Diane Kane wants La Jolla's coastline, including the Cove and Children's Pool, declared one of the most endangered historic places in the country.

Kane, a local historian and volunteer with La Jolla Parks & Beaches, submitted a nomination by the Thursday, Oct. 1, deadline asking the National Trust for Historic Preservation to add the La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District to its annual "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" list, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The roughly eight-acre district runs along 2.5 miles of coastline between Torrey Pines Road and Coast Walk in the north and nearly the end of Coast Boulevard in the south. It holds 35 contributing resources, including La Jolla Cove, the Children's Pool, the Casa de Mañana retirement community and the Red Roost and Red Rest cottages at 1179 and 1187 Coast Blvd.

The district earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2024, making it La Jolla's first nationally recognized historic district and one of only 26 in San Diego County. A condition assessment completed in July 2024 documented widespread deterioration across the area.

In her nomination letter, Kane cited tourism pressure, climate change, sea-level rise and a lack of City of San Diego resources as the district's main threats.

"La Jolla Park Coastal Historic District welcomes millions of visitors annually and is under extreme duress due to public use … Without routine upkeep, this heavy use has taken a toll on both natural and built features in the district," Kane wrote.

Kane gathered support letters from six local groups. Backers include the La Jolla Community Planning Association, La Jolla Town Council, Friends of Coast Walk Trail, the Museum of History and Culture La Jolla, the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board and the Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO).

In its letter, SOHO said the designation could be transformative and could push the City of San Diego to develop a comprehensive approach to preservation, tourism management and climate resilience.

Kane told the Union-Tribune that other historically designated sites across the country operate under formal management plans that balance preservation with tourism. She said the endangered designation could also prompt agencies to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact report for the area, something residents have requested for La Jolla Cove for several years.

So far, private groups have shouldered most of the upkeep. Parks and Beaches, Inc. and Friends of Coast Walk Trail have raised donations and grants to repair failing features along the coastline, according to Kane's nomination letter.

The Red Roost and Red Rest cottages, built in 1894, are considered the Village's oldest structures. Both have been virtually unmaintained for decades in what preservationists have called "demolition by neglect," the Union-Tribune reported July 31. The La Jolla Historical Society has appealed a city permit that would allow demolition of the Red Rest cottage. A San Diego City Council hearing on that appeal had not been scheduled as of July 2026.

No announcement date has been set.

The trust's annual list, published since 1988, has spotlighted more than 350 sites nationwide.

The Museum of History and Culture La Jolla hosts its annual Jewel Awards on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. at the La Valencia Hotel, recognizing homeowners for restoration and preservation work.