The City adopted the Historic Context Statement in 1994, and adopted subsequent updates in 1997, 2008, and most recently in 2022. Carmel’s Historic Context Statement is Appendix I of the City’s General Plan and serves as the foundation for the City’s historic preservation program. Carmel-by-the-Sea has adopted comprehensive historic preservation policies, implemented through the Historic Preservation Ordinance (CMC 17.32). The context statement is an important reference tool in preparing State of California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) records and evaluating which properties qualify for inclusion on the Carmel Inventory of Historic Resources.

Phase I Update (2022)

The 2022 context statement update (Attachment 3) was funded by the California State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) as a Certified Local Government (CLG) $30k grant, authored by PAST Consultants and covered the years 1966-1986. This extension was an urgent undertaking, as properties older than 50 years old are required to be evaluated as potential historic resources and – prior to the 2022 update – the context statement did not cover the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

As the 2022 update got underway, it became clear to OHP staff, City staff, PAST Consultants, the Historic Resources Board, and the community that the entire context statement needed a comprehensive update. However, as a grant-funded project, inflexible deadlines limited the effort to the 1966-1986 extension effort. Understood to be a “Phase I” update, the 1966-1986 extension was approved by OHP, adopted by the City Council on December 6, 2022 and certified by the California Coastal Commission on July 12, 2023.

Phase II Update (2024)

In 2023, the City applied for and received a second OHP CLG grant in the amount of $40k to pursue a “Phase II” update. The City released RFP #23-24-2023 on October 27, 2023, and on January 9, 2024, the City Council passed Resolution 2024-009 approving a professional services agreement with PAST Consultants, not to exceed $79,380. The Council additionally passed Resolution 2024-010 accepting the $40k CLG grant award from the State, with a $26,667 local match. On March 1, 2024, City staff conducted outreach to thirteen tribal representatives, inviting participation in this project; no responses were received. The comprehensive update is intended to achieve the following project goals:

1.  Consistent formatting.

2.  Chronological themes.

3.  Streamlined content. 

1. Consistent formatting. While the portion of the document covering the years 1966-1986 – authored in 2022 – met today’s professional standards for context statements, the remainder of the context statement did not. It was originally compiled in 1994 and updated in a piecemeal fashion over the last 30 years. The original document lacked dedicated architectural style summaries and did not include photographs nor evaluative criteria for potential historically significant properties. The entire document needed to be formatted consistently, with the pre-1966 years appropriately contextualized and visually represented. With this update, primary architectural styles have been identified with accompanying example photographs and lists of character-defining features. Evaluative criteria for the National Register, California Register, and Carmel Inventory have been added for each theme to aid in answering the question, “Is this building significant and does it retain integrity?”

2. Chronological themes. Prior to the 2024 update, the context statement featured the following thematic, non-chronological chapters: “Prehistory and Hispanic Settlement,” “Economic Development,” “Government, Civic and Social,” “Architectural Development” and “Development of Art and Culture.” While a thematic format is not without merit, a chronological format is preferred for flow when reading the document. A chronological format also allows the reader to better navigate the document and understand a property in the context of its era of construction. Additionally, the process of updating the context statement in the future will also be streamlined. Rather than re-visit discrete topical themes spread across 100+ pages, the authors of future document updates can simply pick up chronologically where the last update left off. 

With a chronological approach in mind, PAST Consultants proposed a new Table of Contents for the 2024 update. The Historic Resources Board reviewed and approved the proposed Table of Contents at their March 18, 2024 meeting. Following Chapter 1 (Introduction) and Chapter 2 (Identifying and Evaluating Historic Resources), Chapter 3 includes the following chronological themes: Prehistory and Hispanic Settlement (1542-1848); Carmelo (1848-1901); Seacoast of Bohemia (1902-1921); Village in a Forest (1922-1945); Postwar Development (1946-1965); and The Carmel Dynamic Continues (1966-1986). The final themes with the associated primary architectural styles are listed below:

1.  Prehistory and Hispanic Settlement (1542-1848)

2.  Carmelo (1849-1901)

• Early Carmel Vernacular Style (1849-1901)
• Queen Anne Style (1888-1901)

3.  Seacoast of Bohemia (1902-1921)

• Carmel Vernacular Style (1902-1945)
• Craftsman Style (1902-1986)

4.  Village in a Forest (1922-1945)

• Spanish Eclectic Style (1922-1986)
• Tudor Revival Style (1922-1986)
• Storybook Style (1922-1986)
• Monterey Colonial Style (1922-1986)
• Minimal Traditional Style (1935-1950)

5.  Postwar Development (1946-1965)

• Postwar Modern Style (1946-1965)
• California Ranch Style (1935-1986)
• Post-Adobe Style (1948-1970)
• Organic Style (1946-1986)
• Bay Region Modern Style (1946-1986)

6.  The Carmel Dynamic Continues (1966-1986)

• Bay Region Modern Style (1946-1986)

Note that some styles have discrete end dates (eg. Postwar Modern), while other styles (eg. Carmel Craftsman) have continued beyond their “heyday.” For styles that continued to be constructed beyond their “heyday” the end date is listed as 1986: the end date for this edition of the Historic Context Statement.

3.  Streamlined content. The California State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) provides guidance on the purpose of historic context statements and offers the following [emphasis added]:

“[Historic context statements] are not intended to be a chronological recitation of a community’s significant historical events or noteworthy citizens or a comprehensive community history. Nor are they intended to be academic exercises demonstrating prodigious research, the ability to cite myriad primary and secondary resources, and write complex and confusing prose comprehensible only to professionals in the field. Rather, historic context statements need to be direct, to the point, and easily understood by the general public.”

With this in mind, the context statement has been thoroughly reviewed for relevancy. Information that does not directly relate to Carmel’s built environment has not been carried forward. The Appendices are the exemption to this, as they have largely been maintained despite containing information not directly related to architecture (eg. lists of artists, government figures, etc.). The prior version of the context statement will be retired and made available as a reference document in the Henry Meade Williams local history department, currently located at the Park Branch Library.

Project Timeline

This project has progressed at the pace necessary to meet OHP project milestones.  Monthly status updates have been provided to the Historic Resources Board (HRB) throughout this process. In an effort to collect public feedback, the project timeline was extended as much as possible. The timeline has been aligned with regularly scheduled Historic Resources Board, Planning Commission, and City Council meetings is provided below: 

• March 18: HRB approved the draft outline. Staff report here, video link here, start at 16:10.
• May 20: HRB discussed and provided feedback on the 30% draft. Staff report here, video link here, start at 4:20.
• August 19: HRB discussed and provided feedback on the 50% draft. Staff report here, video link here, start at 4:30.
• September 16: *HRB meeting was cancelled day-of due to City Hall emergency closure. The 70% draft was circulated on September 9 for HRB and public review, with an opportunity to submit emailed comments.
• October 21: HRB discussed the 100% working draft (published/distributed October 14), and provided feedback. Staff report here, video link here, start at 7:44.
• November 18: HRB adopted a Resolution (Attachment 4) accepting the Historic Context Statement update and recommending City Council adoption of HCS. Staff report here, video link here, start at 5:12.
• December 11: Planning Commission  adopted a Resolution (Attachment 5) accepting the Historic Context Statement update and recommending City Council adoption of HCS. Staff report here, video link here, start at 28:08. Please note that the header and footer was edited/streamlined after HRB and PC approval; the original and the revised header and footer will be presented for Council consideration (see Attachment 2 and Attachment 6). 
• January 14: City Council to consider a Resolution adopting the HCS. Final adoption will ultimately require an LCP amendment and will not be effective until and unless approved by the Coastal Commission.
• Early 2025: City to submit a Local Coastal Program Amendment to the Coastal Commission.
• January/February 2025: OHP final work product delivery and reimbursement documentation due.

The City Council first adopted the Carmel-by-the-Sea Historic Context Statement on January 7, 1997, and adopted an updated document on September 9, 2008. On December 6, 2022, the City Council adopted an updated Historic Context Statement that included the addition of a twenty-year period: 1966-1986.

On January 9, 2024, the City Council passed Resolution 2024-009 approving a professional services agreement with PAST Consultants for a comprehensive context statement update, not to exceed $79,380 and passed Resolution 2024-010 accepting the $40,000 CLG grant award (with a $26,667 match).