Los Angeles County Municipal Code Ch. 22.82 Historic Districts

Historic districts are established as supplemental districts to:

A.

Implement special development standards to promote, protect, enhance, perpetuate, and preserve property of historic importance within the unincorporated areas of the County for the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the public;

B.

Implement the General Plan by ensuring development consistent with the General Plan's policies concerning urban design, neighborhood enhancement, housing, land use, and historic and cultural resources;

C.

Deter the demolition, destruction, alteration, misuse, or neglect of historically significant buildings and structures which constitute an important link to the County's past;

D.

Stimulate the economic health and residential quality of unincorporated County communities and stabilize and enhance the value of property in those communities; and

E.

Encourage development tailored to the character and significance of each historic district.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

An historic district shall be established or amended by ordinance adopted in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 22.124 (Historic Preservation).

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

A.

Property within the boundaries of an historic district may be used for any purpose permitted in the basic zone to which the historic district is added, subject to all applicable provisions of this Title 22, including but not limited to Chapter 22.124 (Historic Preservation), and any development standards, limitations, conditions, or other regulations applicable to the historic district as may be set forth in the ordinance establishing or amending the historic district.

B.

Notwithstanding Section 22.300.020 (Application of Community Standards Districts to Property), where an ordinance establishing or amending a historic district imposes development standards, limitations, conditions or regulations which are inconsistent with those otherwise imposed by this Title 22, the development standards, limitations, conditions, and regulations set forth in the ordinance establishing or amending the historic district shall supersede any inconsistent provisions in this Title 22.

(Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

Established historic districts are listed in Table 22.82.040-A, below. These historic districts are shown on the Zoning Map and are incorporated with all provisions specified in each respective ordinance of adoption.

(Ord. 2026-0015 § 1, 2026; Ord. 2019-0004 § 1, 2019.)

A.

Effective Date. The effective date of the establishment of the Highlands Historic District (District) is July 9, 2026.

B.

District Location and Map. The District is located in the unincorporated community of Altadena, and its boundaries are depicted on Figure 22.82.050.A: Historic Highlands Historic District Boundary at the end of this Section.

C.

Contributing Properties. Contributing properties of the District are identified as follows:

D.

Character-Defining Features.

Character-Defining Features of the District.

a.

Significant front yard setbacks;

b.

Rhythm of spacing between buildings;

c.

Mature shade trees on streets and in yards;

d.

One- or two-story mid-scale residences;

e.

Large lots with open space in proportion to size of building;

f.

Streets with varying presence of sidewalks; and

g.

Lack of high fencing in front yards.

Architectural Styles and Character-Defining Features of Contributing Properties.

a.

Craftsman. One or two stories in height; low-pitched front-facing gabled roofs; broad, overhanging eaves with exposed structural members, such as rafter tails, knee braces, and king posts; shingled exteriors with some clapboard; broad front entry porches of half or full width, with square or battered columns; extensive use of natural materials for columns, chimneys, retaining walls, and landscape features; wide, solid wood doors with sidelights; casement windows arranged in groups; and three-over-one or four-over-one windows.

b.

American Foursquare. Square or rectangular plan; compact, two-story massing; symmetrical or asymmetrical composition; hipped or pyramidal roof, sometimes with wide-boxed eaves and eave brackets or dentil molding; central hipped dormer; exterior walls finished in horizontal wood siding or stucco; projecting one-story porch with classic details; wood double-hung windows; and detached carriage house, usually at rear of property.

c.

Tudor Revival. Asymmetrical façade and irregular massing; steeply-pitched multi-gabled roof with a prominent front-facing gable and slate, wood shake, or composition roofing; brick or plaster exterior wall cladding, typically with half-timbering and decorative details in wood, stone, or brick; tall, narrow divided light windows, usually casement, often grouped horizontally or in bays and may have leaded diamond-shaped lights; decorative half-timbering; entrance with pointed arch, set in turret or under secondary gable; and prominent chimney with elaborate brickwork.

d.

English Cottage Revival. Asymmetrical with irregular plan and massing; steeply-pitched roof with little or no eave extension, sometimes with rolled edges on roofing to imitate thatch; gable or cross-gable roof; stucco walls, sometimes with brick or wood accents; decorative masonry on exterior walls or gables, primarily brick; recessed entry, usually under a primary front- facing gable but sometimes under small gable-roof portico; and groupings of tall, narrow casement windows, often with leaded, diamond panes.

e.

Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic. Asymmetrical façades and complex massing; use of patios, courtyards, loggias or covered porches, and/or balconies; stucco wall cladding; low-pitched gable or hipped roofs with clay tile roof cladding; coved, molded, or wood-bracketed eaves; square or round towers; arched window and door openings; single or paired multi- paned windows; decorative stucco or tile vents; and use of wrought iron, cast stone, terra cotta, or colored tile.

f.

Neoclassical Revival. Symmetrical or asymmetrical front elevation with emphasis on classical elements; prominent front porch with combinations of classical detailing; classical columns; narrow, clapboard, or stucco siding; and double-hung windows, leaded glass in upper sash or transom.

g.

American Colonial Revival. Side or cross-gable roof, sometimes with dormers; symmetrical composition; horizontal wood siding; paneled wood entry door, sometimes with sidelights, transom light, or fanlight; double hung, divided light wood sash

windows, usually with wood shutters; projecting front porch with gabled or arched crown supported by pilasters or columns; and prominent brick chimney.

h.

Modern Colonial. Typically one or two stories in height; simple building forms; side-gabled roof, typically with boxed eaves; may display multiple roof dormers; symmetrical façade with entryway as the primary focus; clapboard or brick exteriors; classical detailing is simplified to merely suggest their Colonial precedents, rather than closely mirroring them; and details may include stylized door surrounds paneled front door, sometimes set within a recessed entry, multi-paned double-hung sash windows and fixed shutters.

i.

Minimal Traditional. Simple, rectangular plan; one-story configuration; medium- or low-pitched hip or side-gable roof with shallow eaves; smooth stucco wall cladding, often with wood lap or stone veneer accents; wood multi-light windows, including picture, double-hung sash, casement, and slider; lack of decorative exterior detailing; shallow entry porch with slender wood supports; and detached garages, usually located at the rear of the property.

j.

Ranch. One-story, sprawling plan; low, horizontal massing with wide street façade; low-pitched hipped or gable roof with open overhanging eaves and wood shakes; plaster, wood lap, or board-and-batten siding, often with brick or stone accents; divided light wood sash windows, including picture, casement, and diamond pane; wide, covered front porch with wood posts; attached garage, sometimes linked with open-sided breezeway; details, such as wood shutters, attic vents in gable ends, dovecotes, and extended gables; and Cinderella Ranch sub-type may feature scalloped bargeboards, decorative shutters, and bird houses in the gable ends.

E.

Designation Criteria. The District meets the following designation criteria:

More than 50 percent of property owners in the District consented to designation;

The structures are 50 years of age or older because the primary structures on contributing properties to the District were constructed from 1905 to 1959;

The District is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of history in the County and the community of Altadena. The area exemplifies the process of the subdivision of orange groves into a bustling suburb during the economic boom of the 1920s;

The District embodies distinctive characteristics of the following architectural styles: Craftsman, American Foursquare, Tudor Revival, English Cottage Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival/Spanish Eclectic, Neoclassical Revival, American Colonial Revival, Modern Colonial, Minimal Traditional, and Ranch; and

The District exhibits a concentration of historic properties containing common character-defining features, which contribute to each other and are unified aesthetically by significant geographical patterns, particularly the boundaries of the original Pasadena Highlands Tract.

F.

Certificate of Appropriateness Exemptions. A certificate of appropriateness is not required for the following work:

Painting or staining;

Landscaping;

Removal or pruning of trees located in rear yards; or

Work that:

a.

Does not involve the construction or alteration of a building;

b.

Does not alter a character-defining feature; and

c.

Is not visible from the public right-of-way, absent of any temporary feature, such as fencing or landscaping.

FIGURE 22.82.050.A: HISTORIC HIGHLANDS HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARY

(Ord. 2026-0015 § 2, 2026.)