Historic Preservation
HPOZ rules, historic-cultural monument designations, Mills Act tax abatement, and demolition controls.
Designation changes what ownership means. Once a building or district is listed, exterior work needs a certificate of appropriateness from a preservation commission applying adopted standards; interiors stay yours, paint colors sometimes do not, and the ordinance's scope section is where those lines are drawn.
Demolition is where the stakes concentrate. Delay ordinances buy time to find alternatives, some cities can refuse outright, and the economic-hardship provision exists as the designed escape valve for owners who can prove the numbers.
What's Covered
HPOZ Rules
How Historic Preservation Overlay Zones regulate exterior alterations, additions, and demolition in designated historic neighborhoods, plus the certificate-of-appropriateness process.
Historic-Cultural Monuments
How buildings, sites, and trees are nominated and designated as Historic-Cultural Monuments, the protections that follow, and the demolition-stay process.
Mills Act Contracts
California Mills Act property-tax reductions for owners of historic properties who agree to maintenance and rehabilitation standards under a 10-year contract.
HCM Demolition Controls
How designated and nominated historic-cultural monuments are protected from demolition, including the Cultural Heritage Commission review and Council appeal process.