City Opens Up 2023 Applications for Historic Property Designation

The City of Pasadena has released the 2023 Historic Property Contract guidelines and application form, offering incentives for the preservation of historic buildings in the city. The program is aimed at promoting the rehabilitation and protection of these significant structures.

Jennifer Paige, Acting Director of Planning and Community Development, said that the program operates on an annual cycle with applications being accepted early in the year and approved contracts recorded with the County Recorder at the end of each year.

A maximum of 20 new single-family residential applications and six non-single-family residential applications are approved by staff each year, she said.

Owners of designated historic properties that meet the qualifications outlined in the application guidelines can submit their applications until Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Properties that are eligible but undesignated can also apply for historical designation and if approved by the City Council, may receive a Mills Act contract by the end of the year.

The Historic Property Contract program was established by the City Council in October 2002, under the State Mills Act regulations, offering property owners a reduction in property taxes as a financial incentive while preserving a significant historic resource and promoting investment in rehabilitation housing.

For questions regarding the program, residents may contact Stephanie Cisneros, Senior Planner and program manager, at 626-744-7219 or scisneros@cityofuasadena.net. The 2023 Historic Property Contract guidelines and application can be found on the City’s website, www.cityofpasadena.net/millsact.