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CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD INFORMATIONAL STUDY SESSION ON CHANGES TO CULTURAL AND HISTORIC ZONING STANDARDS AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT CODE OVERHAUL PROJECT
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) receive a presentation and provide feedback on the various proposed changes related to Cultrual and Historic zoning standards as part of the proposed Development Code Overhaul.
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Summary
From 2019 to 2021, the City Council applied for three housing grants totaling just under $2 million to update and create new planning documents to help implement process improvements that accelerate housing production. These grant funded efforts included overhauling the Development Code and Design Guidelines, updates to the Housing and Safety Elements, permitting system update, and four Action Plans covering citywide housing and three neighborhood areas. After the grants were awarded and all vendors secured, from 2022 to 2023, City staff and the City’s Consultant team (Miller Planning Associates, LLC) began conducting public workshops in the community and Study Sessions with the Planning Commission to seek feedback specifically for the Development Code and Design Guidelines overhauls.
At this time, staff seeking input from the CHB on the sections of the Development Code and Design Guidelines that pertain to Cultural and Historic Resources, reviews, and responsibilities of the CHB. The input received at this information study session will be used by staff and the consultant team to prepare updates to the Development Code for future Planning Commission and City Council actions.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Development Code involves a variety of standards that includes administrative use of the codes, zoning (land use and design), land division, process and permits, as well as public improvement standards. The Development Code update will update city standards resulting in better quality projects, more streamlined reviews, and increased clarity for staff and the public. Cultural and historic resources
Present Situation
This Informational Study Session focuses on amendments to the Cultural and Historic standards and processes as well as the role of the Cultural Heritage Board (CHB). The items below summarize changes that staff has initially determined as being needed to the existing code.
Magnolia Historic Overlay.
• Neighborhood meetings were conducted on April 26, 2023, and February 20, 2024, for owners in this area. The biggest request from residents was for additional online material on how to improve historic structures and any state/local funding or incentive that existing for owners of historic properties. No further meetings are anticipated for the Development Code overhaul.
• The Magnolia Historic Overlay has been simplified to cite other sections of the Zoning Code, rather than repeat those sections.
Cultural and Historic Standards.
• Staff has consolidated cultural and historic standards into one section for easier use in Division 3 “Standards.”
• Standards are also included in the Certificate of Appropriateness process in Division 5.
CHB Organization and Responsibilities.
• The CHB member composition is proposed to be reduced from 9 to 7 to help with meeting quorums and member selection. This aligns with the Planning Commission membership and will simplify criteria for membership selection.
• All processes, permits, and approval authority for CHB will generally remain the same. This includes Certificates of Appropriateness (minor or major), Structures of Merit, Landmarks, Historic Sites/Districts
1. Potential streamlining (Director Administrative Review) of Certificates of Appropriateness for minor alterations to historic resources.
• CHB voting is proposed to be majority in attendance and not quorum of membership.
• Pertaining to demolition, the Director Determination on what is a historic building/site has been clarified and simplified. This involves updates to:
1. The process for the Director to determine a historic resource (notification/appeal rights),
2. The process if determined to not to be a historic resource (Building Permit approvals), and
3. The process if determined to be a historic resource (involves CHB review)
Updated Design Guidelines.
• There is currently a broad reference to the Secretary of Interior’s (SOI) Standards for compliance with historic rehabilitations and additions. While staff does not want to add too many objective zoning standards that could limit design flexibility in dealing with historic buildings, staff is looking into additional examples that could assist staff and applicants in maintaining and improving the City’s historic resources. These examples would not be legally binding but are based on the SOI standards and any best practices currently being used applied in common usage.
The input received at this information study session will be used by staff and the consultant team to formulate the draft updates to the Development Code for Planning Commission and City Council consideration and action.
Next Steps
The following summarizes the subsequent actions staff intends to take on the Cultural and Historic zoning standards as well as the Development Code Process.
• Staff intends to conduct another Planning Commission informational session in Fall 2024 to highlight changes made to the Code before the anticipated public hearings for adoption.
• All revised drafts discussed will be posted on the website for public consumption.
• Adoption hearings for the Development Code and the Design Guidelines
This staff report was prepared by Matt Diaz, Advanced Planning Manager, (209) 937-8598; matt.diaz@stocktonca.gov.