Please see the “Preservation Online” tab for a current inventory of designated historic resources as well as potential historic resources in Carlsbad. Please note that some residential or commercial properties may not have been previously surveyed and may still be eligible for historic designation.

The nomination of important buildings by property owners and members of the community is a critical component to achieving the city’s goal of identifying and preserving significant historical resources. Info-Bulletin 161 (IB-161) provides an overview of the historic designation process and describes the requirements and process to nominate a resource for designation on the Local Register. 

The first step is to determine whether the resource meets initial historic qualifications, which is listed in Chapter 22.06.020 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code. The property owner must show that the potential historic resource is at least 50 years old and is associated with significant events, a person or persons, architectural style, or otherwise yields important information or contribute to our city’s, state’s or nation’s history. The potential historic resource must also retain enough of its historic, cultural or architectural character or appearance to be recognizable as a historic resource and to convey the reasons for its significance.

After determining eligibility, the property owner must file a Historic Resource Designation application to the Planning Division to add the property to the Local Register. In order to submit a property for listing on the city’s Local Register, the property owner must submit a Historic Resource Research Report. Such supporting documentation may include site records, reports and surveys prepared by qualified professionals, or other similar documented evidence showing the historical importance of the property.

There are three separate levels of designation of historic resources: Local (Chapter 22.06), State (California Register), and Federal (National Register of Historic Places). All three designations qualify buildings to use the California Historical Building Code and apply for property tax savings provided by the Mills Act, as well as other benefits and incentives.

• Local – Chapter 22.06. Local historic designations are governed under the Carlsbad Municipal Code. The designation of buildings as individual resources or as contributory buildings to a Historic District affords additional layers of protection. An additional layer of review is required by the Historic Preservation Commission for exterior alterations (and, occasionally, some interior alterations).
• The California Register is the authoritative guide to the State's historical and archeological resources. It also includes all properties listed in the National Register. For more information, visit the California Register. The California Register is similar to the National Register in that it encourages the recognition and protection of architectural, historical, archeological, and cultural resources.

The California Register Historical Resources Criteria and the implementing regulations is similar to the National Register. But the National Register puts more emphasis on integrity. The California Register regulations do address integrity, but they do not state that the California Register is more inclusive or has a lower threshold of significance than the National Register. It is possible that historical resources may not retain sufficient integrity to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register, but they may still be eligible for listing in the California Register.

• The National Register is a program administered by the National Park Service through the California Office of Historic Preservation. The National Register has no connection to the Local Register, although some resources are also listed on the National Register. Buildings listed in the National Register can gain significant tax savings by following the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. For more information, visit the National Park Service’s website.

• Your property being protected under the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Title 22 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
• Pragmatic advantages such as access to the California Historical Building Code and application for relief from certain development standards.
• Economic benefits such as the Mills Act Program as well as other benefits and incentives.

Applicants are encouraged to have a pre-submittal meeting with city staff prior to the submittal of application materials. Application materials should effectively communicate what currently exists and what is being proposed. Typical conceptual plan submittals include the application, existing photographs, to scale elevation drawings, floor plans, materials list, a statement about the proposed project, and any additional materials requested by the city. 

Reviewing a pre-application is not a formal project review. Nonetheless, the pre-application process is helpful for many to learn the general rules and procedures applicable to projects involving historic resources and can assist the applicant in determining whether a potential project should be pursued.

Historic property owners are not prohibited from modernizing or updating their interiors as needed for both safety and economic benefit – unless the interiors are publicly accessible and referenced in the property’s survey forms. Property owners are encouraged to retain original features that contribute to the historical significance of the resource.

As with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, repair and replacement of original architectural features, paving, fencing, etc. may be made using new and even synthetic materials, if these materials retain the look, quality and feel of the original. Vinyl sash windows, however, will generally not be viewed as a good replacement for original wood sash, but products that appear to look like wood (dual pane, synthetic wood clad tilt-packs as an example) may be acceptable particularly for principal elevations.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are common sense historic preservation principles – promoting historic preservation best practices. They are a series of concepts about maintaining, repairing, and replacing historic materials, as well as designing new additions or making alterations. The Standards offer four distinct approaches to the treatment of historic properties - preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction with guidelines for each.

According to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), all buildings constructed over 45 years ago and possess architectural or historical significance may be considered potential historic resources and proposed changes to these buildings may require some level of environmental review. CEQA provides the legal framework by which historical resources are identified and given consideration during the planning process. There are three possible outcomes for CEQA review of proposed changes to historic properties:

• Categorical Exemption is required when the change or alteration is minor and if the implementation meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
• Negative Declaration or Mitigated Negative Declaration is required when the proposed project is not minor and would not cause a substantial adverse change to the historical resource or if the adverse change can be mitigated.
• Environmental Impact Report is required when the proposed project would potentially cause a substantial adverse change to a historical resource, such as demolition.

In order to understand the historic importance of a resource, sufficient time must have passed to obtain a scholarly perspective on the events or individuals associated with the resource. The vast majority of buildings in Carlsbad have not been surveyed, documented, or listed as historic resources. For that reason, all buildings constructed over 45 years ago may be a potential historical resource and proposed alterations or additions may require some level of environmental review.

Some projects outside of the Coastal Zone are exempt from CEQA review. Ministerial approval of alterations and additions is a ministerial act, and thus not subject to CEQA. 

Please consult with Planning Division staff for help in determining whether your building is considered a historical resource under CEQA, or if CEQA applies to your addition or alteration. 

While there is no universal answer to this, the city strongly encourages the retention of historic interior features as they may contribute to the significance of a property. Additions or alterations can be done in a manner that preserves character or respects the architecture and detailing of visual or character defining features.

The National Parks Service has produced over 40 technical Preservation Briefs related to the appropriate repair and maintenance of old buildings. Topics include the cleaning and waterproofing of masonry buildings, the repair of historic wood windows, conserving energy in historic buildings, and the seismic retrofit of historic buildings, etc. 

There are different ways of understanding older buildings. They can be seen as examples of specific building types, which are usually related to a building's function, such as schools. But buildings can also be studied as examples of using specific materials such as concrete, wood, steel, or limestone. They can also be considered as examples of a historical period or architectural style. There are many other facets of a historic building besides its function, materials, or construction style that contribute to its historic significance. This may include a sense of time and place or in buildings associated with events or people. A complete understanding of any property may require research and documentation to learn about the evolutionary history of the building, including its significance or association with specific events or people. It is those elements that should be preserved.

A building's character can be irreversibly damaged or changed in many ways, for example, by inappropriate repointing of the brickwork, by removal of a distinctive side porch, by changes to the window sash, by changes to the setting around the building, by changes to the major room arrangements, etc. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties is a good resource to learn about historic preservation principles.

If you are the owner of a designated historical resource, or a building eligible for historic designation, please contact staff to aid early in the planning process, before carrying out any plans for alterations or additions.