Pasadena Set to Update Historic Resources Survey After 30 Years

The City of Pasadena is planning to conduct a Citywide Historic Resources Survey to identify and protect its most important historic buildings and sites. The last survey was done in 1993 and since then, no comprehensive study of the City’s architectural heritage has been undertaken.

The survey project will be presented by Jennifer Paige, acting director of Planning & Community Development Department, to the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday. 

The project aims to create a sense of community identity, maintain the City’s status as a Certified Local Government (CLG) and a leader in historic preservation, and create a higher level of certainty in the planning process.

The project will also update the Citywide Historic Context Report, which provides a framework for evaluating the significance of historic resources based on themes, patterns and trends in the City’s history. The report will cover each period in the City’s architectural history as well as specific types of historic resources.

The project is funded by the City Council, which provided $500,000 funding to the Planning & Community Development Department in 2022. It is expected to take about two years to complete and will involve public outreach, stakeholder engagement and consultant services.

The project evolved in response to the amended Historic Preservation Ordinance, which requires a Historic Resource Evaluation for any building over 45 years of age that is proposed to be demolished or substantially altered on the exterior. The ordinance was adopted in 2021 to ensure protection of the City’s historic resources, but it also, according to a report by Paige, resulted in a time-consuming and uncertain process for both City staff and property owners.

The survey project is expected to result in streamlining that process and provide a more proactive and comprehensive approach to managing the City’s historic resources, as required by the Zoning Code and State law.

The Planning and Community Development Department will present its work plan for the project to the Historic Preservation Commission on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the Permit Center Hearing Room. It will not be live streamed, but videos of the meetings are routinely archived online.