(A) The City of San Gabriel, as the birthplace of the Los Angeles metropolitan region, is home to a wide range of significant cultural resources that reflect our shared heritage and history. Cultural resources in the city encompass a range of resource types. These include paleontological resources, archaeological and Native American resources, buildings, structures, objects, historic districts, sites, public art and parks, cultural landscapes, and natural features. The retention and stewardship of cultural resources is of vital importance to retain and protect our heritage. The City Council also recognizes the right of private property owners to the use of their property and seeks to balance historic preservation important to the community as a whole with the rights of the property owner.
(B) The purpose of this subchapter is to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare by providing for the identification, designation, protection, enhancement, and ongoing use of cultural resources that represent the city’s cultural, architectural, social, historical, economic, and political heritage. It is the intent and purpose of the San Gabriel City Council in passing this subchapter to:
(1) Preserve, maintain, and safeguard the city’s heritage and character, for the enjoyment of present and future generations, by providing for the protection and thoughtful management of cultural resources as defined in this subchapter;
(2) Foster awareness, recognition, and stewardship of the city’s archaeological and Native American cultural resources;
(3) Encourage public knowledge and appreciation of the city’s heritage and foster civic and neighborhood pride and sense of identity through the recognition of cultural resources;
(4) Encourage the maintenance and preservation of cultural landscapes that contribute to the historic character of our neighborhoods and built environment;
(5) Recognize the city’s cultural resources as economic assets;
(6) Stabilize and improve property values within the city and increase the economic and financial benefits to the city and its inhabitants through the preservation, rehabilitation, and ongoing use of cultural resources;
(7) Integrate the conservation of cultural resources into the public and private development process;
(8) Implement the goals and policies of the General Plan Cultural Resources Element;
(9) Facilitate the city’s compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and their provisions for cultural and historical resources;
(10) Preserve diverse and significant architectural styles and property types reflecting the city’s history and encourage complementary new construction and design, to maintain the city’s historic scale and character;
(11) Adopt and encourage the use of historic preservation incentives, both regulatory and economic, that promote the retention, rehabilitation, and protection of cultural resources.
(Ord. 636-C.S., passed 8-15-17)