Atherton Municipal Code Art. III Owner Obligations

A. The owner of a historic building shall ensure the preservation of the historic building by undertaking preventative maintenance.

B. Preventive maintenance should be carried out in a fashion consistent with good preservation practice and consistent with the Secretary of the Interior standards. Preventive maintenance activities include, but are not limited to, cleaning, repainting of stone and masonry, and repainting of previously painted surfaces in the same or similar color that does not involve a change in design, material or the external appearance thereof.

C. This section does not prevent the construction, reconstruction, alteration, restoration, demolition or removal of any historic building which has been certified by the town building official, or Menlo Park fire district fire chief, or other code enforcement officer as being in unsafe or dangerous condition which cannot be rectified through the use of the California State Historic Building Code.

• D. It shall be the duty of the chief building official to enforce this section. (Ord. 652 § 1, 2022)

A. Historic Buildings Not Subject to a Historical Property Contract. An alteration permit is required prior to work commencing on a historic building where the work will result in any of the following changes to the historic building:

1. Major alteration.

2. Demolition.

3. Removal.

4. Relocation.

5. Change to any exterior architectural feature.

6. Removal or relocation of site improvements, structures, or natural features.

B. Historic Buildings Subject to a Historical Property Contract. In addition to the circumstances described in subsection A of this section, an alteration permit is required prior to work commencing on a historic building subject to a historical property contract where the work will result in any changes to any feature specifically designated through the historical property contract as requiring an alteration permit.

C. Exemption for Minor Alterations. An alteration permit is not required prior to work commencing on a historic building where the work will be limited to minor alterations. (Ord. 652 § 1, 2022)

A. Application Process. Applications for alteration permits shall be submitted to the planning department. Applications shall be submitted on the form provided by the planning department and must, at a minimum, include the following information:

1. A clear statement of the proposed work;

2. A site plan showing all existing buildings, structures, trees over six inches in diameter, property lines, easements and the proposed work;

3. Detailed plans showing both the existing and proposed exterior elevations, including a street elevation, photographs of windows and/or special features, materials and grading;

4. Specifications describing all materials to be used and all processes that would affect the appearance or nature of the materials;

5. Detailed narrative explaining how proposed improvements comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Rehabilitation; and

6. Such other information or documents as may be requested by the town planner or the planning commission.

B. Town Planner Review. After reviewing an application for an alteration permit, the town planner may require additional documentary materials, including an evaluation of the proposed alterations by a qualified historical preservation professional, prior to referring the application to the planning commission for consideration where the town planner determines additional information is necessary to assist the planning commission in making a determination on the application. (Ord. 652 § 1, 2022)

A. Planning Commission Hearing. Following preliminary review by the town planner, alteration permits shall be considered by the planning commission. Consideration of applications shall be noticed as set forth in Section 17.06.080, hearings shall be held as set forth in Section 17.06.090, and appeals shall be processed as set forth in Section 17.06.100.

• B. Required Findings. To approve an alteration permit, the planning commission must find that:

  1. The project complies with all provisions of this chapter;

  2. The project does not adversely affect the physical integrity or the historic significance of the historical property; and

  3. The project complies with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The planning commission may conditionally approve an alteration permit, subject to such conditions that it deems necessary to maintain the historic significance of the historic building.

C. Commencing Work Following Approval. After the planning commission approves or conditionally approves an alteration permit and the applicable appeal period has run, the town planner shall issue a written certificate of the alteration permit in accordance with the recommendation. No work shall commence until the certificate of the alteration permit has been issued. (Ord. 652 § 1, 2022)