Eichler Victory in Sacramento! - Page 2

It was a two‐pronged effort that involved winning over neighbors, and meetings with city officials to work out details of a historic district with guidelines to protect the homes.

"What was nice is, when we did have the social gatherings and the topic eventually came up about the historic district," Gisela says, "we could have a casual conversation about it. There wasn't really this intensity. It was just comfortable and relaxed."

The pandemic halted gatherings, but leaders worked via Zoom with city planners on design guidelines and other issues. A 'spring fling' and other community events tied to the district plan resumed as the pandemic waned.

Proponents talked up the benefits of a historic district whenever they could. It helps, they say, that South Land Park is walkable, and neighbors know neighbors.

"You talk to people," Susan says. "Sometimes it's not necessarily planned events. I'm sitting out here doing yard work. I'll talk with whoever goes by."

There was opposition to the district from a couple of people, and one voiced strong objections at the first meeting. But negativity never took hold.

There were concerns that rules would prevent homeowners from making changes to their homes, but Gisela says these were easy to dispel.

"At one of our meetings, Susan and Sean [de Courcy, the city's planning director] reiterated that you can do whatever you want inside to your home," Gisela says. "New kitchen? Right. New bathroom? It's OK." Historic district rules would only affect portions of the home visible from the street.

It also helped that neighbors were primed to the value of their homes, thanks to the Eichler Network and its CA‐Modern magazine, Gretchen says, and to the modern home tours and other work her group, SacMod, had done over the years.

Gisela recalls a dramatic moment at a get‐together where one neighbor "said that in Palo Alto you have two‐story homes, a second level added onto the garage on an Eichler. Number one, it doesn't look right. And number two, you now have people looking into your backyard that didn't before.

"And that [moment] was [like] a light bulb that I saw go on for a lot of people that were in the room, that they wanted to maintain their privacy and the look of the neighborhood. That was a really interesting comment that I think shifted things a little bit."

Dane Henas says promoters kept things friendly, never coming across as "hardcore activists, out there like screaming people," something he had seen in a different neighborhood.

What advice do the leaders in South Land Park have for other Eichler owners seeking to preserve their neighborhoods?

"Be patient," Gretchen says. "Be persistent."

"And use the opportunity to get to know your neighbors, and to truly form a community," Gisela says.

"It's the long game," Gretchen adds. "And know the process. Understand how things work at the local level."

• The Eichlers of South Land Park Hills are located on Oakridge Way, Fordham Way, and South Land Park Drive. For our archived profile of the neighborhood, click here.