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

Any person or group, including the City itself, may apply to designate a property as an Historic Landmark, Historic District, or Point of Historical Interest (Sec. 1). Applications go to the Development Services Director, who must review for completeness within 30 days; district applications also require mailing labels for every owner in the proposed district, pulled from the latest Los Angeles County assessment rolls, plus a community meeting for those owners. The Historic Preservation Commission evaluates each nomination at a noticed public hearing (30-day postmarked notice) against the criteria in Sec.

2, then votes to recommend the City Council approve or reject it; the City Council alone holds designation authority and acts by resolution referencing the specific findings. Approved designations are recorded with the Los Angeles County Recorder, stating the owner, legal description, date and substance of designation, and a statement that alteration, relocation, or demolition are restricted. A property owner's objection blocks designation unless the Council makes specific override findings under Sec. 8 (the resource meets Sec. 2 criteria, is especially valuable compared to other designated resources, is of special community interest, and the social benefit clearly outweighs the private burden).

Pomona currently carries six designated historic districts: Hacienda Park, Lincoln Park, Wilton Heights, Edison, Civic Center, and Landmark Quarter (Sec. 1). Once designated, Sec. 7 requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, Minor or Major depending on scope, before any exterior work proceeds, reviewed first by the Development Services Director and, for Major applications, by the Historic Preservation Commission within 75 days.