Concord — Historic Preservation

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Concord’s preservation rules are codified in the Development Code chapter titled Chapter 18.450 — Historic Preservation. The chapter creates a city-level process to nominate and designate landmarks and historic districts, requires a Certificate of Appropriateness for most exterior work on designated resources, and routes major decisions to the Planning Commission with CEQA review where appropriate (see § 18.450.010 and § 18.450.080) .

This page summarizes what the Concord development code requires (not building-code or state housing law), shows how the rules interact with the city’s zoning districts, lists the key decision standards and practical next steps, and flags information the code text does not publish in the retrieved materials.

What the code requires (core rules)

• Designation: The Planning Commission may designate properties as a city landmark or designate contiguous areas as a historic district after nomination and public hearing; eligibility criteria are in § 18.450.030 .
• Owner notice/consent: If the Commission or Council initiates a nomination, owners must be notified within 10 days; nomination of contributing properties in a district requires written consent of affected owners (see § 18.450.040 and § 18.450.050) .
• Certificate of Appropriateness: Any exterior alteration, demolition, or relocation of a designated landmark, contributing property, or historically significant resource requires a Certificate of Appropriateness; minor changes may be reviewed administratively while major changes go to the Planning Commission (see § 18.450.080) .
• Review standards: Commission decisions must weigh adverse effects on historic features and apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards as guidance; specific factors (design, scale, materials, setbacks, signage, parking, landscaping, etc.) are listed in the code (see § 18.450.080(C–D) and § 18.450.080(D)) .
• Findings and demolition: A certificate for demolition will be approved only when remodeling/rehabilitation is not economically feasible and denial would deprive the owner of any economically viable use (see § 18.450.090(B)) .
• Plan/permitting linkage: No building, grading, or demolition permit subject to a certificate requirement will be issued until plan review and final site/building plans are approved reflecting conditions of the certificate (see § 18.450.110) .
• Building-code relief: The Planning Division or Commission may request building-code exemptions under the State Historic Building Code when necessary to preserve historic features; the City Engineer/Building Official may approve exceptions so long as no immediate life-safety hazard is created (see § 18.450.100) .
• Maintenance duty: Owners of designated landmarks must keep exteriors in “good repair” and cannot use dilapidation as justification for demolition (see § 18.450.120) .
• Termination/appeal: A designation may be terminated by application to the Planning Commission and is subject to CEQA and the City’s post-decision procedures/appeals (see § 18.450.130, § 18.450.140, § 18.450.150) .

Practical note: Historic review is a discretionary land-use action in Concord’s permit table; a Certificate of Appropriateness is processed under Chapter 18.450 and decisions are appealed under the general appeals chapter (see the permit matrix and review authority table) .

How preservation interacts with zoning — district-by-district breakdown

Concord’s historic-preservation chapter is citywide (designation can apply in any zone), but its practical effect varies by zoning districts where historic resources are common. The code’s development-standards chapters control dimensional standards—preservation review overlays those requirements and may require certificates before projects proceed. Where I reference development standards or design review below, those are governed elsewhere in the Development Code; see the city’s development-standards chapter for the numeric rules and compliance path Concord Development Standards.

Note: The code text treats historic designation and local zoning as separate but overlapping controls: designation does not automatically change the zoning district; rather it creates an additional procedural requirement (certificate) for exterior changes (see § 18.450.020 and § 18.450.080) .

DP — Downtown Pedestrian

• Purpose: Applied to the 10-block downtown around Todos Santos Plaza for pedestrian-oriented retail, restaurants, office, and mid-rise mixed-use (see § 18.45.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: Ground-floor retail and restaurants, upper-floor office and multifamily residential; high pedestrian emphasis (see § 18.45.020 and § 18.45.010) .
• Key dimensional standards: Minimum FAR 0.75–1.0, typical maximum FAR up to 4.0, building heights typically 30–70 ft, front setbacks as low as 0–10 ft according to Table 18.45.030 (the downtown development standards) (see § 18.45.030) .
• Where it applies: The 10‑block core downtown district; preservation review applies to any designated resource in DP and may require coordination between design review and the certificate process (see § 18.450.080 and the downtown chapter) .

DMX — Downtown Mixed-Use

• Purpose: High-density mixed-use with retail fronting ground floor and residential/office above (see § 18.45.010) .
• Typical permitted uses: Hotels, retail, office, high-density residential; vertical mixed-use is encouraged (see § 18.45.020) .
• Key dimensional standards: Minimum FAR ~1.0, maximum FAR up to 6.0, heights up to 200 ft in DMX where permitted by use permit; setbacks and ground-floor height standards are in Table 18.45.030 (see § 18.45.030) .
• Where it applies: Selected downtown blocks appropriate for major mixed-use development; historic resources in DMX are subject to the same certificate rules and Secretary of the Interior guidance in review (see § 18.450.080(C)) .

WMX — West Concord Mixed-Use

• Purpose & uses: Mixed schools, commercial, office, and institutional uses west of downtown (no residential) (see § 18.45.010) .
• Key standards: Table 18.45.030 lists FAR up to 4.0, height and setback tables apply (see § 18.45.030) .
• Where it applies: West Concord corridors; historic-designation implications operate identically—designation triggers Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior work (see § 18.450.080) .

Residential zones (single-family and multifamily)

• Purpose & uses: Multiple R-zone variants and multifamily zones are found in Division II and the objective-design standards chapter (Chapter 18.152 for objective standards is referenced in the code) .
• Typical permitted uses: Single-family, duplex, multifamily as allowed in the applicable R or RM/RH zones (see Division II tables) .
• Key dimensional standards: Setbacks, lot size, and height are set by each R subzone and Division II tables; Table 18.45.030 notes how downtown standards measure setbacks/height—always verify the district table for numeric limits (see § 18.45.030 and the applicable Division II zone table) .
• Where it applies: Citywide residential areas; historic structures designated in residential zones may qualify for the special nonconforming historic-structure exception to zoning standards when reconstruction/alteration is proposed if they are listed in the General Plan, State, or National registers (see § 18.530.060(A)) .

Business Park & Industrial districts (OBP, IBP, IMX, HI)

• Purpose & uses: Office parks, light industrial, and heavier industrial uses per Table 18.50.030 (development standards and setbacks) (see § 18.50.030) .
• Historic resources in industrial/business districts are treated the same way procedurally—designation creates a requirement to obtain a certificate before demolition or exterior alteration (see § 18.450.080) .

Practical cross-references: historic review often overlaps with local design review, overlay districts, and the city’s parking and development-standards chapters — applicants should plan for parallel reviews and coordinated conditions of approval (see the code’s permit matrix and design-review cross-references) .

Most decision‑relevant standards and uses (quick table)

Checklist

• Confirm whether the property is already designated as a city landmark or sits within a historic district (verify with Planning Division). Not found in retrieved materials: authoritative list/map of designated properties. (See § 18.450.030–040)
• If proposing exterior changes, prepare a Certificate of Appropriateness application including historical documentation, detailed plans, and the certificate checklist on file with the Planning Division (§ 18.450.080(A)) .
• For nominations: collect owner consent (a district requires a majority of affected owners) and file the nomination package per § 18.450.050 .
• Expect Planning Commission hearing(s) and public notice as required by the public-hearing rules (§ 18.450.070 and Chapter 18.500) .
• Prepare CEQA analysis when required by § 18.450.140; coordinate with staff early to determine the environmental document type .
• If building-code relief is necessary to preserve features, request review under the State Historic Building Code route as allowed in § 18.450.100; expect coordination with the Building Official .
• Obtain final site/building-plan approval reflecting conditions before building/grading/demolition permits are issued (§ 18.450.110) .
• Be prepared for maintenance obligations post-designation (§ 18.450.120) and for recordation of designation on title if designated (filing with County Recorder per § 18.450.070(B)(5)) .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If the City of Concord designates your property as a landmark or it sits inside a historic district, you must apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness before making most exterior changes, relocations, or demolitions; the Planning Commission reviews major changes against preservation criteria (Secretary of the Interior’s Standards), and permits won’t issue until plans reflect commission conditions — see § 18.450.080, § 18.450.090, and § 18.450.110 .

Source References

• Concord Development Code — Chapter 18.450.010–150 (Historic Preservation) covering purpose, designation, nomination, Certificate of Appropriateness, findings, building-code exemptions, plan review, maintenance, termination, CEQA, and post-decision procedures: § 18.450.010 through § 18.450.150 .
• Certificate of Appropriateness details and review standards: § 18.450.080 (minor vs major, criteria, scope) .
• Findings for approvals and demolition thresholds: § 18.450.090 .
• Building-code exemptions / State Historic Building Code: § 18.450.100 .
• Plan review sequencing: § 18.450.110 .
• Duty to maintain: § 18.450.120 .
• Designation procedures, notice, application, and review hearings: § 18.450.030–070 and § 18.450.040–050 .
• Nonconforming historic-structure exceptions (zoning exemptions): § 18.530.060(A) .
• Downtown district development standards (DP, DMX, WMX) and Table 18.45.030: § 18.45.010 and § 18.45.030 .
• Permit review matrix noting Certificate of Appropriateness processed under Chapter 18.450: permit table and review authority (Table 18.400.020 / Chapter 18.400) .

Information Gaps

• The retrieved materials do not include a current, downloadable list or map of properties already designated as Concord landmarks or contributing properties within historic districts. Not found in retrieved materials.
• The exact certificate/checklist form and current fees were referenced but not printed in the retrieved files (applicants must obtain these directly from the Planning Division). Not found in retrieved materials (see § 18.450.050) .
• No parcel‑specific determinations (e.g., whether a given ADU or fence triggers a certificate) — these are case-specific; Verify with the jurisdiction. .
• No exhaustive list of third-party preservation consultants or the city’s list of qualified specialists for plan review (the code permits third‑party review at applicant cost but doesn’t publish an approved vendor list) (see § 18.450.080(A)) .

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 122 (§ 122-1083) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 122 (Chapter 18.100) High relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (§ 122-1075) High relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (§ 122-1080) High relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (chapter establishes) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 122 (title for) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 122 (§ 122-1081) High relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (§ 122-1076) High relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (title for) Medium relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (chapter lists) Medium relevance show source text
• CMC § 15.75.050 (§ 122-777) Medium relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (§ 65915) Medium relevance show source text
• CMC § 122 (Chapter 18.510) Medium relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (§ 122-1051) Medium relevance show source text
• Concord Zoning Code (section shall) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Concord Development Code — Chapter **18.450.010–150** (Historic Preservation) covering purpose, designation, nomination, Certificate of Appropriateness, findings, building-code exemptions, plan review, maintenance, termination, CEQA, and post-decision procedures: **§ 18.450.010** through **§ 18.450.150** . (§ 18.450.010)
• Certificate of Appropriateness details and review standards: **§ 18.450.080** (minor vs major, criteria, scope) . (§ 18.450.080)
• Findings for approvals and demolition thresholds: **§ 18.450.090** . (§ 18.450.090)
• Building-code exemptions / State Historic Building Code: **§ 18.450.100** . (§ 18.450.100)
• Plan review sequencing: **§ 18.450.110** . (§ 18.450.110)
• Duty to maintain: **§ 18.450.120** . (§ 18.450.120)
• Designation procedures, notice, application, and review hearings: **§ 18.450.030–070** and **§ 18.450.040–050** . (§ 18.450.030)
• Nonconforming historic-structure exceptions (zoning exemptions): **§ 18.530.060(A)** . (§ 18.530.060)
• Downtown district development standards (DP, DMX, WMX) and Table 18.45.030: **§ 18.45.010** and **§ 18.45.030** . (§ 18.45.010)
• Permit review matrix noting Certificate of Appropriateness processed under Chapter 18.450: permit table and review authority (Table 18.400.020 / Chapter 18.400) . (Chapter 18.450)
• Concord_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California ADU handbook.md

• Official Concord code library