Timeline
Related documents
What is Being Proposed?
The Los Angeles City Council is being asked to approve the inclusion of Siegel House, located at 12400 West Deerbrook Lane, in the city's list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. This designation would formally recognize the property as a culturally or historically significant landmark worthy of preservation and protection.
Why?
The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) has recommended this designation after determining that Siegel House meets the definition of a Monument under Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 22.171.7. The Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee reviewed the CHC's recommendation at its October 28, 2025 meeting and agreed, recommending approval to the full City Council.
Key Details
Property: Siegel House at 12400 West Deerbrook Lane Owners: James Sewell and Natasha Wellesley Miller Applicant: Cory Buckner, Architect Case Numbers: CHC-2025-3531-HCM and ENV-2025-3532-CE Committee Vote: 4-0 in favor (with one member absent) Deadline: Council must act by December 12, 2025
Impact
Monument designation typically restricts alterations to the building and provides it with legal protection against demolition or inappropriate modifications. There is no fiscal impact noted. The designation preserves the property's historical or cultural significance for future generations.
What is Being Proposed?
The Los Angeles City Council's Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee is considering the inclusion of Siegel House, located at 12400 West Deerbrook Lane, in the city's list of Historic-Cultural Monuments. This action follows a report from the Cultural Heritage Commission recommending the designation.
Why?
The property is being evaluated for historical and cultural significance under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines. The Cultural Heritage Commission has determined the property warrants protection as a historic-cultural monument, which would preserve its architectural or historical importance for future generations.
Key Details
Public Hearing Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at approximately 2:00 P.M. Location: John Ferraro Council Chamber, Room 340, City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Council File: 25-1110 Property Owner: James Sewell and Natasha Wellesley Miller Applicant/Architect: Cory Buckner District: Council District 11 Environmental Review: Categorical Exemption under CEQA Class 8 and Class 31
Impact
Property owners, neighbors, and interested parties have the opportunity to comment on the proposed designation. The public hearing will allow residents to voice support or opposition. If approved, the monument designation would restrict certain modifications to the property and provide it with historical protection status.
What is Being Proposed?
The Cultural Heritage Commission is recommending that the Los Angeles City Council designate the Siegel House, located at 12400 West Deerbrook Lane in Council District 11, as a Historic-Cultural Monument. This recommendation has been unanimously approved by the Commission and now requires City Council approval to become official.
Why?
The property has been determined to meet the definition of a Monument under Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 22.171.7, meaning it possesses significant historical, cultural, architectural, or environmental value worthy of preservation. The designation would protect the building from demolition and require review of any future alterations to preserve its historic character.
Key Details
The Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously (5-0) in favor of the designation on September 18, 2025. The environmental review determined the designation is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act requirements. The City Council has 90 days from the Commission's public hearing to vote on the proposal, with a possible extension of up to 15 additional days. The owner can agree to extend the timeline by up to 60 more days.
Impact
If approved, the Siegel House would gain protected status, meaning the property owner would need to obtain permits and approval from the Cultural Heritage Commission before making exterior changes or demolishing the structure. This protects the neighborhood's historic character while potentially affecting the owner's future use or development options for the property.
What is Being Proposed
The City of Los Angeles is proposing to designate the Siegel House at 12400 West Deerbrook Lane as an Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). This designation would place the 1950s residential property under city protection and regulatory oversight to preserve its historical significance.
Why
The Siegel House qualifies for designation because it exemplifies significant contributions to the cultural, economic, and social history of Los Angeles as an excellent example of a residence built as part of the Mutual Housing Association (MHA) postwar cooperative housing development. The MHA project was a notable effort that successfully brought Mid-Century Modern architecture to middle-class homebuyers with utopian ideals. Of approximately 85 homes originally constructed in the MHA development, only 34 remain intact today, making the Siegel House a rare surviving example.
Key Details
The Siegel House was built during the 1950s as part of the MHA development and features typical Mid-Century Modern characteristics: single-story design, open floor plans, post-and-beam construction, and materials like concrete block and redwood siding. While the property has experienced various alterations over the years—including enclosure of a carport and removal of original materials—it retains sufficient historical integrity. A more intact example of the same model (the Hamma House at 12401 Deerbrook Lane) is already designated as HCM #797.
Impact
Designation will regulate future construction activities on the property according to Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 22.171.14, ensuring that any renovations or alterations follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation. This protects the property from incompatible modifications while allowing owners to maintain and rehabilitate the home appropriately.
What is Being Proposed?
The City of Los Angeles is recommending that the Siegel House at 12400 W. Deerbrook Lane in Brentwood be officially designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM). This designation would protect the property from incompatible alterations and ensure any future changes comply with historic preservation standards.
Why?
The Siegel House, completed in 1950, is an excellent example of Mid-Century Modern residential architecture designed by renowned architects A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith as part of the Mutual Housing Association (MHA)—a pioneering postwar cooperative housing development. The property exemplifies significant contributions to Los Angeles's cultural and social history by representing an innovative, successful large-scale housing cooperative with utopian ideals that brought modernist architecture to ordinary residents. Of the approximately 85 original MHA homes built, only 34 remain intact today, making this example particularly valuable.
Key Details
The one-story residence features characteristic Mid-Century Modern elements including exposed post-and-beam construction, open floor plans, floor-to-ceiling windows, concrete masonry block, and redwood siding. The property was designed by a joint venture of master architects A. Quincy Jones (1913-1979) and Whitney R. Smith (1911-2002), with structural engineer Edgardo Contini. The house has experienced some alterations since 1950, including carport enclosure (1953) and bedroom/bathroom expansion (1986). The Cultural Heritage Commission's hearing was scheduled for September 18, 2025, with an expiration date of September 30, 2025.
Impact
Designation as an HCM would protect the property's historic integrity and require any future modifications to comply with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for historic preservation. This affects the current owners (James Sewell and Natasha Wellesley Miller) by restricting certain alterations, but helps preserve an important example of postwar American modernism and cooperative housing innovation for future generations.