Historic Districts - Residential

The City Council established Residential Historical Districts in 1981 upon the adoption of Ordinance 1280. The non-contiguous historical districts include four areas within the City:

  • Spring Street - Coloma Street
  • Bedford Avenue - Clay Street
  • Cedar Ravine
  • Sacramento Street - Chamberlain Street

District locations are shown on the Residential Historical District Maps (PDF 1.49 MB).

Significant examples of local architecture can be found within the district. They are part of the City's most important cultural and historical heritage, contributing to the City's character and quality of life. They also bring visitors to the area. Some of these residential homes are included in the City’s Historic Survey Inventory completed in 1985. A webpage contains this Historic Survey Inventory information and may be accessed from the following link.

Current and future residents of the historic district are encouraged to improve their properties through renovation, rehabilitation, and repair that is consistent with the historic, architectural and aesthetic character of the neighborhood, as well as the regulations set forth in the City’s Zoning Ordinance and the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. See links to these resources:

In addition, the National Park Service has created Rehab Yes/No , an on-line tutorial addressing basic issues that frequently arise during rehabilitation. For further reading, the National Park Service also has available, free of charge, a series of Preservation Briefs that are designed as basic "how to" guides written by field experts. These resources along with the Secretary of Interior Standards will help you prepare and plan for beginning a remodeling project on a historic structure, and/or for those structures located within a residential historical district.

If you are planning a remodeling project that will affect the exterior of a historic structure, or a structure within a residential historic district, your project may involve Historic District Review as part of the review and approval process. Applications and fees for Historic District Review may be found on the Planning Division's Fees, Applications and Processes webpage. Links are provided below.

Please contact the Development Services Department - Planning Division for more information at (530)642-5252.

updated 4/4/2022