Title
LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project Potentially Eligible Landmarks and Historic District (M23-005)
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FileID
File ID: 2026-01184
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Location
Location: Council Districts 2, 4, 5, and 6
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Recommendation
Recommendation: Review, comment, and provide direction.
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Contact
Contact: Sean de Courcy, Preservation Director, (916) 808-2796, sdecourcy@cityofsacramento.org, Community Development Department
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Presenter
Presenter: Henry Feuss, Preservation Planner, (916) 808-5880, hfeuss@cityofsacramento.org, Community Development Department
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Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Background
3-601 15th Street Historic Resource Evaluation
4-729-731 J Street Historic Resource Evaluation
5-1401 Alhambra Boulevard Historic Resource Evaluation
6-1454 Del Paso Boulevard Historic Resource Evaluation
7-1725 L Street Historic Resource Evaluation
8-2215 P Street Historic Resource Evaluation
9-2565 Franklin Boulevard Historic Resource Evaluation
10-7042 Folsom Boulevard Historic Resource Evaluation
11-Lavender Heights Historic District Survey and Evaluation
12-Draft Lavender Heights Historic District Plan
13-Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project Historic Context Statement
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Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue/Detail: In 2024, the Sacramento City Council accepted the findings of the LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project, including the Historic Context Statement and associated historic resource survey findings. The project documented Sacramento's LGBTQ+ history and identified a number of properties and places associated with significant themes, events, organizations, and individuals that contributed to the development of Sacramento's LGBTQ+ community. The project also evaluated the Lavender Heights neighborhood, the historic center of Sacramento's LGBTQ+ community, for potential designation as a historic district.
Following City Council acceptance of the project findings, staff continued research and evaluation efforts to refine the project recommendations and prepare draft historic resource evaluations for potential designation. In addition to the resources identified during the original grant-funded project, staff completed several additional historic resource evaluations for properties associated with Sacramento's LGBTQ+ history that were identified through subsequent research and public input.
The draft evaluations included with this report identify eight individual properties and the Lavender Heights Historic District that appear eligible for listing on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources pursuant to Sacramento City Code Section 17.604.210. The resources represent a broad range of themes identified in the LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement, including community gathering places, social organizations, places of political activism, health service locations, and the development of a visible LGBTQ+ community in Sacramento during the second half of the twentieth century.
At this time, staff is not requesting a recommendation regarding designation of any individual resource or historic district. Instead, staff is requesting that the Preservation Commission review and comment on the draft historic resource evaluations, the draft Lavender Heights Historic District Plan, and the proposed nomination strategy. Staff is also seeking feedback regarding the proposed outreach process to affected property owners and interested parties prior to initiating the formal nomination process.
Commission comments received through this review process will be used to refine the draft evaluations, district boundaries, district plan, and outreach materials before any formal nominations are brought forward for consideration at a future public hearing.
Staff has conducted outreach with the affected property owners in addition to the initial public outreach campaign directly related to the LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project. Letters were sent to affected property owners in August 2025, January 2026, and again prior to this review item. Staff received responses from four property owners, and after providing responses to questions or holding site visits, no owners have objected to listing.
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Policy Considerations
Policy Considerations: The City Council has found “that significant aspects of the City’s rich and diverse historic resources deserve recognition and preservation to foster an understanding of our heritage, and to promote the public health and safety and the economic and general welfare of the people of the city. The preservation and continued use of historic resources are effective tools to sustain and revitalize neighborhoods and business districts within the city, enhance the city’s economic, cultural and aesthetic standing, its identity, its livability, marketability and urban character” (Sacramento City Code section 17.604.100.A.). The LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project documented Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history and identified properties, districts, and cultural landscapes associated with significant themes, events, organizations, and individuals that contributed to the development of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community. The draft individual historic resource evaluations and proposed Lavender Heights Historic District included with this report represent the next phase of that effort and provide the basis for consideration of future nominations to the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources.
The identification and evaluation of potential historic resources associated with Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history is consistent with Sacramento 2040 General Plan Goal HCR-2 and Policy HCR-2.3.
HCR-2 Identification and Evaluation of Historic and Cultural Resources
HCR-2.3 Historic Resource Inventories. The City shall maintain and update the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources on a regular basis, including proactively identifying and listing additional unidentified landmarks and historic districts, and evaluating and updating the status of identified resources as new information becomes available.
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Economic Impacts
Economic Impacts: None.
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Environmental Considerations
Environmental Considerations: The listing of landmarks and historic districts on the Sacramento register is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308. Section 15308 exempts from CEQA review acts that are undertaken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Listing the properties as a historic landmarks and a historic district would ensure that future development would undergo preservation review, as part of the city’s site plan and design review process, prior to the granting of any entitlements, thereby protecting the historic resource, which would be considered part of the environment.
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Sustainability
Sustainability: Not Applicable.
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Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: None.
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Rationale for Recommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: The Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Experience Project represents the City’s most comprehensive effort to document, evaluate, and recognize the contributions of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community to the city’s history and development. Through extensive archival research, oral histories, community outreach, and historic resource surveys, the project identified a number of properties and places associated with significant themes, events, organizations, and individuals that contributed to the development of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community, including the Lavender Heights neighborhood, Sacramento’s historic LGBTQ+ cultural center.
The draft historic resource evaluations, proposed Lavender Heights Historic District, and Draft Lavender Heights Historic District Plan included with this report are the result of that work and provide the foundation for potential future nominations to the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources. In addition to the resources identified during the original grant-funded project, staff has continued research and evaluation efforts, resulting in additional historic resource evaluations beyond the original scope of the grant project.
Review and comment by the Preservation Commission at this stage of the process will help ensure that the draft evaluations, district boundaries, district plan, and outreach strategy accurately reflect the historical significance of the identified resources and the experiences of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ community. Early Commission feedback will also provide staff with guidance prior to initiating formal property owner outreach and preparing future nomination materials for consideration.
Accordingly, staff recommends that the Preservation Commission review and comment on the draft historic resource evaluations, proposed Lavender Heights Historic District, Draft Lavender Heights Historic District Plan, and proposed outreach process before staff proceeds with the formal nomination process.
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Financial Considerations
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
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Local Business Enterprise (LBE)
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
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