How Carmel’s historic review works
An owner may hire a private historian or preservation adviser for early research, strategy, and an independent view. Any formal historic evaluation required by Carmel is prepared separately by a qualified professional working under a City contract, at the applicant’s expense.
The City-side evaluator supplies the technical analysis; Planning administers the application; and the Historic Resources Board reviews the analysis and participates in the decision. Current HRB members should be treated as decision-makers, not as potential private advisers.
Who matters
The current Board includes Jordan Chroman, Thomas Reinstein, Erik Dyar, Kathryn Gualtieri, and Bobbie Voris. Margaret “Meg” Clovis, Seth Bergstein / PAST Consultants, and Kent Seavey appear repeatedly in recent City preservation work. Their roles, the known Board profiles, the City’s independence rules, and the remaining research questions are collected in the full record.