Chapter 2.27 — HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD

The Historic Resources Board shall be composed of five members appointed by the City Council and serving without pay. Members shall have demonstrated interest in and knowledge of history, architecture or historic preservation. Two members shall be professionals in the disciplines of architecture, architectural history, planning, landscape architecture, or related disciplines, or pre-historic and historic archaeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, or conservation and at least one member shall possess academic education or practical experience in history or a related field such as American studies, American civilization, or cultural geography. The Palo Alto Historical Association shall be given notice of vacancies on the board and shall be encouraged to have its members submit applications.

(Ord. 5624 § 2, 2024: Ord. 5208 § 20, 2013)

Terms of office on the Historic Resources Board shall be three years. Terms shall be staggered so that three positions are refilled one year, and four positions are refilled two years later. Effective January 1, 2022, terms of office due to expire on December 15 of each year shall be extended to expire on March 31 of the following year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on April 1. If a successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his or her successor is appointed, subject to the limits in Section 2.16.080.

(Ord. 5529 § 10, 2021: Ord. 5311 § 6, 2015: Ord. 5208 § 21, 2013)

(a) The Board shall hold meetings monthly or at the pleasure of the chairperson, but no fewer than four meetings per year.

(b) The Board shall establish such rules as may be appropriate and necessary for the orderly conduct of its business, consistent with City Council guidelines for boards and commissions.

(c) The Board shall elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson from its membership who shall serve in such capacity for terms of one year each, or until a successor is elected. The chairperson shall preside over meetings of the board, and in the absence or disability of the chairperson, the vice chairperson shall perform the duties of the chairperson.

(d) Three members shall constitute a quorum and decisions of the board shall be determined by majority vote of those members present at the meeting. Action minutes shall be kept by the Board.

(Ord. 5624 § 3, 2024: Ord. 5208 § 22, 2013)

It is the duty of the historic resources board to:

(a) Render advice and guidance to a property owner upon the owner's application for alteration of any historic single-family or duplex building in the downtown area and any such building designated as significant elsewhere in the city;

(b) Inform the architectural review board of the historical and/or architectural significance of historic commercial and multiple-family structures in the downtown area and any such buildings designated as significant elsewhere in the City that are under review by the Architectural Review Board. Submit recommendations to the Architectural Review Board regarding proposed exterior alterations of such historic structures;

(c) Recommend to the council the designation of additional buildings and districts as historic. Research available information and add historical information to the inventory sheets of historic structures/sites. This inventory is maintained in the department of planning and development services; and

(d) Perform such other functions as may be delegated from time to time to the Historic Resources Board by the City Council.

(Ord. 5494 § 3, 2020: Ord. 5208 § 23, 2013)