Please Help Save the William Mellenthin Birdhouse Apartments
Like so many structures, the William Mellenthin Birdhouse Apartments located at 5920-30 Buffalo Avenue in Valley Glen are under threat by developers, erasing historically relevant buildings, and existing affordable housing.
Unfortunately, the property was recently sold, and the new owner has submitted plans to demolish it and build a 5-story, 104 unit apartment complex.
Why is this property historically significant?
William Mellenthin (1896–1979) was a builder and is well known for his iconic “Birdhouse” ranch homes built from the 1940s to the 1960s in San Fernando Valley. He built dovecotes (birdhouses) into the roofs.
Although William Mellenthin built many single-family homes, there were only a few multi-family dwellings he developed, which most have been destroyed.
The proposed Historic site on Buffalo Avenue is the only extant One-Story Ranch-Style Multi-Family Apartments built by William Mellenthin, while retaining nearly all of its original features as built 70 years ago.
Knowing the historic significance of the property, neighbors took action to preserve it by nominating it as a Historic Cultural Monument, which temporarily halts any demolition or substantial alteration while the nomination is under consideration.
At the February 6, 2025 Cultural Heritage Commission meeting, the Commission voted unanimously in favor of designating the William Mellenthin Birdhouse Apartments as a Historic Cultural Monument.
On April 8, 2025, the Los Angeles City Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) voted unanimously in favor of designating the William Mellenthin Birdhouse Apartments as a Historic Cultural Monument.
The nomination will now go in front of the Los Angeles City Council for their vote, meeting date TBD.
HOW YOU CAN HELP!!!
It is VERY important that the community shows their support for the nomination.
You can help by submitting a support letter to the PLUM Committee. Submissions are due by April 4, 2025 by 5:00pm, but actually the sooner the better.
The City Clerk’s Office now has a new centralized Public Comment Portal for you to submit your comments on items considered by City Council.
Our Council File Number is 25-0179.
You can submit your letter of support online by going to:
https://cityclerk.lacity.org/publiccomment/?cfnumber=25-0179
Please start your letter with:
Dear PLUM Committee Members,
I strongly support of the Historic Designation of the William Mellenthin Birdhouse Apartments CHC-2024-6156-HCM.