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HRCA No. 2016 -01, HRC No. 2016 -01 <br />HPPA No, 2016 -03 <br />July 7, 2016 <br />Page 2 <br />property any building or part thereof, object, structure, or site having importance to the history or <br />architecture of the city in accordance with the criteria set forth in Section 30 -2 of the Santa Ana <br />Municipal Code (SAMC). This project entails applying the selection criteria established in <br />Chapter 30 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code (Places of Historical and Architectural Significance) to <br />determine if this structure is eligible for historic designation to the Santa Ana Register of Historical <br />Properties. The first criterion for selection requires that the structures be 50 or more years old, and <br />the structure meets the minimum selection criteria for inclusion on the Santa Ana Register of <br />Historical Properties pursuant to criteria contained in Section 30 -2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code. <br />No known code violations exist on record for this property. <br />The property, recognized as the Dr. Ashmore House, has architectural features of the Spanish Colonial <br />Revival style, and was built in 1927 by Dr. Frank Ashmore, a noted physician and surgeon in the Santa <br />Ana community. Character defining features of the Dr. Ashmore House that should be preserved <br />include, but may not be limited to: materials and finishes (stucco); roof configuration, materials, and <br />treatment; massing and composition; entry; original front door and windows (Exhibit 2). It is <br />recommended that the house be designated to the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties and <br />categorized as "Key" because it of its association with Dr. Frank Ashmore. <br />As the site currently exists, the existing single family dwelling and ancillary building are constructed on <br />two separate legal parcels under the same ownership. As a condition of approval, a lot merger will be <br />required to create a single legal lot prior to recordation of the Mills Act Agreement. <br />Mills Act Agreement <br />Ordinance No. NS -2382 authorized the Historic Resources Commission to execute Historic Property <br />Preservation Agreements (HPPA), commonly known as Mills Act agreements for eligible properties <br />(Exhibit 3). To be eligible for the Mills Act, the property must be listed on the Santa Ana Register of <br />Historical Properties. The Historic Resources Commission Application and Historic Register <br />Categorization actions proposed for this site authorize the listing of the property on the local register. <br />The agreement provides monetary incentive to the property owner in the form of a property tax <br />reduction in 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 agreement <br />generates a different valuation method in determining the property's assessed value, resulting in tax <br />savings for the owner. Aside from the tax savings, the benefits include: <br />• Long term preservation of the property and visual improvement to the neighborhood <br />• Allows for a mechanism to provide for property rehabilitation <br />• Provides additional incentive for potential buyers to purchase historic structures <br />• Discourages inappropriate alternations to the property <br />251 -4 <br />