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Council asks staff to draft a process for removing local historic designations after Mills Act closure
Summary
After the council ended Belvedere's Mills Act program, staff received an inquiry about removing a local historic designation. Council directed staff to research other municipal policies and prepare a removal process, with Councilmember Burke to work with staff on next steps.
Council members spent extended time Aug. 11 weighing how to handle requests from property owners who want to remove a local historic designation now that Belvedere has discontinued its Mills Act program.
George Ganas, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, urged caution: "Someone who has enjoyed the benefits of property taxes through a number of years and is now finished with that benefit should not really have the ability to terminate their agreement," he said, arguing historic designation was adopted in many cases to preserve buildings "in perpetuity."
Others argued for a balanced, documented process. One council member noted some owners sought designation because of the Mills Act tax advantage and that the city should avoid creating unnecessary administrative burdens for a small number of requests. Staff recommended several alternatives: adopt an ordinance authorizing removal on application, establish a ministerial removal process, proactively survey historic owners for interest in removal, or hire a consultant for a holistic preservation policy. The council asked staff to survey other cities' practices and develop a proposed, narrowly tailored removal procedure; Councilmember Burke volunteered to work with staff on next steps.
