DESIGN & HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Certificate of Appropriateness

A Certificate of Appropriateness is a historic preservation permit that may be required in addition to other required permits for a development project. The information on this page will help you determine:

• When a Certificate of Appropriateness is required

• Submittal requirements for an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness

• Review procedures for a Certificate of Appropriateness

• Decisions that may be made under the three different review procedures

• Design guidelines that apply to applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness

• Replacement building permit requirement information

Click here to review Section 17.62.090 of the Pasadena Zoning Code related to this procedure.

When a Certificate of Appropriateness is required

A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for projects that may affect the significance of a historic resource.  The Historic Preservation Commission or the Planning Director (staff) conduct these reviews.  To know if a Certificate of Appropriateness is required, you will need to know if your property is a  protected historic resource  and, if so, whether the type of project you are proposing requires a Certificate of Appropriateness under on of the three different review procedures.

Historic resources that are protected 

Historic resources that are protected include properties that are formally designated as a monument or landmark or are listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places; are contributing properties to a designated landmark district or historic district listed in the National Register (click here  for a complete list of all designated properties); or properties that have been determined eligible for historic designation in a historic resources survey, or by the Director of the Planning and Development Department.  It is usually necessary to consult with Design & Historic Preservation staff to determine if a structure has been designated or if it has been determined eligible for designation; however, the links above are available to members of the public to obtain this information about their property.

Type of project

Major or minor projects, as defined below, affecting a designated resource and major projects affecting an eligible resource require a Certificate of Appropriateness. 

A major project is defined in the Pasadena Municipal Code as: 

a.             Any demolition or relocation of a structure or object, or removal of a significant feature of a historic resource, including significant interior fixtures designed by the firm of Greene and Greene.

b.             Any undertaking requiring a permit that significantly alters or changes the street-facing elevation or side elevations of a historic resource, including major changes to windows and doors or their openings, the application of new exterior wall cladding or coating which changes the appearance, design, or texture of a property, and the addition of dormers and other architectural features.

c.             Any addition of square footage to a building elevation that faces a street, unless the addition is less than 200 square feet.

d.             Front yard fences and walls in a historic or landmark district (excluding retaining walls).  

A minor project is defined in the Pasadena Municipal Code as: 

a.             Any demolition or removal of insignificant exterior features of a historic resource, including additions, windows, doors, and exterior siding material that is non-original or otherwise lacking in historic integrity.

b.             Any undertaking requiring a permit that does not change substantially the exterior character-defining features of a historic resource, including re-roofing in material similar to the existing or original roofing, replacement windows and doors matching the design and materials of the existing or original windows and doors (when it is infeasible to repair) and minor additions on secondary elevations and replacement windows and doors on secondary elevations.

c.             Any undertaking to the environmental setting of a designated historic resource that is individually designated as a landmark or historic monument or individually listed in the National Register if the environmental setting is significant to the historic resource and has been defined as significant in the designation report for the historic resource.

d.             Demolition, alteration and new construction of garages and other accessory structures.

e.             Any addition of less than 200 square feet on the front elevation or any addition on a non-street- facing side elevation or rear elevation if visible from a public right-of-way.

f.               Any undertaking not requiring a permit that materially alters significant features of a historic resource or that may have an adverse effect on the significance of a historic resource, including replacement of windows and doors in existing openings, resurfacing exterior finishes (e.g., cement plaster in a radically different texture), or abrasive cleaning of masonry.

g.             Any undertaking determined minor by the Director

Note:  If your property is in either the Bungalow Heaven, Garfield Heights or Banbury Oaks landmark district, slightly different procedures may apply.  Each of these districts has its own Conservation Plan (click district name to view), and the requirements and procedures of these three plans supersede the requirements of the Pasadena Municipal Code.

Review procedures for the Certificate of Appropriateness

The Zoning Code establishes three categories of review for historic resources and indicates whether proposed projects affecting the resources in each category will be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) or by staff.  These categories, and the appropriate reviewing body, are as follows:

Decisions that may be made under the three different review procedures

The review body may approve, approve with conditions, or deny projects under category 1 procedures. Category 2 and 3 review procedures allow the review body to approve projects, approve with conditions or delay projects for up to 180 days to identify project alternatives or to initiate the landmark designation process.

Decisions made by staff may be appealed to the HPC and decisions made by the HPC may be appealed to City Council. The City Council may also call for review any decision by the staff or the Commission.

Submittal requirements for an Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness

Items on this submittal checklist should be submitted with the application. Incomplete submittals will delay reviews.

A. Application form

B. Taxpayer protection form - names of all owners and financial beneficiaries of a project approval are required for projects that are valued in excess of $25,000.

C. Public notice information – affidavit of installation of public hearing notice sign (required only for projects reviewed by the HPC – see above ).

D. Photographs
Color photographs are required. Photographs must be identified with the project number or site address and include a photo key, if possible. Please include clear views of the existing building(s) affected by the proposed project, close-up views of any specific elements under consideration (i.e., windows or doors if proposed to be modified), and views of surrounding properties. Relocation projects should include photos of the proposed new site and the properties surrounding the new site.

E. Plans and elevations

1. Site plans must depict existing development features and all proposed changes under consideration. Elevation drawings, color and materials boards and landscape plans are required for projects involving new construction, alterations or additions. All drawings must be accurate and to scale.

2. For projects reviewed by the HPC, submit (1) full size set and thirteen (13) reduced copies of the plans and elevations. Reductions must be legible.

3. For projects reviewed only by staff, submit (1) full size set and (1) reduced copy of the plans and elevations. Reductions must be legible.

4. For large projects, the staff may also request additional information, such as wall sections, roof plans, eye-level perspective drawings, a model, and/or virtual illustration.

F. Application fees
Application fees are required to cover the costs of staff review of Certificates of Appropriateness. Fees vary by the type of review and change annually. Please consult with Design and Historic Preservation staff to determine the amount of the application fees for your project. Applications affecting designated historic resources are exempt from payment of application fees.

Design Guidelines for historic resources

All decisions about alterations, additions and rehabilitations to historic structures are based on the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The full text of these standards may be found on the National Park Service’s website or at window 4 of the City of Pasadena Permit Center at 175 N. Garfield Avenue. Projects in landmark or historic districts are also reviewed according to the City’s adopted Design Guidelines for Historic Districts, which are based on the Secretary of Interior’s Standards.

Replacement building permit requirement

The Pasadena Municipal Code specifies that no primary structure on a property may be demolished without first obtaining a building permit for a replacement project or structure. The Code also establishes a review procedure for applicants requesting relief from this requirement. To request relief from this requirement, an applicant must file an application and pay the required fee. Upon receipt of the application, staff will schedule a public hearing before the HPC for a determination. For buildings ineligible for a historic designation, the staff may conduct these reviews without a public hearing.
 

In order to obtain an approval for relief from this requirement, the HPC (or staff) must make the following findings:

1. The structure to be demolished is not a designated historic resource or a resource eligible for designation (excluding noncontributing structures in landmark districts and historic districts).

2. The demolition does not result in the loss of habitable dwelling units on a property zoned for residential use.

3. The proposed demolition would not result in the disruption of a continuous grouping of architecturally significant structures or create an inappropriate void in the existing architectural or visual character of the area.

In lieu of the above findings, the HPC (or staff) may make the following single finding:

• The granting of relief from replacement building permit requirement serves an overriding public benefit and will not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity of the project site, or to the public health, safety or general welfare.

Additional Design & Historic Preservation Links...

• Design Commission

• Historic Preservation Commission

• Other Design/Preservation Agencies

Last modified on August 15, 2009