The City Council voted unanimously to save SD’s Mills Act Program yesterday afternoon by setting the property tax “loss” to $200,000 (about 100 Mills Act contracts a year), as opposed to the $100,000 limit requested by Mayor Jerry Sanders. (The most Mills Act contracts completed in the past has been less than 80.) This means no change in the processing of Mills Act contracts in the near future. They also voted to fund a $500 discounted “intake fee” to process reports for all nominations in the pipeline, as opposed to the $1,185 requested by the mayor. Preservationists saved $685 for all homeowners whose nominations have been collecting dust for up to two years waiting to be put on the Historical Resources Board agenda. Councilmembers Toni Atkins and Donna Frye felt it was unfair to change the rules after submission, but Director of Planning Bill Anderson complained loss of intake fees might mean staff layoffs, so they compromised at $500. (Staff will still go after the $590 Mills Act contract drafting fee and $492 inspection fee, but we do not know if they will apply these fees to existing Mills Act contracts or for designated houses without Mills Act contracts).
Councilmember Donna Frye is our champion for making both nominations. Councilmember Toni Atkins also shares in the spotlight, as she argued against charging fees for pipeline cases. And Councilmember Ben Hueso spoke passionately at the November 24th hearing in favor of historical designation.
Councilmembers James Madaffer and Scott Peters voted against lowering the intake fee for people in the pipeline. They expressed concern that the City of San Diego is in a financial crisis and all forms of revenue recovery are necessary to save the city. Fortunately for the 100 families whose nominations are in the pipeline, these two were in the minority.
The Neighborhood Historic Preservation Coalition, SOHO, realtor Elizabeth Courtier, University Heights Historical Society, Between Heights, The Heart of Kensington, realtor Peter Dennehy, community activist Kathy Blavatt, Ocean Beach Community Planning Council Chair Landry Watson, El Cerrito Community Council Chair Jan Riley, and a host of other group leaders worked tirelessly to organize and get people out to the crucial hearings, meet with city council representatives and mayoral staff, and hammered the newspapers to turn the tide in our favor. We owe our gratitude to each and every one of them.
