Historic Preservation Incentives Open To Laguna Beach Residents

Laguna Beach CA

15 February, 2022

2:28 PM

Description

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — After tireless thought and deliberation, the California Coastal Commission approved revisions to Laguna Beach's Historic Preservation Ordinance, the city reported Friday. Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf said the revisions to the program will allow the city to hold its historic character and "evolve thoughtfully" over time. "We are pleased the Coastal Commission approved the revisions to our Historic Preservation Program," Kempf said. "This revised program will bring the City of Laguna Beach into better standing with state law and clarifies the preservation process." The program, according to the city, is designed to balance property rights with the preservation of "historic resources" in Laguna Beach. The Laguna Beach City Council adopted the revised version of the program last summer, but needed Coastal Commission clearance before it could be implemented. The four key components to the city's revised Historic Preservation Ordinance include: The term "Historic Resource" is now defined in the program to "ensure compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. "Owner consent" has been added as a criterion for listing on the local register.There are no longer any references to the "outdated 1981 Historic Resources Inventory."The revised program also includes new incentives to restore old properties that could be considered historic, the city added in a news release. The incentives include significantly reduced property taxes in exchanged for maintenance and rehabilitation of a historic structure, reduced parking requirements, density bonuses for new dwelling units and "relaxed setback standards offered," the city said. Residents with questions on the Historic Preservation Ordinance are asked to contact Community Development Director Marc Wiener at 949-497-0361. For information on the mentioned Historic Preservation incentives, contact Principal Planner Martina Caron.