Commission probes Mills Act enrollment barriers as application costs block participation

Carlsbad staff and commissioners discussed obstacles to participation in the city's Mills Act program on July 8, focusing on application and historical-assessment costs and possible steps to boost enrollment.

Mr. Strong, the staff presenter, said the Mills Act program was adopted by City Council in November 2022 but that no properties have yet enrolled because two early applicants withdrew over costs. "The current fee for processing a Mills Act application and a local register request, I believe is about $7,000," Mr. Strong said, adding that grouping concurrent applications can reduce per-case fees to "a little under $5,000." He described that staff had prepared historical assessment reports in the first year to help launch the program, but some owners still withdrew because of expenses tied to demonstrating eligibility and mitigating alterations.

Commissioners suggested several interventions to increase applications: improving online information and guidance, offering pre-application consultations at no charge so owners can assess likelihood of qualification before paying assessment costs, studying other cities' practices, and considering a temporary launch period of reduced or waived fees. Commissioner Schreiber proposed marketing the program alongside other incentives to increase interest.

Staff noted about 17 properties were previously identified as core historic resources and said an inventory lists roughly 137 candidate heritage trees; commissioners discussed whether city-owned heritage trees would be eligible and how parks staff would coordinate nominations.

No formal action was taken; staff will explore pre-application options, research other jurisdictions' approaches, and include Mills Act considerations in forthcoming recommendations to City Council.