La Mesa Municipal Code Ch. 25.03 Historic Landmarks, Historic Districts, Certificates of Appropriateness

A cultural resource may be recommended for designation as a landmark or historic district, if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

A. It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City's cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, or architectural history; or

B. It is identified with persons or events significant in local, state, or national history; or

C. It embodies distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, or is a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship; or

D. It is representative of the notable work of an acclaimed builder, designer, or architect; or

E. It is identified with a person or persons or groups who significantly contributed to the culture and development of the City; or

F. It embodies elements of outstanding attention to architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship; or

G. It is an archeological or paleontological site which has the potential of yielding information of scientific value; or

H. It is a geographically definable area possessing a concentration of sites, buildings, structures, improvements, or objects linked historically through location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and/or association, in which the collective value of the improvements may be greater than the value of each individual improvement.

Historic landmarks shall be established by the City Council in the following manner:

A. Any person may request the designation of an improvement or landscape feature as a historic landmark by submitting a written request for such designation to the Commission. The Commission, Planning Director, or City Council may also initiate such proceedings on their own motion.

B. Any such request shall be filed with the Planning Department upon the prescribed form and shall include the following data:

1. Name and address of property owner and Assessor's Parcel Number and address of the site.

2. Description of the proposed landmark, including special aesthetic, cultural, architectural, or engineering interest or value of a historic nature.

3. Sketches, photographs, or drawings.

4. Statement of condition of structures.

5. Explanation of any known threats to the improvement or site.

6. Other information requested by the Planning Department.

C. At a noticed public hearing within forty-five (45) days of the date of the request, the Commission shall review the landmark application according to the criteria of Section 25.03.010.

D. Notice of the date, place, time and purpose of the hearing shall be mailed, return receipt requested, to the owner of the proposed landmark property at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the public hearing, using the name and address of such owner as shown on the latest equalized assessment rolls. Failure to send notice by mail to any property owner when the address of such owner is not on the latest equalized assessment roll shall not invalidate any proceedings in connection with the proposed designation.

E. A notice of the scheduled public hearing before the Historic Preservation Commission shall be forwarded to the Building Department by the Planning Department and no building or demolition permits for any alteration to any exterior architectural feature of the proposed landmark shall be issued while the public hearing is pending.

F. The Commission shall make its recommendation at the close of the hearing. If the Commission determines that the improvement does not meet landmark criteria, the process shall terminate and the Commission shall notify the property owner and applicant of such termination within fourteen (14) days of the Commission's determination.

G. If the Commission determines that the cultural resource warrants landmark designation and the property owner has consented to same in writing, then the Commission shall submit a written recommendation to the City Council and City Clerk, incorporating its reasons in support of the proposed landmark designation, within fourteen (14) days of reaching its decision. Without the property owner's consent to the proposed designation, the process shall terminate.

H. The City Clerk, upon receipt of a said recommendation in support of a proposed historic landmark designation, shall set the matter for public hearing by the City Council within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the recommendation.

I. At the conclusion of the public hearing of the proposed designation, the City Council shall, by resolution, designate or conditionally designate the historic landmark, or shall by motion disapprove it in its entirety. Written notice of the City Council action shall be mailed to the property owner. Such designation shall be filed with the County Recorder.

(Ord. 2482 § 1; October 27, 1987)

Historic districts shall be established by the City Council in the following manner:

A. Any person may request the designation of an area as a historic district by submitting a written request for such designation to the Commission. The Commission, Planning Director, or City Council may also initiate such proceedings on their own motion.

B. Any such request shall be filed with the Planning Department upon the prescribed form and shall include the following data:

1. Boundaries of the proposed district and a list of names and addresses of property owners, Assessor's Parcel Numbers and addresses of properties within the boundaries.

2. Description of the proposed historic district, including special aesthetic, cultural, architectural, or engineering interest or value of a historical nature.

3. Sketches, photographs, or drawings.

4. Statement of condition of structures and improvements within the district.

5. Explanation of any known threats to any cultural resource within the district.

6. Other information requested by the Planning Department.

C. At a noticed public hearing within ninety (90) days of the date of the initiation or request, the Commission shall review the historic district application according to the criteria of section 25.03.010.

D. Notice of the date, place, time and purpose of the hearing shall be mailed, return receipt requested, to the owners of property in the proposed historic district at least fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the public hearing, using the name and address of such owner as shown on the latest equalized assessment rolls. Failure to send notice by mail to any property owner when the address of such owner is not on the latest equalized assessment rolls shall not invalidate any proceedings in connection with the proposed historic district designation.

E. A notice of the scheduled public hearing shall be forwarded to the Building Department by the Planning Department and no building or demolition permits for any alteration to any exterior architectural feature or landscape feature of the proposed district shall be issued while the public hearing is pending.

F. The Commission shall make its recommendation at the close of the hearing. If the Commission determines that the area does not meet historic district criteria, the process shall terminate and the Commission shall notify the property owners and applicants of such termination within fourteen (14) days of the Commission's determination. Further, if written documentation of the consent of two-thirds (66-⅔%) of the owners of property within the proposed district to the proposed designation is not obtained at the time of the Historic Preservation Commission hearing, the process shall terminate and the Commission shall notify the property owners and applicant of said termination within fourteen (14) days of the Commission's determination.

G. If the Commission determines that the area warrants historic district designation, it shall submit a written recommendation to the City Council and City Clerk, incorporating its reasons in support of the proposed historic district designation, within fourteen (14) days of reaching its decision. Such recommendation shall include a report containing the following information:

1. A map showing the proposed boundaries of the historic district and identifying all structures within the boundaries, contributing or non-contributing.

2. An explanation of the significance of the proposed district and description of the cultural resources within the proposed boundaries.

3. Recommendations as to appropriate permitted uses, special uses, height and area regulations, minimum dwelling size, floor area, sign regulations, parking regulations, and any other modification to existing development standards necessary or appropriate to the preservation of the proposed historic district.

4. Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of Certificates of Appropriateness to the nominated historic district.

H. The City Clerk, upon receipt of a said recommendation in support of a proposed historic district designation, shall set the matter for public hearing by the City Council within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the recommendation.

I. At the conclusion of the public hearing on the proposed designation, the City Council shall, by resolution, designate or conditionally designate the historic district, or shall by motion disapprove it in its entirety. Written notice of the City Council action shall be mailed to the owners of property within the district. A record of such designation of the district shall be filed for each individual property within the district with the County Recorder.

(Ord. 2482 § 2; October 27, 1987)

A. No person shall carry out or cause to be carried out on a designated landmark or in a designated historic district any alteration to any exterior architectural feature of such structures, improvements, or sites, including construction or relocation, without a Certificate of Appropriateness.

B. The Planning Department shall maintain within the Building Department a current record of designated landmarks and historic districts. The Building Department shall require any application for a permit to work on a designated cultural resource to be accompanied by an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness.

C. If no permit is required to pursue work on a designated cultural resource, whoever is responsible for the work whether it is the tenant, resident, or property owner shall apply for the Certificate of Appropriateness directly.

D. An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be filed with the Planning Department and shall contain the following materials and information:

1. A clear statement of the proposed work.

2. Plans describing the size, height, and appearance of the proposed work.

3. A site plan showing all existing buildings, improvements, landscape features and the proposed work.

4. Other information deemed necessary by the Planning Department.

E. The Planning Department shall refer all applications to the Historic Preservation Commission, which shall complete its review and make a decision within sixty (60) days of the receipt of the application. All decisions of the Commission shall be made at a scheduled public meeting of the Commission. The Commission shall approve, approve with modifications, or deny each application in writing, stating the findings of fact and reasons relied upon in reaching its decision.

F. The Commission, or the City Council, upon appeal, shall issue a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed work if and only if it determines:

1. The action proposed is consistent with the purposes of this Chapter; and

2. The action proposed is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation; or

3. The action proposed will not be detrimental to a structure or feature of significant aesthetic, cultural, architectural or engineering interest or value of a historical nature; or

4. In the case of construction of a new improvement, building or structure within a historic district, that the exterior of such improvements will not adversely affect and will be compatible with the external appearance of existing improvements, buildings and structures in said district; or

5. The applicant has demonstrated that the action proposed is necessary to correct an unsafe or dangerous condition on the property.

G. The action of the Historic Preservation Commission in approving, approving with modifications, or denying a Certificate of Appropriateness shall become final on the tenth day following the Commission's determination unless appealed in writing within this time period. Upon approval of an application, and following the appeal period, the Commission shall issue a Certificate of Appropriateness, copies of which shall be forwarded to the applicant and the Building Department.

H. Decisions of the Commission may be appealed to the City Council. Appeals must be filed with the City Clerk within ten (10) days of the Commission's decision. Upon the filing of an appeal, the City Clerk shall set the matter for public hearing. Such hearing shall be held within. forty-five (45) days of the filing of the appeal. The City Council shall render its decision on the appeal at the close of the public hearing.

Nothing in this Title shall be construed to prevent ordinary maintenance that does not involve alteration of any exterior architectural feature.

No person shall demolish any designated historic landmark or any contributing structure within a designated historic district except in accordance with the following provisions.

A. The Building Department shall refer any application for a permit to demolish a historic landmark or contributing structure within a historic district to the Historic Preservation Commission.

B. The Historic Preservation Commission shall consider the application for a demolition permit at a noticed public hearing within forty-five (45) days of the date of referral.

C. In reviewing the demolition permit application, the Commission shall consider, but not by way of limitation, the relative significance of the cultural resource, the effect that the proposed demolition will have upon the integrity of the District, and post-demolition plans for the site.

D. Within thirty (30) days of the close of the hearing, the Commission shall make its recommendation and submit a written report to the City Council and City Clerk, incorporating reasons and findings in support of its recommendation. The Commission's report may also recommend conditions under which a demolition permit may be approved.

E. The City Clerk, upon receipt of a said recommendation regarding a demolition permit application, shall set the matter for public hearing by the City Council within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Commission's recommendation.

F. At the conclusion of the public hearing on the demolition permit application, the City Council shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny the demolition permit application, by resolution, or shall, by motion, suspend action for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days. Conditions may include, but not by way of limitation, donation of salvageable artifacts, documentation of the structure through photographs, drawings, and/or making the structure available for relocation.

If action is suspended on the matter, the Council may direct the Historic preservation Commission to seek alternatives to demolition during the interim period.

In the event any historic landmark, contributing structure within a historic district, or structure in the process of designation as such, is damaged by earthquake, fire, or Act of God to such an extent that in the opinion of the Building official it cannot reasonably be repaired or restored, the same may be removed from the provisions of Section 26.03.060 for said removal.