In April 2022, the Council authorized City staff to update the Historic Preservation Ordinance and the Register of Historic Resources, a list of historically significant properties in the City. The City's Historic Preservation Ordinance was originally adopted in 2004, along with the Register of Historic Resources, and includes procedures for:

• designating properties as historic resources on the local Register of Historic Resources.
• approval of modifications or improvements to historic resources; and
• incentives to encourage the preservation of historic resources.

For the latest information, please review the updated Frequently Asked Questions.

The Update

The update is expected to be completed in 2026. The major tasks include:

• Historic Preservation Ordinance - Update the zoning ordinance to provide the legal framework for recognizing, protecting, and managing changes to the City's historic resources.
• Historic Context Statement - Identify significant themes, patterns, and property types within the City to recognize the forces that shaped the built environment in Mountain View. This provides a framework that helps in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of historic properties.
• Citywide Historic Resources Survey - Consider all properties in Mountain View built in the 1970s or earlier for potential historic significance. Primary benefits of conducting a citywide survey include recognizing and protecting historic places that contribute to the character of Mountain View comprehensively and streamlining the development review process for proposed development projects. The survey will inform an update to the City's Local Register of Historic Resources.

An Intensive Survey was conducted, and several properties have been identified as a historic resource based on age, architectural features and/or relationship to important events. See the Draft Survey Methodology Report for more information. 

The Draft Register of Historic Resources and Draft Intensive Survey Resource Evaluation Forms (Eligible Private Properties Only) are available for public review.

• Study five commercial buildings on Castro Street to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Community Workshops and Outreach

• None Scheduled

Public Meetings

This project will be heard at the following public meeting (all meetings are tentative until agendized): 

• August 19, 2026 - Environmental Planning Commission meeting.  

• September 22, 2026 - City Council meeting to adopt the Ordinance. 

• October 13, 2026 - City Council meeting for Ordinance second reading. 

• Q4, 2026 - City Council meeting to adopt the Register. 

Meeting agenda, staff report and materials will be posted at mountainview.legistar.com the Friday prior to the public hearing date and will include information on meeting location, format, and how to participate.  

To receive email notifications of upcoming meetings, workshops and release of draft materials, please enter your email below and press submit.

Prior Meetings

The following prior meetings and workshops on the project have occurred:

• December 9, 2025 - City Council to review draft policy direction (not a final action).

• October 1, 2025 - Environmental Planning Commission meeting to review and recommend draft policy direction to the City Council.  

• September 3, 2025 - Community workshop #4, The City hosted an in-person community workshop to provide project update and gather community input. 

• August 25, 2025 - Virtual Q&A community outreach meeting was scheduled as part of this project update process.

• August 13, 2024 - Community Workshop #3 for Historic Context Statement document in the Public Library. See Workshop Presentation and video.

• December 12, 2023 – City Council Study Session to discuss scope of deliverables and analysis (see Item 3.1)

• October 30, 2023 - Community Workshop #2 in the Public Library. See Workshop Flyer , Presentation and video.

• October 16, 2022 - Community information booth at Farmers Market. 

• September 6, 2022 - Community Workshop #1 introduced the project tasks, sought input on history, most significant places and topics or themes that are important and unique to the history of Mountain View. See Workshop Flyer and video.

• April 12, 2022 - City Council authorized the scope of work for the project (see Item 5.4).