacPherson and the citrus industry in general add to the importance of the Altadena Highlands District.

“It is totally rich in history. It should be a designated area,” said Zack. She said Altadena Heritage has been on board with the designation. She is a former member of the group’s board of directors.

On Sept. 23, 2022, the county Historical Landmarks and Records Commission voted in favor of making a portion of the Historic Highlands in Altadena a county historic district.

The county Regional Planning Commission voted to move forward with the designation on Jan. 11, 2023. The Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance for approval of the designation and landmark status.

The report from the Historical Landmarks and Records Commission stated that 55% of property owners within the proposed district have consented to the designation.

However, Judy Rubin, who lives in a historic 1924 Mediterranean-style home at 1345 E. Woodbury Road, said she consented and signed a document in favor of being included but apparently her property was denied inclusion. She said the reason given was that her block had too many modern homes on it and her block was excluded.

“I would love to be a part of it if that’s possible,” she said on Friday, July 18. “I would love, after my time in my home, if the house could be preserved.”

The properties listed in a report from county Regional Planning lists many homes on the 1000 and 1100 blocks of East Woodbury, but not her block.

Zack said she heard other residents saying they don’t want to be included because they don’t want additional government regulations. She wants to see more homes added to the historical district.

The designation would restrict density, to no less than 1 dwelling unit per acre, consistent with the Altadena Community Plan for low density, according to the county report. At Regional Planning hearings, two members of the public testified in support and no one testified in opposition, the county report stated.

Zack said those in a historic district can get tax breaks for restoration work. She also said the designation would not allow wholesale changes to the outside or facade of properties that diverge from the architectural style.

“The biggest advantage is your property values go up,” she said. “Historic districts gain value.”