Palo Alto Historic Resources Board adopts bylaw language to create preservation awards program

The Palo Alto Historic Resources Board voted unanimously at its April meeting to adopt suggested bylaw language establishing a preservation awards program, striking a proposed 2025 start date and directing staff and board members to further develop program details.

The move formalizes a staff proposal to create a recognition program for exemplary historic‑preservation projects, but board members spent the bulk of the discussion debating scope, candidate eligibility and whether the city’s historic inventory and incentives should be updated first.

Staff presented an expanded candidate list that grew from roughly 50 projects in earlier drafts to about 440 projects when building‑permit records for inventory properties were included. Steven, the city’s historic preservation planner, told the board that “the historic resources board falls under the purview of the historic preservation ordinance that captured in 1649,” and explained the three tiers of review used by staff: the Architectural Review Board, the Historic Resources Board and staff‑level building‑permit review for minor alterations.

Board members were divided. A subcommittee co‑chair said the program felt “premature” given the board’s other priorities and the need for stronger incentives and a more accessible, updated inventory. That position argued a smaller, better‑vetted candidate pool would better support an initial awards round. Other members said awards could boost public enthusiasm for preservation, suggested adding a stewardship category to recognize long‑term caretakers of historic properties, and urged the board to recognize outstanding projects visible in the community.

The expanded project list was compiled from permitting records for designated properties over roughly the past ten years; staff noted the list includes projects that were processed at the building‑permit level rather than routed to the full board. Board members discussed several individual properties during the meeting: a large restoration underway at 1023 Forest Ave. and a façade project at 475 Melville (permit activity dated 08/02/2022 with a building permit issued 09/05/2023 and an earlier interior permit from 02/2019). One board member said they would recuse themselves from discussion of 475 Melville because of a potential conflict.

The board adopted flexible bylaw language (attachment B) that establishes a preservation awards program and preserves discretion to define award categories, frequency and presentation format later. Members agreed staff should return with next steps, and several asked staff to trim the list to remove interior or clearly ineligible projects to make board review manageable.

As immediate next steps, the board asked staff to prepare a path for narrowing and distributing the project list for review, proposed that each board member identify a small set of candidate properties to start the selection process, and scheduled a broader discussion of preservation incentives for a June meeting. The board also recorded a new awards subcommittee with Chair Eagleson and board member Nolan Naches to help develop categories and review approach. Staff reminded the board that the city’s comprehensive plan policy L0.76 provides the policy basis for pursuing public recognition of preservation projects.

The board also approved the minutes of its March 13, 2025 meeting by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the suggested bylaw language for Article 8 (preservation awards), striking the language that set a 2025 start date; vote: unanimous voice vote. The board approved the March 13, 2025 meeting minutes; vote: unanimous voice vote.

The board noted the city’s annual preservation month activities and that an awards presentation is scheduled for May 4 at 2 p.m. at the Art Center. Staff and the newly formed awards subcommittee will return with a plan to pare the project list, proposed award categories (including consideration of stewardship and adaptive reuse), and draft selection criteria ahead of a future awards cycle.