Burbank — Historic Preservation

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Burbank’s local historic-preservation rules live in the City’s Zoning Ordinance under the Historic Resource Management Ordinance (Division 6). The code creates two parallel regulatory tracks: designation of individual Designated Historic Resources and designation of Historic Districts, each carrying review and recording requirements, a duty-to-maintain, and incentives such as the Mills Act program. The local process relies on the City’s Heritage Commission and City Council and overlays on top of the underlying zoning; applicants should read the applicable Burbank Zoning rules together with the Historic Resource Ordinance. See the ordinance purpose at § 10-1-925.

(First mentions of related operational topics are linked for quick navigation: see design review, development standards, parking, overlay districts, ADUs, and the state California Building Standards Code.)

• design review: /us/california/burbank/design-review
• development standards: /us/california/burbank/development-standards
• parking: /us/california/burbank/parking
• overlay districts: /us/california/burbank/overlay-districts
• ADUs: /us/california/burbank/adu
• California Building Standards Code: /us/california/building-codes

What the code actually establishes (high level)

• Purpose and policy goals (preserve heritage, discourage demolition, provide incentives): § 10-1-925.
• Criteria for individual resource designation (Designated Historic Resource): § 10-1-926.
• Procedure to nominate and designate an individual resource (eligible list, application, covenant): § 10-1-927.
• Permit requirement and review standards for altering a Designated Historic Resource: § 10-1-928 (Permit to Alter a Designated Historic Resource; Heritage Commission review; findings required).
• Criteria and procedure for creating a Historic District (60% contributing parcels threshold for designation; petition and survey steps; community meeting and hearings): § 10-1-930, § 10-1-932.
• District-specific review rules (distinguishes Contributing and Non‑Contributing resources; director-level review for routine work; Permit to Alter for non-conforming work): § 10-1-933.
• Duty to maintain and nuisance exposure for designated properties and properties in districts: § 10-1-929 and § 10-1-934.
• Historic-sign rules and incentives appear in a separate division (Historic Sign Regulations): § 10-1-936 et seq.
• Mills Act implementation and limits (city may accept Mills Act contracts but limits to three contracts/year or $30,000 estimated tax loss unless Council waives): § 10-1-935.

District-by-district breakdown (how Historic Preservation interacts with specific Burbank districts)

Note: Historic designation is an overlay/process, not a separate base zone. The ordinance preserves the base-zone entitlements except where it requires a preservation permit; applicants must apply both the underlying zone rules (setbacks, FAR, parking) and the Historic Preservation procedures where applicable. Verify parcel-specific interactions with the City. Not all overlay application examples are listed by the ordinance text; see the code sections cited below.

Historic District (local Historic District overlay)

• Purpose: to protect groups of properties that collectively meet historic criteria and to establish local design guidelines and a list of contributing and non‑contributing resources to guide review. See § 10-1-930 and § 10-1-932.
• Typical permitted uses: underlying base-zone uses continue to govern day-to-day use; designation does not on its face change the allowed uses listed in the underlying zone (see the underlying zoning articles referenced throughout the code). Verify with the jurisdiction for parcel-specific treatment. Not explicitly restated in the Historic Preservation Division as a single sentence with a § citation (see Information Gaps below).
• Key review triggers/dimensional impacts:
  • Any demolition, exterior change, relocation, or alteration of a Contributing or a Designated Historic Resource requires review; many routine maintenance items are treated differently (see § 10-1-933(B) and § 10-1-928).
  • Additions to Contributing Resources that increase height or are visible from the right-of-way are typically not treated as “ordinary maintenance” and will require a Permit to Alter (see § 10-1-933(B)(1)(c)).
• Where it applies: created by petition, staff survey, Heritage Commission recommendation and City Council ordinance; the Ordinance establishing the district must identify boundaries and contributing resources and is incorporated into the Zoning Ordinance per the designation procedure. See § 10-1-932 and adoption language.

Designated Historic Resource (individual landmark-style designation)

• Purpose: identify and protect individually significant buildings, structures, sites or objects. Criteria are in § 10-1-926.
• Typical permitted uses: underlying zone uses continue, but any work affecting the elements identified for protection requires a Permit to Alter a Designated Historic Resource before building/demolition permits are issued (§ 10-1-928(A)).
• Key standards and requirements:
  • No demolition, relocation, or exterior alteration without a Permit to Alter; Heritage Commission must find the proposed alteration is consistent with ordinance purpose and will not adversely affect significance (§ 10-1-928(B)(2)).
  • If designation is approved, the City records a covenant that runs with the land specifying protected elements and referencing § 10-1-928 procedures (§ 10-1-927(E)).

Historic Signs (Historic Sign overlay / regulation)

• Purpose: separate rules to preserve historic / iconic signs (incentives, special review standards). See § 10-1-936–10-1-943.
• Incentives include fee waivers and some sign-area allowances; demolition or alteration of a Historic Sign is controlled and generally requires a Permit to Alter or an approved treatment plan (§ 10-1-943, § 10-1-940).

How Historic Preservation interacts with base zones (R‑1, C‑2, M‑1, etc.)

• The Historic Preservation Division expects underlying base-zone uses and development standards to remain in force; however, where a project affects designated historic fabric, the Preservation review (Permit to Alter) is a parallel prerequisite for building/demolition permits (see § 10-1-928(A) and review rules § 10-1-933).
• For design or dimensional questions (setbacks, parking, FAR), apply the applicable base zone property development standards (e.g., R-1, C-2, M-1 sections) together with the Historic Resource findings—the code does not in Division 6 replace the base-zone standards. Verify parcel-specific interplay with the City Planner. Not all cross-references are consolidated in a single § in the Historic Preservation Division. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Quick reference table — most decision‑relevant items

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for a designation or alteration)

• Confirm whether the property is on the City’s Eligible Historic Resources list or already Designated (check with staff) — see § 10-1-927.
• For an individual designation: prepare application packet (description, photos, deeds) and submit to the Director per § 10-1-927.
• For a Historic District: obtain Heritage Commission preliminary determination, circulate a Petition (owners of at least 25% of parcels for a survey), fund/submit Historic Resources Survey consistent with Department of Interior standards, attend community meeting and public hearings per § 10-1-932.
• If proposing exterior work on a Designated Historic Resource or on a Contributing Resource that is not routine maintenance: file for a Permit to Alter with the Director and supply materials the Director requests; Heritage Commission review is required for many permits (§ 10-1-928, § 10-1-933).
• Be prepared to show compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (incorporated by reference) and any district-specific design guidelines (§ 10-1-933(A)).
• If designation is approved, expect a recorded covenant that identifies protected elements and requires future alterations to follow the Permit to Alter procedure (§ 10-1-927(E)).
• For Mills Act tax-contract requests: submit a detailed work plan, inspection report, and follow the Heritage Commission and Council review steps (§ 10-1-935).

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your Burbank property is listed or becomes listed as a Designated Historic Resource or lies inside a City-designated Historic District, you generally must get a Permit to Alter before doing demolition or exterior work; the Heritage Commission (and often the City Council on appeal) must find the changes won’t hurt the historic value. The designation records a covenant on the property and carries a duty to maintain; limited incentives (including Mills Act tax contracts) are available. See § 10-1-928, § 10-1-933, § 10-1-935.

Information Gaps

• The Historic Preservation Division does not consolidate a single statement that "all underlying zoning standards continue to apply" with a dedicated section number tied to Division 6; related language appears in other General Plan/zone consistency sections. Verify whether a particular Historic District ordinance modifies base-zone numeric standards for parcels inside that district. Not found in retrieved materials (verify with the jurisdiction).
• The ordinance references “local design guidelines” for districts; the text says Council may adopt guidelines but the specific design guidelines for any existing Burbank Historic District (their content) are not included in the retrieved files. If your parcel sits in a named Historic District, obtain the district’s adopted design guidelines from the Community Development Department. Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• § 10-1-925 Purpose (Historic Resource Management Ordinance).
• § 10-1-926 Criteria for designation of Designated Historic Resources.
• § 10-1-927 Procedure for designation of Historic Resources (Eligible list, covenant recording).
• § 10-1-928 Procedures and criteria for actions subject to review; Permit to Alter a Designated Historic Resource (permit prerequisite to a building/demolition permit).
• § 10-1-930 Criteria for designation of Historic Districts.
• § 10-1-932 Procedure for designation of Historic Districts (petitions, community meeting, notices).
• § 10-1-933 Procedures and criteria for review of Contributing / Non‑Contributing resources; Director and Heritage Commission roles.
• § 10-1-929, § 10-1-934 Duty to maintain (Designated Historic Resources and properties in Historic Districts).
• § 10-1-935 Historic preservation incentives (Mills Act implementation; limits).
• Historic Sign Regulations § 10-1-936 et seq. (separate sign-preservation rules and incentives).

Retrieved passages

• Burbank Zoning Code (Section and) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-933) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-932) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-927) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Title 10-1-19119) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-928.) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-502.) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-930) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section is) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 5028) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-502.) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (§ 65915) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-1113.1) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• **§ 10-1-925** Purpose (Historic Resource Management Ordinance). (§ 10-1-925)
• **§ 10-1-926** Criteria for designation of Designated Historic Resources. (§ 10-1-926)
• **§ 10-1-927** Procedure for designation of Historic Resources (Eligible list, covenant recording). (§ 10-1-927)
• **§ 10-1-928** Procedures and criteria for actions subject to review; Permit to Alter a Designated Historic Resource (permit prerequisite to a building/demolition permit). (§ 10-1-928)
• **§ 10-1-930** Criteria for designation of Historic Districts. (§ 10-1-930)
• **§ 10-1-932** Procedure for designation of Historic Districts (petitions, community meeting, notices). (§ 10-1-932)
• **§ 10-1-933** Procedures and criteria for review of Contributing / Non‑Contributing resources; Director and Heritage Commission roles. (§ 10-1-933)
• **§ 10-1-929**, **§ 10-1-934** Duty to maintain (Designated Historic Resources and properties in Historic Districts). (§ 10-1-929)
• **§ 10-1-935** Historic preservation incentives (Mills Act implementation; limits). (§ 10-1-935)
• Historic Sign Regulations **§ 10-1-936** et seq. (separate sign-preservation rules and incentives). (§ 10-1-936)
• Burbank_ZoningCode.md