City of Corona
Staff Report
400 S. Vicentia Ave.
Corona, CA 92882
File #: 24-0444
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 06/05/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
REQUEST BY COUNCILMEMBER SPEAKE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY’S HISTORIC RESOURCES ORDINANCE IN CHAPTER 17.63 OF THE CORONA
MUNICIPAL CODE TO HAVE THE DEMOLITION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES LISTED ON THE HERITAGE INVENTORY TO BE REVIEWED AND CONSIDERED BY THE CITY’S PROPOSED HISTORIC
PRESERVATION BOARD INSTEAD OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide direction to staff on amending the Historic Resources Ordinance in Chapter 17.63 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) to require the request for a demolition permit for a historic structure listed on the heritage inventory to be reviewed and decided by the city’s proposed Historic Preservation Board instead of the Planning and Development Director. A demolition permit for a heritage inventory structure is reviewed and decided by the Planning and Development Director according to the findings listed in CMC Section 17.63.120(E)(4).
A demolition permit for a historic resource listed on the Corona Register, which includes landmarks and historic districts, and resources listed on the state or national register require discretionary review by the Planning and Housing Commission and City Council.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council provide direction to staff on amending Chapter 17.63 of the Corona Municipal Code to require requests for demolition permits for historic structures listed on the Corona Heritage Inventory to be reviewed and decided by the City’s proposed Historic Preservation Board.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Chapter 17.63 of the Corona Municipal Code governs historic resources in the city and includes requirements for exterior alterations and demolition of structures identified as a historic resource.
Historic resources in the city are identified in one or more of the following categories: 1) Corona Heritage Property, 2) Corona Landmark, 3) Corona Historic District, 4) Historical Resource on California Register, and 5) Historical Resource on National Register. The table below provides a City of Corona Page 1 of 5 Printed on 5/30/2024
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summary of the type of historical resources in each category.
Category Description Property Owner
Authorization
Corona Heritage Inventory Identified as a potential
historical resource to be
preserved because of its age,
and either its context in the
neighborhood, its association
with a historic event or period,
or its significance to Corona.
Resources on the Heritage
Inventory are ranked low,
medium or high based on the
existing condition of the
resource and are eligible to be
listed as a local landmark on
the Corona Register.
No, but an owner can
object to having their
property listed on the
Heritage Inventory and
submit their objection to
the city.
Corona “Local” Landmark Approved by the City Council
as a local landmark on the
Corona Register because the
resource is more than 50 years
old, has significant historic,
cultural or architectural value,
and exhibits one or more of
the characteristics listed in
Section 17.63.050.
Yes.
Corona Historic District Approved by the City Council
as a geographically defined
area possessing a
concentration of contributing
historic resources that relate to
each other and are unified by
physical development or
historical context. A historical
district is required to meet all
of the criteria listed in Section
17.63.060.
Requires notification to
property owners within a
proposed district.
Property owners are
given 30 days to review
and comment on a
proposed district and
submit protests to the
city. Written protests
must be less than 49%
of the owners of
property located within
the boundaries of the
district.
Historical Resources on
California Register
Approved by the State
Historical Resources
Commission as a historical
resource associated with
events that have contributed to
local or regional history or the
Consent of property
owner is not required,
but a resource cannot be
listed over an owner’s
objections. The State
Historical Resources
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of the criteria listed in Section
17.63.060.
must be less than 49%
of the owners of
property located within
the boundaries of the
district.
Historical Resources on
California Register
Approved by the State
Historical Resources
Commission as a historical
resource associated with
events that have contributed to
local or regional history or the
cultural heritage of California
or the United States; lives of
persons important to local,
state or national history;
embodies the distinctive
characteristics of a type,
period, region or method of
construction or represents the
work of a master or possesses
high artistic values; and yields,
or has the potential to yield,
information important to the
prehistory or history of the
local area, the state or the
nation.
Consent of property
owner is not required,
but a resource cannot be
listed over an owner’s
objections. The State
Historical Resources
Commission can,
however, formally
determine a property
eligible for the California
Register if the resource
owner objects.
Properties to be listed as
a state “landmark”
require property owner
consent.
Historical Resource on
National Register
Same as above for historical
resources on the California
Register. After the state’s
approval of the nomination of
the historical resource, the
Keeper of the National Register
in Washington, D.C. makes the
final decision.
Consent of property
owner(s) is not required,
but properties cannot be
listed over the objection
of a private owner(s).
Property owner contact
information must be
submitted with a
National Register
nomination as part of
the cover letter.
ANALYSIS:
Request
Councilmember Speake submitted a future agenda item request to discuss with the City Council the possibility of changing the requirement in CMC Section 17.63.120(E)(3) to have the city’s proposed Historic Preservation Board consider and decide on requests for demolition permits of historic resources listed on the Corona Heritage Inventory.
CMC Chapter 17.63
Demolition permits for structures listed on the Corona Heritage Inventory are decided by the Planning Director. The request also requires a 30-day waiting period before a decision is made to City of Corona Page 3 of 5 Printed on 5/30/2024
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File #: 24-0444
Planning Director. The request also requires a 30-day waiting period before a decision is made to approve or disapprove a demolition permit and notification to the Corona Historic Preservation Society. The Planning Director is also required to make one of the following findings before deciding to approve a demolition permit for a heritage property. a) The heritage property is not a good example of an historic period or architectural style; b) The heritage property has deteriorated or been modified to the extent that it is no longer representative as an historic resource to be preserved; c) Denial of the requested relocation or demolition of the heritage property will deprive the owner of all economically viable use of the site;
d) Relocation or demolition or removal will not have a significant effect on the achievement of the purposes of CMC Chapter 17.63;
e) The heritage property is determined to be unsafe or dangerous by the Building Official and reasonable efforts to correct the situation are infeasible; f) The heritage property is inconsistent with the zoning designation for the site and adaptive re-use of the heritage property to achieve consistency is not economically viable.
Demolition permits for a Corona Landmark listed on the Corona Register, or a historic resource listed on both the Corona Register and California or National Register require consideration and decision by the Planning Commission and City Council. The Planning Commission and City Council are required to make one of the findings similar to those for a heritage property before deciding to approve a demolition permit.
Future Amendments to CMC Chapter 17.63.
The majority of the City Council at its study session on March 20, 2024, agreed to certain amendments to the Historical Resources Ordinance. One of the proposed amendments is to replace the Planning Commission with a Historic Preservation Board when it comes to the review and decision on historical resource applications. The Historic Preservation Board will be a new board created by the city to review discretionary applications associated with historic resources.
Councilmember Speake’s request is to discuss changing the current review of demolition permits for Heritage Inventory structures from the Planning Director to the proposed Historic Preservation Board as part of the future amendments to CMC Chapter 17.63. Changing this requirement was not discussed at the study session when other amendments to CMC Chapter 17.63 were being considered. Staff’s time for the amendment to CMC Chapter 17.63 will be included as part of the larger amendment to this ordinance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this request.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR City of Corona Page 4 of 5 Printed on 5/30/2024
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File #: 24-0444
Attachment:
1. Exhibit 1 - Future Agenda Item Request from Councilmember Speake City of Corona Page 5 of 5 Printed on 5/30/2024
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