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HLC refresher: Secretary of the Interior Standards training highlights; staff stresses preservation-first approach
Summary
City historic resources staff gave commissioners a refresher on applying the Secretary of the Interior Standards to local projects, focusing on preserving character‑defining features and documenting alterations so projects can qualify for streamlined review when appropriate.
Historic resources staff delivered a refresher training on the Secretary of the Interior Standards (the federal guidelines used to evaluate historic properties) for the commission, walking through how the standards apply to local projects and why staff often requests applicants redesign projects before bringing them to the commission.
Training lede: Staff explained that local ordinance and CEQA practice require buildings 50 years or older to be reviewed for historic significance, and that meeting the Secretary of the Interior Standards often enables a categorical exemption (avoiding a negative declaration or EIR) by showing that alterations are consistent with preservation best practice.
Key takeaways from the training - Preserve character‑defining features: Staff emphasized…
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