Preserving our History
The San Diego city council is looking to review the processes and policies we use to preserve important people, places and events from our past. The current regulations are decades old and are now up for review. Check out this U-T article for an update on what the council is considering. (link)
So what do we need to preserve and how much of that is truly unique and worth expending public resources to retain? Is every building over 45 years old a unique example of our rich architectural heritage? What if there are thousands or hundreds of examples? Which events in our history should be remembered, and should their importance require retention of the place they occurred or evidence of the event and its impact on our communities?
For historic buildings, the Mills Act provides for a reduction in property tax to help pay for the restoration of historic structures, including the difference in the costs incurred for following historic preservation guidelines over and above normal renovation costs. How do we decide who receives these benefits and for how long? Do we need evidence that the benefit provided was used for its intended purposes?
Vibrant Uptown support the preservation of the places, events and stories about the people who made our neighborhoods what they are today. We d not believe that the process and policies in place today do this effectively and with an eye towards a critical review of what to preserve and how to best allocate public resources. Here are a few ideas we believe need to be considered in this conversation;
Age (45 year rule) can certainly be a factor but should not in and of itself require qualification of a property as historic. There are certainly properties, old and new, that represent a unique instance of an architectural style or the work of a prominent architect or builder that we will want to consider. Where there are many instances of such a property, focus on representative examples, not every instance. There may be places that are so closely tied to important events that the place needs to be preserved. In many cases though, the event is separate from the place and deserves to be remembered but the place was incidental and likely doesn't deserve special preservation.
The final decision on preservation should rest with the council, as our elected officials. There are many dedicated volunteers who serve as advisors to the Council, Mayor and other elected officials. Their work is important and should be valued, but the final decision cannot be made by unelected boards, but must rest with those elected by the people to be their representatives.
Historical preservation criteria should be reviewed to ensure we are preserving truly unique architecture or based on historic events. It should also provide guidance on what is preserved in addition to how we define if it is worthy of preservation. Do we designate a neighborhood, property or place as historic? Do we instead celebrate the events or culture that thrived in a neighborhood and made it the unique place that we want to remember? It is important to remember that history is no just about buildings, but the people and events that came together to form the community.
The mills act eligibility should be conditioned on need, cost to renovate, income and home value. It is important to remember that a deferment of property tax liability is an expenditure of public funds. Property taxes are one of the primary means by which we pay for city services so just as we want our elected officials to spend theme wisely, we need to ensure these funds are put to the use the community has agreed to. Is the property one we have determined is a unique example of architectural style or has other clearly defined value to the community? Is the condition of the property such that the community investment will return it to its original condition? Are the maintenance costs significant;y higher due to its historical nature? Is there evidence of financial need on the part of the owner such that it is necessary for community investment? Too many houses, primarily in well to do neighborhoods are being underwritten by the community without first answering these basic questions.
Mills Act tax credits should be targeted to the DELTA in renovation costs from standard non historic costs - and proof of expenditure required. Too often the tax breaks continue long after the renovation is complete and the city has not been diligent in validating that the community investment is used for the purposes granted. We do need to invest in the places we want to preserve, but we need to follow up to ensure wise use of community resources. The deduction is for the period of renovation and may allow a small maintenance cost to cover any significant deviation due to the historical preservation requirements.
There was once a requirement that the properties with Mills Act community investment were opened to the public on a regular basis so the community could enjoy these renovated properties, usually though a neighborhood home tour. We recommend reviving this opportunity for members of the community to enjoy these preserved properties in which they have collectively invested.
Vibrant Uptown encourages the City Council and Planning Department consider this input and work to ensure our historical preservation processes and policies ensure appropriate use of financial resources, community input and return these decisions to our elected officials so that all community members can enjoy the fruits of our investment.
Here is a link to the City Planning Department program to update these policies and processes.
