Pomona | Historic Districts

Pomona Historic Districts: Certificates of Appropriateness, Demolition Review and Fees

Pomona has six historic districts and a set of individual landmarks, and its historic rules reach further than those lines on the map: any building 50 years old or older must pass a historic review before it can be torn down. For a project that adds homes, that means an extra review step for an addition, an ADU or a new building on historic land, and a possible fee and environmental study before replacing an older house anywhere in the city. The rules are in Section 800 and Section 1190 of the Zoning and Development Code. The Pomona overview gives the short version.

The Six Districts and the -H Tag

Section 800.B says the historic rules apply "to all designated local historic landmarks, designated local historic districts, and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources." Section 800.D lists the six districts and the short name each uses in the second bracket of a zoning name.

Source: Pomona Zoning and Development Code, Sec. 800.D, Established Historic Districts and Landmarks.

On the zoning map, "Each historic district uses an abbreviation for inclusion into the zoning map by adding an (-H) to the zoning district name," and a landmark outside a district also uses "-H" with "-HL" in the second bracket. The code's own example is "'NE2-H = [LM2-G1-CX2] [WHHD]'," which uses NE2 where Part 2 names the district NED2. The list in Section 800.D introduces the districts "as defined in Sec. XX.," a placeholder the code never filled in; several other cross references in Section 800 read "Sec. XX" or "Sec. 1310X" in the same way.

Landmarks are added by ordinance. In October and November 2024 the City Council agendas carried a landmark designation for 290 Heritage Court and Ordinance No. 4348, "Amending the Historic Overlay of the Zoning Map." Check the current zoning map for your lot's tag before relying on this list.

Which Review Your Project Needs

A Certificate of Appropriateness is the City's approval that work on a historic property fits its character. Section 800.C.7 says "No permit must be issued for work on a Historical Resource until a Certificate of Appropriateness or Certificate of Historic Compliance has been issued." The 2026 review table sets who decides each step, and the FY 2026-27 fee schedule sets the price.

Sources: Pomona Zoning and Development Code, Sec. 1100.A as amended in 2026 and Sec. 800.C.6; FY 2026-27 Master Fee Schedule, Historic Preservation Applications, "Suggested Fee" column.

• Minor work. Section 800.C.6 lets the Director call work "minor" when it does not "change the design, character-defining features, or materials of the resource," such as "like-for-like re-roofs, foundation repairs / seismic retrofit, chimney repairs, solar panel installation," and fences not visible from the street. "Minor work is ministerial in nature and there is no appeal of staff's determination."
• Minor Certificate. Alterations that meet the design standards and guidelines adopted by the Historic Preservation Commission, approved by the Planning Division.
• Major Certificate. "Alterations that do not meet applicable design standards and guidelines," "Additions to historic resources," "Construction of accessory structures," "New Construction / infill development," and projects that may affect archaeological resources. Section 800.C.7 states that "Additions to historic resources, construction of accessory structures, and infill development, are not considered alterations and require a Major Certificate of Appropriateness."

Section 800.C.7 also requires an environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for "all Certificates of Appropriateness," and any required negative declaration or environmental impact report must be adopted by the Commission before it approves the project. CEQA is the state law that requires public agencies to study the environmental effects of projects they approve.

Deadlines for a Certificate

Section 1190.D sets the clock. The Development Services Director makes the first determination "Within fifteen 15 days following the receipt of an application." For a Major Certificate, the Director has 30 days to decide whether the application is complete; "If the written determination is not made within the required period, the application will be automatically deemed complete." The Commission "will review and make a determination on an application for a Major Certificate of Appropriateness no later than 75 days from receipt of a completed application," and "Inaction by the Historic Preservation Commission within the 75 day period will deem the application approved."

Once granted, a certificate lasts as long as its conditions say, "or within 24 months if no time limit has been specified," under Section 1110.F. An appeal of a Commission decision goes to the City Council and must be filed within 20 calendar days.

New Homes Inside a District

Infill development means new buildings on land already inside a district. Section 800.C.7 sets three design rules: "The design must incorporate the design features and details of contributing structures"; "The height, width, and length of the new building must be consistent with the original characteristic of the contributing structures"; and "The exterior materials and treatment must be similar to the contributing structures." A contributing structure is a building that adds to the historic character the district was created to protect.

The findings in Section 1190.D add that infill may not "Be incompatible with the exterior features of other improvements within the applicable historic district" or "Adversely affect or detract from the character within the applicable historic district." These are judgment calls made at a public hearing, so plan the design with the district's contributing houses in view. The zoning form module still sets the outer limits on height, width and setbacks; the historic review can ask for less.

ADUs follow the same path. Section 830.A.9 requires a Major Certificate for an ADU on a landmark or in a designated historic district in listed cases, including "The construction of any new Limited Detached ADU on single-unit lot" and any new attached or detached Type 2 ADU, and says "Review under the Major Certificate of Appropriateness must be limited to architecture only." See the ADUs and SB 9 page. Historic land also falls outside SB 9: the two-unit statute excludes "A contributing structure within a historic district" designated by a city, and the lot split statute bars a split of a site "designated or listed as a city or county landmark."

Demolition: The 50-Year Rule

This rule reaches outside the six districts. Section 800.C.9 says "The Historic Preservation Commission must review any property 50 years old, as of the date of the demolition permit application or older to determine the eligibility for historic designation prior to the issuance of a demolition permit." Section 1190.C repeats it: "any request to demolish a structure 50 years old or older automatically requires review and an eligibility determination." It is a two-step process:

• Step 1, eligibility. The Zoning Administrator researches the property and the Commission decides whether it meets local, state or national criteria and has enough integrity. "For properties determined not eligible for historic designation, they are no longer in the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission." The FY 2026-27 fee for a Determination of Historic Significance is $1,800.
• Step 2, Certificate of Deconstruction. If the property is eligible, "A Certificate of Deconstruction is required for any demolition, in whole or in part, of an Historic Resource." Section 800.C.10 states that demolishing a historic resource "is an adverse impact under CEQA and a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required prior to a project being deemed complete." The certificate fee is $6,000, and the EIR is billed at actual cost.

For an owner planning to replace an older house with several homes, the first step is the eligibility decision. Any building 50 or more years old on the date of the demolition application is covered, so check the year each building on the lot was built and budget time for a Commission review before the demolition permit.

The Demolition Mitigation Fee

Section 800.C.11 adds a fee "prior to the issuance of any permit for demolition, whether in whole or in part, of any historic resource, including accessory buildings and structures that do not contain living space, such as garages and workshops, which contribute to the historic significance of a property; or any building 50 years old or older." The money goes to the Historic Preservation Trust Fund.

The formula is "Square footage x Building Valuation x Historic Significance Percentage." Square footage comes from the County Assessor or building permit records; building valuation from "the most current International Code Council (ICC) Building Valuation Data"; and the percentage from the resource's grade: Grade I, 30 percent; Grade II, 20 percent; Grade III, 10 percent; Grade IV, 5 percent. The Commission assigns grades on a Historic Resource Grade List. Grade I resources "should not be demolished or significantly altered under any circumstances," and demolition of Grade II resources "should be avoided." Additions and accessory buildings found not to contribute to a property's significance pay no fee, and the City Council may reduce the fee where it "would amount to a regulatory taking of property."

The code applies the fee to any building 50 years old or older, but it takes the percentage from "the Grading System established in Sec. XX," and the grades are defined for historic resources. The code does not say what percentage applies to a 50-year-old building that has no grade. Ask the Planning Division in writing how it would figure the fee for an older house found not eligible before you count on a demolition.

Designation, Objection and Relief

Anyone, including the City, may nominate a landmark or district. For a district, "a community meeting will be held for the owners of every property proposed to be included." The Commission holds a public hearing with notice "postmarked 30 days prior to the hearing" and recommends; "The City Council has sole authority to designate." An owner can object: "No property will be designated an historic landmark if the owner objects to the designation," and no district may be designated "if a majority of the property owners of the contributing properties to the proposed district object," unless the Council makes override findings. A designation is recorded with the Los Angeles County Recorder, with "a statement explaining that alteration, relocation or demolition are restricted."

Two forms of relief exist. A Certificate of Economic Hardship lets the Commission allow alteration or demolition "where denial of a Certificate of Appropriateness would create an undue hardship upon the owner," after a hearing and on findings that include that denial would "deprive the owner of any reasonable economic return." A Mills Act contract cuts property tax in return for restoration; it runs "for a minimum of 10 years" and the work must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Landmarks, contributing structures and National or California Register properties qualify.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Pomona overview, the SB 9 page and the CEQA and permit streamlining page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)