Couple maintains one of Burbank’s historic homes

Last summer, a few months before his September wedding, Burbank native Robert De Leon thought he’d found the perfect home for his future family — a one-story English Tudor Revival-style house on Magnolia Boulevard.

It was a little too close to the wedding and he was sure his then-fiance would kill him for the added stress, he said, but they drove by and fell in love with its character and curb appeal. There was one problem, his offer of $620,000 on the two-bedroom, one-bath home fell below three others.

De Leon said he thinks the “big headache” that came with the home caused the other potential buyers — mostly investors, he said — to withdraw their offers. The home, built in 1927, is one of Burbank’s historic resources, and what some might consider a headache is the requirement to maintain its historic character and added layers of review for proposed work or modifications.

“I actually benefit from all these layers,” De Leon said. “It worked to my benefit, this time.”

To offset some of the hassle and expense of helping preserve the character of the eight designated historic homes in Burbank, owners can apply for a 10-year contract that gives them property tax relief under the Mills Act to encourage maintenance work and upkeep.

The De Leon’s home was designated a historic resource about five years ago. It had been commissioned and paid for nearly 90 years ago by Ruth Roland, one of the queens of the early movie serials, according to her biography on the Internet Movie Database. Roland died in 1937, but a cement vault in the backyard held reels of her old films until 1980, when her family cracked it open and donated the collection to the UCLA Film Archives.

Just shy of a year since the day the De Leons purchased it, the Burbank City Council this week unanimously approved their Mills Act contract, which calls for an estimated $130,000 worth of work — roughly $16,325 a year — from 2014 to 2021, in return for about $6,900 annually in property tax relief, $1,150 of which is the portion the city will lose in revenue.

Some members joked that they’d like to be invited over for dinner, but they also asked staff to periodically provide updates on the progress the De Leons and homeowners of two other properties with active Mills Act contracts are making on their proposed work plans. The council also asked the De Leon’s to prioritize structural repairs over cosmetic work.

The De Leons said they have already completed several projects inside the home, including installation of new oak flooring of the same design as the original hardwood, which water-damaged and had been hidden under what Erika De Leon called “really old, nasty, crumby carpeting.” They also restored the bathroom and installed a cast iron tub consistent with the period it was built.

Her husband said a homeowner might spend tens of thousands of dollars in repairs over a decade, but with a historic home that wasn’t in great condition to begin with, those costs increase. He estimated that keeping the original style of flooring increased the costs 50% above modern alternatives.

He’s willing to pay a little more and undergo the added scrutiny, including reviews by the city’s Heritage Commission for any proposed additions or remodels, he said, because he’s not like a developer or investor looking to build a “McMansion.” He wants to preserve the home and hopes to pass it on to his children, he said, and he hopes to restore the old film vault.

He’s been passionate about the home since they first saw it, his wife said. Erika De Leon said she thinks that as a young family they’re up for the challenge of maintaining it.

“We want to revitalize this property,” she said. “I see ourselves staying here for quite some time — if not forever.”