Alhambra, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

060, a property qualifies as a Historic Landmark, Alhambra's equivalent of what other California cities call a cultural or historic-cultural monument, only after clearing two tests: significance and integrity. The Historic Preservation Commission first recommends whether a building, structure, object or site meets one or more of four designation criteria: association with events that significantly shaped Alhambra's, California's or the nation's history; association with the lives of persons important to local, state or national history; embodiment of a distinctive architectural style, type, period, region or method of construction, or the work of a master or high artistic value; or the yielded or potential yield of information important to local, state or national prehistory or history.

Only after significance is established does the Commission assess integrity using the National Register's seven aspects: location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, applying more flexibility for local listing than the state or national registers require. 070 application process, which any person, including the city itself, can file without the property owner's consent. 060(C). 090 before the resource can be significantly changed or torn down.