Item 13 - Historic Property Preservation Agreements

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HRCA No. 2025-08, HRC No. 2025-10, HPPA No. 2025-10— The Hector Godinez House (433 W. Santa Clara Avenue) September 23, 2025 Page 4 three of the entrances are wood -frame French doors with sidelites. The entrances sit on either side of a large exterior brick chimney and vinyl -frame horizontal sliding sash windows (Figure 8). Another set of wood -frame French doors and a single wood -frame door are located on the west fagade facing a concrete path leading to the backyard. At the rear of the property adjacent to the swimming pool is a pool house structure sitting on a brick foundation and capped with a front -gabled roof clad in barrel tile cladding. The wood frame structure of the roof is exposed atop stucco and brick clad walls which are open to the pool with a couch. Landscaping on the property consists of a lawn north and south of the residence, palms and ornamental plants, and mature trees at the back yard. Four large brick -clad columns line the front yard along the sidewalk and West Santa Clara Avenue. Character -defining features of the Hector Godinez house that should be preserved are those constructed within the period of significance of 1974-1979 and which generally reflect the property's Spanish Colonial Revival style. They include, but are not limited to, its L plan, cross -gabled roof, clay -barrel -tile roof cladding, stucco exterior, east-fagade arcade with exposed wood beams, and original wood -sash sliding windows. The Hector Godinez House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Key Category Criterion 4(b) for its association with Hector G. Godinez, activist and community leader in Santa Ana and Southern California. The established period of significance begins in 1974, when he constructed the residence, and concludes in 1979, when he was part of the Santa Ana Healthcare Authority and District Manager for the United States Postal Service in Southern California. Mills Act Agreement Ordinance No. NS-2382 authorized the Historic Resources Commission to execute Historic Property Preservation Agreements (HPPA), commonly known as Mills Act agreements for eligible properties (Exhibit 2). To be eligible for the Mills Act, the property must be listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. The Historic Resources Commission Application and Historic Register Categorization actions proposed for this site authorize the listing of the property on the local register. The agreement provides monetary incentives to the property owner in the form of a property tax reduction in exchange for the owner's voluntary commitment to maintain the property in a good state of repair as necessary to maintain its character and appearance. Once recorded, the agreement generates a different valuation method in determining the property's assessed value, resulting in tax savings for the owner. Aside from the tax savings, the benefits include: • Long term preservation of the property and visual improvement to the neighborhood • A mechanism to provide for property rehabilitation • Incentives for potential buyers to purchase historic structures