HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-05-20; City Council; 04; Historic Plaque ProgramCA Review CKM
Meeting Date: May 20, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Staff Contact: Mike Strong, Assistant Director of Community Development
mike.strong@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2721
Subject: Historic Plaque Program
Districts: All
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution creating a city historic plaque program (Exhibit 1).
Executive Summary
One of the items listed in the Historic Preservation Commission’s FY 2024-25 Work Plan is the
development of a city historic plaque program. A plaque program provides one of the most
effective and least expensive ways of promoting historic awareness and public appreciation for
historic properties through the installation of informative plaques.
Over the past several months, the Historic Preservation Commission researched plaque
programs in other cities, obtained information from plaque manufacturers and developed a
draft program that could be applied in the city. The Historic Preservation Commission is
recommending that the City Council review and consider the draft city historic plaque program.
Explanation & Analysis
Background
Plaque programs provide an affordable way to recognize and commemorate places, people or
events of historical significance by placing plaques or markers on or near the sites. These
programs are intended to increase public awareness of history and highlight the importance of
local landmarks and historical resources. The Historic Preservation Commission recognized the
value of creating a local plaque program and included it in their FY 2024-2025 Historic
Preservation Commission Work Plan, which was approved by the City Council on May 21, 2024.
(Exhibit 2)
Following adoption of the work plan, the Historic Preservation Commission met on several
occasions and developed the eligibility criterion, selection process and plaque design for
historic resources or heritage tree sites.
The proposed program is provided in Attachment A to Exhibit 1, with some of the program
highlights provided below.
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Eligibility
The city’s historic resource or heritage tree must meet one of the following eligibility criteria to
be eligible for a plaque.
• Listed in the local, state, or national register
• Designated by resolution as a heritage tree in the city’s Heritage Tree Inventory
• Identified as having a unique historical significance
o Qualifying as the “first” of its kind (i.e., first post office, first school); and
o Be of a significant age relative to the founding of the city; and
o Represent the cultural history of the region or the city
Plaque selection process
• The property owner must consent to the nomination.
• Community members may also nominate sites by submitting recommendations in
writing to the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Consideration of nominated sites will be grouped together to be considered by the
commission at the end of each calendar year.
• The commission may identify up to two sites to be presented to the City Council for
approval each year.
Under the proposed plaque program, the city would be responsible for paying the full cost of
the fabrication and shipping of the plaque and the property owner would be responsible for
paying for the cost of installing and maintaining the plaque.
Plaques to be interpretive
Generally, there are two overall types of plaque programs: interpretive and recognition. Both
types of programs involve the acknowledgement and landmarking of local historic properties.
However, the language on a recognition plaque is very limited, such as the name of the historic
resource and the year of significance, while an interpretive plaque is designed to give the
reader more in-depth information or content to inform the public of the site’s significance or to
capture the memory of people and events.
Because these plaques would be unique to each historic site, they are made individually, one at
a time, and tend to cost more money to produce. The reason why the “interpretive” type of
plaque program is being proposed is that it helps facilitate self-guided walking tours. Since the
signs are customized, there is an opportunity to describe sites and location of events or people
that are significant in architecture, archeology, Carlsbad history and traditional culture.
Existing city historic plaques
There are some plaques that have already been installed at city locations to assist historians in
educating the public about significant properties in the city (Exhibit 3). Exhibit 4 provides an
inventory of the specific properties that have already been designated as historic by the City
Council (i.e., in the local register), marked with a plaque, and/or appear in the city’s Historic
Carlsbad: A Self-Guided Tour brochure. These properties include individual resources identified
through surveys or other studies. Some but not all of the surveyed resources may be eligible
historic resources, meaning they are potentially eligible for historic designation under local,
state and/or national historic preservation programs.
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Exhibit 4 lists 21 Carlsbad sites that currently have a historic plaque or marker. There are 13
properties in the city with a local register designation. Out of the 13 sites, nine have some sort
of plaque or marking indicating its historic status. Refer to Exhibit 5 for more background
information about historic sites and locations with a plaque or marker.
Fiscal Analysis
Staff estimate that each custom plaque would cost about $1,000 to manufacture, assuming
each would be a 17-inch by 12-inch bronze plaque with 408 characters, which is about eight to
nine lines of text. That estimate includes about $40 for shipping.
Under the proposed plaque program, the city would be responsible for paying the full cost of
the fabrication and shipping of the plaque while the property owner would be responsible for
paying for the cost of installing and maintaining the plaque.
When the historic plaque program was reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission, the
commission requested funding for the program. As noted above, each plaque requires City
Council approval before it can be created and installed. For this first year, funding will be
requested as part of the City Council’s consideration of each proposed plaque. Staff will
propose to set aside funding for the program in the city budget starting in fiscal year 2026-27.
Next Steps
Following City Council action, the Historic Preservation Commission will form a subcommittee
to help steer implementation and outreach to resources listed in the local register or eligible for
inclusion to solicit interest in the program.
Environmental Evaluation
The proposed action to adopt a historic plaque program is exempt from environmental review
under California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378 as it can be seen with
certainty that there is no possibility the proposed action may have a significant effect on the
environment.
Exhibits
1.City Council resolution
2.Resolution No. 2024-109 Historic Preservation Commission Work Plan FY 2024-2025 (on file
in the Office of the City Clerk)
3. Local plaque examples
4.Inventory of historic properties
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Exhibit 1 RESOLUTION NO. 2025-110
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, CREATING A CITY HISTORIC PLAQUE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission recognizes the need to establish a uniform
and consistent approach for nominating and selecting candidate sites to receive a plaque to
commemorate or honor historic resources in the city; and
WHEREAS, the City Council received a recommendation from the Historic Preservation
Commission to adopt a city historic plaque program; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that it is necessary to adopt an interpretive plaque
program to recognize and landmark local historic resources, sites and location of events or persons
that are significant in the area of architecture, archaeology, Carlsbad history and traditional culture.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as
follows:
1.That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the proposed action to adopt a historic plaque program is exempt from
environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section
15378 as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the proposed action
may have a significant effect on the environment.
3. That the City Council adopts the City Historic Plaque Program in Attachment A.
4.That the City Manager or designee is authorized to develop and issue forms and
guidelines and to take other necessary and appropriate steps to implement the City
Historic Plaque Program.
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PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of
Carlsbad on the 20th day of May, 2025, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Blackburn, Bhat-Patel, Acosta, Burkholder, Shin.
NAYS: None.
ABSTAIN: None.
ABSENT: None.
______________________________________
KEITH BLACKBURN, Mayor
______________________________________
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk
(SEAL)
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Historic Plaque Program
Guidelines and Criteria
Program Goals & Objectives
•Recognize and landmark local historic resources, sites, and location of events or persons that
are significant in the area of architecture, archaeology, Carlsbad history and traditional
culture.
•Promote preservation and rehabilitation of historical properties, sites, heritage trees, and
structures.
Program Form
Customized Plaque:
•Specially made cast metal plaque ‐ Bronze metal, dark green finish w/rear & front rosettes for
mounting.
•Size and layout: Plaque must be rectangular in shape, 17” x 12” minimum size.
•Design: Plaque must contain City Seal, Local Register site number (if applicable), name of
resource. Includes at the bottom of each plaque:
“COURTESY OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION”
•Text: Up to nine lines of customized wording describing the historic resource. Content
includes a brief description of the significance of the resource and a metal photo when
available (text in sentence case structure). Text must be appropriate reading level. Use short
sentences and keep text blocks short.
•Font: Use type styles and sizes and are easy to read.
Program Criteria
A. Eligibility:
•Option 1. Meet all the following criteria:
o Be of a significant age relative to the founding of the city.
Attachment A
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o Have importance/significance in the “collective memory” of the community by
qualifying as the “first” of its kind in the city (i.e., first post office, first school, etc.).
o Represent the cultural history of the region or the city.
•Option 2. Be listed in the Local, State, or National Register; or be designated by resolution as a
heritage tree in the city’s Heritage Tree Inventory
o Property owner consent required.
B.Process of identifying plaque locations:
•The Historic Preservation Commission may identify up to 2 sites each year to be presented to
the City Council for approval.
•Private citizens may also nominate sites by submitting recommendations in writing to the
Historic Preservation Commission. The property owner must consent to the nomination.
Consideration of nominated sites will be batched and grouped together and be considered by
the Commission at the end of each calendar year.
•The Historic Preservation Commission will retain responsibility on which sites to recommend
to the City Council.
C. Potential conditions, agreements and responsibilities:
•The property owner must sign a letter of agreement with the city in which the owner agrees
to maintain the structure’s historic integrity.
•The agreement may also state that the program is voluntary and no requirements of the
owner now or in the future other than to return the plaque to the City of Carlsbad in the
event they remove it from the current location.
•The Historic Preservation Commission may revoke the privilege of displaying the plaque
should the building or structure fail to comply with the conditions.
•The city is responsible for paying the full cost for the fabrication and shipping of the plaque.
The cost of installing and maintaining the plaque is borne by the property owner. The city is
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not responsible for damage caused to the plaque during installation, improper maintenance,
or aging.
•City staff to collaborate with the property owner on content, provided it meets established
criteria.
•Installation method and location on a building or grounds are to be site specific and, if on
private property, coordinated and approved by the property owner. The plaque may only be
displayed on or near the building or structure for which it is issued; or adjacent to a heritage
tree; or conspicuously located on the premises of a historical site.
•When determining installation location, consider the relationship between the sign and the
subject it is interpreting, the potential for vandalism, and how accessible the sign is to persons
with mobility challenges.
•If it is lost or stolen, the property owner must notify the Historic Preservation Commission of
its loss. A new plaque may be issued upon approval of a new application.
•Other potential conditions, agreements and responsibilities may be considered as part of the
historic designation process (if applicable).
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Exhibit 2
Resolution No. 2024-109 Historic Preservation
Commission Work Plan FY 2024-2025
(on file in the Office of the City Clerk)
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Exhibit 3
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Exhibit 4
May 20, 2025 Item #4 Page 31 of 31
Docusign Envelope ID: 6F34B698-0447-41BA-B0B0-378666602512