A pair of Moody Sister cottages in Montecito is causing tension as homeowners face backlash from a community that has resisted change to the popular historic buildings.

Santa Barbara County filed a lawsuit in July over the demolition of a cottage in Montecito that had been deemed a landmark by the Board of Supervisors.

The Middle Road cottage “was deemed a contribution to the county’s architectural history and declared a landmark for the edification of future generations,” attorneys wrote in the complaint.

According to court documents, the cottage was destroyed by homeowners Laurie and Charles Corson last year. It also alleges Laurie Corson was driving the bulldozer that destroyed the building.

The civil case was filed for demolition of a structure without a building permit, demolition of a structure in the Coastal Zone without a Coastal Development Permit, and violation of a condition of a permit.

The resolution designating the cottage as a landmark also prohibits demolishing or altering the cottage without Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission approval.

“After its unpermitted demolition, no other Moody Sister cottages in the unincorporated County are protected by landmark status,” the lawsuit says.

County administrators declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation.

The Corsons had not filed a response in court as of this week.

Supervisor Das Williams, who represents District 1 including Montecito, expressed his support for the lawsuit.

“The actions of the board demonstrate that we expect laws on historic preservation to be respected for the benefit of the community,” Williams told Noozhawk.

The cottage gained its status due to its distinct architectural style that was pioneered by the Moody Sisters, who built English-style, fairy tale-inspired homes in 1930s and 1940s.

Despite a lack of formal training, Harriet Moody, the oldest of her five sisters, would become an engineer for the city of Santa Barbara.

A Landmark in Disrepair, Owners Say

According to the Corsons, despite the historical status, the building posed a risk to the neighborhood.

In a meeting with the Historical Landmarks Advisory Commission in August 2023, Laurie Corson stated that she and her husband, Charles, believed that the cottage was a fire hazard.

Corson also stated that her insurance company informed her that it may not continue her homeowner’s insurance if the cottage remained on the property.

She stated that her fears were supported by the fact that she lives in an area that is at high risk for fires.

“We’re not malicious homeowners; we’re actually looking out for the neighborhood,” Corson told the commission.

Despite the building’s historical status, Corson claims that it had fallen into disrepair over the years.

“It was just a shell,” Corson told Noozhawk. “The floors were rotted and that was the condition that we got it in. And it…flooded more recently. But that was the condition we got it in, and over the years it got worse and worse.”

Additionally, the Corsons were required to remove the bath, stove, and other appliances that were in the cottage. In doing so, the couple also had to cut power, gas, and water to the building.

“If it caught on fire, there was nothing. We wouldn’t even be notified,” she­­­ said.

The Board of Supervisors designated the cottage as a landmark in March 2014 with the approval of the previous owners. The Corsons purchased the property in August of that same year and, according to the county’s lawsuit, they were aware of and did not challenge its landmark status.

Corson said she and her husband tried to have the cottage moved to a new location and offered to pay part of the fees for relocation. However, it was more difficult than they were led to believe, she said.

Corson claimed that the couple received multiple offers for the cottage, but they fell through due to the costs of moving it and the strict guidelines for maintaining the architectural style of Moody Sister cottages.

The Montecito Board of Architectural Review regulates the look of historical properties in the area and requires renovations or changes to match the neighborhood.

Neighbors Challenge Another Moody Cottage’s Renovations

A different Moody Sister cottage on Periwinkle Lane in Montecito became the subject of scrutiny after the homeowners made changes to its roof and building color.

They had installed a black metallic roof and changed it from the original height.

Neighbors challenged the renovations, and the issue has been discussed by local review boards for months.

Last week, homeowner Richard Scibird updated the Montecito Board of Architectural Review on his plans.

The traditional style for Moody cottages includes black or brown shingles, and Scibird confirmed he would be replacing the roof with the traditional shingle style.

“There were some color changes to the house that we agreed to [and] the standing seam metal roof that we agreed to remove,” Scibird told the board.

The full changes that Scibird agreed to included painting the house to a more neutral color and changing outdoor light fixtures to a style that is closer to the Moody theme.

When asked about the process and the appeals, Scibird declined to comment.

MBAR gave the project final approval last week after 17 months of reviews across multiple committees, including HLAC, MBAR, and the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission.

The main challenge to the changes came from a neighbor, Bill Babbitt, who said the work was not aligned with the original style. In a letter to MBAR, his attorney, Joe Cole, claimed the work also was done without permits.