REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Request for a Mills Act Contract for 1217 Harrison Street
Report
BACKGROUND
Suyog Kotecha and Vartika Jain, the home owners of the residence at 1217 Harrison Street, are requesting the approval of a Mills Act Contract, also known as a Historic Property Preservation Agreement, with the City and adoption of an associated 10-Year Restoration and Maintenance Plan. The State of California enacted legislation that allows owners of historically designated properties to enter into a "Mills Act" contract with the legislative bodies of local agency jurisdictions, pursuant to Government Code Section 50280 and following. Mills Act Contract properties then qualify for property tax incentives contained in the California Revenue and Taxation Code. The purpose of a Mills Act Contract is to offer owner(s) of historically significant properties an economic incentive to maintain and preserve the historic physical integrity of their properties, which thereby also increases the aesthetic and economic health of the surrounding neighborhood and the City. A 10-Year Restoration and Maintenance Plan is required to document specific maintenance and preservation activities proposed to be undertaken by the property owners for the Contract property.
The City Council established a process for evaluating Mills Act Contract requests on September 4, 1993 (Resolution No. 5843), that set a limit of five contracts per year. In 2004, the City Council increased the number of allowable contracts to ten per year. If approved, the subject proposal would be the City's first or second Mills Act Contract in 2019.
The property owners submitted an updated State Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) form evaluating the significance of the structure. The evaluation of the historical and architectural qualities of the property allow the conclusion that the property remains eligible for continued listing in the Historic Resources Inventory.
The project request w...
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