Syracuse, NY Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing board
- Landmark Preservation Board
- Citation
- Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 13-79
- Board secretary
- City Director of Planning
- Quorum
- Majority of full board membership
- No regular meetings
- Board does not meet in August
- Designation vote
- Majority of full board, not just present
- Appeal path
- Hardship hearing under § 13-81
Summary
Syracuse designates historic landmarks and cultural monuments as "protected sites" or "preservation districts" through the Landmark Preservation Board under Revised General Ordinances § 13-79. Any citizen may petition the City Planning Commission on board-furnished forms describing the property's age, architect and historic importance; the Commission forwards the request to the board for findings and a recommendation before any hearing or designation vote.
4.1.0Applications. Citizens requests to the Syracuse City Planning Commission for the designation of "protected sites" and/or "preservation districts" shall be made in writing on forms furnished by the preservation board. Such forms shall include information regarding the location of the subject property, the owner and/or owners of the subject property, date of construction, architect (if known), type of construction, and other significant data relative to the architectural and/or historic importance of the proposed structure(s).4.1.1.Upon receipt of such application, the city planning commission shall forward the said application to the preservation board. The board shall review the proposed designation and report to the planning commission all findings of fact and recommendations regarding the application.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 41).
Full Breakdown
The Landmark Preservation Board, whose secretary is the city's Director of Planning under § 13-77, administers designation of protected sites and preservation districts under § 13-79. 0). 1). 2). Once a site or district is designated, owners seeking exterior alterations must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the board under § 13-80, and a denial can be appealed to the board for a hardship hearing under § 13-81. Formal board action, including designations, certificates of appropriateness and hardship findings, requires a resolution passed by majority vote of the board's full membership, not just members present, and is recorded permanently in the secretary's office open to public inspection (§ 13-84).
The board's substantive review standards beyond this procedural framework are set by Part C, Section VII, "Landmark Preservation," of the city's Zoning Rules and Regulations (§ 13-76). The board meets monthly except in August and needs a majority quorum of its membership to conduct business (§ 13-83).
Violations & Fines
Owners in a preservation district or holding a protected-site designation cannot make exterior material changes without board approval; under § 13-80 the secretary notifies municipal agencies with permit jurisdiction that an application is pending, and those agencies report back any impediment to issuing building or other permits, effectively withholding permits until the board rules. A denial can be appealed for a hardship hearing under § 13-81, with the board's decision recorded and open to public inspection under § 13-84.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can request landmark or protected-site designation in Syracuse?
Do I need city approval to change a designated landmark's exterior?
What happens if the board denies my application?
How many board members must agree to approve a designation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Syracuse
New York rules heatmap·Compare Syracuse to another location·View the New York historic preservation overview
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