California Heights

Historic District Regulations and Responsibilites

CITY OF LONG BEACH CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION NOTICE

CALIFORNIA HEIGHTS HISTORIC DISTRICT

This notice is intended as a reminder to residents and owners that the California Heights Historic District has special regulations intended to protect the architectural character of the homes in the District. The District contains various architectural styles - Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival, Norman Revival, Tudor Revival, Neo-traditional and others, built between c. 1920-1950. The District boundaries are: Bixby Road, the alley north of Wardlow Road, Lime Avenue to Gardenia Avenue.

The Historic District regulations apply to all exterior changes to existing buildings. Interiors are not affected, and normal maintenance and repair with no changes to the existing materials are also exempt. The kinds of changes that are reviewed are: any new construction, remodeling or additions; changing windows, re-stuccoing, repainting, building fences. Any remodeling that involves a change in the existing materials and design is reviewed for consistency with the original materials and architectural style.

In a Historic District, all remodeling, alterations, additions, demolitions and relocations require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Cultural Heritage commission before a building permit can be issued. Some changes which don’t need building permits still require a Certificate of Appropriateness, such as repainting. Minor changes which are consistent with the architectural guidelines can be approved administratively by staff. Major remodels, demolitions or changes that are adverse to the character of the house or street scape will require a public hearing with the Commission. For an applications, call (562) 570-6864.

The goal of these regulations is to provide guidance to property owners on how to accommodate changes with losing the historic and architectural assets of the historic house. The Commission and staff are available to advise property owners who are planning home improvements. Early consultation is recommended, to avoid later problems and to assist owners in obtaining the best possible outcome. The Commission meets the first Wednesday morning of each month, and welcomes walk-in questions. Or you may call the Neighborhood and Historic Preservation Office at (562) 570-6864 for more information or for an appointment.

Historic District status is an honor conferred by the City on neighborhoods that have special architectural value, and whose character and physical qualities are considered worthy of preserving for future generations. The design regulations serve to protect owners’ investment value by ensuring that changes enhance rather than detract from the architectural quality of the neighborhood. Please call if we may be of service to you.

Historic/histdist.ch 5/25/00

THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION

The Standards (Department of Interior regulations, 36 CFR 67) pertain to historic buildings of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy and encompass the exterior and the interior, related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction. The Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.

1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical or pictorial evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be distributed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Links

City of Long Beach Historic Preservation Information
Secretary of Interior's Illustrated Standards for Restoration
Long Beach Heritage