Landmark Alteration Permit Improvements and Cultural Heritage Board Consolidation

Landmark Alteration (LMA) Permit Process Improvements

Overview:

City staff is recommending proposed amendments to the Zoning and Municipal Code and the Processing Review Procedures for Owners of Historic Properties (see links below to proposed edits) to address streamlining and process improvements for the Landmark Alteration (LMA) Permit process.

Background:

In May 2018, the City Council adopted the Resilient City Development Measures Ordinance, which included streamlining measures for the Design Review process to help facilitate the development of housing, daycare facilities and lodging following the 2017 wildfires. Since that time, City staff have been analyzing the streamlined process to determine whether it could be applied to other entitlement processes.

One such process, which has not been reviewed since adoption of the Processing Review Procedures for Owners of Historic Properties in 2001 or since the adoption of the current Zoning Code in 2004, is LMA Permits.

What are LMA Permits?

LMA Permits are required for any restoration, rehabilitation, alteration, development, construction, demolition, removal or change in the exterior appearance of any designated landmark, or any structure, building or significant feature within one of the City's Preservations Districts.

• Preservation Districts : Includes Burbank Gardens, Cherry Street, McDonald, Olive Park, Railroad Square, Ridgway, St. Rose, and West End.
• Local Landmarks: Currently 21 designated local landmarks, which is down from the original twenty-two (22) following the devastating loss of the Fountaingrove Round Barn in the 2017 wildfires.

Goals of the LMA Process:

The LMA process was designed to ensure that any changes to historic properties are done so in a manner that is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties and to preserve Santa Rosa's rich history.

Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) Consolidation

Overview:

Staff is recommending that the City's Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) and Design Review Board (DRB) duties and composition be consolidated into a single Design Review and Preservation Board.

The City has been reviewing its various boards, commissions and committees to determine if there could be consolidation to address City resources and redundancy amongst the decision making bodies. As part of that process, staff have been reviewing the duties and composition of both the CHB and DRB for consideration of consolidation of the two boards.

Creating a single Board that would be charged with reviewing both Design Review and LMA Permit applications would create a more streamlined process that would be better equipped to ensure both superior design of new development and the preservation of Santa Rosa's historic character.

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