Palm Desert, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Designating body
- City council, by resolution, on committee recommendation
- Owner consent
- Written consent required, or the application is not processed
- Designation criteria
- Six criteria in § 29.40.010, plus integrity under Chapter 29.20
- Hearing deadline
- Not more than sixty days from a complete application
- Mailed notice radius
- Three-hundred-foot radius, at least ten days before hearing
- Demolition penalty
- Civil penalty of one-half pre-demolition fair market value
Summary
In the City of Palm Desert, the city council designates a landmark by resolution, but only with the property owner's written consent, after a certified survey and on the recommendation of the historic preservation committee. The resource must retain integrity and meet one of six criteria in Section 29.40.010. Illegal demolition carries a civil penalty of one-half the property's prior fair market value.
A cultural resource may be designated as a landmark by the city council if, with written consent of property owner, after completion of a certified survey and upon the recommendation of the committee, it is determined that it retains integrity as defined in Chapter 29.20 and at a local, state, regional, or national level: A. Is associated with an event or events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of history; or B. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in the past; or C. Embodies distinctive characteristics, or is one of the few remaining examples of a style, type, period or method of construction or possesses high artistic value; or D. Represents the work of a master builder, designer or architect; or E. Is an archaeological, paleontological, botanical, geological, topographical, ecological, or geographical resource that has yielded or has the potential to yield important information in history or prehistory; or F. Reflects distinctive examples of community planning or significant development patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, agriculture, or transportation.
Full Breakdown
Palm Desert does not use the term cultural monument. Its Title 29, Cultural Resources, designates landmarks, and Section 29.40.010 sets the criteria. A cultural resource can be designated by the city council if the owner consents in writing, a certified survey is complete and the historic preservation committee recommends it, and the resource retains integrity as defined in Chapter 29.20 and meets one of six tests: association with events significant to broad patterns of history, association with significant persons, distinctive characteristics or high artistic value, the work of a master builder, designer or architect, archaeological and similar information potential, or distinctive community planning or development patterns.
The owner controls the process. Anyone can initiate a designation, but it can be acted on only with the owner's written consent, and an application without consent is deemed incomplete and will not be processed (§ 29.40.030). An eligible resource without consent goes on the Inventory only and is not subject to Title 29 requirements (§ 29.40.020). Once a complete application is filed, the committee hearing is set not more than sixty days out. Notice goes out at least ten days before the hearing by newspaper publication and by mail to the applicant, the owners, and property owners within a three-hundred-foot radius (§§ 29.40.040, 29.40.060). The council then reviews the matter at a public hearing and designates the landmark by resolution containing facts and findings (§§ 29.40.080, 29.40.090). The landmark rules apply from the committee's initial recommendation and become final only after council action.
Designation has lasting effects. The city clerk records the resolution and a covenant with the Riverside County Recorder, and the city designates a plaque that must be displayed in perpetuity (§§ 29.40.110, 29.40.120). The owner must keep the exterior in good repair (§ 29.60.160), and a certificate of appropriateness from the administrator is required before altering, relocating or demolishing a Register resource (§ 29.60.010). Incentives include the State Historical Building Code and Mills Act contracts with a minimum period of ten years (§§ 29.70.020, 29.70.030).
Violations & Fines
Violating Title 29 is a misdemeanor under Section 29.80.010. Altering or demolishing a cultural resource in violation is declared a nuisance and must be abated by restoring the resource to its original condition. The civil penalty is one-half the fair market value of the property before demolition, or one-half the cost of restoration for an alteration. The city can also impose a temporary moratorium on development of the property for a period not to exceed sixty months, and the city attorney can seek an injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the City of Palm Desert designate my property a landmark without my consent?
How long does landmark designation take in Palm Desert?
What is the penalty for demolishing a designated landmark in Palm Desert?
Can a landmark designation in Palm Desert be removed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Desert
California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Desert to another location·View the California historic preservation overview
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Historic-Cultural Monuments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle historic-cultural monuments.