News Summary
The Cultural Heritage Commission in Beverly Hills is launching a historic preservation awards program to honor contributions to the city’s architectural heritage. Scheduled for May 2025, it will feature four award categories and revised selection criteria. The program aims to enhance engagement and recognition while also addressing critical updates to the city’s historic preservation ordinance. Discussions on allowing short-term rentals for landmark homes and increased meetings for the commission highlight the complexity of maintaining historical integrity amid growing development needs.
Beverly Hills, California – The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) has introduced a new historic preservation awards program aimed at recognizing significant contributions to the city’s architectural and cultural heritage. The program is set to launch as part of the CHC’s work plan for the fiscal year 2025-26, and an official award ceremony is scheduled for May 2025.
During a meeting on October 13 with Mayor Sharona Nazarian and Councilmember John Mirisch, CHC officials outlined the program’s details and discussed proposed updates to the city’s historic preservation ordinance. To support the new awards initiative, the CHC plans to reduce the annual number of Golden Shields recommended to the City Council from 12 to four starting in FY 2025-26. The Golden Shield Cultural Recognition Program will continue to honor sites of historical significance with custom gilt-bronze plaques.
The new awards program will consist of four categories: the Restoration/Preservation Award, the Renovation/Rehabilitation Award, the Historic Site Stewardship Award, and the Historic Awareness and Education Award. The program will open for publicly advertised nominations each October, aligning with Preservation Month in May, and the CHC intends to drive nominations in its inaugural year through various outreach methods, including mailers and local newspaper advertisements.
The meeting also addressed updates to the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance which would see an increase in CHC meetings from four to six per year. In addition, it is proposed that the requirement for one commissioner to possess qualifications as an architect, contractor, or real estate licensee be removed. The ordinance modifications will also include changes to the criteria for designating eligible historic properties, which has raised some concerns among commissioners regarding the feasibility of the increased meeting frequency.
Mayor Nazarian highlighted that the historical designation process is often lengthy and can restrict homeowners’ ability to renovate their properties. In contrasting views, Councilmember Mirisch noted that homeowners still have options available to make changes while upholding the historical integrity of their properties. The CHC’s Assistant City Manager Ryan Gohlich mentioned potential complications that the revised ordinance might introduce to the designation process.
A significant proposal discussed was conducting a survey of single-family residences to assess their potential historical significance, with estimated costs reaching several hundred thousand dollars. This proposal received support from CHC members, including Commissioners Marc Teren and Lori Greene Gordon, who suggested a future liaison meeting to discuss the survey’s inclusion in the historical designation process.
Another point of discussion was a potential exemption for owners of single-family historic landmark homes to offer short-term rentals. This proposal came in response to the City Council’s decision on July 1 to ban all short-term rentals, aiming for a carve-out specifically for landmark homes. Currently, Beverly Hills has 18 single-family landmark properties, with 16 of these containing an accessory dwelling unit or similar structure. Advocates argue that allowing short-term rentals could aid in maintaining historical properties financially, while opponents, including tenants and housing advocates, caution that it may create loopholes in enforcement for short-term rental regulations.
While CHC members largely favored the exemption proposal, there were discussions about implementing stricter regulations and limitations. The recommendations from the CHC will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for further review.
In a related note, the CHC has recently faced public outcry regarding the demolition of a 1940s-era home located at 1001 Roxbury Drive. The City Council voted 4-1 to issue a certificate of ineligibility for the property, thus permitting its demolition. Council member Mirisch expressed concern regarding the inadequate protection for significant historical properties, leading to calls for a reevaluation of existing historic preservation criteria to mitigate the loss of culturally important buildings.
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HERE Resources
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Additional Resources
- Beverly Hills Courier: Cultural Heritage Commission Discusses New Awards Program
- New York Times: Preservation Gains a Toehold in Beverly Hills
- Beverly Press: Roxbury Homes Destruction Raises Preservation Questions
- Archinect: Easier to Tear Down Historic Homes in Beverly Hills
- Wikipedia: Preservation (Architecture)
Author: STAFF HERE BEVERLY HILLS WRITER
The Beverly Hills Staff Writer represents the experienced team at HEREBeverlyHills.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance, the Beverly Hills artSHOW, Concerts on Canon, and holiday celebrations throughout the city. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce and Visit Beverly Hills, plus leading businesses in luxury fashion, hospitality, and entertainment that drive the local economy. As part of the broader HERE network, including HERELosAngeles.com, HERESantaAna.com, HEREHuntingtonBeach.com, and HERECostaMesa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Southern California's dynamic landscape.
