9 6
7 Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.C
Meeting Date: June 25, 2025
From: Andrew Firestine, AICP, Director of Community and Economic Development
Title: Review of Historic Preservation Committee
RECOMMENDATION:
City staff recommends City Council review and discuss the intent and purpose of the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) and provide direction to City staff and the HPC.
BACKGROUND:
The Historic Preservation Committee was formed by City Council through the adoption of Ordinance No. 821 in 2019, provided for reference as Attachment 1. This ordinance added Chapter 2.31 to the Cathedral City Municipal Code, which formed the HPC as a five-member committee with those functions, powers, and duties described in Section 2.31.060 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code. Those duties include the review of “projects for compliance with applicable provisions of the Code related to the preservation of historic resources and shall make recommendations to the City Council and Planning Commission, as appropriate, related to the approval of projects involving historic resources and the adoption of regulations aimed at preserving historic resources.”
Following the adoption of Ordinance No. 821, the HPC conducted five meetings in 2020, 2021, and 2022, leading to the development of the historic preservation ordinance adopted by City Council on November 30, 2022. The HPC met four times in 2023 to develop a historic preservation application and three additional times to review and consider an application for the historic designation of the Agnes Pelton home and studio, which was recommended to City Council for designation as a Class 1 historic site on October 27, 2023.
Following their October 2023 meeting, the HPC meetings in November and December 2023 and January 2024 were cancelled. After the February 2024 meeting was cancelled and in response to a question from an HPC member on the cancellations, City staff informed the HPC it would be cancelling future meetings as well due to an absence of applications for the designation of property as a historic resource and that future meetings would be scheduled upon such time the City were to receive a new application. HPC members responded and requested to meet to discuss the ordinance and application form. 9 6
7 The HPC met again in April, May, June, and July 2024 to review and discuss the ordinance and application form. In response to the continued discussion, the original application form was divided into two forms, one for the historic designation of a property and a certificate of appropriateness and another for the removal or downgrade of a historic designation. Minor changes were recommended to the application forms in the July 2024 meeting, which were incorporated into the forms by City staff. The July 2024 meeting also introduced the Mills Act tax abatement program and presented information on the establishment of historic districts.
Due to a lack of members and the inability to establish a quorum, the HPC did not meet again until February 18, 2025. In the February 2025 meeting, the HPC conducted a recap of their 2024 meetings, including the revisions to the application forms together with a review of the historic preservation ordinance, and the Mills Act tax abatement program. At this meeting, the concept of an annual work plan was introduced by City staff as a means of identifying and prioritizing the work of the HPC and a work plan framework was provided to the HPC.
The March and April 2025 HPC meetings were cancelled due to a lack of a quorum.
A draft work plan was provided to the HPC for their May 20, 2025, meeting based on input received by City staff from HPC members. This work plan is attached for reference as Attachment 2. The HPC adopted the work plan at their May 2025 meeting, although discussion by the HPC following its adoption indicated a divided opinion on whether the work plan is consistent with the intent and purpose of the HPC. One opinion advocated that the role of the HPC is to process applications for historic designation and its efforts should continue to focus on this function and continued revisions to the application form. Others articulated a need for a broader role for the HPC to generate interest and awareness in historic preservation.
DISCUSSION:
With respect to the divided opinion of the HPC, staff recommends this be reconciled through direction from the City Council. New members were appointed to the HPC by City Council on April 23, 2025 and May 28, 2025. Direction from the City Council will help guide the HPC and its members and ensure its activities are consistent with the intent and purpose intended by City Council. Additionally, it will help ensure City resources are allocated appropriately.
In the opinion of City staff, there are two possible roles for the HPC:
1. The HPC exists to make recommendations on applications for historic designation only; or
2. The HPC exists to make recommendations on applications for historic designation and those activities that work to promote and raise awareness of historic preservation and the City’s history.
With respect to the first option, the HPC has supported the development of a historic preservation ordinance between 2020 and 2022 and has conducted eight meetings in 2023 and 2024 to review the application form, leading to the development of the two current application forms in July 2024. With the complete implementation and deployment of Energov and the Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal later in 2024, all applications for historic preservation are processed through Energov, making the prior application forms obsolete.
The forms in CSS follow what was developed by the HPC and the historic preservation 9 6
7 ordinance. If this is the purpose of the HPC, the committee should revert to an ad hoc meeting schedule and not take on additional responsibilities through their annual work plan.
On the second option, while it is not expressed in the language of Chapter 2.31, the intent statements in Ordinance No. 821 express the desire to: 1) encourage public knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the City’s past; 2) strengthen the economy of the City by protecting and enhancing the City’s attractions to residents, tourists, and visitors; and 3) promote the private and public use of historical areas and sites for the education, prosperity, and general welfare of the people. Section 8.62.010 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code, a section of code articulating the purpose and intent of the historic preservation regulations, states:
This chapter is adopted for the purpose of recognizing historical events and people, preserving areas and specific buildings of the city which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political, architectural and archaeological history.
This chapter is intended to stabilize and improve buildings, structures or areas which are considered to be of historical, architectural, archaeological or ecological value, to foster civic beauty, to strengthen the local economy and to promote the use of specific buildings and sites for the education and welfare of the citizens.
Section 8.62.010 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code and the intent statements in Ordinance No. 821 support the processing of historic preservation applications for historic designation together with those activities that work to promote and raise awareness of historic preservation and the City’s history.
If the Council supports the HPC making recommendations on applications for historic designation and performing work in support of the promotion and awareness of historic preservation, then the HPC should continue to meet on a regular basis to make progress on its work plan while also hearing any new applications for historic preservation that are submitted to the City.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Action D-7: Commission a survey of historic properties.
Action D-8: Work with the Historic Preservation Society to digitize and preserve historic photos and documents.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Ordinance No. 821
Attachment 2: 2025 HPC Work Plan