Affordable Housing and Historic Preservation

Affordable Housing, Appropriate Development, and Historic Preservation

The City's proposed Housing Incentive Overlay Zone (HIOZ) is up for review. It identifies sites for over 35,600 new housing units to meet our required 13,209 units over the next 6 years, and with a few other proposed measures, almost doubles Fullerton housing stock. Fewer than 7,500 of these are required to be affordable, and even in the unlikely event that the City mandates that 20% of the new HIOZ units be affordable (7,122), we will still not meet our affordability goals. No, none of these are typos!

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is a very complex issue and there are many facets. In Fullerton, the two major players addressing this issue are the City of Fullerton and the State of California.

How To Preserve Your Historic Home or Neighborhood

You can seek designation for:

1. Your house or commercial property alone (National Register, Local Landmark, Conservation or Façade Easement) or

2. Another house or commercial property alone (Significant Property [potential local landmark] or Possible Significant Property) or

3. Your neighborhood (Landmark District, Potential Landmark District, Preservation Overlay Zone)

Local Landmark Eligibility http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/landmark.html

Procedures for Establishing a Landmark District / Preservation Overlay Zone

http://www.cityoffullerton.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5471

1. Write a letter from one or more property owners in a neighborhood requesting a reclassification to a residential preservation zone

2. The Director of Development Services will organize a neighborhood meeting to explain preservation zone rules and the public hearing process.

3. After one or more informational meetings are held, a formal petition may be circulated by interested property owners to solicit support. 4. If at least 51% of the property owners of the neighborhood sign the petition, the Development Services Department will initiate a zone amendment to consider the request to reclassify the neighborhood to the particular residential preservation zone.

5. If the rezone process is initiated, a survey will be distributed to all property owners by City staff, followed by public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.

Comparison of the R1 and R1P Zone Classifications http://www.fullertonheritage.org/real_estate/zone_comp.htm

Design Guidelines and Additional Development Standards for Residential Preservation Zones http://www.cityoffullerton.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5475 http://www.cityoffullerton.com/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=5472

Misc. Historic Preservation information for Fullerton http://www.cityoffullerton.com/depts/dev_serv/preservation_information/default.asp

Conservation or Façade Easements A conservation or façade easement is a voluntary restriction on the use of your real property that, generally, prevents future real estate development and some potential commercial uses. Since every landowner and every piece of land is unique, a conservation easement is drafted specifically for your property and will vary depending on your current use of the property and your conservation vision for the future. It is executed by means of a recorded deed restriction and an agreement with an entity which will monitor and enforce the easement. In exchange for placing an easement on your land you may be eligible for federal tax benefits. The easement must run with the land in perpetuity and be for conservation purposes, such as to preserve land for open space, outdoor recreation or education of the general public, protect natural habitats for wildlife, or to preserve historic land and structures. For easement resources, call or text 714.729-3019 or e-mail Together@SaveFullerton.com