Santa Barbara County, CA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Commission size
- Up to 11 members, 4-year terms
- Interim designation window
- 90 days pending Board hearing
- Demolition control
- Requires Commission written consent
- Appeal deadline
- 10 days to Board of Supervisors
- Lighter tier
- Historic merit, Sec. 18A-9, no use restrictions
Summary
Chapter 18A lets the county's eleven-member Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission designate places, buildings and objects in the unincorporated area as county landmarks or places of historic merit, and once designated, the Commission can bar demolition or exterior alterations without its written consent.
The historic landmarks advisory commission, heretofore established by order of the board of supervisors, is hereby authorized and directed to receive and act upon or initiate applications to investigate and designate places, sites, buildings, structures, works of art and other objects within the unincorporated territory of the county as having historic, aesthetic or other special character or interest... Demolition, removal or destruction, partially or entirely, may be prohibited unless express consent in writing is first had and obtained from the historic landmarks advisory commission.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18A-1 creates the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission, capped at eleven county residents (no more than two per supervisorial district plus one at-large member), serving four-year terms at the Board's pleasure and removable by a three-fifths Board vote. Sec. " A Commission designation is temporary by design: it "shall remain and be in effect for a period of ninety days only" unless the Board sets and advertises a public hearing under Government Code Section 6061 and confirms the designation within that window. Sec. 18A-3 lists nine alternative eligibility criteria, from reflecting the county's cultural or architectural history to embodying a notable builder's or architect's work.
Once designated, Sec. 18A-5 lets the Commission impose binding conditions, most significantly that "demolition, removal or destruction, partially or entirely, may be prohibited unless express consent in writing is first had and obtained from the historic landmarks advisory commission," and that exterior alterations "shall not be made unless and until all plans therefor have first been reviewed" by the Commission. Owners can appeal any Commission action to the Board within ten days (Sec. 18A-7). A separate, lighter tier, "places of historic merit" under Sec. 18A-9, carries recognition without triggering the demolition/alteration conditions of Sec. 18A-5, though the Commission can still require maintenance as a condition of that recognition.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 18A-8 charges the Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission with enforcing the chapter and any conditions it has imposed; if it cannot obtain compliance directly, it refers the matter to the Board of Supervisors, the district attorney, or county counsel for legal action, which can include seeking an injunction against unauthorized demolition or alteration of a designated landmark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who designates historic landmarks in unincorporated Santa Barbara County?
Can I demolish a designated landmark building?
How do I appeal a landmark designation on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California historic preservation overview
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