Cultural Heritage Board
Memorandum
Community & Economic Development Department Planning Division 3900 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92522 | Phone: (951) 826-5371 | RiversideCA.gov
PR-2023-001469
CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD MEETING DATE: MAY 2 0, 202 6 AGENDA ITEM NO.: 5
PROPOSED PROJECT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the Cultural Heritage Board:
1. REVIEW and PROVIDE COMMENT UPON the Cultural Resources analysis in the Mitigated Negative Declaration , and RECOMMEND that the City Council Case Numbers PR-2023-001469 (Certificate of Appropriateness - DP-2023-00015) Request
To consider a Certificate of Appropriateness request for infill development within a historic district (Seventh Street East Historic District) and the integration of a Structure of Merit (Barley Mills Building), located at 3596 Commerce Street, into the ov erall development consisting of the construction of a Mixed Use development consisting of 291 residential dwelling units and 9 live/work units .
Applicant Darrin Olson of Iron Lofts, LLC
Project
Location
Twelve parcels located on the
east side of Commerce Street
between Mission Inn Avenue
and 5th Street
APN
211072002; 211072001;
211071002; 211071001;
211072021; 211072020;
211072004; 211071024;
211071005; 211071004;
211071023; 211072022
Ward 1
Neighborhood Eastside
Historic District Seventh Street East Historic
District
Historic
Designation
Historic District Non -
contributor; Structures of Merit
#86 (Barley Mills Building) and
#412 (site of the former Soda
Works Building)
Staff Planner
Scott Watson, Historic Preservation Officer
951-826-5507
[email protected]
PR-2023-001469
DETERMINE that Planning Case PR-2023-001469 will not have a significant effect on Cultural Resources so it may ADOPT the Mitigated Negative Declaration (Exhibit 5) and ADOPT the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP); and
2. Recommend APPROVAL Planning Cas e DP-2023-00015 (Certificate of Appropriateness component of PR-2023-001469), based on the facts for findings outlined and summarized in the staff report, subject to the recommended conditions of approval (Exhibit 1) thereby issuing a Certificate of Appropriateness for the project.
BACKGROUND
The 7.03-acre project site, bisected by 6th Street, consists of twelve parcels and is partially developed with an appliance store and the historic Barley Mills Building (Structure of Merit #86).
The site was previously occupied by Riverside Scrap Iron & Metal, which operated a scrap metal yard for over 45 years. The facility included a machine shop and both aboveground and underground fuel and oil storage tanks. As a result of these operations, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control identified the property as a Brownfield site due to contamination from lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and arsenic.
In 2024, DTSC approved a Response Plan for remediati on of the site, which includes the excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 30,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
As a matter of information, the proposed mixed -use project is scheduled for review by the Planning Commission on May 21, 2026, to make a recommendation to the City Council regarding the following entitlements:
General Plan Amendment: Amend the land use designation from B/OP – Business/Office Park to MU-U – Mixed Use – Urban.
Specific Plan Amendment: Amend the Riverside Marketplace Specific Plan to expand the Mixed Use Marketplace Sub Area to include the subject properties. Zoning Code Map Amendment: Rezone the project site from BMP -SP – Business and Manufacturing Park and Specific Plan (Riverside Marketplace) Overlay Zones, and BMP -SP-CR – Business and Manufacturing Park, Specific Plan (Riverside Marketplace), and Cultural Resources Overlay Zones, to MU -U-SP – Mixed Use - Urban and Specific Plan (Riverside Marketplace) Overlay Zones, and MU-U-SP-CR – Mixed Use -Urban and Specific Plan (Riverside Marketplace), and Cultural Resources Overlay Zones (Structure of Merit and Seventh Street East Historic District).
Tentative Tract Map: Consolidate twelve parcels into a single parcel, dedicate right-of-way, vacate an alley, and vacate a portion of 6th Street.
PR-2023-001469
Site Plan Review: Review of site design and building elevations for the proposed mixed-use development.
Soda Works Building
Beginning in 2019, City staff worked with both the previous and current property owners to explore rehabilitation of the former Soda Works Building, located at 2993 Mission Inn Avenue. At that time, it was determined that a prior roof collapse at the rear single-story portion of the building had resulted in failure of the rear and side walls. A 2019 structural engineering report concluded that the front two -story portion of the building remained stable and could potentially be rehabilitated and incorporated into a future project.
In 2023, a severe wind event caused the collapse of the remaining Soda Works structure.
The City Building Official and structural engineering staff from the Building & Safety Division conducted an emergency assessment during the event. Based on sustained high winds, the extent of the gable-end collapse, and the compromised structural integrity of the remaining lateral force-resisting system, including the roof-to-wall connections of the unreinforced masonry, the structure was determined to pose an immediate threat to public safety.
As a result, the remaining structure was demolished to mitigate hazardous conditions and protect adjacent properties. The demolition was conducted in accordance with Section
20.25.010 of the Riverside Municipal Code, which states:
“No Certificate of Appropriateness is required for a historic structure if the Building Official has determined that the structure presents an unsafe or dangerous condition constituting an imminent threat as defined in the California Building Code, or a dangerous building as defined by the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, and the proposed action is necessary to mitigate the unsafe or dangerous condition.”
Barley Mills Building (3596 Commerce St)
Constructed in 1891, the Barley Mills Building is one of the earliest surviving industrial structures associated with Riverside’s agricultural economy, historically used for grain milling, feed storage, and later citrus-related operations. The building reflects its utilitarian origins through a simple, rectilinear form and functional relationship to the adjacent rail corridor.
Character-defining features include: a rectangular ground plan; unreinforced masonry (brick) construction; overall one- to two-story massing; parallel gabled roof; fenestration including segmental-arched openings, wood double -hung windows, and large freight door openings; concrete loading dock that was previously covered by corrugated metal topped canopy.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
PR-2023-001469
The applicant requests approval of the entitlements described above to facilitate development of a mixed-use project consisting of 291 residential dwelling units and 9 live/work units.
The project includes one four -story building (Building A) containing 295 multi -family residential units, and one two-story building (Building C) comprising five townhome units.
The unit mix includes 51 studio units, 147 one -bedroom units, 93 two-bedroom units, and 9 live/work units. Unit sizes range from approximately 447 square feet to 1,186 square feet.
The live/work units are oriented along Mission Inn Avenue, with four located on the ground floor of Building A and five within the townhome building.
The architectural palette references the historically industrial character of the site through the use of:
Light gray stucco cladding
Burnished concrete masonry unit (CMU) block
Weathered steel panels in rusted red and brown tones
Perforated steel panels in similar finishes
Dark gray corrugated metal
Steel grate railings
Dark gray framed windows
The project provides approximately 19,650 square feet of common open space, including two courtyards, two terraces, and a dog park located on the former site of the Soda Works Building. The primary courtyard (Courtyard A) incorporates the adaptive reuse of the historic Barley Mills Building as a fitness center and clubhouse, with direct access to a pool area featuring shaded lounge areas, BBQ grills, cabanas, and a spa.
Barley Mills Building Rehabilitation
The proposed rehabilitation of the Barley Mills Building includes:
Demolition of the non-original eastern addition;
Installation of a new corrugated metal roof to match the historic material; Reconstruction of the original corrugated metal –topped pent roof canopy with brackets along the east, south, and west elevations;
Rehabilitation and restoration of original wood double-hung windows on the east, south, and west elevations; and
Installation of new wood windows within previously infilled arched freight door openings, designed to match the style and function of the original windows.
The proposed rehabilitation includes stru ctural upgrades to address unreinforced masonry (URM) conditions, including roof diaphragm replacement, wall anchorage, and internal bracing. These interventions are designed to meet current building code requirements while retaining historic material where feasible and minimizing alteration of character-defining features.
PR-2023-001469
Interpretive Feature – Soda Works Site
Although the Soda Works Building has been demolished due to structural failure and public safety concerns, the project incorporates salvaged materia ls and interpretive elements to retain associative value and communicate the site’s historical function.
A commemorative wall, approximately 36 to 42 inches in height and 15 feet in length, is proposed along Mission Inn Avenue at the location of the former Soda Works Building.
The wall will incorporate salvaged concrete blocks from the original structure and include an interpretive plaque describing the history of the building and site.
Cultural Resources Assessment
A Cultural Resources Assessment (CRA), da ted March 7, 2025, was prepared by historic preservation architect Taylor Louden for the project (Exhibit 5). The analysis concludes that the project is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
The report states:
The proposed Project will not result in a substantial adverse change in the significance of the Barley Mills Building because there would be limited impacts by demolitions or substantial alterations as stated in CEQA for the proposed Project.
The site of the Project is largely within the Seventh Street East (Residential) Historic District, and the proposed Project is located within the areas of the site that are barren without structures. Therefore, there will be no impacts in any physical change to this portion of the Historic Dis trict. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15064.5(b)(1).) Additionally, changes to the former Barley Mills Building would not materially impair the significance of the Seventh Street East (Residential) Historic District because, among other reasons, the Barley Mills Building does not convey, or otherwise contribute to, the physical characteristics of the District. The period of significance for the Seventh Street East (Residential) Historic District is defined as 1895 through 1945. The Barley Mills Building was constructed outside of this period of significance in 1891. Accordingly, the Barley Mills Building is a non-contributor to the District and changes to the Barley Mills Building thus do not materially impair the significance of the Seventh Street East (Resident ial) Historic District. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15064.5(b)(2).)
PROJECT ANALYSIS
FACTS FOR FINDINGS
Pursuant to Chapter 20.25.050 of Title 20 (Cultural Resources) of the Riverside Municipal Code (RMC), the Cultural Heritage Board and Historic Preservation Officer must make applicable findings of specific Principles and S tandards when approving or denying a Certificate of Appropriateness. For proposed projects involving individually significant Cultural Resources (i.e. City Landmarks, Structures of Merit, eligible Landmarks, etc.), the project should demonstrate:
PR-2023-001469
Chapter 20.25.050.A – Principles and Standards of Site Development and Design Review for Individually Significant Resources
Consistency or compatibility with the architectural
period and the character -defining elements of the
historic building, such as colors, textures, materials, fenestration, decorative features, details, height, scale, massing, and method of construction.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
The proposed rehabilitation of the Barley Mills Building retains and restores primary character -defining features associated with its 1891 period of significance, including the unreinforced masonry bearing walls, original wood - framed fenestration patterns, seg mental arched openings, and the overall simple industrial massing and volume. These features continue to express the building’s agricultural-industrial design intent and historic function.
The project preserves the building’s essential form, scale, and pr oportion, maintaining the original one - to two -story volumetric expression and roofline profile, thereby retaining its historic visual prominence and legibility within the site.
Reconstruction of the corrugated metal canopy and reroofing in corrugated metal are based on historic photographic documentation and physical evidence and are designed to reestablish a previously extant architectural feature consistent with the building’s utilitarian agricultural character. These elements reinforce material continu ity with historic industrial construction practices common to late 19th -century agricultural processing facilities. The proposed corrugated metal roofing is supported by historic documentation, including Sanborn Fire Insurance maps identifying corrugated iron as the original roofing material.
Proposed infill within former freight door openings is designed to be compatible with original fenestration patterns, utilizing vertically oriented proportions and wood-framed assemblies that reference historic double -hung configurations.
New openings are set back and detailed to remain visually subordinate while maintaining compatibility in rhythm, proportion, and scale.
Exterior rehabilitation materials are selected to match historic materials in composition, texture, and finish, including masonry repointing using compatible mortar mixes, repair of deteriorated wood elements, and retention of original surface character where feasible.
The project introduces new construction elements that are differentiated fro m historic fabric through subtle contemporary detailing, simplified trim profiles, and discernible junctions between historic and new materials, consistent with accepted preservation practice under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
PR-2023-001469
Chapter 20.25.050.A – Principles and Standards of Site Development and Design Review for Individually Significant Resources
Site-level interventions are designed to avoid alteration of the building’s primary character-defining elevations, ensuring that new work is primarily located on secondary façade or previously altered areas to minimize impacts on historic design integrity.
The proposed Soda Works commemorative wall will reuse salvaged concrete blocks of the original building, allowing for the recognition of the no longer extant building.
The proposed project does not destroy or pose a
substantial adverse change to an important
architectural, historical, cultural or archaeological
feature or features of the Cultural Resource.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
The project retains the primary historic structure and preserves its character - defining features, including overall massing, scale, and exterior form. It removes only later, non-contributing 1930s-era additions that are not associated with the period of significance and do not convey historical, architectural, or cultural value. These removal s are intended to eliminate incompatible alterations that obscure the historic resource’s integrity.
Rehabilitation work is limited to stabilization, repair, and selective restoration of existing historic materials and features. Where deterioration has oc curred, such as windows, treatment prioritizes repair over replacement, and any necessary replacement is proposed to be in -kind in terms of material, design, finish, and workmanship, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Cultural Resources Assessment concludes that the project would not result in a “substantial adverse change” as defined by CEQA Guidelines §15064.5 because it does not materially impair the resource’s significance or eligibility for local, state, or federal designation, nor does it eliminate or substantially diminish the qualities that convey its historical importance.
No significant archaeological resources, known cultural deposits, or contributing landscape features have been identified within the project area that would be adversely affected by the proposed scope of work, and standard inadvertent discovery procedures would apply during construction activities if any previously unknown resources are encountered.
PR-2023-001469
Chapter 20.25.050.A – Principles and Standards of Site Development and Design Review for Individually Significant Resources
The Soda Works building was previously destroyed by a sever wind event, The proposed commemorative wall will reuse salvaged concrete blocks of the original building to make use of historic material for interpretive purposes.
Compatibility with context considering the following
factors: grading; site development; orientation of
buildings; off-street parking; landscaping; signs; street furniture; public areas; relationship of the project to its surroundings.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
The proposed redevelopment introduces a residential and adaptive reuse program that is consistent with the mixed-use and transitioning urban character of the surrounding downtown Riverside area, reinforcing rather than displacing existing historic development patterns.
The site plan preserves the Barley Mills Building as a central organizing element, ensuring continued visual prominence and reinforcing its historic role as an industrial anchor within the broader property.
New construction is sited and massed to step down from the historic resource, establishing appropriate transitions in height, bulk, and scale between the historic structure and adjacent development while avoiding visual competition.
Landscape design incorporates drought -tolerant and regional ly appropriate plantings that function as transitional buffers between historic and new construction, while preserving key view corridors toward the historic building.
Courtyards and open space areas are configured to respect the historic building’s footp rint and circulation patterns, reinforcing historic spatial organization while providing publicly accessible communal areas.
Off-street parking is located and screened to minimize visual intrusion on the historic resource, with design strategies that prioritize pedestrian experience along primary street frontages.
The proposed Soda Works commemorative wall will identify the location of and provide historical information related to the site of the former Soda Works building.
PR-2023-001469
Chapter 20.25.050.A – Principles and Standards of Site Development and Design Review for Individually Significant Resources
Overall site design ensure s that new development remains visually and functionally subordinate to the historic resource, preserving its prominence and reinforcing its historic relationship to the surrounding built environment.
Consistency with the principles of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic
Properties.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts: A comprehensive Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation analysis prepared by Louden demonstrates that the project complies with applicable standards by retaining and preserving historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that convey significance.
The project retains the building’s character -defining form, massing, and materials, while removing non-historic and incompatible alterations that obscure its historic design intent and integrity.
New construction and alterations are clearly differentiated from historic fabric through compatible but contemporary design expression, ensuring that additions are distinguishab le upon close inspection while remaining visually subordinate at a distance.
The rehabilitation approach prioritizes minimal intervention, repair over replacement, and reversibility where feasible, consistent with established preservation best practices.
The project retains the building’s historic workmanship and material authenticity while allowing for compatible adaptive reuse that ensures long -term preservation through continued occupancy and maintenance.
As applicable, consistency with other federal, state,
and/or local guidelines.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
No additional federal, state, or local historic preservation guidelines beyond CEQA, the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, and applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards are triggered by the scope of the proposed project.
For proposed projects involving individually Historic Districts and Neighborhood Conservation Areas, the project should demonstrate:
PR-2023-001469
Chapter 20.25.050.B – Principles and Standards of Site Development and Design Review for Historic Districts and Neighborhood Conservation Areas Compatibility with the height, scale, or massing of the contributor (or contributing feature) the Cultural
Resource.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
The proposed development incorporates a stepped and articulated massing strategy that responds to adjacent development patterns, breaking down overall building volume into smaller, visually legible components to avoid monolithic forms that would be inconsistent with historic district character.
Building heights are organized to establish a transitional gradient between larger-scale mixed-use components and the lower -scale residential context of the adjacent Seventh Street East Historic District, ensuring that new construction does not overwhelm contributing resources through excessive height or bulk.
Upper-story step-backs and façade modulation are utilized along district-facing edges to reduce apparent massing from the public right-of-way, particularly in viewsheds oriented toward the historic residential fabric.
Compatibility with colors, textures, materials,
decorative features of the contributor (or contributing feature) to the Cultural Resources.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
The proposed material palette draws from the area’s industrial and early commercial vocabulary, incorporating corrugated metal, concrete masonry units (CMU), and weathering steel to establish continuity with regional historic industrial construction typologies.
Material transitions are used to break down building massing and provide visual texture at pedestrian scale, reinforcing compatibility with surrounding historic fabric without replicating decorative historic detailing.
The color palette consists of muted, neutral, and earth-toned finishes designed to reduce visual contrast with adjacent historic resources and to maintain subdued visual prominence within the district context.
Exterior materials are applied in a manner that emphasizes depth, shadow, and variation in surface articulation, supporting compatibility with historic district patterns of texture and material expression.
PR-2023-001469
The proposed change does not destroy or pose a
substantial adverse change to an important
architectural, historical, cultural o r archaeological
feature or features within boundary of the Cultural
Resource.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
Development is concentrated on previously disturbed, underutilized, or vacant portions of the site, thereby avoiding direct impacts to identified contributing features within the historic district boundary and preserving the integrity of established historic spatial organization.
The Barley Mills Building is located outside the boundary of the adjacent historic district and is not its elf a contributing resource to that district; therefore, its rehabilitation does not result in physical or visual impacts to contributing district resources.
PR-2023-001469
Compatibility with the context of the Cultural Resource regarding grading, site development, orientation of
buildings, landscaping, signs, or public areas.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts:
Site planning reinforces existing urban form by maintaining and extending established circulation patterns, particularly those aligned with Mission Inn Avenue and adjacent east -west connectors, supporting continuity of the historic district’s spatial structure.
Building orientation follows existing street grids and reinforces pedestrian - oriented frontage conditions, preserving the established relatio nship between buildings and the public realm characteristic of the surrounding historic context.
Grading is limited to previously disturbed areas and is designed to maintain natural drainage patterns while minimizing alteration to existing site topography that contributes to district context.
Landscape design incorporates drought -tolerant and regionally appropriate species that function as transitional buffers between new development and adjacent residential uses, reducing visual contrast and reinforcing compatibility.
Open space areas are distributed to maintain view corridors and reinforce the spatial separation between building masses, reflecting historic patterns of building spacing and void-to-solid relationships within the surrounding context.
Interpretive features, including the proposed Soda Works commemorative wall, are integrated into public areas to reinforce cultural continuity and enhance understanding of the site’s historic industrial associations without competing visually with contributing district resources.
The application proposal is consistent with the
Citywide Residential Historic District Design Guidelines and the separate guidelines for each Historic District.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts: Chapter 9 (Infill Construction) of the Citywide Residential Historic District Design Guidelines establishes that new construction within or adjacent to historic districts should be compatible with established patterns of massing, scale, setback, orientation, and spatial organization while remaining clearly differentiated from historic fabric.
The Guidelines specify that infill development should:
Maintain compatibility with surrounding historic resources in terms of scale, massing, height, and proportion;
PR-2023-001469
Reflect established setbacks, orientation, and spatial relationships that define the district’s streetscape;
Be subordinate in visual prominence to contributing historic resources;
Utilize materials and design approaches that are compatible but not imitative, avoiding a false sense of historical development; and
Be clearly identifiable as contemporary construction while reinforcing the district’s overall character.
The project is consistent with Chapter 9 (Infill Construction), as follows:
The proposed infill development is sited on previously disturbed and vacant portions of the property, thereby preserving the integrity and prominence of existing contributing resources within the district.
The new construction is designed with articulated massing and varied building forms that relate to the scale and rhythm of surrounding development, while avoiding monolithic forms that would be incompatible with the district pattern. Building placement and site planning maintain established setbacks and reinforce the exist ing streetscape along Mission Inn Avenue, preserving the district’s spatial organization and pedestrian orientation. Materials such as CMU, corrugated metal, and steel are employed in a manner that is compatible in texture and scale, yet clearly contempor ary, thereby meeting the Guidelines’ directive to avoid false historicism. The project adopts a contemporary industrial design language that is responsive to the site’s historic use context while clearly distinguishable from historic resources, consistent with Guideline requirements for compatibility without mimicry.
PR-2023-001469
The application proposal is consistent with the
Principles of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
N/A Consistent Inconsistent
☐ ☐
Facts: A comprehensive Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation analysis prepared by Taylor Louden demonstrates that the project retains all character-defining features and historic materials that convey significance. The project avoids removal of significant historic fabric and prioritizes preservation, repair, and selective rehabilitation over replacement, consistent with the Standards’ guidance on minimal intervention.
New construction is differentiated from historic fabric while remaining compatible in massing, scale, and spatial relationship, ensuring that additions do not compromise the historic resource’s integrity or district context.
The overall design approach maintains the integrity of both the individual historic resource and the surrounding historic district by preserving character - defining relationships, spatial organization, and visual hierarchy.
AUTHORIZATION AND COMPLIANCE SUMMARY
Regulatory Codes Consistent Inconsistent
Historic Preservation Code Consistency (Title 20)
The project is consistent with Title 20 of the Riverside Municipal Code. The proposed rehabilitation of the Barley Mills Building retains and restores character -defining features while removing non -contributing additions. The new mixed -use development is compatible in scale, massing, materials, and architectural treatment with both the historic resource and the surrounding context.
Additionally, the project incorporates a clear differentiation between historic and new construction through the use of contemporary materials and design strategies, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. The
development does not result in a substantial adverse change to the significance of the Barley Mills Building or the Seventh Street East Historic District and is therefore consistent with applicable Historic Preservation Code requirements.
☐
PR-2023-001469
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND), and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program (MMRP) have been prepared for this project in accordance with Sections 15074 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and Section 21081.6 of CEQA (Exhibit 3). The CEQA documentation states the proposed project will not have a significant effect on the environment, subject to implementation of the MMRP.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
Public meeting notices were mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the site. A Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration was published in the Press - Enterprise and mailed to the list of agencies and interested parties. As of the writing of this report, Staff no comments have been received.
APPEAL INFORMATION
Actions by the CHB, including any environmental findings, may be appealed to City Council within ten calendar days after the decision. Appeal filing and processing information may be obtained from the Planning Division by calling 951-826-5371.
EXHIBITS LIST
1. Staff Recommended Conditions of Approval
2. Aerial Photo/Location
3. Seventh Street East Historic District Map
4. Project Plans (Site plan, floor plans, historic rehabilitation, elevation, preliminary landscaping plans)
5. Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
6. Appendix C-1 – Cultural Resources Assessment by Louden
7. Appendix C-2 - Cultural and Paleontological Resources Assessment by Cogstone
8. Site Photos
Prepared by: Scott Watson, Historic Preservation Officer Approved by: Edgardo Caldera, Acting City Planner
EXHIBIT 1 - STAFF RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL May 20, 2026
PLANNING CASE: DP-2023-00015 (COA) MEETING DATE: May 20, 2026
CASE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS
1. All applicable conditions of related Planning Cases PR-2023-001469 (General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Code Map Amendment, Tentative Tract Map, Site Plan Review) shall apply. Action by the Planning Commission or City Council on the related planning entitlement cases that results in significant modifications to the project may require submittal and review of a revised Certificate of Appropriateness application.
2. All mitigation measures, as outlined in the Mitigation, Monitoring and Repo rting Plan shall be completed in accordance with approval of this project.
3. Prior to Occupancy – Submit to Historic Preservation Staff for review and approval proposed soda works commemorative wall proposal, including interpretive display material.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
4. There is a one -year time limit in which to secure the necessary building permits required by this Certificate of Appropriateness. If unable to obtain necessary permits, a time extension request letter stating the reasons for the extension of time shall be submitted to the Planning Division. HP staff may administratively extend the term of a Certificate of Appropriateness for one year, no more than twice.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE APPLICANT WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY THE PLANNING
DIVISION ABOUT THE PENDING EXPIRATION OF THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
5. The project must be completed in accordance with the Cultural Heritage Board’s (CHB) Certificate of Appropriateness approval, including all conditions listed. Any subsequent changes to the project must be approved by the CHB or HP staff.
6. This approval for the Certificate of Appropriateness is for design concept only and does not indicate the project has been thoroughly checked for compliance with all requirements of law. As such, it is not a substitute for the formal building permit plan check process, and other changes may be required during the plan check process.
7. Granting this Certificate of Appropriateness shall in no way exclude or excuse compliance with all other applicable rules and regulations in effect at the time this permit is exercised.
EXHIBIT 1 –CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTDEPARTMENT PLANNING DIVISION