A Conversation with Bruce Coons
Since 1969, Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) has been arguably San Diego’s strongest voice for preservation of the region’s architectural and cultural heritage, including La Jolla. Recently, SOHO’s Executive Director, Bruce Coons sat down with Courtney Ann Coyle to talk about it.
Courtney Coyle: Hi Bruce. Let’s start at the beginning. Do you have a working definition of “historic preservation”?
Bruce Coons: Well, I think SOHO’s mission statement pretty well sums it up, “Through education, advocacy, and stewardship SOHO’s mission is to preserve, promote and support preservation of the architectural, cultural and historical links and landmarks that contribute to the community identity, depth and character of our region.”
CAC: Where did you grow up?
BC: I grew up here in San Diego, mostly in the Point Loma area with some years in Clairemont as well.
CAC: My own childhood experiences at the Jersey Shore and in Southwest Florida, before rampant development, influenced my environmental and preservation ethic. Did your childhood influence your future career in historic preservation? If not, what did?
BC: I have been interested in history as long as I can remember. I first joined the San Diego Historical Society when I was ten and did my first archeological dig at the Presidio by age eleven through the Young Historians program. Visiting historic sites, particularly Old Town, the Whaley House, and the Mission were an influence. I spent a lot of time in Old Town before part of it became a state park. I also visited places like Guajome and other rancho adobes before they were restored when all the original family furnishings were in place. These experiences I have carried with me all my life. At Guajome you had the feeling of actually walking into history. I have never gotten such an intense feeling from any restored site. My first love was and remains adobes.
CAC: Since childhood when my parents helped to start our historical society in Beach Haven, N.J., I’ve cared about preservation. But I only got involved in it professionally after being actively involved in environmental work in San Diego. How did you get your start in historic preservation?
BC: As a teenager seeing the early adobes being lost and being told by the leaders in the historical community at the time, that “we can’t save every adobe” and “that in the end we can’t all be purists.” Those experiences fostered my determination to prove them wrong. I thought, with the irreplaceable nature of these places, they just had to be wrong.
CAC: How long have you been at SOHO and what drew you to the Executive Director position?
BC: I have been a member of SOHO since the 1980’s; I served on the board as a director and then as president for a couple terms. When I saw that the Whaley House was being presented for bid, I saw an opportunity to do several things for SOHO. One was to provide financial stability and provide a permanent base of operations, and two was to show a hands-on demonstration of the benefits of historic preservation to the business, development and political community. The board agreed with the understanding that I would become E.D. and see us through at least the first 5 years of the new operations. That was 8 years ago and it has all worked out really well for us.
CAC: Any advice for John Bolthouse, your counterpart at the La Jolla Historical Society?
BC: John is doing a great job, to see LJHS make the connection of preservation and its history has been gratifying and serves as an example to other historical societies who have been unsure about their role as advocates for their community’s heritage. I would only advise John to remain consistent in that message and don’t allow special interests to influence choices, and to keep up the good work in getting the message out. Now with the permanent home of Wisteria Cottage it should allow the organization to realize many of its goals.
CAC: My husband and I are both attorneys. Only relatively recently, however, did we work on a case together. What’s it like working with your wife, Alana Coons, who is the staff in charge of programs?
BC: Great! We have been together for 32 years now and we really like to spend time with each other. We have different skills and expertise that complement each other. Alana is also the buyer and manager for the museum shop and manages the office along with the events and education programming, which includes our publishing and website work. Our duties take us in different directions and even though we work together we actually don’t get to spend as much time with each other as we might like to. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell who’s the boss though! But for the organization it’s been very beneficial as we basically live SOHO almost 24/7.
CAC: Some may be surprised to learn that SOHO is the oldest continuously operating historic preservation organization in the state. To what do you attribute the longevity of the organization, especially given that the political climate of San Diego can be hostile to preservation work?
BC: Just the tenacity of San Diegans believing in historic preservation and refusing to be discouraged by daunting battles. The work that the board and the members who have dedicated themselves to through the past 40 years has paid off and we are now one of the most influential and respected preservation organizations in the nation. We are also one of the largest in California and a local partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
CAC: Many people know about SOHO’s efforts to affect preservation, such as pursuing legal redress on the development of PetCo Park downtown (which threatened historic buildings in East Village), and the annual Most Endangered Lists. But I think some people might be surprised at the wide range of programs and services SOHO provides to the region. Could you briefly describe some of those?
BC: We offer assistance and consultation to historical societies, house museum operators, government agencies of all types, and any historic site owner in numerous ways from the basic how-to-restore-a-building to advocacy advice. And while we are a San Diego County organization, we have provided services to Baja, Monterey, San Jose, Riverside, all over, any preservation inquiry that we think we can assist with we try to accommodate. We offer a variety of programming that includes architectural tours, lectures, and workshops. We participate in a large amount of public testimony and attend community and neighborhood groups. We also work with other groups on promotion of cultural heritage tourism at every opportunity.
CAC: I know I always enjoy coming into Old Town and attending our Board meetings in the Whaley House, Derby-Pendleton House or outside in the gardens. Why should folks from La Jolla come and visit the SOHO operated properties in Old Town or become a SOHO member?
BC: Thank you Courtney for giving me the opportunity to talk about the importance of joining SOHO. Well, honestly I cannot fathom anyone in San Diego who loves this city and county not wanting to be a member of SOHO. We protect this region’s historic and cultural resources, we fight for every citizen so that their children might know the San Diego that so many of us had the great pleasure of growing up with; we are one hundred percent about serving all who live and visit here. So if you treasure your community’s heritage, unique character, and quality of life SOHO should be at the top of your list as an organization to support. It is numbers that help to make our voice heard at city hall. I couldn’t stress enough how important it is to the preservation of the places that matter to San Diegans to join SOHO.
CAC: In the 17 years I’ve lived in La Jolla, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the community relative to the loss of cottages and gardens and the degradation of hillsides and visual quality. Why should people care about historic preservation in San Diego, and La Jolla, in particular?
BC: Because places matter, they matter to the people who live there and to the people who visit. People are attracted to communities by the way they look and feel, if La Jolla begins to look like any and every other community then what makes it special?
BC: I say there can’t be progress without preservation. Preserving our past as we grow is an essential component to the health and well-being of a community. Preservation can and should be the catalyst for new development. New development can actually enhance the historic nature of a community and ensure its financial sustainability through good times and bad.
CAC: What role could historic districts play in retaining more of the character of La Jolla?
BC: Historic districts are the best way to preserve a large group of related resources, they give the community tools to better preserve community character and they increase property values.
CAC: What kind of a role can Mills Act tax breaks likewise have in preserving La Jolla’s character?
BC: The Mills Act is the single biggest incentive for people to voluntary seek historic designation of their historic homes. It has been very successful in this regard. People who buy a historic home because they want a historic home, it helps them to invest in maintaining that home, but where the Mills Act is especially essential is that it gives an incentive to those people who otherwise might not necessarily preserve their historic homes. This in turn provides the character, quality and aesthetics for the entire community. It also fosters reinvestment in the community both in skilled jobs and purchases of goods and services.
CAC: Bruce, apart from high property values, what do you see as the biggest obstacle to preservation in La Jolla?
BC: Ignorance of the financial benefits of historic preservation and the extreme desirability of buildings that have stood the test of time by buyers and the tourist industry. As opposed to the limited value and short term desirability of new construction. Most of the new houses are either built by speculators from outside the community or people who live in them for less than two years, where as people who buy historic houses tend to be long term occupants.
CAC: I know in recent years SOHO and the Society have been working together on hot preservation issues in La Jolla. What is SOHO’s view on the restoration of the University House (Chancellor’s House property at UCSD), now on the National Register of Historic Places due in large part to the work of the Society?
BC: This was a great success. The property seems to be well on the way to being preserved and reused, which is preservation at its best. This is an example of what can be accomplished when we all work toward a common goal.
CAC: What is SOHO’s view of the direct and indirect impacts UCSD build-out may be having on the Gliderport property, another property on the National Register?
BC: There are several projects at UCSD that may prevent continued glider operations at the Gliderport. The LJHS, Glider clubs and SOHO are working with UCSD to try to avoid these impacts. This site is a national treasure and needs to be preserved in its current and historic use.
CAC: What is SOHO’s position on the Red Roost/Red Rest?
BC: These are extremely important national register landmarks and two of La Jolla’s oldest existing buildings. They need to be rehabilitated on site. This has been a 25-year struggle. SOHO has been trying to get the city to follow the demolition by neglect ordinance; so far the city has been reluctant to enforce it. We all need to keep up the pressure.
CAC: What role do you think community historical societies like the La Jolla Historical Society should play in preservation?
BC: To preserve important historic sites and community character. It is essential that local citizens and especially historical societies attend meetings when sites are threatened, write their councilperson and the mayor, and speak up at any opportunity about the benefit of historic preservation. Without local participation SOHO has a difficult time prevailing in the battles to save historic resources.
CAC: How can we empower more people, including children and youth, to get involved in historic preservation?
BC: By outreach to schools including programs and tours that are oriented to young people; a preservation curriculum much like the San Diego Unified School District’s Old Town Historical/Cultural Program for local history is one of SOHO’s long-term goals. Historical Societies can provide hands-on activities for kids such as building models of landmarks, or getting them involved in actual maintenance of a property, fun things like adobe wall repair and garden restoration. SOHO has a very successful junior docent program where youths from 12 to 18 can learn about history, decorative arts, preservation, and museum protocol. Adults react positively to the same things; SOHO’s Adobe U classes have been very popular and have introduced people to preservation of architecture in a whole new way.
CAC: What can we do to get our politicians to be more educated on the values of preservation, such as increased cultural tourism, property values and community pride?
BC: Well, first we must vote in the politicians that already have an appreciation for our history, natural resources, and historic preservation. It is important to meet with them and discuss preservation issues, especially in economic terms, and write to them with examples of how historic preservation has benefited your community. And again, attend city council meetings and give public testimony.
CAC: What else would you like to share with our readers, apart from directing folks to SOHO’s website at sohosandiego.org?
BC: SOHO is dedicated to retaining our quality of life here in San Diego and sustaining our economic infrastructure through retention of our historic and cultural resources. This is being accomplished all over the world through historic preservation and there is no justifiable argument that it can’t happen here. Thanks so much, Courtney, this has been a great discussion.
Courtney Ann Coyle is a La Jolla attorney in private practice focusing on environmental and cultural resource protection. She is also a past La Jolla Town Council President and currently a Board member of SOHO.
