Santa Ana, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Under Sec. 30-1 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code, the Historic Resources Commission may, by resolution and at a noticed public hearing, designate as historical property any building, object, structure or site with importance to the city's history or architecture, based on the criteria in Sec. 30-2. To qualify, a resource generally must be fifty years old or older and meet at least one of six criteria: distinguishing architectural style, work of a notable architect, a rare original design, association with an important event or person, archaeological importance, or a once-common but now-rare building type.

Sec. 1 allows a younger property to be nominated if it can be proven exceptionally significant. Once listed, Sec. 2 sorts every entry into a Landmark, Key, or Contributive category depending on whether it is eligible for the national or state register, has unique architectural significance, or simply contributes to a neighborhood's historic character. The resolution of designation is recorded with the county recorder under California Public Resources Code Section 5029. Owners may petition for removal under Sec. 3 if the property no longer meets the criteria, has been substantially damaged, or the loss of integrity was not the owner's fault.

Filing an application, whether for designation or an appeal, requires a nonrefundable fee under Sec. 4. Sec. 30-7 requires the commission to review any demolition application and explore alternatives such as relocation or sale, but a demolition permit must still issue after 240 days or the close of environmental review, whichever is longer, once the applicant supplies archival-quality photo-documentation.