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Applying the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards: Making Consistent, Defensible Decisions on Historic Properties

Making Consistent, Defensible Decisions on Historic Properties

Join CPF for a two-part intermediate-level seminar focusing on the Secretary of Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards (SOIS) are among the most widely used preservation tools in the United States, informing local project review, Mills Act agreements, federal and state incentive programs, environmental review, and preservation planning efforts. Yet many local government staff and commissioners continue to struggle with how the Standards should be interpreted and applied in real-world decision-making.

This two-part bootcamp is designed specifically for local government decision-makers responsible for reviewing projects affecting historic resources. Moving beyond a basic introduction, the program explores how the Standards function as a practical framework for evaluating projects, balancing competing objectives, guiding applicants, and making consistent and defensible decisions.

Through focused instruction, case studies, and interactive polling exercises, participants will examine common preservation challenges including additions and new construction, accessibility improvements, energy-efficiency upgrades, adaptive reuse projects, and projects that do not fully meet the Standards. The program will also explore the relationship between the Standards, local preservation review, and California's evolving regulatory landscape, including Objective Design Standards and recent housing legislation.

By the end of the bootcamp, participants will be better equipped to interpret the Standards, evaluate complex projects, write defensible findings, and confidently navigate the gray areas that often arise in historic preservation review.

Part 1: Understanding the Standards in Real Projects

Tuesday, Sept. 15 2026 | 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM

     Introduction: 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

 

1. The Standards as a Decision-Making Framework - 10:15AM – 11:00AM
Sarah Corder, South Environmental

2. When Do the Standards Apply? - 11:05AM – 11:50AM
Nels Youngborg, Heritage | Chattel

     Q&A/Break – 11:50 – 12:05

3. Reading a Project Through the Standards - 12:05PM – 12:25PM
Sean DeCourcy, City of Sacramento

4. Standard 9 in Practice - 12:25 – 12:45
Kevin Johnson, City of Pasadena

Closing Q&A: 12:45 PM – 1:00 PM

Part 2: Making Decisions and Solving Difficult Problems

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026

     Introduction: 10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

1. Design Panel - 10:15AM – 10:55AM
Stephanie Reich, City of Santa Monica

2. Challenging Projects and Gray Areas - 10:35AM – 10:55AM
Stephanie Reich, City of Santa Monica

     Q&A/Break – 10:55 – 11:10

3. When a Project Doesn't Meet the Standards - 11:10AM – 11:55AM
Kelly Wong, San Francisco Planning

4. The Standards in Today's Regulatory Environment
Sean De Courcy, City of Sacramento

Bios and additional details coming soon!

Posted in: Adaptive Reuse, Building Technology, Standards, & Codes, Energy Conservation and Building Envelope, Sustainability, Webinars, Workshops