San Roque Historic Context and Resource Survey

The project is a historic context statement and historic resources survey project. The project has two distinct Phases. Phase 1 of the project is the development of the historic context statement and Phase 2 is a historic resources survey that will be conducted by architectural historians within the historic core of the San Roque neighborhood.

A historic context statement is a narrative document that will document the neighborhood’s development history and identify important themes, property types, architectural trends, patterns of development, community groups, significant events, and people that are associated with that history. The document will connect this history to existing places within the community. This may include buildings, such as the homes of important community figures or great examples of architectural styles. It may also include sites of important events.

Once the historic context statement research is completed, architectural historians will begin the historic resources survey of the neighborhood to identify potential areas of cultural and historical significance. The Survey includes an inventory of all properties over 45 years old, including properties that have recently come of age (up to the year 1980).

No. This project will only identify a property that may be eligible to be nominated for designation by property owners.

All properties that are 45 years and older (built in 1980 or earlier) will be included in the survey, with the exception of any federally owned property and the San Roque Church property.

No. The survey is conducted from the public right-of-way and does not require access to private property or advanced coordination with property owners or residents.

To be eligible for designation, a property generally must be associated with a historically significant event, person, or architectural style and have sufficient historical integrity, the ability of a property to convey its historical significance. The historic context statement organizes historically significant people, events and architectural styles into themes and subthemes, each having registration requirements or designation eligibility criteria. Through field inspection, research, and application of the registration requirements, the survey team determines if property is eligible for designation.   

We are in the early stages of the project and our first public meeting is scheduled for March 13, 2025 at 6 PM. The project is anticipated to be completed by April 2026 with draft documents available for public review later this year. Additional details about public meetings will be available here. 

Attend the public meetings, connect with the South Environmental team at the public meetings or through email, submit historical information such as, historic photographs and neighborhood memories and stories, to NHernandez@SantaBarbaraCA.gov by April 30, 2025.