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What is the background of historic preservation in the City of Santa Cruz?
As a result of the City’s Historic Preservation Plan, adopted in 1974 as an element of the General Plan, the Historic Preservation Commission and the Historic Preservation Ordinance were established to protect the City’s historic and architectural resources.
The City commissioned Volume I of the Historic Building Survey in 1976 to identify and evaluate historic and architecturally significant structures deserving protection. The survey, conducted by the firm of Charles Hall Page and Associates identified 306 properties drawing primarily from John Chase’s Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture, which was first published in 1975. Volume I of the survey covered architectural development in the City from approximately 1850 to 1930.
Criteria for inclusion in the survey were a variation of the Kalman Methodology, a numerical ranking system that evaluated historical significance, architectural significance, importance to the neighborhood, original design, neighborhood setting, and physical condition. All properties in the 1976 survey were officially listed and protected under the City historic preservation policies and regulations.
In 1989, Volume II of the Historic Building Survey was produced with selections and research provided by John Chase’s Sidewalk Companion. This volume catalogues a total of 247 additional structures from three categories. These include: significant buildings from 1930 to 1950, important structures not included in the first survey, and significant vernacular buildings from 1850 to 1910 which comprise approximately one half of the structures in Volume II. Neighborhood context was emphasized in Volume II, with a focus on contiguous rows of historic buildings. More than 90% of properties in Volume II of the Survey have been listed officially.
What are the City's historic designation types?
The City of Santa Cruz presently has four types of historic designations:
- Historic Landmarks: Buildings of greatest significance in architecture or history, 26 are presently listed on the current City Historic Building Survey;
- Historic Resources: Buildings that add to the historic context of the City, listed on the City Historic Building Survey;
- Historic Districts: Buildings located in delineated areas of the City that share a similar architectural or historic theme. Districts are listed on the City Historic Building Survey;
- Neighborhood Conservation Areas: Delineated areas of the City that contains historic buildings that do not necessarily share a common historic theme or similar architecture which need a minimum amount of protection under the Zoning Ordinance. Such areas are not yet listed on the Historic Building Survey; however, some individual buildings within a conservation district may be listed.
What is the most recent City publication on historic preservation?
In October 2000, an Historic Context Statement Report was completed. The Context Statement provides a good background and identifies related property types which evolved with the City’s historical past.