Appreciation of Honda

We appreciated Sam Hall Kaplan’s article about the McKinley Mansion and architect Yujiro Honda (July 12).

As members of the City of San Clemente’s Community Design Commission, we’re encouraged to hear of an architect like Honda, whose sensitivity to an existing building outweighed his personal economic loss and loyalty to the firm which hired him to design 118 units for the site.

It takes courage and conviction to make such a decision forestalling demolition when there is also a commission fee involved. But this only proves what preservationists have always known: Some buildings are so splendid that they “rise above” the tear-it-down mentality.

While city preservation groups and design review boards may perform the bulk of raising community awareness of historically significant structures, people like Honda make the process surprisingly and refreshingly effective.

MARIE SWAMI

JANE MERTENS

BLYTHE WELTON

WES LANDEN

LARRY BEIERLE

RIC NICOL

San Clemente

The six are members of the San Clemente Community Design Commission.