Historic Preservation Ordinance and Register Update
Summary
SCH Number
2026100534
Public Agency
City of Mountain View
Document Title
Historic Preservation Ordinance and Register Update
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/15/2026
Document Description
The project is an update to the requirements, processes and incentives for the designation and review of alterations to historic resources in the City Code. The purpose is to improve disclosure to property owners, update the development review process, reflect changes in periods of significance and community goals, better align with CEQA, clarify code language, and integrate a district designation process. The City of Mountain View is the beneficiary of the project.
Contact Information
Name
Elaheh Kerachian
Agency Name
City of Mountain View
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
Mountain View
Counties
Santa Clara
Regions
Citywide, Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area
Zip
94041
State Highways
101, 237, 85
Railways
Caltrain, VTA lightrail
Airports
Moffett Federal Airfield
Schools
MVWSD, MCLAUSD, LASD
Waterways
Stevens Creek, Permanente Creek, Adobe Creek. Hale Creek
Other Information
City-Wide
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15308 (Class 8)
Reasons for Exemption
CEQA Guidelines Section 15308 (Class 8) applies to actions taken by regulatory agencies to ensure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment through a regulatory process that includes environmental protection procedures. Class 8 does not apply to a relaxation of standards allowing environmental degradation. The Ordinance update removes the owner opt-off provision; adds clearer designation criteria, notice, response, and findings requirements; limits administrative correction authority; and preserves interim review for the 14 identified single-family dwellings and duplexes that are currently known to be eligible for the National or California Registers. It also requires later discretionary review, including applicable CEQA review, before demolition, removal from the MV Register, or another substantial adverse change may be approved.
Staff evaluated the amendments against the existing ordinance, including the new exempt alteration categories, streamlined permit procedures, delisting standards, and interim treatment of eligible but unlisted properties. Based on that comparison, the amendments do not immediately remove a property from the MV Register or authorize demolition or another substantial adverse change to a historic resource. The amendments preserve review of the 14 identified single-family dwellings and duplexes currently known to be eligible for the National or California Registers and later discretionary approvals that may cause a substantial adverse change to remain subject to applicable project-specific CEQA review. The amendments, therefore, do not relax standards in a manner that allows environmental degradation and are exempt under Class 8.
The exceptions to the Class 8 exemption in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 do not apply based on the following:
1. There is no cumulative impact because the regulations limit impacts to historic resources and apply broadly to all historic resources currently protected by the City Code. No development project is authorized or permitted through this action, so there is no cumulative effect of such projects.
2. There is no significant impact from unusual circumstances because the regulation of historic resources is not unusual, and the criteria used are similar to those of the California and National Registers.
3. There is no impact to scenic highways because there are no scenic highways in Mountain View.
4. No development project is authorized or permitted through this action, so hazardous waste sites are unaffected.
5. As described above, the effect of these regulations is the preservation of historic resources, so there is no impact to historic resources resulting from these regulations.
County Clerk
Santa Clara
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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