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Carlsbad Commission Seeks to Strengthen City’s Mills Act
By Ann Jarmusch
March/April 2025
 The Queen Anne-style Culver House was built by Alonzo Culver in 1887. Courtesy oldhousecalling.com |
The City of Carlsbad’s Historic Preservation Commission recommended in January 2025 that the City Council sweeten and expand its Mills Act program to attract more historic property owner applications for what is considered California’s best preservation incentive. In 2022, the city adopted the Mills Act, which significantly reduces property taxes in exchange for properly preserving, restoring, or maintaining a historically designated resource.
So far no one has taken advantage of the program, which could help preserve hundreds of homes and other buildings in Carlsbad that may be eligible for historic status.
The only two applications received in 2023 were withdrawn, suggesting to city staff that the $4,211 application fee may be too high. No one applied in 2024, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Approval and a voluntary 10-year contract with the city are not guaranteed, so owners may find applying financially risky, as well as onerous. For comparison, the City of San Diego raised its application fee to $1,305.60 (up from $471) in July 2024.
Other cities in San Diego County that offer Mills Act programs charge between zero and $2,000 to apply, a Carlsbad city staff report said. In addition to Carlsbad, Mills Act participants include San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, Encinitas, Escondido, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, and San Diego County (for unincorporated areas).
At the January Historic Preservation Commission meeting, Mike Strong, Carlsbad’s assistant director of community development, said the city could consider reducing or subsidizing application fees. Other suggestions included simplifying or reducing the required paperwork and stepping up marketing and public education efforts.
The Carlsbad City Council has not yet scheduled discussion of the Mills Act program. Strong said he is aiming for an April or May meeting this year.
The Historic Preservation Commission’s next scheduled meeting is March 10, 2025, at 6pm in the City Council Chamber, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008. More info online.
This story is based on a San Diego Union-Tribune article you can read online.
Take a virtual tour of Historic Carlsbad’s 24 sites online.
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