ACCORDING TO THE LOS ANGELES Cultural Heritage Ordinance, the Cultural Heritage Commission is vested with the responsibility to preserve the city’s monuments. The full text of the ordinance is available here.
This post outlines the Commission’s duties and procedures with regard to its oversight of monuments, drawing upon the ordinance itself and brief comments by the city’s preservation architect.
Executive Summary
• The Cultural Heritage Commission is part of the city planning department, under the Office of Historic Resources. (Its rules and operating procedures are spelled out here.)
• A designated monument is not allowed to be “substantially altered” (exterior or interior) without prior review by the Commission or its staff.
• The Commission or its staff must issue a permit prior to a “substantial alteration.”
• Technical and economic feasibility are routinely taken into account during the review of rehabilitation projects.
• The Commission has the authority to temporarily delay alteration of historically significant structures until a proper review can be completed.
• Mishkon is entitled to technical assistance from the Office of Historic Resources on how to comply with the requirements of the law.
What the ordinance says about alterations
• The Commission shall take all steps necessary to preserve monuments not in conflict with the public health, safety and general welfare powers and duties of the City. (These steps may include assistance in the establishment of a private fund for the restoration of designated monuments.)
• In general, no permit for the substantial alteration of any monument shall be issued, and no monument shall be substantially altered, without first referring the matter to the Commission.
Standards for Issuance of a Permit for Substantial Alteration
The Commission bases its approval of a permit for alteration on three conditions:
- The alteration complies with the Standards for Rehabilitation approved by the United States Secretary of the Interior;
- The alteration protects and preserves the historic and architectural qualities and the physical characteristics that make the building a designated monument; and
- Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. {This condition may apply only to demolition. —DESS}
If a proposed alteration is referred to the Commission by its staff, the Commission has 30 days to object. (It meets twice a month.) If the Commission objects, the matter receives a public hearing.
The filing of an objection suspends the issuance of any permit for substantial alteration for a period of 30–180 days, during which time the Commission shall take all steps within the scope of its powers and duties as it determines are necessary for the preservation of the monument.
Under certain circumstances, the Commission may recommend to the City Council that the stay be extended for an additional 180 days.
Brief remarks by the preservation architect on the permitting process
From email on 5/2/23 by Lambert Giessinger, Senior Architect, Los Angeles City Planning, Office of Historic Resources:
• Most projects are reviewed and approved at the staff level. Larger projects and/or controversial ones are often presented to the Commission for their input.
• The only public forum for expressing opposition would be at the Cultural Heritage Commission.
About the Standards for Rehabilitation
According to the National Park Service, which administers the Standards:
A rehabilitation project must be consistent with the historic character of the structure and, where applicable, the district in which it is located. The Standards are to be applied to specific projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.
A big “thank you” to Ed Geil for pointing me in the direction of this information!
No comments:
Post a Comment