City Starts Program to Encourage Protection of Historic Buildings

Pasadena residents who privately own historic buildings or historic property within city limits may apply for financial incentives under the California Mills Act which for the owner may mean a reduction in property taxes, but for the city could mean the preservation of significant historic resources and an investment in housing rehabilitation.

Pasadena Planning and Community Development Director David Reyes said the City Council has created the Historic Property Contract program under Mills Act regulations to encourage the designation, rehabilitation, and protection of historic buildings.

The program is conducted on an annual cycle with applications being released early in the calendar year and approved contracts being recorded with the County Recorder at the end of each year.

Under the program, the Planning Department may approve up to a maximum of 20 new single-family residential applications and six non-single-family-residential applications per year.

For this year, owners of designated historic properties that meet the qualifications stated in the program may submit applications up to the deadline at 5 p.m. on May 4. Property owners of eligible but undesignated properties may also concurrently apply for historical designation, and a Mills Act contract may be approved if the property is designated by the City Council by the end of the year, the Planning Department said.

The California Mills Act, enacted in 1972, is considered the single most important economic incentive program in the state for restoring and preserving qualified historic buildings owned by private property owners.

The legislation grants participating local governments (cities and counties) the authority to enter into contracts with the owners of qualified historic properties who actively participate in the restoration and maintenance of their historic properties while receiving property tax relief.

Under the Act, each local government establishes their own criteria and determines how many contracts they will allow in their jurisdiction.

For more information about the Mills Act and the City’s Historic Property Contract program, visit cityofpasadena.net/planning/planning-division/design-and-historic-preservation/historic-preservation/mills-act.