City May Sharpen System of Ranking Historic Sites

The City Council will meet tonight to consider sharpening the definitions in the city’s three-tiered ranking system for historic structures in Santa Ana.

The existing system, which identifies buildings based on historical and architectural significance, is considered too vague for the city’s Historic Resources Commission.

All buildings submitted for placement on the city’s register go through the same application process. Rankings are designed to create a priority system for the preservation of the aging buildings.

The Santa Ana Register of Historical Structures lists 223 properties and the city’s Historic Resources Commission asked city staff last year to come up with a more specific system for properties with greater significance.

Tustin has a four-tiered ranking system that allows for less significant structures built before 1940. The Santa Ana commission decided on a three-tiered system modeled after Laguna Beach’s.

If approved by the council, a historic structure will be ranked as: Landmark, a building on the national or state registers and has unique significance to the district; Key, a building with a distinct architectural style or is associated with a significant person or event in the city; or Contributive, a building or landmark that contributes to the overall character of the city.

Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440.