The first step in the process would be to have the home placed on the Register. Once it is Registered, then it could be eligible for the Mills Act. The City processes Mills Act applications once a year, with the application process starting in January.
Sometimes, the Heritage Committee also requests that a rating assessment be provided to help in evaluating the structure. The applicant has the option to use the City’s consultant architectural historian to get a scope and cost for conducting an assessment prior to going to the Heritage Committee.
See the designation procedures and criteria below for placement on the City’s Historic Register:
Chapter 25.45 HISTORIC PRESERVATION
(B) Designation Procedures.
(1) The property owner shall complete the application for the proposed designation as a historic resource and inclusion on the register on a form provided by the department, include all information required and file the application with the department.
(2) The Heritage Committee will review the application for designation. In its consideration of placement on the register, the Heritage Committee may request additional information and plans for any future planned changes to the structure. There shall be no application fee for placement on the register.
(3) Recordation of a written historic resource preservation agreement between the City and the property owner, acknowledging the owner’s obligations and responsibilities to ensure preservation of the historic character of the resource shall be filed after the property is designated by the Heritage Committee for inclusion on the register. If the owner has applied for incentives, the recordation shall not occur until the owner’s request, or the incentive has been acted upon. This agreement shall be recorded with the County and will apply to any subsequent owners. A property approved for the Register shall not be formally designated until the property owner executes the preservation agreement, and it is recorded with the County.
(C) Criteria for Historic Register Listing. Upon submittal of an application by the property owner(s), a building, grouping of buildings, structure, site, object, or district shall be considered for designation by the Heritage Committee if it meets criteria (1) and also one or more of criteria (2) through (11):
(1) The owner of the property voluntarily agrees to the placement on the register;
(2) It is listed on the National Register or the State Register;
(3) It exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social or historical heritage of the community;
(4) It is identified with a person, events, culture or site significant in local, state or national history;
(5) It is representative of the work of a notable builder, designer, architect, or artist including those of local importance;
(6) It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics of a style, type, period or method of construction that exemplify a particular architectural style or way of life important to the City;
(7) It embodies elements that represent a significant structural, engineering, or architectural achievement or innovation;
(8) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an iconic visual feature or public view point within the City;
(9) Is one of the remaining examples in the City, region, state or nation possessing distinguishing characteristics of architectural, cultural or historical importance;
(10) Is an iconic landscape, garden, space or public view point that is significant to the history and heritage of the City; or
(11) Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.
