About San Buenaventura Conservancy
ACTION ALERT • HPC DISBANDING
City Council to decide fate of HPC June 9, 2026
On June 9, 2026, the City Council will decide to eliminate or reduce the powers of the Historic Preservation Committee. But there is still hope.
The options
One: end the HPC.
Two: have HPC only do landmarks and Mills Acts but not historic design review.
While both options are not optimum and will result in inferior outcomes, the Conservancy will advocate at City Council to try to maintain the CLG status and powers of the HPC.
The City Council Staff Report for AGENDA ITEM 10 is linked here:
https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/50479/10
The May 26th Ad Hoc Committee's recommendation was to dissolve the HPC or reduce its responsibilities. People who value heritage and want landmarks protected should comment, write letters, and attend the City Council meeting to support our HPC.
The recently adopted Ventura 2050 General Plan (GP) has a "Preservation Element" – an entire chapter devoted to historic preservation. The Conservancy enthusiastically supported the GP because the GP is full of goals and actions involving the HPC and recognizing historic preservation as an economic driver and a pathway to meet our housing goals through adaptive reuse of historic buildings.
The City Council made preservation a priority in the GP and now the ad hoc is suggesting this expert committee should be merged with a commission that may not even be able to read blueprints. The Planning Commission is meant to look forward and make Ventura's future projects better. In contrast the HPC is meant to review significant sites in the existing built environment to maintain the charm, vitality, and authenticity that makes Ventura a special place. A historic place.
We don't understand the disbanding recommendations because very few people dislike preservation, history, and authenticity. Removing the HPC, an important expert committee that was established in 1973, and has done so much to protect Ventura's historic downtown, west side and midtown landmarks and districts seems to be counter to what the public is looking for.
From the Elks Lodge, to Watermark, to 24 Hour Fitness at the mall, to new buildings like 60 California Street, which fit into their context and feel right, HPC review and comment has made these projects better. Projects near landmarks and districts require review by the Historic Preservation Committee which can recommend mitigations and changes that make developments more compatible – resulting in a win-win of growth AND harmonious infill.
For heritage places to be protected from incompatible development, our heritage sites must be identified and listed BEFORE developments are proposed. AND the Historic Preservation Committee needs to remain an advisory panel that can determine which landmarks, districts and archeology should be listed by the city; where the experts on HPC can review impacts from development projects and offer real improvements and mitigations to make future projects fit more harmoniously into our city.
HPC Highlights
- Landmark nominations should be reviewed by a committee of experts.
- The General Plan requires historic projects to follow the General Plan.
- The HPC will need fewer meetings since the City-Wide Survey identified historic places.
- The HPC is the only group that qualifies as a CLG and can get preservation grants.
- The HPC is the only committee expert in the Secretary of the Interior Standards.
- Mills Acts (property tax reductions) should be reviewed by a committee of experts.
- Historic District contributors and non contributors should be reviewed by a committee of experts..
- Commercial developments on historic properties should be reviewed by the HPC.
- A General Plan goal to create an adaptive reuse ordinance will require HPC review.
- AB 529 and AB 1490 adaptive reuse laws will require expertise from HPC.
- Compatibility with California's Historic Building Code requires HPC expertise.
- HPC doesn't stop housing and development, it suggests ways of making projects compatible with landmarks.