Is My Property in a Long Beach Historic District? The 18 Districts and the Certificate of Appropriateness

A historic district adds a design review on top of whatever the building permit and zoning already require. The extra step is easy to learn about late, because the rule applies to work that needs no permit at all, such as a new front door or a different roof material. This page lists the 18 districts with the dates the city printed, shows how to check an address, and explains the COA and the Mills Act window in brief. It sits in the permits section, whose pillar is Permits in Long Beach.

The short answer

What a district is

The city describes a historic district as a designated neighborhood “that contain[s] groups of older, unaltered houses that preserve the visual qualities and ambience of the past”. A neighborhood can qualify even if individual buildings would not be landmarks, and “even if the area is interspersed with some non-historical structures, it may qualify for historic district status if at least two-thirds of the houses are original older homes”¹. A landmark is a single property; the city counts “over 150” of them, and the Cultural Heritage Commission reviews nominations⁶.

The 18 districts and when they were designated

The city’s districts page opens with “a list of 18 neighborhoods that the City Council has so far designated as historic districts”. Each entry gives the date the council adopted the district’s ordinance; the table below follows those dates in order¹.

Source:¹ for every row, dates as the city prints them.

Good to know The city’s page labels the California Heights ordinance of August 29, 2000 as an expansion, and prints the Brenner Place date as January 1, 1994. The page also says California Heights is “the City’s largest historic district” with “nearly 1,500 homes”, and Brenner Place a one-block district of 10 identical houses¹. For exact boundaries, use the map, not the district name.

How to check an address

The city’s COA page tells owners: “To find out if your property is in a historic district, please view our Historic District and Landmarks GIS map”². The Zoning and Land Use Maps page lists a Historic Districts PDF and “Historic Districts & Landmarks” as separate entries, and the Zoning and Land Use GIS map has a Historic District layer⁷⁸. The city’s zoning guidance puts the question in the first research step: “Is the property in a historic district, or is it a designated historic landmark?”⁸

Where to check The city’s Historic Districts & Landmarks GIS map, linked from the Certificate of Appropriateness page and the Zoning and Land Use Maps page. Historic Preservation staff take questions at 562.570.6194 and [email protected], at 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 3rd Floor²⁷.

What needs a Certificate of Appropriateness

The city’s rule: “Any exterior changes to a historic landmark or property located within a historic district must be approved through a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) before starting any work, even if a building permit is not required.” Common triggers listed are changes to windows and doors, building repairs and additions, re-painting, re-roofing and solar panel installations. The exclusion is also stated: “Interior alterations, ordinary maintenance and repairs with no physical exterior changes do not require historic review”².

Applications are filled out on the city’s forms and submitted to [email protected], after reviewing the Historic District and Architectural Design Guidelines². The city lists a separate memo on substitute materials: within districts, substitutes such as fiberglass or aluminum windows or fiber cement siding can be used on non-contributing buildings outside the period of significance and on detached new construction, “subject to review for compatibility of materials”².

Minor and major: who decides

Paint and re-roofing. Each has its own application. Painting requires review “to ensure historically and architecturally compatible colors”, and the city provides sample palettes for Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Victorian styles. “There is no fee” for paint or re-roofing reviews².

Minor COA. Small-scale alterations: “additions of less than 250 square feet, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and utility enclosures and equipment such as solar panel installation”². The fee schedule lists a “CoA for Staff Review” line⁴.

Major COA. “Adding a second story or new addition over 250 square feet.” The Cultural Heritage Commission considers and issues these under Chapter 2.63 of the municipal code². The commission “meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m.” at the Civic Chambers, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., in person, with public comment in person or by Zoom³.

Official pages disagree The COA page puts the minor-or-major line at 250 square feet: minor is “less than 250 square feet” and major is “over 250 square feet”². The fee schedule’s hearing line reads “CHC Hearing for CoA for addition of 250 sq. ft. or more, or visible changes – all other projects”⁴. An addition of exactly 250 square feet is covered by neither word on the COA page but falls in the fee schedule’s hearing line. Confirm with Planning which review applies at exactly 250 square feet.

What a COA costs

Planning’s fee schedule for the year beginning October 1, 2026 prints a base fee and a fee with the department surcharge: “All fees are subject to an 12.0% surcharge. Base fee and fee with surcharge are shown. Fee with surcharge applies.” The city’s fee page confirms the schedule takes effect on that date⁴⁹.

Fees as of October 2026. Source:⁴ for every row. Planning’s fees do not include building permit fees or other assessments, and a COA is separate from the building permit²⁴.

The Mills Act window

The Mills Act program gives property tax relief “in exchange for property owners’ commitment to undertaking restoration, rehabilitation or maintenance of a designated historic property” under a contract with the city. The city’s page states: “The 2026 Application submittal period has closed. Next year’s application period will open early January 2027.” The 2026 processing fee was $1,026.75, with applications due by 3 p.m. on March 20, 2026⁵. The fee schedule that takes effect October 1, 2026 lists a Mills Act Application at $3,239 base, $3,627.68 with surcharge⁴. Who qualifies, what the savings look like and how the contract runs are in The Mills Act in Long Beach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many historic districts does Long Beach have?

The city lists 18 neighborhoods that the City Council has designated as historic districts, from Bluff Park in 1982 to Grant Neighborhood in 2019¹.

Do I need a Certificate of Appropriateness to repaint my house in a historic district?

Yes. Painting the exterior of a home or accessory structure in a district requires historic review, and the city charges no fee for it².

Do I need a COA if I do not need a building permit?

Yes. The city says exterior changes must be approved “before starting any work, even if a building permit is not required”².

Does interior work need historic review?

No. Interior alterations, ordinary maintenance and repairs with no physical exterior change do not require historic review².

How do I find out if my property is in a historic district?

Use the Historic Districts & Landmarks GIS map the city links from its COA and Zoning and Land Use Maps pages²⁷.

When does the Cultural Heritage Commission meet?

On the last Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m., at Long Beach City Hall, 411 W. Ocean Blvd.³.

Is a historic landmark the same as being in a district?

No. A landmark is an individually designated property; the city counts over 150 of them, and a COA is required for exterior changes to a landmark or to a property in a district²⁶.

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