The general purpose of the Downtown Historic Overlay District is to promote the preservation and rehabilitation of historic commercial, civic and mixed-use buildings in the Downtown Core and Civic Districts, and to provide for new infill construction consistent with the historic character of the district, consistent with the Downtown Specific Plan. In addition, the Historic Overlay District has 3 specific purposes:

A.

To establish mandatory provisions for the preservation of buildings individually listed on the National and/or State Register of Historic Places (referred to below as listed buildings), or buildings which become so listed in the future;

B.

To establish advisory design review guidelines for the rehabilitation of structures and new infill construction in the historic overlay district with particular focus on the 1982 City Historic Resource Inventory; and

C.

To provide a voluntary option to owners of qualified properties—the more flexible provisions of the State Historical Building Code. The presence of a local historic district also creates the possibility for the City to establish a Mills Act program, which could provide property tax relief for owners who restore and maintain historic properties.

(Ord. 1328 C.S. § 5 (part), 2006.)

Permitted and conditional uses, allowable density and development standards shall be the same as is required for the underlying zone district.

(Ord. 1328 C.S. § 5 (part), 2006.)

See Section 6.1.3 of the Downtown Specific Plan for a discussion of the context of this district.

(Ord. 1328 C.S. § 5 (part), 2006.)

All proposals for building demolition, or substantial modification of listed buildings shall be subject to the mandatory criteria below—Section 6.3.1 Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation—in addition to the standards of the individual Specific Plan District and the City's standard design review process, as detailed in Chapter 22.34 of the Zoning Code; and the advisory guidelines of this overlay district.

All proposals for substantial modification or demolition of other structures, or new construction, in the Downtown Historic Overlay District shall be subject to the standards of the individual specific plan Chapter and the City's standard design review process, as detailed in Chapter 22.34 of the zoning code, and the advisory guidelines of this overlay district. All such proposals shall be referred to the Martinez Historic Society for comments as part of the design review process. Where appropriate, the City may use other resources, such as architectural historians, for supplemental advisory input to the design review process.

(Ord. 1328 C.S. § 5 (part), 2006.)

The design standards for listed buildings and advisory guidelines are found in Chapter 6 of the Downtown Martinez Specific Plan.

A.

Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are 10 basic principles created to help preserve the distinctive character of a historic building and its site, while allowing for reasonable change to meet new needs. These standards are mandatory for listed buildings. These standards are found in Section 6.3.1 of the Downtown Specific Plan.

B.

State Historical Building Code. The owner of a listed building, or other qualified structure, may voluntarily choose to utilize the provision of the State Historical Building Code. See Section 6.3.2 of the Downtown Specific Plan for a discussion of the State Historic Building Code.

C.

Design Review Considerations Applicable to Unlisted Properties. For unlisted structures, as well as new construction, historic considerations will be integrated into the design review process on a case-by-case basis. See Chapter 6 of the Downtown Specific Plan for a summary of existing historic civic and commercial architectural styles in Downtown Martinez, and for the design guidelines of rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings or new construction of buildings in the Downtown Historic Overlay District.

(Ord. 1328 C.S. § 5 (part), 2006.)