HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-11-2000 City Council Agenda Packet :i CITY CLERK
AOENDA !
ADJOURNED MEE TIl'q ~,-,--.,.,~,~,=,----~--~~
SESSION
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
JULY 11, 2000
Heritage Preservation Commission
Saratoga Union School District
ADJOURNED MEETING/JOINT SESSION-7:00 P.M.
ADULT CARE CENTER,- 19655 ALLENDALE AVENUE
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL ,CALL
REPORT OF CITY CLERK ON POSTING OF AGENDA
(Pursuant to Gov't. Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on
July i~/[, 2000)
COMMUNICATIONS FROM PUBLIC
Oral Communications on Non-Agendized Items
Any member of the public will be allowed to address the City Council for up to 3 minutes
on matters not on this agenda.
JOINT MEETING WITH HERITAGE PRESERVATION
COMMISSION
.1. Status of the I~eritage Orchard.
Possibility of City adopting an implementing ordinance for the
Mills Act.
ADJOURNMENT TO JOINT MEETING WITH SARATOGA UNION
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Implementation of Cooperation Agreement dated June'4, 1999
A. Saratoga Elementary School Project
1. preservation of two heritage eucalyptus' trees
2. widening of Oak Street
3. feasibility study for traffic circulation & congestion
B. Redwood Middle School Project
1. implementation of Circulation Plan
2. driveway closure
3. status of feasibility study of adding separate turn lane
on Fruitvale Ave.
4. status of traffic circulation and congestion study
Continued Cooperation
A. Dislrict and City liaison appointments
Future Issues
A. Foothill School
1. realignment of path through Foothill Park
2. traffic and access issues
B. Expansion of traffic guards
ADJOURNMENT
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act .(ADA), if you need
special assistance to participate in this meeting, please e6ntact the City Clerk
at (408) 868-1269. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the
City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting
(28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title II)
Mills Act
Property 'l-ax
Abatement
Program
The Mills Act is a state sponsored legislation granting local
governments the authority to directly participate in an historic
preservation program. More importantly, the Mills Act is a self-
directed, economic incentive program designed to provide private
property owners the opportunity to actively participate in the
restoration of their properties while receiving property tax relief.
This package of information contains:
An information sheet on the Mills Act program
A list of cities and counties participating in the Mills Act
program
An example of a property tax
assessment of an historic property
in Sacramento County illustrating
the comparison between the
standard calculation of a property
tax assessment with the Mills Act
projection
The Mills Act information package from Redwood City
Copies of the California Government Code and the Revenue
and Taxation Code on the Mills Act
Articles on the Mills Act program
Should you require additional information on the Mills Act, please
contact Eugene Itogawa in the Office of Historic Preservation, PO
Box 942896, Sacramento CA 94296-0001, (916)-653-8936,
. gitog@ohp, parks.ca.gov.
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NO: AGENDA ITEM:
MEETING DATE: July 11, 2000 CITY MANAGER: ~'_~~ ~
ORIGINATING DEPT: Community Development DEPT HEAI~:./~/-x
SUBJECT: Joint Meeting with the Heritage Preservation Commission
Discussion Topics:
The Heritage Preservation Commission would like to discuss the following topics with
the City Council:
1. Status of the Heritage Orchard
2. Possibility of the City adopting an implementing ordinance for the Mills Act
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Mills Act information
Table of Contents
IntrOduction ._~
Communities-Participating in Mills Act Program ................................................... 5
Property Tax Assessment Example ..................................................................... 8
· RedWood. City Mills Act Information Pa~ckage ..................................................... 11
California State Codes Relating to Mills Act Program ........................................ 16
Articles Related to Mills, Act Program ................................................................. 22
Communities Participating in Mills Act Program
County/City
# of Certified Local
Contracts Ordinance? Government?
Alameda County
Berkeley
1 Yes No
Contra Costa County
Danville
Orinda (pending)
4 Yes
Yes
No
Fresno County
Fresno (pending)
Yes
Los Angeles County
Glendale
Glendora
La Verne
Long Beach
Los Angeles (City)
Los Angeles (County)
Monrovia
Norwalk (pending)
Pasadena (pending)
Redondo Beach
Santa Monica
Sierra Madre
West Hollywood
Whittier
0 Yes
5 Yes
4 No
7 Yes
58 Yes
2
23 Yes
27 Yes
0 Yes
14 Yes
48 Yes
1 Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Marin County
Belvedere
Larkspur
1 Yes
1 Yes
No
Monterey County
Monterey (City)
Monterey (County) (pending)
0 Yes
Yes
Yes
Napa County
St. Helena
0 Yes
No
County/City . ·
santa Clara County
Los Altos
Morgan Hill
Palo Alto
san Jose
Sunnyvale .
Solano-County
Benicia
Valle jo
Stanislaus County
Modesto
Newman (pending)
Tuolumne County
Soulsbyville (Unincorporated)
Tuttletown (Unincorporated).
Ventura County
Ojai
Ventura (County)
# of
Contracts
1
1
2
3
3
2
2
11
Ordinance?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Certified Local
Government?
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
7
EXAMPLE 1: Mills Act v. Normal Assessment
Single Family Residence
1400 Sq. Ft., 7,5 Years Old
Mills Act Assessment
Income Approach to Value
Gross Income: {$850/mo x 12}= $10.200
Vacancy & Col Loss: ($%} = $ - 510
Eff_ective Gross: $9,690
Expenses:
Maintenance $ 600
Insurance $ 400'
Total Expenses:
$- 1,000
Net Operating Income
$ 8,690
Capitalization Rate
Interest Rate 7.50
Risk Rate 4.00
Depreciation Rate 2.00
Tax Rate 1.00
Total Cap Rate 14.50 %
Capitalization of Net IncOme:
NOI/Cap Rate $ 8.690 = $ 59,931
.1450
Assessed Value = $60,000
Estimated Properly Taxes: $ 600
Normal Assessment
Market Approach to Value
1}
2~
Assessor uses Sale Comparison
Approach using sales of similar
properties appropriately ac~sted for
differences between comparable
and the subject property.
Sales indicate market value of
$150,000
Assessed Value =
Estimated Taxes =
$1S0,000
$1,s00
Net property tax savings under Mills act: $900 (60%)
Redwood City Mills Act Information Package
(Courtesy of the City of Redwood City)
11
BENEFITS OF
MILLS ACT AGREEMENT
REDUCTION IN PROPERTY TAX.
INCEASES LIKELIHOOD OF PRESERVATION.
ASSURES MECHANISM TO AVOID DETERIORATION.
PROVIDES MECHANISM FOR REHABII. ITATION.
CAN ENCOURAGE SENSITIVE HOME BUYERS TO PURCHASE
DESIGNATED HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
MEETS THE GOALS OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS
ELEMENT OF THE 1990 GENERAL PLAN AND HISTORIC
PRESERVATION ORDINANCE.
AFFECTS OWNER-OCCUPIED STRUCTURES AS WELL AS
INCOME-PRODUCING PROPERTIES.
VISUALLY IMPROVES THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF
THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDES A FOCUS ON HISTORIC
LANDMARKS.
.13
50281.1. Fees.
The legislative body entering into a contract described in this article may require
that the property owner, as a condition to entering into the contract, pay a fee not
to exceed the reasonable cost of administering this program.
50282. Renewal.
(a) Each contract shall provide that on the anniversary date of the contract or
such other annual date as is specified in the contract, a year shall be added
automatically to the initial term of the contract unless notice of nonrenewal is
given as provided in this section. If the property owner or the .legislative body
desires in any year not to renew the contract, that party shall serve written notice
of nonrenewal of the contract on the other party in advance of the annual renewal
date of the contract. Unless the notice is served by the owner at least 90 days
prior to the renewal date or by the legislative body at least 60 days prior to the
renewal date, one year shall automatically be added to the term of the contract.
(b) Upon receipt by the owner of a notice from the legislative body of
nonrenewal, the owner may make a written protest of the notice of nonrenewal.
The legislative body may, at any time prior to the renewal date, withdraw the
notice of nonrenewal.
(c) If the legislative body or the owner serves notice of intent in any year not to
renew the contract, the existing contract shall remain in effect for the balance of
the period remaining since the original execution or the last renewal of the
contract, as the case may be.
(d) The owner shall furnish the legislative body with any information the
legislative body shall require in order to enable it to determine the eligibility of the
property involved.
(e) No later than 20 days after a city or county enters into a contract with an
owner pursuant to this article, the clerk of the legislative body shall record with
the county recorder a copy of the contract, which shall describe the property
subject thereto. From and after the time of the recordation, this contract shall
impart a notice thereof to all persons as is afforded by the recording laws of this
state.
50284. Cancellation.
The legislative body may cancel a contract if it determines that the owner has
breached any of the conditions of the contract provided for in this article or has
allowed the property to deteriorate to the point that it no longer meets the
standards for a qualified historical property. The legislative body may also cancel
a contract if it determines that the owner has failed to restore or rehabilitate the
property in the manner specified in the contract.
50285.' Consultation With state commission.
No co~ntract shall be canceled under Section 50284 until after the legislative body
has given notice of, and has held, a public hearing on the matter. Notice of the
hearing shall be mailed to the last known address of each owner of property
within the historic zone and shall be published pursuant to Section 6061.
17
California Revenue and Taxation Code, Article 1.91 Sections 439 - 439.4
439. Historical Property Restrictions; enforceably restricted property.
For the purposes of this article and within the meaning of Section 8 of Article XIII
of the Constitution, property is "enforceably restricted" if it is subject to an
historical property'contract executed pursuant to Article 12 (commencing with
Section 50280) of ChaPter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the Government
Code..
439.1. Historical Property; definitions.
For purposes of this article "restricted historical property" means qualified
historical property, as defined in Section 50280.1 of the Government Code, that
is subject to a historical property contract executed pursuant to Article 12
(commencing with Section 50280) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of
the Government Code. For purposes of this section, "qualified historical
property" includes qualified historical improvements and any land on which the
qualified historical improvements are situated, as specified in the historical
property contract. If the historical property contract does not specify the land -that
is to be included, "qualified historical property" includes only that area of
reasonable size that is used as a site for the historical improvements.
439.2. HiStorical Property; valuation.
When valuing enforceably restricted historical property, the county assessor shall
not consider sales data on similar property, whether or not enforceably restricted,
and shall value that restricted historical property by the capitalization of income
method in the following manner:
(a) The annual income to be capitalized shall be determined as follows:
(1) Where sufficient rental information is available, the income shall be the fair
rent that can be imputed to the restricted historical property being valued based
upon rent actually received for the property by the owner and upon typical rentals
received in the area for similar property in similar use where the owner pays the
property tax. When the restricted historical property being valued is actually
encumbered by a lease, any cash rent or its equivalent considered in determining
the fair rent of the property shall be the amount for which the property would be
expected to rent were the rental payment to be renegotiated in the light of current
conditions, including applicable provisions under which the property is
enforceably restricted.
(2) Where sufficient rental information is not available, the income shall be that
Which the restricted historical property being valued reasonably can be expected
to yield under prudent management and subject to applicable provisions under
which the property is enforceably restricted.
(3) If the parties to an instrument that enforceably restricts the property
stipulate therein an amount that constitutes the minimum annual income to be
capitalized, then the income to be capitalized shall not be less than the amount
so stipulated. For purposes of this section, income shall be determined in
accordance with rules and regulations issued by the board and with this section
19
valuation that would have resulted by calculation under Section 110.1, as though
the property was not subject to an enforceable restriction in the base year.
(e) The value of the restricted historical property shall be the quotient of the
income determined as provided in subdivision (a) divided by the capitalization
rate determined as provided in subdivision (b) or (c).
(f) The ratio prescribed in Section 401 shall be applied to the value of the
property determined in subdivision (d) to obtain its assessed value.
439.3. Historical Property; notice of nonrenewal.
Notwithstanding any provision of Section 439.2 to the contrary, if either the
county or city or the owner of restricted historical property subject to contract has
served notice of nonrenewal as provided in Section 50282 of the Government
Code, the county assessor shall value that restricted historical property as
provided in this section.
(a) Following the hearing conducted pursuant to Section 50285 of the
Government Code, subdivision (b) shall apply until the termination of the period
for which the restricted historical property is enforceably restricted.
(b) The board or assessor in each year until the termination of the period for
which the property is enforceably restricted shall do all of the following:
(1) Determine the full cash value of the.property pursuant to Section 110.1. If
the property is not subject to Section 110.1 when the restrictiOn expires, the
value shall be determined pursuant to Section 110 as if the property were free of
contractual restriction. If the property will be subject to a use for which this
chapter provides a special restricted assessment, the value of the property shall
be determined as if it were subject to the new restriction.
(2) Determine the value of the property by the capitalization of income method
as provided in Section 439.2 and without regard to the fact that a notice of
nonrenewal or cancellation has occurred.
(3)Subtract the value determined in paragraph (2) of this subdivision by
capitalization of income from the full cash value determined in paragraph (1).
(4) Using the rate announced by the board pursuant to paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b) of Section 439.2, discount the amount obtained in paragraph (3)
for the number of years remaining until the termination of the period for which the
property is enforceably restricted.
(5) Determine the value of the property by adding the value determined by the
capitalization of income method as provided in paragraph (2) and the value
obtained in paragraph (4).
(6) Apply the ratios prescribed in Section 401 to the value of the property
determined in paragraph (5) to obtain its assessed value.
439.4. Historical Property; recordation.
No property shall be valued pursuant to this article unless an enforceable
restriction meeting the requirements of Section 439 is signed, accepted and
recorded on or before the lien date for the fiscal year in which the valuation would
apply.
21
.lax l:)real(s tavor preservation
Glendora uSes obscure '"
state lawto promote
landmark protection
S~A~ W~r~ '
GLENDO~. ~ City otBeials have
tapped a little-used statelaw to
grant tax breaks to owners of
historical and important struc-
tures in exchange for their prom-
lses to preserve the buildings.
It is the fast time Olendora has used a
t~td~:.A, ct .a~ment, .and the second time
~t nas ~een used m the east San Gabri-
el Valley. La Verne started the ~'end in Los
Glendora officials also recently doubled
the number of historical sites here by desig-
mating seven properties as landmarks.
The move is drawing praise from unex.
"I think it's great We welcome it," said
John De Lazarro, president of the Glendora
Preservation Foundation. The group re-
mains in a court battle with Glendora over
whether the city illegally tore down a 1910
Crag~man home ~ years ago.
"Maybe this council is more preservation.
minded than the previous one," he said. "ff
they see a need to preserve more of our
heritage, that's great."
The five owners that ent6r~l into a Mills
Act conwact last month saved a total of
$8.000 in property, taxes. Since Glendora's
share is 1 percent of that, it loses $80 in an.
nual property ta~es, said city planner Mi-
chael Yankovich.
Approved for MilLs Act agreements were
the house at 128 W. Bennett Ave. and the
off~ce at 120 W. Bennett Ave. Both used to
belong to Glendora's trust city attorney, Roff
Bidwell.
Other contracts approved were for 330 E.
Foothill Blvd.; 134 N. Pennsylvania Ave.;
and 301 E. Meda Ave. The latter had al. -
ready been named as a historical landmark
At the same time, .the city desigmated'the
following as historical landmarks: · Bidwell home and oflice.
· The Venberg building at 111 N. Glen-
dora' Ave.
· The Bender home and the venerable
oak at 724 N. Rainbow Drive.
· 1010 E. Foothill Blvd.
· 330 E. Foothill Blvd.
· 134 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Glendora relied on a state law that was
rarely used since it was passed in 1976 to
gnucoUrage owners to preserve historic
- utidings in exchange for reducing property
taxes. Participation is voluntary.
Owners used to have to open their homes
for public tours and were tied to 20-year
contracts -- provisions that hampered par-
ticipation. These were deleted in 1~85.
The number of such contracts has deft-
nitely inenmsed, mainly because the word
is getting o.ut~ sai~ ~ Swardey, a pro-
gram asaoc~ate with me non-profit Callfor.
ma Preservation Foundation. To date, 43 cit-
ies have used it.
To be eligible for such a contract, the site
mt:st either be listed on the National Regis-
· ter of Historic Places or on a state, county
or city omelal rL~ister. Properties located in
a Natim.~al Register or local historic district
are al.se viable candidates..
Staff photo by WALT MANCINI
ED AND SUSAN CELAYA will have their property taxes cut by roughly
$1,400 to encourage the preservation of their historic Craftsman home.
The county assessor's office re-assassas
the property taxes. Participants enter into a
10-year contract which includes a yearly in-
spection by the city to make sure the own-
ers are sticking to the agreement.
Ed Celaya said he would have proceeded
with pre,~wving the house at 330 E. Foothill
Blvd. with or without the agreement. The
city considers his home a good example of
the Craftsman style of architecture. Instead
of I~,074, he will now pay $643 in property
'The city's goal really wasn't any differ-
ent than what we wanted," Celaya said.
"We wanted to buy an older home and pre-
serve iL The Mills Act was secondary."
To Mohamad Alameddine, who now
owns the Bidwen home and office, entering
into an agreement with the city seemed like
a good deal -- especially with the tax
break. Starting nex~ year, he will pay $59
rather than $1,049 in property taxes for the
Bidwell off]ce building. For the Bidwell
home, he will pay $643 instead of his cur.
rent property tax of $1,678.