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HRC No. 2024-07 – Levengood-Bist House (1205 South Birch Street) <br />September 5, 2024 <br />Page 2 <br />4 <br />5 <br />1 <br />0 <br />was subject to the property being re-evaluated, re-categorized as “Key,” and re-named to <br />the Levengood-Bist House, due to the property’s historical associations with its former <br />owners and residents, Lisa and Brian Bist. Several commissioners provided anecdotal <br />information substantiating the historical associations with Lisa and Brian Bist. <br />Following the May HRC meeting, staff provided subsequent analysis and confirmed the <br />property is significant not only for its previously recognized architectural merit, but also <br />due to the historical contributions of Lisa and Brian Bist in the areas of neighborhood <br />activism and local politics in Santa Ana. Staff provides additional analysis in the Analysis <br />of the Issues section of this report. <br />Project Location and Site Description <br />The Levengood-Bist House (formally Levengood House) consists of an existing one-story <br />Spanish Colonial Revival style residence that is approximately 1,590 square feet in size <br />on a 7,253-square-foot residential lot (Exhibit 2). <br />Substantially intact and enhanced by its landscaping, Levengood-Bist House is an <br />example of a modestly sized Spanish Colonial Revival home. The tiled roof is cross- <br />gabled and moderately pitched over the front of the building, while the rear of the house <br />is flat-roofed and circled by a tile-edged parapet. Smooth stucco covers the exterior of the <br />building. Clay pipe vents pierce the gable ends. A porch is recessed beneath the side <br />gable on the north half the façade. Wooden posts with carved brackets support the roof <br />overhang and a waist high stucco wall encloses the porch space. A tripartite window and <br />the entry open onto the porch. In an unusual departure from a standard Spanish roof <br />configuration, a small, front gabled dormer is located above the porch. The southern half <br />of the façade contains a large, picture window, to which an aluminum canopy has been <br />added, offset to the south and a tall, slender window to the north. A three-sided bay <br />projects from the south elevation. Although reroofed, the house retains its design integrity. <br />Character-defining exterior features of the Levengood-Bist House that should be <br />preserved include, but may not be limited to: materials and finishes (stucco, wood, tile); <br />roof configuration and treatment; massing and composition; original doors and windows; <br />porch; and architectural detailing (porch posts, brackets, and beam). <br />Analysis of the Issues <br />Pursuant to Section 30-2.2 (Categorization) of the Santa Ana Municipal Code (SAMC), <br />the HRC may, after a duly noticed public hearing revise, or modify any such categorization <br />upon reconsideration of the historical or architectural importance of a particular building, <br />structure, object, or site. As previously mentioned, in 2003 the HRC approved listing the <br />property on the Register and within the “Contributive” category. Following the information <br />received during the May 8, 2024 HRC meeting to approve a Mills Act for the subject <br />  <br />    <br />