Board hears update on El Rey Theater permits; members press for better interior documentation

The Salinas Historic Resources Board received an update on the El Rey Theater's permitting history and ongoing city check‑ins and discussed whether the designation process and documentation should require periodic photographic updates.

Yesenia Segovia, assistant planner, reported that El Rey applied for a conditional use permit in January 2024 and that the CUP was approved in September 2024; the theater later applied for a building permit for interior accessibility upgrades in February 2025, which staff said was approved in July 2025. Segovia said the theater has been subject to regular city check‑ins.

Board members raised concerns that the designation package included limited interior photography (one 1940 photo) and urged that future designations include documentation or periodic updates of interior conditions so the board and the public can verify progress. One member suggested the board should require documentation when granting designation so there is an archival record in case of loss.

Staff and members clarified roles under city ordinance and state historic standards: Grant Leonard, planning manager, said the designation process follows the city's historic resources ordinance and references Secretary of the Interior guidelines; if a property's designation documentation (the DPR or historical report) specifically records interior features, those features can be part of the review. Leonard also explained that the California Historic Building Code may be used in place of the standard building code for historic properties, which affects construction techniques rather than the designation itself.

The board asked staff to follow up with the historical report materials and to bring clarification at a future meeting on whether interior features were included in the El Rey designation and what, if any, reporting requirements the board could impose on designated property owners.