Scottsdale, AZ Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.118.I
- Recording body
- Historic Preservation Officer, Scottsdale Historic Register
- Demolition restraint for Landmarks
- Minimum 2 years after denial
- First civil violation fine
- $250 to $1,000 per day
- Unauthorized work penalty
- 3-year business license revocation
Summary
Scottsdale designates its most significant historic resources as a Landmark under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.118.I, a status that can attach to a property already inside a Historic Property (HP) District or in conjunction with HP District designation. City Council must adopt findings documenting the property's uniqueness and exceptional significance before Landmark status is recorded on the Scottsdale Historic Register.
The following apply to designation of an historic resource as a Landmark:1.Scottsdale Landmark designation can occur for a property already within an HP District zoning overlay or in conjunction with HP District designation.2.As part of the recommendation to City Council for Landmark designation, the Historic Preservation Commission and/or the Planning Commission shall adopt findings documenting the uniqueness and exceptional significance of the subject historic resource.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
118 sets the procedure for designating property historic and placing it on the Scottsdale Historic Register, requiring published newspaper notice at least 15 days before a Historic Preservation Commission hearing, a Historic Designation Report, and public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council before the Council approves, modifies or denies HP District rezoning. Subsection I adds the Landmark layer on top of that process: Scottsdale Landmark designation can occur for a property already zoned HP District or alongside HP District designation, and the Historic Preservation Commission and/or Planning Commission must adopt findings documenting the property's uniqueness and exceptional significance before recommending Landmark status to City Council.
Once approved, the Historic Preservation Officer records the designation in the Scottsdale Historic Register and the City Council adopts a supplemental zoning map adding the HP suffix. Landmark status carries extra protection against loss: under Sec. G, if a Certificate of Demolition Approval is denied for a Landmark, the restraint on demolition runs a minimum of two years from the denial, versus one year for other historic resources, and the property owner may only request review of that restraint after the first year has passed.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the HP District provisions, including unauthorized alteration or demolition of a Landmark, are governed by Secs. 6.131-6.132: a first civil violation draws a sanction between $250 and $1,000 per day of continuing violation, and a second violation within two years becomes a class one misdemeanor. Unauthorized work performed without a Certificate of No Effect, Appropriateness, or Demolition Approval on a Landmark also triggers a three-year revocation of the responsible business's Scottsdale license and a three-year denial of further permits on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a property become a Scottsdale Landmark?
Can a Scottsdale Landmark be demolished?
What happens if someone alters a Scottsdale Landmark without approval?
Where is Scottsdale's list of historic Landmarks kept?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scottsdale
Compare Scottsdale to another location·View the Arizona historic preservation overview
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