HISTORIC JEFFERSON PARK
OVERVIEW
After a nine year community effort, the City of Los Angeles declared a portion of Jefferson Park a historic district in recognition of its cultural and historical significance (map). The City of Los Angeles adopted an Ordinance establishing the Jefferson Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) in 2011. The Jefferson Park HPOZ is the second largest historic district in Los Angeles, with over two thousand structures that include residential, commercial, and religious buildings. The Ordinance also adopted the Jefferson Park HPOZ Preservation Plan that provides guidelines for the restoration and preservation of the historic structures, as well as for compatible infill within the historic district.
Any exterior work proposed within the Jefferson Park HPOZ, including restoration of the exterior of a building, major landscaping projects, proposed additions or new construction must follow the guidelines of the Jefferson Park HPOZ Preservation Plan. With a few exceptions, all projects (including some that do not require a permit such as a change in paint color) are reviewed by the Office of Historic Resources in the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, and some are also presented to the Jefferson Park HPOZ Board for consultation and review. For a list of projects that are Exempt from review please see here. For a list of projects that are Delegated for only staff review in the Office of Historic Resources, please see here. Projects that are delegated for only staff review may have a shorter turn-around time than projects that also require HPOZ Board review.
If you are planning a project on the exterior of a property within the Jefferson Park HPOZ, it is important to follow the steps below.
FIRST
Determine whether the structure or feature is a Contributor or Contributor Altered (contributes to the historical significance of the historic district) or a Non-Contributor (does not contribute to the historical significance of the historic district). There are different levels of review for Contributors and Non-Contributors. You can find the
designation of your property or feature on Zoning Information and Map Access System (ZIMAS). Please see here for instructions on how to navigate ZIMAS.
SECOND
You should then read the applicable section of the Jefferson Park HPOZ Preservation Plan for the project you are proposing. You can access the Preservation plan on this website here.
You can also download the original PDF file.
THIRD
You can then contact the Office of Historic Resources by completing the Initial Screening Checklist and sending photographs and any plans to the City Planner for the Jefferson Park HPOZ. The City Planner will guide you through the process. Our City Planner is Max Loder, max.loder@lacity.org, 213-847-3645.