Tuolumne County — Historic Preservation

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes how the Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance regulates historic resources in the unincorporated areas of the County. Tuolumne uses two main historic combining districts — the Historic Combining District (H) and the Historic Design Preservation Combining District (HDP) — plus review procedures (use permits and referrals to a Historic Preservation Review Commission) that control demolition, exterior alteration, and design compatibility. Key allowances and exceptions for things like parking, setbacks, and use of the State Historical Building Code are identified below with the controlling code citations.

How Tuolumne County organizes historic controls (district-by-district)

Note: all standards below apply only to the County’s unincorporated areas.

H — Historic Combining District (labeled Historic (H) Combining District)

• Purpose: Preserve places or parcels of particular importance to local, state, or national history. Priority for designation includes that the resource is at least 50 years old and meets historical/architectural criteria. § 17.20.020
• Typical permitted uses: Uses are those of the underlying zoning district (the H is a combining district — it does not create new land uses). § 17.20.020(B)
• Key development/dimensional rules: The code allows the County to waive ordinary development standards (setbacks, height, landscape, parking) only if a use permit is obtained; however certain standards may be permitted without a use permit (see parking below). § 17.20.020(C)
• Parking and landscaping: Commercial parcels in an H district may be treated as a shopping‑center type use and required to provide one parking space per 250 sq ft of gross floor area; the Director may allow off‑site parking or in‑lieu fees and may reduce landscaping minimums. § 17.20.020(C)(1–3)
• Demolition/relocation: Demolition or relocation requires a use permit except when there is imminent hazard (then building official authority applies) — photodocumentation (DPR 523) and an environmental evaluation are required as part of the process. § 17.20.020(D)
• Exterior changes: No exterior construction or alteration is allowed without a use permit (with narrow maintenance/repainting/replacement exceptions). The application is referred to the Historic Preservation Review Commission for comment. § 17.20.020(E), (L)

Practical note: designation of an H parcel normally requires owner consent and Board of Supervisors action after review by the Historic Preservation Review Commission. § 17.20.020(A)(4)

HDP — Historic Design Preservation Combining District (labeled Historic Design Preservation (HDP) Combining District)

• Purpose: Preserve and enhance the historic character of areas containing a significant number of cultural resources (district‑scale focus). § 17.20.030(A)
• Typical permitted uses: Uses are those of the underlying zone where the HDP overlay is applied. § 17.20.030(B)
• Key dimensional/development rules: Like the H district, the HDP lets the County suspend ordinary setback/height/landscaping/parking standards subject to a required use permit, except some parking, landscaping, and ministerial solar projects are permitted without a use permit. § 17.20.030(C)
• Parking: Commercial parcels are treated as shopping‑center type uses (again 1 space per 250 sq ft), and off‑site parking/in‑lieu fees may be approved by the Director. § 17.20.030(C)(1–2)
• Demolition/relocation: Demolition or relocation within an HDP requires compliance with County heritage procedures (Chapter 14.08 referenced) — a use permit is required. § 17.20.030(D)
• Exterior changes: Construction or exterior alteration requires a use permit unless it is ordinary maintenance, replacement with like materials, signage per the sign chapter, repainting with approved colors, or work required to protect public health/safety. Applications are referred to the Historic Preservation Review Commission. § 17.20.030(E), (F), (H)

Practical note: an HDP district is normally established when a simple majority of property owners in the area consent and the Board adopts boundaries after public hearing. § 17.20.030(A)(2–4)

Most decision‑relevant standards (quick table)

Practical guidance and cross‑topic notes

• Design compatibility: The decision‑maker must weigh siting, scale, materials, color, landscaping, parking layout and the resource’s original appearance when evaluating permits — the County explicitly directs that rehabilitations follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards where practical. § 17.20.020(K) and § 17.20.030(G)
• Documentation required for discretionary permits: Usepermit applications require a scaled site plan, elevations, photos, material/color descriptions and sometimes structural reports or age/ownership history. § 17.20.030(F)
• Parking flexibility is explicit: if historic parcels cannot provide required on‑site parking the County can accept off‑site parking agreements or in‑lieu fees (fees set in Title 3). This is handled administratively by the Director. § 17.20.020(C)(1–2)
• Setbacks: In HDP areas the standard front/side/rear setbacks in the zoning code may be replaced by the historic pattern on site; stair/ramps may encroach into the right‑of‑way subject to an encroachment permit. § 17.22.030(4–5)

Cross‑references (useful county pages you may need while preparing an application): the County retains separate rules and pages for parking, design review, overlay districts, development standards, signage, nonconforming uses, and the California Building Standards Code. Use these resources for application checklists and technical guidance when preparing permit submittals.

Note: The County’s code refers to Tables 14.06(B) and 14.06(C) for resource priority when evaluating permits; those tables and Chapter 14.08 are part of the same ordinance package and should be consulted early in project scoping. § 17.20.020(K) and § 17.20.030(G)

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for an exterior-alteration or demolition‑type project in an H/HDP district)

• Verify designation: confirm your parcel is in an H or HDP combining district. § 17.20.020–030
• Pre‑application consultation with Community Development / Director (recommended). § 17.98.050
• Prepare and submit a use permit application (if required) with: scaled site plan, elevations, photographs, materials/colors, history/age, DPR 523 (if demolition/relocation), and any structural report. § 17.20.020(F–L)
• Include CEQA materials or request review for exemption (projects following Secretary standards may qualify for §15331 exemption). § 17.20.020(K)
• If applicable, document off‑site parking solutions or in‑lieu fee arrangements and coordinate with Director. § 17.20.020(C)(1–2)
• Expect referral to Historic Preservation Review Commission for recommendation; Board or Planning Commission may act depending on the permit type. § 17.20.020(L)
• If demolition/relocation: prepare DPR 523 photodocumentation and environmental evaluation; allow option period for interested parties to purchase/remove structure if applicable. § 17.20.020(D)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

If your property in unincorporated Tuolumne County is inside an H or HDP overlay, most exterior work, demolitions, and relocations require a discretionary use permit and review by the County’s Historic Preservation Review Commission; parking, setbacks, and landscaping rules can be adjusted but only through the permit process, and the County encourages use of historic‑preservation standards (and the State Historical Building Code) when rehabilitating historic resources. § 17.20.020–030

Source References

• Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance — Historic Combining District (H): § 17.20.020.
• Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance — Historic Design Preservation (HDP): § 17.20.030.
• Demolition, relocation, DPR documentation, and use‑permit procedures: § 17.20.020(D), § 17.20.030(D–F).
• Consideration criteria (siting, materials, landscaping, CEQA exemption reference): § 17.20.020(K) and § 17.20.030(G).
• Setbacks and exception language (HDP setback treatment): § 17.22.030.
• Permit application and processing (Director authority, submittal rules): § 17.98.050–060.
• State Historical Building Code context (for local use): Tuolumne reference to state code and guidance (uploaded reference).

(If you want the exact text of any of the paragraphs cited above, I can pull the ordinance language and link you to the exact code excerpt. Verify parcel‑specific questions with the Community Development Department.)

Retrieved passages

• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.28) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 020 (Chapter 17.30) High relevance show source text
• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (Chapter lists) High relevance show source text
• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (Section 15331) High relevance show source text
• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (Section 17.20.020) High relevance show source text
• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (Section v.) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 14.04.360 (Section 14.04.360) High relevance show source text
• Tuolumne County Zoning Code (§ 8) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance — Historic Combining District (H): **§ 17.20.020**. (§ 17.20.020)
• Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance — Historic Design Preservation (HDP): **§ 17.20.030**. (§ 17.20.030)
• Demolition, relocation, DPR documentation, and use‑permit procedures: **§ 17.20.020(D), § 17.20.030(D–F)**. (§ 17.20.020)
• Consideration criteria (siting, materials, landscaping, CEQA exemption reference): **§ 17.20.020(K)** and **§ 17.20.030(G)**. (§ 17.20.020)
• Setbacks and exception language (HDP setback treatment): **§ 17.22.030**. (§ 17.22.030)
• Permit application and processing (Director authority, submittal rules): **§ 17.98.050–060**. (§ 17.98.050)
• State Historical Building Code context (for local use): Tuolumne reference to state code and guidance (uploaded reference).
• TuolumneCounty_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Historical Building Code.md