Calabasas Municipal Code Ch. 2.30 Historic Preservation Commission

An historic preservation commission is established in accordance with the provisions of this Code and may be known and referred to as the "Calabasas Historic Preservation Commission," the "historic preservation commission," or the "commission."

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

A. The commission shall consist of six (6) members. The five (5) voting members shall be lawful residents of the city and electors during their respective terms of office. The sixth member shall be an ex-officio, nonvoting member and a member of the Calabasas-Las Virgenes Historical Society and is not required to be a resident of the city. The Board of Directors of the Calabasas-Las Virgenes Historical Society shall nominate the nonvoting member, which nomination shall be subject to city council confirmation.

B. Commissioners nominated by individual city councilmembers shall have terms lasting for the lesser of two (2) years or until the expiration of the term of the councilmember who nominated him or her. The ex-officio, non-voting member shall have a term lasting two (2) years. Notwithstanding the expiration of a term, a commissioner or alternate shall continue until his or her successor has been appointed.

C. If a vacancy occurs other than by expiration of a term, a new commissioner shall be appointed in the manner set forth above and shall serve the unexpired portion of the term.

D. Required Qualifications. All members should have a demonstrated interest in Calabasas' historical, architectural and cultural heritage and have special interest, knowledge, or training in fields closely related to historic preservation. Such fields include architecture, history, landscape architecture, architectural history, planning, archaeology, urban design, geography, real estate, law, finance, building trades or related areas.

E. Desired Qualifications.

1. If possible, the city council shall appoint at least two (2) members to the commission who are professionals in the fields or disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, history, architectural history, urban planning, American studies, geography, archaeology, or other historic preservation-related disciplines to the extent that such professionals are available in the community.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2010-274, § 2, 4-28-2010; Ord. No. 2014-309, § 1, 2-12-2014; Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

A. The commission shall elect a chair and a vice chair from among its members, each for a term of one (1) year, at its first regular meeting of each year. No person shall serve more than two (2) successive terms. The chair, or in the absence of the chair, the vice chair, shall preside over the meetings of the commission.

B. With the consent of the city council, the commission may also appoint such other officers as may be necessary for the administration of its business, at the same time and for like terms.

C. The commission may appoint committees from its membership and, with the consent of the city council, appoint advisory committees from other interested public and private groups.

D. The commission may adopt rules and regulations for the transaction of its business. The commission is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act, Section 54950, et seq., of the Government Code.

E. The city's historic preservation officer shall serve as secretary of the commission.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-320, § 4, 2-11-2015; Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

The historic preservation commission shall have the following powers and duties as specified in Chapter 17.36 of this Code.

A. Recommend for adoption by the city council criteria for, and upon appropriation of necessary funds by the council, conduct or cause to be conducted, a comprehensive survey in conformance with state and federal survey standards, policies and guidelines of historical resources within the boundaries of the city, and to publicize and periodically update the survey results.

B. The authority to hear and decide the following.

1. Applications for certificates of appropriateness;

2. Applications for certificates of economic hardship.

C. The authority to hear and make recommendations to the city council regarding the following:

1. Applications for designations of historic landmarks, landscapes and districts;

2. Applications for placement of landmarks or districts on the National Register of Historical Places or the California Register of Historical Resources;

3. Applications for Mills Act contracts.

D. Authority to act upon an appeal of any order, requirement, permit, decision, or determination of the city's historic preservation officer concerning historical resources under this development code.

E. Maintain a local register of designated historic landmarks, landscapes and districts consistent with those criteria contained in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources, including all information required for each designation.

F. The authority to review and make recommendations to the appropriate approval body regarding all projects within the Commercial Old Town (CT) Zone.

G. Undertake any other action or activity necessary or appropriate to implement its powers or duties to fulfill the objectives of the historic preservation program.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2010-276, § 4, 6-23-2010; Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

Regular meetings of the historic preservation commission shall be held quarterly, on the second Wednesday of the month, in the months of January, April, July and October, at the hour of seven p.m.; or the next succeeding day which is not a holiday; or at such other times as may be established by resolution of the city council. Regular meetings may be adjourned by public announcement to a specified date, and any such adjourned meeting shall be deemed a regular meeting. Special meetings may be called as provided in the Ralph M. Brown Act and shall be convened as necessary to ensure that actions required of the commission under this Code are consistent with the requirements of the Permit Streamlining Act, Government Code Section 65950, et seq., and that projects which require approval from both the historic preservation commission and the planning commission are considered consistently with the deadlines established in that Act.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, adopted April 8, 2015, repealed § 2.30.070, which pertained to absence from meetings and derived from Ord. 2008-241, § 4(part), adopted in 2008.

The secretary of the historic preservation commission shall cause proper records to be kept of all the commission's official acts, proceedings and resolutions, which shall be public records. The commission shall make reports to the city council as provided for in the state planning law (Government Code Section 65400), and as provided by the council.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

The community development director, or his or her designee, shall serve as the city's historic preservation officer (CHPO) and as secretary to the historic preservation commission. The historic preservation officer shall maintain a record of all commission resolutions, proceedings and actions, in addition to the other duties specified herein.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)

A. Historic preservation commission decisions shall become final at five p.m. on the tenth day next succeeding the date of the decision unless, prior to that hour, an appeal is filed in accordance with Chapter 17.74.

B. In addition to the requirements of Chapter 17.74, the following requirements shall apply to appeals of commission decisions.

1. The filing of an appeal within the time limit herein specified shall stay the order of the commission and the issuance of any permits predicated thereon until the city council has acted on the appeal.

2. Appeals shall be heard and decided by the planning commission.

3. The fee for an appeal of the commission's decision shall be established by city council resolution, as amended.

4. In meeting the requirements of Section 17.74.030, the grounds for an appeal shall be based upon a claim that the commission erred in its decision, and the appeal shall state the reasons the commission errored.

(Ord. 2008-241 § 4 (part), 2008)

(Ord. No. 2015-321, § 3, 4-8-2015)