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Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program

An Economic Incentive Program for Historic Properties

On January 6, 2015, the Long Beach City Council approved revisions to the Mills Act to provide more opportunities for eligible historic property owners. The Mills Act is a State program that is administered and implemented by local governments, and offers economic incentives to qualifying owners of historic or designated landmark sites upon agreement to rehabilitate, restore, and protect their property. Under the Mills Act contracts, private owners receive tax relief in exchange for proper maintenance and preservation of the historical and architectural character of the property for a revolving 10-year term.

The Mills Act is especially beneficial for recent buyers of historic sites, or owners who may have recently had a property transfer or tax reassessment. Since going dormant in 2006, review of the City's Mills Act Program and existing contracts has been underway, in accordance with historic preservation standards and specific contract requirements.

Updates

In a proactive effort to minimize the COVID-19 exposure, City Hall is temporarily closed. In-person services such as meetings, staff attending outreach or community meetings, and acceptance of paper applications, and payments are temporarily unavailable. While services have been modified, the City of Long Beach continues to provide services.

Filing Instructions

If you plan to proceed with filing a Mills Act Pre-Application, it will now have to be filed using the steps outlined as follows:

  1. All applications and attachments must be filed by either
    a) mailing it to our office (address information in Guide);
    b) by email to both alejandro.plascencia@longbeach.gov and gina.casillas@longbeach.gov; or,
    c) by sharing via email using Google Drive, Dropbox, or a similar service.

  2. The original signed application must still be mailed to the Planning Bureau office.

  3. The Pre-Application Fee can be paid by mailing a check made payable to the City of Long Beach. Payment by phone can also be done by calling (562) 570-PAID (7243).

  4. If you plan to pay by phone, please notify us in advance by email, so that we can prepare an invoice with invoice number to be used when paying. Currently only Visa or MasterCard are accepted.


Deadline Extended

Due to the cancellation of the Mills Act Workshop #2, the filing deadline will be extended to Friday, April 10, 2020 to allow applicants sufficient time to complete applications.

Upcoming Workshops

Mills Act Workshop #1                                                              
Saturday, February 29, 2020, 10:00 a.m. - noon
Long Beach Energy Resources Auditorium                         
2400 E. Spring St.                                                                     
Long Beach, CA 90806 

Mills Act Workshop #2 Canceled

The Mills Act Application Workshop scheduled for Saturday March 14 will be canceled. For the time being, the Mills Act program will continue and will operate under the same schedule and deadlines noted in the Mills Act Guide. The presentations from Workshop #1 and Workshop #2 are posted here. Please reach out by phone or email to Alejandro Plascencia, Preservation Planner. Applications can be mailed to City Hall or brought in person to City Hall by the March 27 deadline. We apologize for any inconvenience.

 

The Historic Preservation Element of the adopted Long Beach 2030 General Plan Update provides a framework for a comprehensive preservation program, including provisions for the designation of landmarks and historic districts, rehabilitation of historic structures, and incentives for historic preservation.

For questions regarding the Mills Act, please call Alejandro Plascencia at 562-570-6437 or e-mail alejandro.plascencia@longbeach.gov.

Planning Information

(562) 570-6194

lbds@longbeach.gov

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