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HRCA No. 2024-06, HRC No. 2024-04, HPPA No. 2024-09 – Smith House (2539 French <br />Street) <br />September 5, 2024 <br />Page 3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />0 <br />7 <br />west façade, adjacent to a short wing. There, the solid wood door is accompanied by a <br />single sidelight with a ribbed pane and sheltered by a porch roof with a wood post and <br />wood railing system with an offset grid design. To the left of the porch, a tripartite focal <br />window consists of a multi-pane fixed wood-sash window, flanked by a pair of double- <br />hung wood-sash windows of similar style. Overall, the series of broad rectangular panes <br />provides a horizontal emphasis to the façade, suggestive of the influence of architectural <br />Modernism. Windows elsewhere on the residence feature double-hung wood sashes of <br />various sizes. There are two entrances at the rear, one facing east, the other facing south <br />from the rear wing. Each is accessed by straight concrete steps leading to glazed wood <br />doors of varied design. The residence has been reroofed and outfitted with rooftop solar <br />panels but generally retains integrity to its historical construction. <br />The detached garage, located southeast of the residence, was constructed in a style <br />similar to the residence. It has a rectangular plan, hipped roof with asphalt shingles and <br />closed eaves, and stucco siding. A non-original metal roll-up garage door is located on <br />the main (west) façade, opening toward a concrete-paved driveway leading to French <br />Street. A wood-panel door and double-hung wood-sash window are located on the <br />secondary west façade. <br />Character-defining features of the Smith House include, but may not be limited to: <br />compact, irregular plan; asymmetrical primary (west) façade; moderately-pitched cross- <br />hipped roof; moderately wide roof overhang with boxed eaves; stucco siding with <br />moderate texture throughout; brick external chimney; wood-frame multi-pane double- <br />hung wood-sash windows; tripartite wood-sash focal window with horizontal emphasis, <br />porch rail with offset grid design, and front door with accompanying sidelight with ribbed <br />pane. The Smith House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical <br />Properties under Criterion 1 as an intact example of a Minimal Traditional-style home in <br />Santa Ana. Located in Park Santiago, the house cost $12,000 to build in 1952. The <br />recommended categorization is “contributive” because it is a good example of the Minimal <br />Traditional style and contributes to the history and character of the neighborhood. <br />Mills Act Agreement <br />Ordinance No. NS-2382 authorized the Historic Resources Commission to execute <br />Historic Property Preservation Agreements (HPPA), commonly known as Mills Act <br />agreements for eligible properties (Exhibit 2). To be eligible for the Mills Act, the property <br />must be listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. The Historic Resources <br />Commission Application and Historic Register Categorization actions proposed for this <br />site authorize the listing of the property on the local register. The agreement provides <br />monetary incentives to the property owner in the form of a property tax reduction in <br />exchange for the owner’s voluntary commitment to maintain the property in a good state <br />of repair as necessary to maintain its character and appearance. Once recorded, the <br />agreement generates a different valuation method in determining the property’s assessed <br />  <br />    <br />