Mountain View — Historic Preservation

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes how the City of Mountain View regulates historic resources through the local zoning ordinance (Chapter 36) and the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Key tools are designation to the local register, a required historic preservation (HP) permit for significant exterior work, incentives/exceptions for preservation, and an administrative and council review path for designations and permits. See the city's zoning overview for context at Mountain View zoning & planning overview and the ordinance text cited below. § 36.54.45–§ 36.54.97 are the controlling historic-preservation provisions.

What the code requires — core rules (plain statement + code)

• A property placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources becomes a historic resource; no one may alter, remove or destroy such a resource except in compliance with the historic preservation article. § 36.54.60
• The city requires a historic preservation (HP) permit before any significant alteration, redevelopment, or relocation of a designated historic resource; HP permits last four years. § 36.54.85
• Short list of exempt actions: ordinary maintenance and other narrow categories the zoning administrator may define as exempt alterations; the ordinance expressly allows routine painting and certain window/roof/porch repairs to be exempt. § 36.54.85(b) and definitions in § 36.54.55
• Designation of local landmarks follows findings-based public hearings at the zoning-administrator and city-council level; criteria are historic association, event, architectural significance, or potential to yield important information. § 36.54.65–§ 36.54.70
• Properties eligible for the California or National Registers are subject to the HP-permit review but the city council must find substantial compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards to grant an HP permit; replacement structures after loss of a historic resource require council design review. § 36.54.90
• Preservation incentives and exceptions (e.g., variances, FAR exceptions, Mills Act, fee exemptions, BMR credits) are available at council discretion when the council finds they will protect character-defining features. § 36.54.80
• CEQA and other state or federal requirements still apply where triggered. § 36.54.95

When project design is required (including replacement after demolition), expect the city's design procedures to apply; see the city's rules on design review. design review § 36.44.20

District-by-district implications for Historic Preservation

Below are Mountain View zoning districts that commonly intersect with historic-preservation review. Where the ordinance points to a district-specific section, that section number is cited; where the retrieved materials do not contain the detailed dimensional tables for a district, the item is marked "Not found in retrieved materials" and you should Verify with the jurisdiction.

Note on links: preservation entries commonly interact with citywide development rules; consult Mountain View Development Standards when preparing plans. Also consider Mountain View Overlay Districts if an overlay applies.

R1 (Residential—Single-Family)

• Purpose: single-family residential development; the R1 district standard reference is § 36.10.10. § 36.04 lists the district. § 36.10.10
• Typical permitted uses: single-family dwellings and accessory uses allowed in the R1 text (see § 36.10.10). Not found in retrieved materials: the ordinance text for precise yard/setback numbers in § 36.10.10 — Verify with the jurisdiction.
• Historic-preservation effects: R1 lots with a designated historic resource cannot undertake significant exterior changes without an HP permit (§ 36.54.85) and are ineligible for some land-dividing processes: an urban lot split in § 36.13.65 excludes lots containing a historic resource or located inside a historic district. § 36.54.85

R2 (Residential—One- and Two-Family)

• Purpose and reference: § 36.10.40 per the zoning table; typical uses are one- and two-family housing. § 36.04 / § 36.10.40
• Historic-preservation effects: same HP-permit requirement applies if a structure is on the Register: § 36.54.85. For nonconforming structures, see § 36.06.70. § 36.54.85

R3 / R4 (Multi-family zones)

• Purpose and reference: § 36.10.60 (R3) and § 36.12 (R4). Larger-scale redevelopment in these districts will trigger historic-preservation review where a building is listed or eligible. § 36.04, § 36.10.60, § 36.12
• Practical note: preservation incentives can include FAR exceptions and variances if preservation is proposed in these higher-density zones (see incentives § 36.54.80). § 36.54.80

Commercial (CN, CO, CRA, CS)

• References: CN § 36.18.35, CO § 36.18.40, CRA § 36.18.45, CS § 36.18.55 per the district table. § 36.04, § 36.18 listings
• Historic-preservation effects: Downtown or commercial historic resources remain subject to HP permits and may also be eligible for incentives like fee waivers or BMR credits if rehabilitation occurs as part of development. § 36.54.85, § 36.54.80

Industrial (ML, MM)

• References: ML § 36.20.25, MM § 36.20.35. Industrial buildings with historic value (e.g., early mills or warehouses) are eligible for Register designation and subject to the HP permit rules. § 36.04, § 36.20

Planned Community (P)

• Purpose: allows mixed or specially planned uses by precise plan; see § 36.22.05 and planned community provisions. Historic structures inside a P district are preserved under the same historic article; P district permits may require special coordination with the precise plan. § 36.22.05, § 36.22.10–§ 36.22.25

Special-purpose districts (A, PF, F, U)

• References: § 36.24, § 36.24.35, § 36.26. Historic properties on public facility land or agricultural land are still subject to the historic article when designated. Not all detailed standards for these districts are present in the retrieved excerpt. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Overlay zones and special design overlays

• Mountain View uses overlay suffixes such as -H (Height), -ND (Neighborhood Design), -SD (Special Design) and -VC (Village Center); overlays appear after the base district (e.g., R1-H1). overlay districts Where overlays apply, historic-preservation rules still control alterations to Register properties, and the overlay's design controls may layer with HP-permit requirements; check both sets of provisions. § 36.04 and overlay rules § 36.26

Quick reference table — most decision‑relevant standards and uses

How review and design interact

• Historic projects commonly require development review and design oversight; the zoning administrator's design-review procedures control architectural/site/landscape review. design review § 36.44.20
• For larger or concurrently-processed items the Environmental Planning Commission may review and act on permits, and the council may be the final decisionmaker for some HP or replacement-design actions. § 36.44.30 and related hearing rules in § 36.56

Practical note: coordinate historic-permit submittals with any project materials needed for development standards, setbacks, parking, signage or accessory-dwelling-unit (ADU) considerations; each of those technical areas is separately regulated and may impose additional submittal or compliance obligations. See Mountain View Development Standards, Mountain View Parking, Mountain View Signage, and Mountain View ADUs. § 36.54.85(b)(4) outlines special submittal requirements for HP permit applications.

Also bear in mind building-safety requirements are governed by the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and the ordinance explicitly recognizes use of the State Historic Building Code as a preservation tool. § 36.54.80(6)

Checklist — what an applicant for work on a designated property must satisfy

• Confirm whether the property is on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources (a "historic resource"). § 36.54.55(d)
• Prepare full HP-permit application with site plans, elevations, floor plans, material samples, current photographs and any required historical assessment. § 36.54.85(b)(4)
• If work is only maintenance or an exempt alteration, prepare documentation to show it meets the exempt definition or request confirmation from the zoning administrator. § 36.54.55(b)
• Submit CEQA documentation if the project may constitute a historical-resource impact; coordinate with staff on environmental review. § 36.54.95
• Attend the public hearing(s) before the zoning administrator and possibly the city council; prepare findings showing no substantial adverse change in significance and that the proposal maintains/enhances community appearance. § 36.54.85(c–d)
• If seeking incentives (variances, FAR exceptions, Mills Act), include supporting justification that the incentive protects or enhances character-defining features. § 36.54.80

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If your Mountain View property is placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources, you generally cannot change the exterior, relocate, or demolish it without an HP permit and public review; certain routine repairs are exempt and the city offers incentives to preserve important buildings. § 36.54.55–§ 36.54.90 explain the details.

Source References

• Mountain View Zoning Ordinance — Division 15, Designation and Preservation of Historic Resources: § 36.54.45 through § 36.54.97.
• HP permit requirements and findings: § 36.54.85.
• National and California Register rules and Secretary of the Interior Standards: § 36.54.90.
• Incentives and benefits (variances, FAR exceptions, Mills Act, fees): § 36.54.80.
• Designation criteria and process (zoning administrator recommendation; council hearings): § 36.54.65–§ 36.54.70.
• Predemolition review and removal from Register rules: § 36.54.75.
• Design review procedures and commission roles: § 36.44.20–§ 36.44.30.
• Moving buildings and special submittal requirements (historic qualities): § 36.08.80–§ 36.08.95.
• Zoning district list (R1, R2, R3, R4, CN, CO, CRA, CS, ML, MM, P, A, PF, F, U and overlays): § 36.04 and district-specific pointers (e.g., § 36.10.10, § 36.18.35).
• Applications, hearings and appeals procedures: § 36.56.

If you need copies of the specific ordinance text for a single parcel or the full district dimensional tables (setbacks, lot coverage, FAR), Verify with the jurisdiction — some district-level numeric standards were not included in the retrieved excerpts. Not found in retrieved materials: the full content of each district's dimensional tables for every base district (e.g., concrete numeric setbacks and FARs for § 36.10.10, § 36.10.40, etc.).

Retrieved passages

• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (Section 36.06.70) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 5024.1.) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Article XVI) High relevance show source text
• Mountain View Zoning Code (Section 36.56) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 1 (Section 36.54.70) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Mountain View Zoning Ordinance — Division 15, Designation and Preservation of Historic Resources: **§ 36.54.45** through **§ 36.54.97**. (§ 36.54.45)
• HP permit requirements and findings: **§ 36.54.85**. (§ 36.54.85)
• National and California Register rules and Secretary of the Interior Standards: **§ 36.54.90**. (§ 36.54.90)
• Incentives and benefits (variances, FAR exceptions, Mills Act, fees): **§ 36.54.80**. (§ 36.54.80)
• Designation criteria and process (zoning administrator recommendation; council hearings): **§ 36.54.65–§ 36.54.70**. (§ 36.54.65)
• Predemolition review and removal from Register rules: **§ 36.54.75**. (§ 36.54.75)
• Design review procedures and commission roles: **§ 36.44.20–§ 36.44.30**. (§ 36.44.20)
• Moving buildings and special submittal requirements (historic qualities): **§ 36.08.80–§ 36.08.95**. (§ 36.08.80)
• Zoning district list (R1, R2, R3, R4, CN, CO, CRA, CS, ML, MM, P, A, PF, F, U and overlays): **§ 36.04** and district-specific pointers (e.g., **§ 36.10.10**, **§ 36.18.35**). (§ 36.04)
• Applications, hearings and appeals procedures: **§ 36.56**. (§ 36.56)
• MountainView_ZoningCode.md

• Official Mountain View code library