The Pacific Grove City Council voted to direct staff to prepare ordinance amendments to merge the Architectural Review Board and the Historic Resources Commission into a single historic and architectural resources commission and start the public review process.

City Attorney Patrick Pierrick told the council that, under the city’s municipal code (citing sections 23.76.025 and 23.76.030), inclusion on the Historic Resources Inventory is discretionary and that neither state nor federal law requires a city to obtain a property owner’s consent to add a property to a local inventory. “There are evaluation criteria and those criteria are used to determine whether or not the property qualifies,” Pierrick said during his presentation; he added that the code uses the word “may” and therefore gives the city discretion.

Public comment was strongly in favor of preserving historic resources and urged the council not to require owner consent for listing. Tiani, a local preservation advocate, told the council the municipal code’s language should be interpreted to require careful evaluation and to protect the city’s historic stock. Several speakers, including longtime preservation activists, warned that weakening protections would accelerate loss of historic buildings and erode tourism value.

Staff described a proposed 7‑member combined commission with two construction‑trade seats, two design‑trade seats, one Heritage Society nominee, and two community members; staff said training would be provided for members on historic‑preservation standards and architectural review. Council members debated residency and expertise requirements for the technical seats; several members proposed allowing one construction and one design seat to be filled by nonresidents who work in Pacific Grove to expand the applicant pool.

Mayor Smith moved the staff recommendation with modifications to allow limited nonresident technical seats and to include additional documentation that underscores the city’s commitment to historic preservation; the motion was seconded and carried in a 5–2 vote, with Council members McDonough and WalkingStick recorded as dissenting. The motion directed the city manager to return with draft ordinance amendments and supporting materials for public review by the Planning Commission and subsequent City Council consideration.

The council emphasized that current protections for properties on the Historic Resources Inventory remain in place and that any procedural or membership changes will be incorporated into the draft code amendments. Staff said they will also document and publish the step‑by‑step process for how properties are initiated, screened, and added to or removed from the inventory.

Next steps: staff will draft the ordinance language, return to the Planning Commission for public hearings, and then return to the City Council for final action.