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Home • About Historic Districts • Countywide Map & Contacts • HPOZs (City of L.A.) • Resources • FAQ |
HISTORIC DISTRICTS: Note: These questions address locally designated historic districts, not those designated at the state or national level. Living in Historic Districts Creating Historic Districts
Living in Historic Districts How do I know if I live in a historic district? First, check this online Google map of locally designated historic districts across Los Angeles County. Zoom in to find your specific area, then see if your property lies within the general boundaries of a historic district. The boundaries on this map are approximate. To be absolutely certain about your property’s historic status, contact your city’s planning department, which should be listed underneath the map. What changes can I make to my property? Appropriate alterations will depend on the character of your neighborhood and the regulations of your historic district, as outlined in the city’s historic district ordinance and design guidelines created specifically for your historic district. In general, a building’s exterior finishes (i.e. wood siding, stucco, masonry), windows, doors, massing, scale, style, and setbacks are of primary importance when considering alterations to contributing buildings within a historic district. Typically, there is more room for flexibility in rear and side yards and for non-contributing structures. For tips and examples of appropriate alterations for exterior finishes, windows and doors, paint color, and landscaping, see Caring for your Historic Home, a guide prepared by the Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources. In addition, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are a useful guide. The Standards are nationally recognized guidelines for the treatment of historic properties and are often used to guide decision-makers on appropriate alterations. Can I remodel my kitchen or bathroom? In general, historic district designation does not regulate interiors, but check with your city preservation or planning department for details. What if I want to build an addition to my house? Your proposed addition would require the approval of the city’s preservation agency and/or commission before you receive a building permit. They will want to see that the addition fits the character and style of the existing building and district. How can I obtain approval for an alteration or addition to my property? The exact process will differ from city to city. In general, you would submit an application, along with proposed plans and photographs of the existing conditions, to your city’s preservation agency, planning department, and/or building department for review and approval. In some instances, cities will grant “over-the-counter” approval for minor changes that are on a predetermined list. If the work is more complex, does not conform to the preservation guidelines for your district, or requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, you may be asked to present the concept at a public meeting of your city’s preservation or design review committee. Do I have to go to the City any time I do anything to my property? No. In general, review is not required for ordinary maintenance and repair that does not change the appearance of the building. However, please check with your city’s preservation agency or planning department for details. I want to “green” my property by adding solar panels, replacing the lawn with drought-tolerant landscaping, replace my drafty old wood windows, etc. Would being in a historic district prevent me from doing this? By reusing an existing building, you're already taking a big step in conserving energy and resources. Additional greening measures may be compatible with your historic building. As with other alterations, these changes may require review and approval if they have a significant potential effect on the historic character of the property or district. Solutions can include placing solar panels in less visible areas or repairing and weather stripping existing windows. Contact your city’s preservation agency or planning department for details. The National Trust for Historic Preservation offers great sustainability resources for historic homeowners on their website. Can a building in a historic district be demolished? It depends on the city’s specific ordinance. In many cities, like Los Angeles and Santa Monica, a demolition permit for a contributing structure can be denied. Inquire with your city’s planning department to determine what is allowed in your historic district. What if a contributing building burns down? Must it be replaced exactly as before? In general, if a building in a historic district is destroyed by fire, earthquake, etc., it would not need to be duplicated. However, any new structure proposed for the site would require review and approval by the governing body of the historic district. Can new buildings be built in historic districts? Do they have to be in the same architectural style of the neighborhood? New buildings can absolutely be built in historic districts. Generally, they are built on vacant lots or on the sites of non-contributing buildings. The purpose of historic districts is to manage, rather than prevent, change. Plans for new buildings would require review and approval to ensure they are compatible in size, scale, massing, and setback with the historic neighborhood. Depending on the neighborhood, a similar architectural style may be most appropriate, but that may not always be the case. Contact your city planning department to inquire about such guidelines. Can I get funding to help me restore my property? While very little funding is available to owners of historic properties, many property owners can receive significant tax reductions through the state's Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program. Eligible properties include contributing structures in historic districts—although your city must participate in the program in order for you to participate. The Mills Act is the single most important economic incentive program offered in California for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings by private property owners. The Mills Act program differs from most economic incentive programs in that qualified recipients do not receive a direct allotment of money. Instead, they can receive a potential property tax reduction and use the savings to help rehabilitate, restore, and maintain their property. Contact your planning department to see if your city participates in the Mills Act program. Unfortunately, there are few large government or foundation grants available to owners of historic properties. Even these few typically limit eligibility to government agencies or nonprofits. Those that do exist are generally in the form of façade improvement grants. Check with your planning department to see if your city offers such a program. Creating Historic Districts How do I know if my city can create historic districts? First, check our Google map of locally designated historic districts to see if your city already has historic districts. If you don’t see it on this map, your city might have an ordinance allowing for historic districts but hasn’t yet designated one. Or, your city could have no protections or designation available for historic neighborhoods. To find out, see our 2008 Los Angeles County Preservation Report Card (downloadable PDF document). Go to the end (pages 27 - 32), find your city, and check the column titled, “Has ordinance that allows designation of historic landmarks?” Will I be required to spend money fixing up my house? Do I have to restore it to how it originally looked? Most municipal codes include ordinances that require all property owners to keep structures in good repair, not just those in historic districts. Being in a historic district does not in itself add requirements for upkeep and restoration. However, many people do invest in their properties once they learn that historic district status will protect their investment by helping to maintain their neighborhood’s unique character. Historic districts tend to foster pride within a community, which acts as an incentive for sensitive home improvement and maintenance. Can I opt out of being in a historic district? In most cities, designation of a historic district requires a majority of support among property owners. Consent from each and every property owner, however, is not required. Because historic districts are created to maintain the neighborhood’s historic character, all properties that fall within district boundaries are necessarily part of the district. Exempting one or more properties from designation would jeopardize the cohesiveness that qualifies the area for historic status. |
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Angelino Heights One of L.A.'s first suburbs, the hilltop residential area of Angelino Heights lies two miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, near the communities of Echo Park and Silver Lake. The area was planned as a respectable, genteel Victorian suburb for Los Angeles' late 19th-century upper-middle class. The first designated HPOZ in the city, Angelino Heights contains some of the best remaining examples of Victorian architecture in Los Angeles, as well as later examples of the Craftsman and Mission Revival styles. The 1300 block of Carroll Avenue is listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places and contains the highest concentration of 19th-century Victorian homes in all of Los Angeles. |
