Planning Commission approves tax breaks for historic homes

The Planning Commission unanimously approved two historic La Cañada Flintridge properties — 2102 Cross Street and 758 Flintridge Ave. — for Mills Act contracts on Tuesday night. If approved by the City Council at its Dec. 15 meeting, the total of Mills Act designated properties in the city will increase to 12, according to Planning Department staff.

“In both cases, they were fine examples of types of homes that we want to keep in La Cañada Flintridge and we’re really excited that both owners came forward and want to preserve them,” said Planning Commission member Rick Gunter. “They don’t look like mansions. They’re small, nice, [and] representative of how people actually live.”

The Mills Act is a state incentives program designed to encourage the restoration and preservation of historic, privately owned properties. Assuming they are approved by the council, both properties will be added to the city’s official register of historic homes.

The 1,100-square-foot craftsman style Cross Street home, also known as the Hirschi House and Poultry Farm, was built in 1914 for Alfred and Marie Hirschi. The original architect or designer is unknown, according to the Planning Department. The couple owned the home until 1962, and there have been multiple owners since.

The approximately 3,094-square-foot midcentury modern house at 758 Flintridge Ave. was constructed in 1948 for Frank Thomas and his family, according to the staff report. Thomas was one of the original animators for the Walt Disney Co. who later came to be referred to in animation circles as the “Nine Old Men.” The house was designed by architect Theodore Criley Jr., and built by contractor Ray Gerhart. The home is also included on the state and National Register of Historic Places.

The city has recently been working on developing a historic preservation ordinance to identify historical sites in town. It had been offering a deduction in property taxes for such homes up to a collective $10,000 annually. That was recently expanded to an annual $20,000 to keep new applicants from being denied. In order to qualify for a Mills Act contract, the property owner must make qualifying improvements and perform maintenance on the structure, according to the Planning Department.

When the city began accepting Mills Act applications for Fiscal Year 2013-14 tax breaks, it instituted the cumulative cap. More than 40 additional properties not on the list are potentially historic enough to qualify for the tax reduction in the city, according to city staffer Harriet Harris.

There are five criteria the city lists for qualification — including the property’s association with an historically significant person or event, its being representative of a notable builder, designer or architect and its contribution to the significance of a historical area. The applicant property owner must satisfy one of those five criteria to be awarded a contract.

For 2102 Cross St., the city states the property tax reduction to the city would range from $471 to $482. Proposed refurbishments include preserving exceptional exterior features of the craftsman-style structure, retrofits that are necessary and system upgrades.

For 758 Flintridge Ave., the property tax reduction to the city would range from $195 to $206. The site met several of the requirements for a Mills Act designation and was deemed by the Planning Department an important example of post-war modernism with many features of its time still evident.

“It’s great for the city to preserve this history,” Robert Stanley, director of community development, said of the designation process.

Matt Sanderson is a contributing writer.