City of los angeles general plan

_________________________________________________________________

CITY OF LOS ANGELES CONSERVATION ELEMENT

Adopted September 2001

II-6

identified during land development, demolition or property modification

activities.

Program: permit processing, monitoring, enforcement and periodic

revision of regulations and procedures. 

Responsibility: departments of *Building and Safety, *City

Planning and Cultural Affairs and/or the *lead agency

responsible for project implementation.

For related information see: Cultural and Historical Section.

SECTION 4: CONSERVATION

Conservation is the managed or controlled use of natural, cultural and

historical resources. In Los Angeles it includes a diversity of

programs, including acquiring, preserving and protecting large tracts

of open space for habitat conservation, species protection, watershed

maintenance and other purposes; acquiring, preserving and protecting

cultural and historical resources; reducing the demand for nonrenewable

mineral and petroleum resources, water and other natural resources;

recycling water, wood products, metals, glass and other materials.

Conservation is addressed by various sections of this element in

relation to particular subject matter.

SECTION 5: CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL

The city's form, institutions and culture have been shaped by a

diversity of events, individuals and groups and the city's

environmental setting. Modern cultural history of Los Angeles dates to

the establishment of the pueblo (town) in 1781 by a Spanish expedition

which originated in Sonora of Lower California (now Mexico). With the

establishment of the Republic of Mexico (1821) Los Angeles came under

Mexican rule. From 1847 to 1850 it was occupied by United States

military forces. In 1850 California became a state of the United States

and Los Angeles became a U.S. city. A combination of the gold rush and

the opening of California spurred immigration, mostly by settlers from

the midwest and eastern United States. Population growth continued

almost unabated until the 1970s. Settlers, merchants and imported

workers brought new cultural traditions or reinforced old traditions.

Today over 100 languages and dialects are spoken in the local schools,

over 42% of the population is of Hispanic origin, over 12% of African

American origin, slightly under 10% of Asian and Pacific Islander

origin and one percent is Native American. 

To identify, protect and preserve historic sites and structures for the

enrichment of future generations various city, state and federal

---

_________________________________________________________________

CITY OF LOS ANGELES CONSERVATION ELEMENT

Adopted September 2001

II-7

procedures have been promulgated. The most significant for Los Angeles

are described in the following. The general plan Historic Preservation

and Cultural Resources Element will address historic and cultural

protection issues in greater detail.

Conservation and protection. Five types of historic protection

designations apply in the city: (1) Historic-Cultural Monument

designation by the city's Cultural Heritage Commission and approved by

the City Council; (2) placement on the California Register of

Historical Resources or (3) the National Register of Historic Places

(1980 National Historic Preservation Act); (4) designation by the

Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) as being of cultural or historical

significance within a designated redevelopment area; and (5)

classification by the City Council (recommended by the planning

commission) as an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Designations help

protect structures and support rehabilitation fund requests.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) also protects

significant cultural and historic resources. CEQA was revised in 1998

to redefine "historic resource" to include resources that are presumed

to be significant, unless the preponderance of evidence is to the

contrary. A property no longer must be designated officially as a

landmark or of historic importance to be considered under CEQA review.

The lead agency for permit processing may deem properties not formally

listed and not included in historic surveys as "historically

significant," if they meet criteria for listing in the California

Register.

Under the city's CEQA guidelines, an environmental assessment must be

prepared for any proposed demolition, destruction or significant

modification of an Historic-Cultural Monument or resource listed on the

national or state registers, or on the CRA list, or cited as a proposed

historical resource by a community plan or historic preservation

overlay zone survey, or which are over 50 years old and are

substantially intact examples of an architectural style important in

Los Angeles or are associated with an architect or other person of

importance in Los Angeles history. Under the 1998 amendment, buildings

less than 50 years old may also be considered.

Historic-Cultural Monuments. In 1962, at the request of the Los Angeles

Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the city drafted and

approved an ordinance designed to protect and/or identify

architectural, historical and cultural buildings, structures and sites

of importance in the city's history and/or cultural heritage. In the

intervening 30 years the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) has

designated almost 700 sites as Historic-Cultural Monuments. 

---