Historic Preservation
The purpose of Mesa's Historic Preservation Program is to
facilitate public knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the
City's historic past, promote better awareness of its architectural
and cultural history, and foster civic and neighborhood pride so
that future generations will have the opportunity to appreciate and
understand Mesa's unique cultural heritage.
Mesa's efforts to preserve its history is documented each year in
an annual report.
The Historic Preservation Office provides the historic planning
function for the City of Mesa. Please visit the
Mesa Historical Museum
to learn more on the history of Mesa. The
Historic Preservation
Board
meets monthly to provide input and
direction to the City's historic preservation efforts.
There are two types of historic districts and properties:
National Register Properties, and locally designated
properties. The procedures and requirements for local
designation of historic properties are provided in chapters 23 and
74
of the Zoning Ordinance (Title 11 of the
Mesa City Code).
Historical Fiction Writing Contest...
The contest is now closed and being reviewed.
Thank you to all the
students who participated!
The Mesa Historic Preservation Board is
sponsoring a writing contest for Mesa 4th,
5th, and 6th
graders. This contest will provide students with the
opportunity to learn a little about Mesa's history, and practice
their writing skills as they create a fictional story around a
historical event in Mesa.
All entries
must be received by January 25, 2013.
Types of Applications/Review Process
Historic Overlays. An
historic
district overlay helps maintain the integrity of an established,
older neighborhood. An
historic landmark overlay is used to
help maintain the integrity of an individual property with historic
significance. Creation of a district is a zoning action requested
by property owners and approved by the City Council following a
public hearing. Once a district is in place, property owners must
receive approval from the City's Historic Preservation Officer
before exterior remodel and repair work can be done.
Certificate of Appropriateness.
Within established local historic districts or landmarks, a
certificate of appropriateness is required from the City's Historic
Preservation Officer prior to doing any repair or remodel work on
the exterior of a structure. These applications are handled
administratively by staff. If the applicant does not agree
with the requirements of the CHPO, the decision can be appealed to
the HPC.
Demolition Permit. Before a
structure in a historic district or landmark can be demolished it
must receive approval from the Historic Preservation Officer.
Typically, unless there is an immediate hazard, the request will be
denied which will trigger a 6 month review process to look for ways
to save the structure. At the end of that review period, if a
plan has not been established to save the structure, the structure
may then be demolished.
Section 106 Review. Section 106
Reviews are reviews of properties to see if development taking place
in the area utilizing federal funding or providing for
telecommunications (cell towers) will negatively impact any historic
or archeological resource. 106 Reviews are done
administratively by the Historic Preservation Officer.
Historic Preservation Program
Since 1984, four comprehensive historic resource surveys
have been performed in Mesa. The purpose of each survey was to
identify and document each remaining pre-1945 building in Mesa's
original townsite and outlying areas, provide historical information
on the origins, evolution and significance of each building, and to
evaluate their eligibility for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places.
Lost But Not Forgotten
Historic Properties of Mesa