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Colfax council adopts historic-resources inventory, says it would not block demolitions
Summary
The Colfax City Council adopted a historic resources inventory listing 32 properties and directed staff to maintain the list; council and staff noted the inventory does not legally prevent demolition without a future ordinance.
The Colfax City Council on March 26 adopted a resolution to establish a historic resources inventory for the city, compiling buildings and sites that “merit conservation” but are not automatically legally protected.
City planner Kathy Pease told the council the inventory consolidates information from the 2009 downtown master plan, the state and federal registers and field surveys and currently lists about 32 structures, including the depot and the Colfax passenger depot, both on the National Register and California historic listings.
The inventory will be maintained as an administrative list, Pease said, but she and council members emphasized that the inventory alone does not prevent demolition because “demolition permits are ministerial in nature.” Pease said the council could pursue a separate historic preservation ordinance in the future if it wants legal protection tied to the inventory.
Pease cited potential incentives for property owners, including eligibility for the Mills Act — a California tax-abatement program for qualified historic properties — and the state's Historic Building Code, which can provide flexibility for rehabilitation projects. She also said the current inventory is limited in scope and additional surveys would be needed to cover primarily residential areas outside downtown.
Council members praised the research and suggested the city use the inventory for publicity and grant opportunities. No members asked to delay the action; a motion to adopt the resolution passed by voice vote.
Adopting the inventory directs staff to keep the inventory and to provide state historic resource forms as supporting documentation; it does not change permitting rules for demolition or substantive development approvals. Pease advised the city manager and council that further action (an ordinance) would be required to add regulatory protection for listed resources.
