Personal preference doesn’t mean they should be protected, though.
I think the point is the current special case regulations/historical building thingamajabbers make it hard for owners to sell and move out. This is a unique predicament, as opposed to people in La Jolla that have similarly historic mid-century modern homes. It’s sad to me that they are turned into Tuscan McMansions, but at the same time, legislation preventing this is a bit overkill.