Historical landmark owners might be more eager to put their properties on the city's registry thanks to lower permit fees to remodel or alter such structures and a 50 percent reduction in the registry application fee.
The Morgan Hill Community Development Department is cutting in half the fee owners of historical properties pay to place their landmarks on the city's registry. The original fee of $4,078 will be reduced to $2,039.
The changes, approved by the Morgan Hill City Council July 16, also include reduced permit fees and added incentives for being on the registry, said city planner Rebecca Tolentino.
The historical resources code dictates how a home designated as historically significant will be kept up.
The update comes on the heels of a June council decision to approve the historical designation of six properties, including the Granada Theater sign. The George Edes home, which was recommended for designation by city staff and the Morgan Hill Planning Commission, has been left in the potentially significant category, leaving it out of the historical resources list. Owner Mary Wright had qualms about the code's details, including numerous stipulations about features ranging from landscaping to light fixtures.
Tolentino said homeowners generally bristle at the idea of paying application and permit fees for alterations made to their historic properties. The standard $4,078 alteration application fee has been changed. There are now two options for owners of a historical property: a $100 permit fee for minor alterations, a reduction of more than 90 percent from the previous price. For major alterations, an initial $500 deposit will be charged. The deposit will go toward a fee based on time and materials spent on the application. Depending on the project's duration, homeowners might get an estimate on how much the total application fee will be, Tolentino said. Tolentino wasn't sure what the highest application fee amount would be.
The changes are aimed to benefit the roughly 150 residents who own historical properties, including 13 on the local registry, the six properties determined to be historically significant by the council in June and another 125 or so potentially historically significant homes that the city has not made an official determination of yet.
Some of the homes are more than 100 years old such as the George Edes house on First Street, which was built in 1899.
Tolentino said another incentive added is that historic property homeowners could use their landmarks as businesses even while being located in a residential area thanks to new zoning changes. The application would go before the planning commission and then council for approval.
The city also agreed to uphold the Mills Act, a state law granting property tax relief to owners of historical structures.
The updates also include a section that details the process for determining whether a demolition or relocation permit is required.
Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
Although the Morgan Hill Times does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Morgan Hill Times reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Morgan Hill Times in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Morgan Hill Times also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
