Camarillo planning commission hears landmark committee duties ahead of first meeting

Melissa Beebe, the city’s associate planner, briefed the Planning Commission on the duties and procedures of the newly constituted Camarillo Landmark Committee and on local historic‑resource definitions as the committee prepares for its first meeting on May 6.

Beebe said Camarillo’s historic‑preservation code defines a “historic resource” as a building, property or area important to the history, architecture, archaeology or culture of the community, state or nation, and that a local “landmark” is a property designated by city council resolution whose demolition would be “an irreplaceable loss to the quality and character of the city.” She told commissioners that landmark designation requires a public hearing and that, once designated, approval from the Landmark Committee is required for construction, alteration, restoration, relocation or demolition affecting a landmark.

The city’s municipal code lists multiple criteria for designation, Beebe said: association with significant people or events; reflection of a particular historical period; embodiment of distinctive architectural characteristics or construction methods; or potential to yield significant historical information. She noted properties can be designated at the federal level (National Register of Historic Places), state level (California Register of Historical Resources) or local level (Ventura County and Camarillo registers), and said Camarillo has not yet designated properties on a local register.

Beebe gave local examples to illustrate designation criteria: the Camarillo Ranch House (listed on the National Register in February 2003 for its association with Adolfo Camarillo and its architectural significance), the line of eucalyptus trees east of Lewis Road (designated by the county in 1978), and St. Mary Magdalene Church in Old Town (county landmark since 1972). She said ordinary repairs and maintenance that do not change design, material or external appearance may be approved by the community development director without committee action.

Beebe described the Scholey Farmhouse (near U.S. 101 and Springville Drive) as the first item the Landmark Committee will review. She said the farmhouse rehabilitation is required as an environmental mitigation measure tied to approval of the Lennar Homes development and that rehabilitation plans were reviewed by historic architects to confirm compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The developer is required to request landmark designation from the city as part of the mitigation package, Beebe said; the Landmark Committee will forward a recommendation to city council, which must approve or deny a designation within 30 days of that recommendation.

During the presentation a commissioner asked whether the city’s landmark criteria are posted online; Beebe replied that the criteria are available in the city’s municipal code. A separate commissioner asked if listed properties would be eligible for the Mills Act; Beebe said a property listed as a landmark would be eligible to apply for a Mills Act contract after listing.

Beebe closed by asking commissioners to review the criteria ahead of the Landmark Committee’s May 6 meeting and invited questions. The presentation was informational and no formal action was taken by the commission on this item.