Executive Summary:
Historic Resources Board member Karyl Hall has proposed a Notable Home Incentive Program to save selected non-historic Carmel homes from demolition/exterior remodeling. The proposed program was discussed by the Historic Resources Board over the course of five Board meetings. In July, the Board voted to send the revised Notable Home Incentive Program to the City Council for review and direction. The City Council is being asked if the Program has a ‘red light’ or ‘green light’ to proceed as a new project under the Community Planning & Building Department's work plan.
Background/Summary:
At the December 19, 2022, Historic Resources Board meeting, the Board requested a future agenda item to discuss a proposal prepared by Board member Karyl Hall to save selected non-historic Carmel homes from demolition/exterior remodeling.
At the January 23, 2023, meeting, the Board reviewed the proposal and directed staff to bring it to the City Council to consider the merits of adding the development of a Notable Homes Incentive Program to the Community Planning & Building Department’s work plan. Following the January Board meeting, Board member Hall felt it was prudent to clarify some key points of the proposal prior to the Council’s review and provided staff with a revised proposal for the Board's consideration at the March 20, 2023, meeting. Additional revisions were discussed by the Board at the May 15th and June 19th meetings, with the Board recommending additional refinements at each meeting.
On July 17, 2023, the Historic Resources Board reviewed a final draft of the proposal and voted to send the revised Notable Home Incentive Program to the City Council for review and direction.
Through the Board’s review of the proposal, the name of the program evolved from Level 2 Proposal to Notable Home Incentive Program. Both terms refer to the same proposal.
The stated purpose of developing an incentive program to recognize notable Carmel homes is to further preserve Carmel’s unique residential architectural character by saving older homes that reflect that character but may not officially qualify as historical resources. To qualify as a historic resource, a property must meet specified criteria in the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance (CMC Chapter 17.32). The criteria are based on state and national standards for the designation of historic resources. Homes that are not associated with an identified important person, have been altered, or do not reflect a defined architectural style, would not qualify under the national, state, or local criteria for listing as a historic resource. However, the home may reflect the vernacular architecture (general architectural style) of Carmel in the first half of the 20th century. The Notable Home Incentive Program is an effort to save homes that represent this architectural character but do not qualify as a historic resource. The Program proposes to incentivize the preservation of certain older homes by offering permit fee reductions and waived or reduced development standards (e.g., parking, setbacks, volume, etc.).
The Notable Homes Incentive Program proposal (Attachment 1) provides a basic framework for the identification and application of incentives for the City Council’s consideration. In keeping with past practice, the Council is being asked for early guidance about whether this policy should be further developed (“red light” or “green light”). If the Council is supportive of exploring such a Program, they could direct staff to add the project to the Community Planning & Building Work Program and identify whether it is a low, medium, or high priority. If the Council is not supportive at this time, they could direct staff and the Historic Resources Board to stop work on its development.
The Council could also provide additional direction, such as whether an ad-hoc committee should be formed to develop the Program, whether a pilot program should be considered to gauge interest in the Program, and/or whether the Program should be a City Council policy or a zoning code amendment, or to return at a later date for reconsideration.