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

Any person or group may petition the historic preservation commission to designate a property as a local landmark; for a historic district, ten percent of the property owners in the potential district must join the request. The commission may also initiate designation on its own motion. Once an application is filed, staff prepares a written report on the resource's significance, and the commission must schedule a public hearing no less than twenty-one days after filing, with notice published in a newspaper of general circulation and mailed to owners at least ten days before the hearing.

Within thirty days of the hearing's conclusion, the commission recommends approval or denial to the city council, which must hold its own noticed hearing and decide within forty-five days. Designation is by council resolution, and the city clerk must record the notice with the county recorder within thirty days. A rejected nomination can be reconsidered after one year, or sooner with new information. Districts, unlike individual landmarks, cannot simply be placed on the commission's nominated-resources list; they require the full designation vote. Once recorded, the property becomes subject to Rialto's full historic preservation ordinance, including design guidelines for exterior alterations.