Fresno County, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

090 creates the HP (Historic Preservation) Overlay District for the unincorporated county, administered by the Fresno County Historic Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission. The overlay is not automatic: a property owner whose parcel is already listed on the Commission's resource inventory must file a rezone (Amendment) application to place the HP designation on the parcel. Once a parcel carries the HP Overlay, the ordinance states every site within it "shall be considered historic," and any demolition, alteration, or addition to a structure on that parcel is subject to Commission review.

No structural or other alteration may occur without Commission authorization unless the work addresses a health or safety issue. The Commission approves work through a Certificate of Appropriateness, which can be granted, conditioned, or denied based on four required findings: the work will not adversely affect the resource's significant architectural features or character; it complies with CEQA; it is consistent with applicable Zoning Ordinance provisions, or inconsistent elements are addressed; and it conforms to General Plan policies. Commission approvals and conditional approvals are final. A denial can be appealed to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

Outside the specific historic-preservation review, every other requirement of the underlying base zone, including setbacks, height, and coverage, still applies to the parcel. Because designation is owner-initiated, the county maintains no blanket landmark list that automatically restricts private property; owners who want protection go through this rezone-and-review track rather than a code-enforcement mandate.