Historic Resources Board - March 13, 2025

Awards review continues with a broader project list pending

The Historic Resources Board continued its review of a preservation awards program without settling eligibility rules, bylaw language or an awards schedule after members said the project list before them did not adequately capture potentially qualifying work. Staff will prepare an expanded 10-year list covering staff-level planning entitlements and, if available, building permits affecting historic resources before the board considers criteria or bylaw changes.

The meeting packet contained 53 entries for projects reviewed by the board over the previous decade. Members found duplicate entries and projects that did not appear clearly related to preservation or restoration. One member’s informal screening characterized the list as 40 properties, including four duplicate entries and approximately 13 potentially eligible preservation projects. Staff said about 90 projects had received staff-level review, roughly 40 more than the board-level list, excluding any additional building-permit reviews.

Members supported examining whether eligibility could include staff-reviewed projects and work on designated historic structures that never came before the board. Staff will also clarify what qualifies as a minor alteration and when board review is required.

Staff said an earlier discussion had produced consensus around a five-year award cycle and tentative awards in May 2026, during National Preservation Month. Members questioned whether that timeline remained realistic, however, and the board adopted neither a schedule nor new eligibility rules. No motion or vote occurred.

Preservation ordinance work remains paused pending council direction

Work on a board goal involving limited changes to Palo Alto’s preservation ordinance remains paused pending direction from the City Council. Staff said municipal-code revisions could not move forward with staff resources without that direction. The ordinance was reported not to have been updated since the 1980s.

An ad hoc group may identify possible improvements for later consideration by the board and staff, but no ordinance amendment was before the board and no action was taken. Separate documentation work will continue to consider community participation in photographing properties on the city’s historic inventory, which was reported to contain just over 1,000 properties.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet