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Mills Act and Historic Properties in San Diego

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Mills Act and Historic Properties in San Diego Mills Act and Historic Properties in San Diego What drew you to San Diego? Was it an elementary school fascination with the oldest Mission in California is San Diego Mission de Alcala? Did you see “Some Like it Hot” and dream of sitting on the sandy beaches at The Hotel Del Coronado? Did you see the landmark Presidio designed by Irving Gill as you entered Mission Valley?Or have you enjoyed dinners out in the Gaslamp District of Down- town San Diego? These properties are all deemed historically significant and have protection under a California State law called the Mills Act. It was named for James Mills, a historian, State senator and before retirement the head of MTDB (Metropolitan Transit Development Board) where he spearheaded the San Diego Trolley. James Mills has been a forward thinking influence and advocate for in preservation San Diego for many years. The benefits of the Mills Act are local and have a positive economic affect on the property val- ues in historic districts and for individuals who own them. A Mills Act designated home in a neighborhood that maintains its historic character can ex- pect a 16% increase in value year over year compared with a non-designated property. There are also significant tax savings for individual homeowners. The current County proper- ty tax rate is 1.1% of the assessed value. The County reassesses value each time a home is sold. A home with a Mills Act contract in place pays between 20-80% of the taxes annually. For example: if a home sells for $1 million dollars and does not have Mills Act, the taxes would be assessed at $11,000. With Mills Act historic designation in place, the same property taxe basis would be between $2500-$4000 annually. There are many ways a home can earn Historic designation. They may have been built by an architect or designer of significance like: Irving Gill, William Sterling Hebbard, their collaborative efforts with Hebbard and Gill ( The George Marston Home on the edge of Balboa Park), Richard Requa, Charles Quayle, Lilian Rice and Ham- mond Whitsitt, Clifford May, Homer Delawie, Emmor Brooke Weaver, William Templeton Johnson, Henry Hester, Lloyd Ruocco, Russell Forrester, Frank Hope, Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, John Lloyd Wright. Each era of development in San Diego has brought a richly diverse blend of building styles, construction methods and innovation. San Diego has been a pioneering hub of Native Ameri- can, Adobe Mission, Victorian, Queen Anne, Prairie, Arts and Crafts, Spanish Revival, Mission Revival, Craftsman Bungalows, Modern, Googie and Post-Moderm architecture. A property can be designated historically significant regardless of a named architect if it embodies one of the types of architectural styles. San Diego’s rich architectural history can be roughly outlined by these significant events: • The Colonial Mission Period 1769 to 1848 • Establishment of the “New Town” 1867 • Panama California Exhibition 1915 (see also: Centen- nial Celebration) • World War I 1917 • California Pacific International Exposition 1935 • World War II 1939-1945 • Growth of Aerospace Industry 1945-1990 • Establishment of University of San Diego 1954 • UCSD 1964 • San Diego State University Expansion 1954-1964 • Mission Valley Development 1961 • Mission Bay Development 1964 • Downtown Redevelopment- Horton Plaza, Gaslamp, East Village/Ballpark, Cortez Hill and Little Italy (links to each community) Another way that a property can be deemed historically significant is if a historic event or person lived there. Also, when the City deems an area a Historic District, many of the buildings within that are can be designated for Mills Act if they are contributing members of that district. The list of Historic Districts includes: Burlingame, Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Gaslamp, Grant Hill, Greater Golden Hill, Islenair, Little Italy, Mission Hills Fort Stockton Line, Mission Hills Historic District, Ocean Beach, Pueblo Rivera, Sherman Heights, Shirley Ann Place, Talmadge, Theosophical Institute Point Loma, Balboa Park. National Designations in San Diego include: Cabrillo National Monument, Camp How- ard, Edgemoor, El Prado Complex, Heilman Villas, Kuchamaa, Marine Corps recruit Depot, Naval training Station, Old Town, Rockwell Field, Rosicrucian Fellowship, San Diego Civic Center, San Diego State College, Los enasquitos Historic and Archaeologi- cal Preserve. A City that has Mills Act properties recoups part of the County’s taxes to maintain the National Preservation standards for these properties. The money offsets maintenance requirements and administrative costs for the City. The tourism created by many of these landmarks enhance the economy of San Diego every day. A robust Convention Bureau (convis website link) links commerce and keeps the City vital. How do I find out if my house qualifies for Mills Act? There are many people who can help with this process. First, contact the City of San Diego Planning Department (link). They have a list of homes from a survey that they deem “might be” significant. Check out the archives at the Historical Society in Balboa Park (link). Or, you may want to hire a historian who specializes in doing the research necessary to get the Mills Act Contract. Ione Steigler, Ron May Or attorneys Barry Hager, Scott Moomgen Or you can research yourself. Getting historical designation in the City of San Diego is not for sissies. The documen- tation needed resembles a doctoral thesis and the San Diego City Historic Resources Board process can be long, drawn out and daunting. When you finally have a hearing date for your property, your hopes may be dashed in an instant when you hear their recommendations. They may choose to support the Mills Act designation for your home with conditions that require more work than you are ready to consider. Just know that when you are the proud owner of a historically designated home, you will make many new friends and acquaintances that as are “into” their homes as you are. You may be asked to be part of historic homes tours put on by neighborhood associa- tions like : SOHO, Mission Hills Heritage or Modern San Diego. You’ll be among many San Diegans who are proud to keep the history alive by maintaining the character of their homes and historic districts. Are you afraid of buying a historic money pit? If you are buying or selling an older home in San Diego, I have many tested, qualified, licensed contractors, foundation spe- cialists, engineers, roofers, plumbers, chimney cleaners, masons and landscape design- ers to make the process less painful and more realistic..
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