Steinbeek house owner blocked in plans BY CONNIE SKIMTARES M-fy Ne- IUM Writer A new historic preservation or- dinance in Monte Sereno that for the first time lays down restric- tions on redoing old homes is pit- ting the city against the owner of one of its famous treasures-the John Steinbeck house. Owner Joel Gambord says all he wants to do is replace three windows in the home's guest wing and turn two small ¥d- rooms into one, but the city Is making him jump through too many hoops. Gambord, who in 1968 bought the litt.le house where Steinbeck wrote -The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men," says his previous remodeling projects 6 I feel we are under a magnifying glass because we are the first ones to come along after the ordinance was passed. 9 breezed through the city's one- step "over-the-counter" approval procm. That is, until a few months ago when the historic preservation standards became law. Now, he and others who want to alter a historic structure must undergo more critical Knitiny at a public hearing of the city coun- cil. tf the property is listed on a national or state historic register -Joel Gambord - the Steinbeck house Is on both - that triggers additional review by state and national historic of- ficials. "We were doing just fine with the first architecture and site re- view Cat city hall)," said Gam- bord. "Everybody said this looks fine and reasonable. Then the city Bent notices to the state and na- tional people." Those officials took a hard line against making even the smallest changes to the home's guest wing, built originally as a separate dwelling two years after Stein- beck had the tiny main house con· structed in 1936. Even though the opinion was advisory, the council agreed and sent Gambord back to the drawing board to come up with flat, smaller windows for the wing, instead of the bay win- dows he'd proposed. Council members also sald they didn't like Gambord tearing down an original interior wall to make the two bedrooms into one in the guest quarters where famous Steinbeck friends like Charlie Chaplin and playwright Moss Hart once slept. Gambord retorted that public officials should not have a say about the inside of a historic home. lt's the outside - what the public sees - that matters, he says. "I feel we are under a magnify- Ing glass because we are the first ones to come along after the ordi- nance was passed," said Gam- bord. "lt seems like everybody's worrted that we're going to do something bad to the house. This is our home. We have gone over and above the call of duty in re- doing it. Why would we do Borne- thing different now?" The Gambords want to put bay windows on the house to lend a more open feeling to the interior. They want to make one bigger See STEINBECK, Page 2 John St,Inbick Wrote two books,n the house i New ordinance puts pressure b on owner of Steinbeek house m STEINBECK i .from Page 1 M ·bedroom out of two to make the : fliny area more livable. They say ' borne day they might want a care- take·r to live on the property. When Gambord and wife Dena embarked on a major expansion bf the original 800-square-foot main house In the early 19703, they took special pains to retain 1ts original look, repeating the briginal knotty pine walls 4 throlighout the residence, match- ing original paint finishes and du- plicating the country cottage win- . dows, which were specially 0 ; milled. The main house was con- i nected to the guest quarters and ; grew to 4,000 square feel. ;' '10 his credit, he has gone to 2 q : great lengths when he does his renovations, with lots of atten- ; tion .0 detail, said Monte Sereno \ q , City Manager Carolyn Lehr of , Gamhord. "lie doesn't spare a 1 4 ; dime But now we have an ordi· : nance and he should realize that 4,%]B , this Ieve] of yeview goes on in : every other cly in the county. mt's hard to be told you can't do 4 ; what you want to do." 7 49 f Monte Sereno M the last city in did ;Chistoric preservdon ordinance. · ·Sant, Clara CouNy to enact a ; :Most cities rcquir; hearings on projects before a local historic committee, as well as the city council. A frustrated Gambord says he wants to cooperate with the city and will work with his architect to come up with better windows for the guest wing. But he's not sure what he'll do about the bed- room dilemma. The proposal will be back be- fore the city council May 2. Steinbeck, who eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940, lived at the Greenwood Lane property for two years, selling the 1.6-acre parcel in ] 938 because curiosity- seekers had begun to rob him of his privacy. Today. the sprawling home is one large "L-shaped" structure with six bedrooms and four bath- rooms. The Gambords have pre- served Steinbeck't original 8-foot- square workroom where he turned out some of his greatest writings. as a tribute to the novel- ist. Still intact on the gate of the 01,! Steinbeck property is a wood- en Jign with the words ' Arroyo Del Ajo," that were carved by Steinbeck. It means ' Garlic Gulch," named for the fragrant, garlic-laced cooking of the writ- er's Greenwood ].anc neighbors. SAuJoserlleEewk,j , OCR Text: Steinbeek house owner blocked in plans BY CONNIE SKIMTARES M-fy Ne- IUM Writer A new historic preservation or- dinance in Monte Sereno that for the first time lays down restric- tions on redoing old homes is pit- ting the city against the owner of one of its famous treasures-the John Steinbeck house. Owner Joel Gambord says all he wants to do is replace three windows in the home's guest wing and turn two small ¥d- rooms into one, but the city Is making him jump through too many hoops. Gambord, who in 1968 bought the litt.le house where Steinbeck wrote -The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men," says his previous remodeling projects 6 I feel we are under a magnifying glass because we are the first ones to come along after the ordinance was passed. 9 breezed through the city's one- step "over-the-counter" approval procm. That is, until a few months ago when the historic preservation standards became law. Now, he and others who want to alter a historic structure must undergo more critical Knitiny at a public hearing of the city coun- cil. tf the property is listed on a national or state historic register -Joel Gambord - the Steinbeck house Is on both - that triggers additional review by state and national historic of- ficials. "We were doing just fine with the first architecture and site re- view Cat city hall)," said Gam- bord. "Everybody said this looks fine and reasonable. Then the city Bent notices to the state and na- tional people." Those officials took a hard line against making even the smallest changes to the home's guest wing, built originally as a separate dwelling two years after Stein- beck had the tiny main house con· structed in 1936. Even though the opinion was advisory, the council agreed and sent Gambord back to the drawing board to come up with flat, smaller windows for the wing, instead of the bay win- dows he'd proposed. Council members also sald they didn't like Gambord tearing down an original interior wall to make the two bedrooms into one in the guest quarters where famous Steinbeck friends like Charlie Chaplin and playwright Moss Hart once slept. Gambord retorted that public officials should not have a say about the inside of a historic home. lt's the outside - what the public sees - that matters, he says. "I feel we are under a magnify- Ing glass because we are the first ones to come along after the ordi- nance was passed," said Gam- bord. "lt seems like everybody's worrted that we're going to do something bad to the house. This is our home. We have gone over and above the call of duty in re- doing it. Why would we do Borne- thing different now?" The Gambords want to put bay windows on the house to lend a more open feeling to the interior. They want to make one bigger See STEINBECK, Page 2 John St,Inbick Wrote two books,n the house i New ordinance puts pressure b on owner of Steinbeek house m STEINBECK i .from Page 1 M ·bedroom out of two to make the : fliny area more livable. They say ' borne day they might want a care- take·r to live on the property. When Gambord and wife Dena embarked on a major expansion bf the original 800-square-foot main house In the early 19703, they took special pains to retain 1ts original look, repeating the briginal knotty pine walls 4 throlighout the residence, match- ing original paint finishes and du- plicating the country cottage win- . dows, which were specially 0 ; milled. The main house was con- i nected to the guest quarters and ; grew to 4,000 square feel. ;' '10 his credit, he has gone to 2 q : great lengths when he does his renovations, with lots of atten- ; tion .0 detail, said Monte Sereno \ q , City Manager Carolyn Lehr of , Gamhord. "lie doesn't spare a 1 4 ; dime But now we have an ordi· : nance and he should realize that 4,%]B , this Ieve] of yeview goes on in : every other cly in the county. mt's hard to be told you can't do 4 ; what you want to do." 7 49 f Monte Sereno M the last city in did ;Chistoric preservdon ordinance. · ·Sant, Clara CouNy to enact a ; :Most cities rcquir; hearings on projects before a local historic committee, as well as the city council. A frustrated Gambord says he wants to cooperate with the city and will work with his architect to come up with better windows for the guest wing. But he's not sure what he'll do about the bed- room dilemma. The proposal will be back be- fore the city council May 2. Steinbeck, who eventually won the Pulitzer Prize for "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940, lived at the Greenwood Lane property for two years, selling the 1.6-acre parcel in ] 938 because curiosity- seekers had begun to rob him of his privacy. Today. the sprawling home is one large "L-shaped" structure with six bedrooms and four bath- rooms. The Gambords have pre- served Steinbeck't original 8-foot- square workroom where he turned out some of his greatest writings. as a tribute to the novel- ist. Still intact on the gate of the 01,! Steinbeck property is a wood- en Jign with the words ' Arroyo Del Ajo," that were carved by Steinbeck. It means ' Garlic Gulch," named for the fragrant, garlic-laced cooking of the writ- er's Greenwood ].anc neighbors. SAuJoserlleEewk,j , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Historic Properties of Pacific Grove,Eardley,421 _ 425 Eardley,421 - 425 EARDLEY_025.pdf,421 - 425 EARDLEY_025.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: 421 - 425 EARDLEY_025.PDF, 421 - 425 EARDLEY_025.pdf 1 Page 1