Cultural Heritage Board

“Protecting Ventura County’s Historic, Cultural, and Natural Resources”

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors created the Cultural Heritage Board in 1968 to advise it on countywide historic landmark designation and preservation.  The Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) is composed of seven members, one representing each of the five Supervisorial districts, and two “at large” members selected by the five CHB members.  The CHB also appoints technical advisors as needed.

The CHB currently serves the cities of Fillmore, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Thousand Oaks, and Simi Valley as well as the Board of Supervisors for the County of Ventura. Their duties include recommending historic landmarks, historical districts, points of interest and site of merit designations, reviewing proposed alterations to designated and potential historic landmarks, reviewing environmental impact reports for their potential impact on historic resources, reviewing nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources, and reviewing requests for Mills Act Contracts.

Preservation Incentives

If your property is a designated landmark, site of merit, or point of interest, you may be eligible for deviations from existing development requirements. Deviations were created in the County's Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance to protect the integrity, architecture and character of Cultural Heritage sites. For example, as a landmark owner, you may be eligible to subdivide your parcel even if the parcel size is less than the minimum size for zoning. In addition, there are deviations from the minimum size for a “granny flat” if the structure is a Site of Merit or a Landmark.

For more information, click on the Zoning Ordinance link below or contact Nicole Doner, Cultural Heritage Planner, at (805) 654-5042 or via email at Nicole.Doner@ventura.org.

The County’s Historic Preservation Plan adopted on December 5, 2000 includes goals to encourage city/county cooperation in the preservation of historic resources, preservation of historic land uses and buildings associated with agricultural activities, preserving the character of historic urbanized areas, and fostering an awareness of Ventura County’s rich history and variety of cultural resources among both residents and visitors.

Resources

► Architectural Features and Styles

► National Park Service Technical Briefs
► 2010 California Historical Building Code

The National Park Service Technical Preservation Services Section is the nation's leading provider of information and guidance on the care of historic buildings. Technical Preservation Services provides the tools and information necessary to take effective measures to protect and preserve historic buildings, ranging from historic masonry and window repairs to lead paint abatement to accessibility for people with disabilities. Their Preservation Briefs provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic buildings

Surveys and Images

► Ventura County Cultural Heritage Survey Areas Map

The above map shows the boundaries of areas in Ventura County that have been surveyed for historical or archaeological resources through a Cultural Heritage Survey. A Cultural Heritage Survey is a comprehensive inventory of historic buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts in a community that need to be preserved due to their significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture. The survey areas depicted on this map cover wide geographic areas.  It should be noted that inclusion in one of these survey areas does not in itself signify historical significance.  Local sites must meet specific criteria in order to be deemed historically or architecturally significant.

Related Links

► California Landmarks - Ventura County