Questions About Historic Districts

The proposed historic district covers 579 properties, mostly single-family homes, along and to the north and west of the Talmadge Gates, which follow Monroe Avenue between 44th and 49th, and north along 49th to the traffic circle (Adams Avenue). Most of the 579 parcels have houses that would be classified as contributing to the historic district.

The proposed district encompasses Subdivision Maps 1900 (Talmadge Park Unit 3) and 2304 (Talmadge Park Estates). These two maps also define Zone 2 of the Talmadge Maintenance Assessment District.

The unique style and character of your neighborhood would be protected, which helps maintain and increase property values, and motivates people to take care of their homes. Everyone must adhere to the same standards, which helps prevent unattractive and inappropriate alterations.

New owners attracted to a designated historical area typically fix up dilapidated homes, increasing surrounding property values. According to the County Assessor and most real estate professionals, home values either remain stable or improve. A study in South Carolina showed that a historical district designation increased the property values up to 30 percent.

Yes. You currently have to obtain a permit before doing major alterations to the exterior of your
home, such as building an addition or second story, stuccoing over wood siding, removing
original porches, or removing wood windows and replacing them with aluminum or vinyl ones.
The differences if you are in a Historical District are that:
a) the proposed changes would have to be compatible (but not identical) with the style or
character of your home, and
b) there would be a project review by the City to check that the plans meet the U. S.
Secretary of the Interior Standards, in addition to a typical building permit review.

They are locally-administered, flexible, common-sense guidelines that suggest options for rehabilitation of historic buildings. The guidelines do not prohibit changes, but they do assure that any proposed changes or additions are compatible with the historic character of the building. They require additions to be distinguishable as clearly new so that the proposed change is not confused with the original historic structure. Under the guidelines, this distinction can be subtle or distinct. Once a historical district is established, all development and redevelopment, including additions, modifications, new construction, relocations and demolitions (including development of vacant parcels and redevelopment of non-contributing resources) would be subject to the Standards. These Standards can be found on the National Park Service website at www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/standards_guidelines.htm

No.

Yes. Historical District status has no effect on the interior of your house. You would have to obtain the same permits as you do now (if any) for electrical, plumbing, or structural changes.

Yes. The historical designation typically does not include your yard.

A contributing property has the architectural style and is the appropriate age such that it falls within the “historical context” (reasons why the area is important historically) and “period of significance” (time frame) for the district. The property must also retain sufficient integrity to convey its significance as part of the district (that is, not be deteriorated or altered beyond recognition).

A non-contributing property generally is a different architectural style or too new, has been altered too much and could not be restored, or is vacant. Non-contributing properties in a historical district are not eligible for the Mills Act.

The Mills Act is a statewide law that reduces property taxes on historically designated structures by as much as 75 percent, based on a state formula. A structure must be designated as “individually significant” (important historically by itself) or be a “contributing” structure in a designated historical district to qualify for the Mills Act. Owners of qualifying structures can apply for the Mills Act Agreement, which is a 10-year contract with the City. Under this contract, the owner agrees to maintain the regulated characteristics of the structure (for example, the home exterior) in accordance with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Standards. The benefit of reduced property taxes goes with the property if it is sold, so the new owner does not have to re-apply. Properties that have not been sold since 1978 may not benefit from the Mills Act, because of Prop 13. But the reduction in property taxes for recently acquired homes may be substantial, and this is an attractive selling point. Proving a structure is individually significant can be a long and difficult process. But once an area is a designated historical district, contributing structures within the district qualify for Mills Act much more easily.

Yes, but if you intend to apply for the Mills Act, the solar panels need to be unobtrusive. In particular. the panels cannot be placed on the roof facing the front of the house.

Note that the savings on your property taxes due to the Mills Act can be comparable to the savings on your electric bill due to solar panels, so even if you lose a little bit of efficiency in your solar panels by placing them on the backside of your roof, the Mills Act savings will likely more than make up the difference.

We have identified the proposed boundaries of the district, and have collected basic data on each of the properties therein. The next steps are:
a) Document when each property was built. The MLS records only provide approximate dates, so the accurate determination requires reviewing Lot and Block books, phone books, and other historic artifacts.
b) Assess contributor status of each property. This is based on the property being within the period of significance for the district (1927 to 1960) AND not having undergone significant alterations since its initial construction.