HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-07-08; Historic Preservation Commission; ; Additional Historic Preservation Benefits and IncentivesMeeting Date: July 8, 2024
To: Historic Preservation Commission
From: Mike Strong, Assistant Director of Community Development
Staff Contact: Mike Strong, Assistant Director of Community Development
Mike.strong@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2721
Subject: Additional Historic Preservation Benefits and Incentives
Recommended Action
Adoption of a resolution recommending City Council authorization to initiate ordinance or
policy changes for additional historic preservation benefits and incentives (Exhibit 1).
Executive Summary
At its Jan. 8, 2024, meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission adopted a work program to
evaluate new incentives and benefits to historic preservation. On March 11, 2024, the Historic
Preservation Commission reviewed ways to: (1) expand the use of a historic property to allow
more home-based businesses; and (2) to provide development standard flexibility. On May 13,
2024, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed ways to: (3) create potential façade
improvement easements; and (4) official recognition and awards.
At its July 8, 2024 meeting, the Historic Preservation Commission will be asked to adopt a
resolution to forward recommendations to the City Council to process ordinance or policy
changes for additional historic preservation benefits and incentives.
Discussion
The City Council approved a local Mills Act program on Nov. 3, 2022, when it approved various
amendments to the city’s historical preservation ordinance (Ordinance No. CS-438, which
amended Carlsbad Municipal Code Title 22). California’s Mills Act provides cities with a
mechanism to encourage the preservation of their historic buildings. It allows the city to give
owners of qualified historic properties who actively participate in the restoration and
maintenance of their properties a reduction in their property tax. During the course of
developing the ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission also recommended that the City
Council direct staff to further investigate additional benefits and incentives, including: (1)
expanded home based businesses, (2) development standard flexibility, (3) façade improvement
easements, and (4) official recognition and awards. The City Council authorized the initiation of
the study, which was provided through a series of meetings with the Historic Preservation
Commission. During the course of the work program, city staff prepared regular, status updates
to Historic Preservation Commission, which were set and discussed in public meetings. To date,
three informational meeting sessions were conducted. The “review meetings” schedule is
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
July 8, 2024 Item #2 1 of 7
reflected in Table 1. Each meeting intended to advertise a project milestone and/or to examine a
specific component of the project.
Table 1: Historic Preservation Commission Review Schedule
Meeting No. Topic or Discussion Item Covered Target Date
1 Introductory meeting and initiation of
the work program
Jan. 8, 2024
2 A.Expanded use of a historic
property to allow more home-
based business activity; and
B.Development standard flexibility
such as parking and setbacks.
March 11, 2024
3 A.Façade preservation easements
for possible tax incentive; and
B.Official recognition or awards by
the Commission
May 13, 2024
4 Finalize recommendations for City
Council consideration to initiate formal
code amendments or policy changes
July 8, 2024
The first meeting helped establish the study session scope and format. The second meeting on
March 11, 2024 introduced ways to explore expanding home-based businesses in historic
homes; and adding development standard flexibility to encourage historic preservation. The
May 13, 2024 meeting was devoted to the evaluation of façade improvement easement
programs, and official recognition and awards to help support local historic preservation
efforts. Now that the work session is complete, all content necessary to provide a
recommendation to the City Council has been prepared. The draft recommendations to be
presented for City Council consideration are listed in Exhibit 1. All comments and
recommendations from the Historic Preservation Commission have been incorporated into the
draft resolution (Exhibit 1) and is summarized below. Please refer to the previous staff reports
for more background information.
The following presents a summary of commissioner comments at the March 11, 2024 meeting:
•Chair Majer, expressed concern regarding indoor equipment, especially in kitchen
operations since poor equipment in these spaces could compromise the structure of a
building. Chair Majer added, there was a need to allow small artisanal businesses such
as woodworkers for example to be able to work in small areas.
•Commissioner Jacobs emphasized the Committee’s receptiveness to all
recommendations from staff; but those providing the most incentives for small
businesses being the most relevant for consideration.
July 8, 2024 Item #2 2 of 7
• Ex-officio Commissioner Lafferty cited local examples of historic buildings that are being
used as businesses and reminded staff and committee members to ensure how other
cities handle this situation.
• Commissioner Diaz’s commented that it would be valuable for staff to explain or define
how displays inside and outside of a building will be managed.
• Commissioner Diaz requested that the “applicable professional qualification standards”
are defined by someone such as a historian or architect so as to create consistent and
clear definitions.
The following presents a summary of commissioner comments at the May 13, 2024, meeting:
• Commissioner Diaz requested more information about the façade easement program, if
it was limited to exterior elevations, and the eligibility and program benefits of including
interior portions of a historic building or structure.
After adoption of the attached resolution, City staff will docket the agenda item with the City
Council, present the recommendations, and seek authorization to initiate formal ordinance or
policy changes. The Chair or Vice Chair is being asked to be responsible for representing the
Historic Preservation Commission and to speak in support of the Commission’s
recommendations with the City Council. As of this writing, no date with the City Council has
been selected, but would be coordinated separately with the Chair and Vice Chair.
Fiscal Analysis
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with receiving this informational report.
Environmental Evaluation (CEQA)
The action before the Historic Preservation Commission is to review potential historic
preservation benefits and incentives and to provide feedback that may be considered formally
at a separate meeting date. Any direction received shall be construed as general direction and
does not have a legally binding effect on any possible future discretionary action. Pursuant to
Public Resources Code Section 21065, this action does not constitute a “project” within the
meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that it has no potential to cause
either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical
change in the environment, and therefore does not require environmental review.
Exhibits
1. Resolution
July 8, 2024 Item #2 3 of 7
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-003.
A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL
AUHTORIZATION TO INITIATE AMENDMENTS TO ORDINANCES AND
POLICIES FOR ADDITIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION BENEFITS AND
INCENTIVES.
WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Committee can solidify a community's past and can help
strengthen a community's future; and
WHEREAS, providing preservation benefits or incentives to property owners who voluntarily
wish to preserve any structures, buildings, sites, artifacts, or landscape features, or portions thereof
with historic authenticity, integrity, value, and/or importance can help safeguard the city's historic
heritage; and
WHEREAS, studying additional historic benefits and incentives is a work program activity
included in the 2024-2025 Historic Preservation Commission Work Plan; and
WHEREAS, the action to recommend authorizing the processing of amendments to ordinances
and policies for additional historic preservation benefits and incentives was evaluated for
environmental processing in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, (CEQA, Public
Resources Code section 21000 et. seq.), and its implementing regulations (the CEQA Guidelines, Article
14 of the California Code of Regulations section 15000 et. seq.). The action does not constitute a
"project" within the meaning of CEQA in accordance with Public Resources Code section 21065 or CEQA
Guidelines section 15378. The project, therefore, is not subject to CEQA.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of
Carlsbad, California, as follows:
1.That the above recitations are true and correct.
2.The Historic Preservation Commission recommends City Council authorization to
process the amendments to city ordinances and policies or to otherwise coordinate the
following.
A.Expanded home-based businesses: The city's existing regulations of home
occupations limit the type of commercial activity that may occur in different
zones, as intended. The Historic Preservation Commission recommends updating
Title 21 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code (the Zoning Ordinance) to establish a
Exhibit 1
Additional Historic
Preservation Benefits &
Incentives.
Mike Strong,
Asst. Director, Community Development Department
JULY 8, 2024
5
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt the resolution recommending City Council
authorize the initiation of ordinance or policy
changes for additional historic preservation
benefits and incentives.
6
ITEM2 : Additional historic preservation benefits and incentives.