Montebello, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger age
- Structures over 50 years old
- Step 1
- City-designated Phase I historic assessment
- Step 2
- Optional Director-ordered Phase II study
- Standard used
- CEQA Historic Resource definition
- Escalation
- Planning Commission review if resource found
- Applies to
- Downtown Specific Plan area only, Figure D.3
Summary
In the City of Montebello, any demolition or development application inside the Downtown Plan area touching a structure over 50 years old triggers a historic assessment under Downtown Code Section 4.9D. A Phase I study, and a Phase II if the city calls for one, must confirm whether the structure counts as a Historic Resource under CEQA.
aPrior to completion of the Historic Resource Survey, applications for all demolition permit and development proposals involving structures over 50 years in age will include a historic, technical assessment or "Phase I" prepared by a City-designated historic professional.bUpon reviewing a "Phase I" historic assessment, the Planning and Community Development Director may request additional documentation in the form of a Phase II study.cPlanning and Community Development Department staff shall evaluate the Phase I and/or Phase II to determine whether the application involves a Historic Resource as defined by CEQA.dIf the Director determines a potential Historic Resource is present, but not formally designated as a landmark or already on a State or Federal register, the development proposal shall be reviewed by the Planning Commission for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Full Breakdown
Montebello Municipal Code Section 17.04.110, Downtown Code Section 4.9D ("Treatment of Potential Historic Resource"), sets the review path for any structure that might carry historic value inside the Downtown Montebello Specific Plan boundaries shown on Figure D.3. The trigger is age, not designation: any demolition permit or development proposal touching a structure that has stood for more than 50 years must come with a "Phase I" historic, technical assessment, prepared by a historic professional the city designates, submitted before the area's Historic Resource Survey is even complete.
Planning and Community Development Department staff review that Phase I report, and the Planning and Community Development Director can order a follow-up Phase II study if the Phase I leaves questions open. Staff then decides whether the property meets the definition of a "Historic Resource" under the California Environmental Quality Act. If the Director finds a potential Historic Resource that has not already been formally designated as a landmark, or listed on a State or Federal historic register, the application does not get an administrative sign-off: it goes to the Planning Commission, which must review it against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties before any demolition or redevelopment can move forward.
Because this procedure sits inside the Downtown Code, it governs only property within the Specific Plan area; it assumes, rather than creates, the citywide landmark and register designations it refers to.
Violations & Fines
The Downtown Code does not print a separate fine for skipping this review: instead, Section 4.9D makes the Phase I assessment a condition of the permit itself, so the Planning and Community Development Department will not process a demolition or development application inside the Plan boundaries without it. Because Section 4.9D sits within Title 17, an unpermitted demolition still falls under the citywide Title 17 violation provisions, punishable under Section 17.06.060 as a misdemeanor with a fine or up to six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Montebello buildings need a historic assessment before demolition?
Who decides if a downtown building is historic?
What happens if my downtown building is found historic but isn't an official landmark?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montebello
California rules heatmap·Compare Montebello to another location·View the California historic preservation overview
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