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DRAFT 4 During the time that the reduced fee waiver was in effect (2014-2017) the City saw a noticeable increase in historic applications received, as can be seen in the Attachment 1. The line graph provided highlights the steep decrease in applications received once the waiver and fee reduced expired. Therefore, the HRC is making the recommendations to facilitate and encourage property owners to place their properties on the local register, thereby spurring historic preservation efforts. HRC Recommendation(s): Reduce the historic application fees for (1) placing properties on the register of historical properties (i.e., self-nomination); and (2) processing historic property preservation agreements (i.e., mills act). The HRC recommends that the fees should be from $200-$500 for self-nominations to the historic register and no more than $2,000 for a Mills Act application. In addition, the HRC discussed the following alternatives be implemented to determining appropriate fees: a. Establishing historic fees that are less for self-nomination than for mills act; and b. Introducing a sliding scale for historic application fees (e.g., location of structures within the City). Required Tasks, Approvals, and Resources: The proposed recommendations to permanently reduce the historic application fees for the mills act and historic registration would require review and approval by the City Council of a resolution amending the City’s miscellaneous fee schedule. A process would have to be established in order to determine the metrics to be used for the recommended sliding scale. In addition, an impact analysis would be needed to determine the short- and long-term effects of the reducing the fees. Additional analysis may provide insight as to the impact on revenue to the City. For example, while the exact savings is dependent on a number of factors, many property owners realize as much as a 50% savings on their property tax bill through the mills act application. As a result, the City sees a loss of property tax dollars annually. The analysis may take into account local economic growth through invigorated historic preservation efforts, and cultural and aesthetic benefits that may have a positive impact on property values, both in residential and commercial. HISTORICALLY SENSITIVE AREAS AND HISTORIC RESOURCES PROTECTION AND ENFORCEMENT Issue 5: As previously discussed, the HRC has expressed the concern for demolition or alteration of structures that have not been designated historic or surveyed, but that are over 50 years old and located within neighborhoods of potential historical significance. These five neighborhoods have been informally referred to as Historically Sensitive Areas (HSA) and include Eastside, Floral Park, Park Santiago, Washington Square and Heninger Park. Historically, there’s been an increased sensitivity regarding additions and exterior alterations to properties within these neighborhoods due to their potential significance. The process of reviewing projects (e.g., new additions, exterior alterations, construction alterations, etc.) for historic appropriateness and context within these areas has been largely informal in nature as none of the areas have been formally designated as historic districts either