PORT OF LOS ANGELES ADOPTS CULTURAL RESOURCE POLICY
Groundbreaking Document Provides Framework for Preservation, Reuse of Historic, Cultural Resources
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — May 28, 2013 —The Board of Harbor Commissioners recently adopted a first-of-its-kind policy to protect the historical, cultural and architectural sites and structures at the Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles Cultural Resource Policy emphasizes that the Port take a leadership role to encourage and establish priorities for the identification, evaluation and protection of these vital resources.
“This policy provides a comprehensive and proactive framework for the ongoing identification of historical resources and consideration for their preservation and reuse,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “It assures that these resources are identified early in the planning process for proposed projects or potential leasing of vacant properties.”
"We think this is a great step forward to recognizing the historic nature of the Port,” said Linda Dishman, Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, which has been an important partner in helping to develop the ground-breaking policy. “We are pleased the Port took this step in how they treat historical resources."
The new policy will incorporate practices to help identify resources to be protected. It includes:
- Preparing and maintaining an inventory of historical, cultural and architectural resources of the Port;
- Completing a comprehensive survey to evaluate Port historical resources within two years of adoption of the policy and every five years thereafter. Buildings, objects, districts and sites within the Port that are at least 50 years old will be evaluated; resources less than 50 years old that have exceptional importance may also be reviewed;
- Establishing priorities for preservation and adaptive reuse, where possible, of historical buildings, structures, districts and other sites owned by or located on property owned by the Harbor Department. Staff will consider historical resources at the earliest stages of planning, adaptive reuse in leasing transactions will be encouraged.
The full text of the "Built Environment Historic, Architectural and Cultural Resource Policy" can be found here.
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy as well as the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates more than 830,000 regional jobs and $35 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. The Port of Los Angeles – A cleaner port. A brighter future.