[MassHistPres] TAX INCENTIVES: question for list serv

[Garrett Laws]

Ralph,

Do you have details on the nuts and bolts of Springfield’s program? Maybe a
link for people to look at?

Garrett Laws

On Friday, July 30, 2021, Ralph Slate <slater at alum.rpi.edu> wrote:

> Victoria, British Columbia, has an interesting program called the Heritage
> Houses program:
>
> https://victoriaheritagefoundation.ca/Misc/heritagehouses.html
>
> The organization, which is non-profit, but municipally funded, gives
> matching grants to homeowners who have accepted Heritage designation for
> their houses. The grants are for exterior work - including painting. In
> 2020, it was a 50% match. The total amount awarded per year is $150-200k.
>
> Springfield created a similar prototype program using CPA funds,
> administered via the city, for houses in one of our historic districts. We
> structured the program as a funding match on a sliding scale based on the
> homeowner's income levels. We use a formula that is straight line ranging
> from a 5% match if someone is at or below 60% of area median family income,
> to 0% match if someone is at or above 100% of area median family income.
> The grants are limited to painting or window repair/storm windows.
>
> If you're a single person making 100% of *area* median income (which, at
> $57,190, would be higher than the *city of Springfield's* median income),
> then via the formula, you would receive 68% reimbursement on the cost of
> your work.
>
> I felt that it was important to structure this as a matching reimbursement
> program because to me, it represents the "premium" that people wind up
> paying for living in a historic district - paint instead of vinyl siding,
> window repair/storms instead of cheap white vinyl replacements.
>
> The CPA grant to the city was done in 2020, the city awarded the homeowner
> grants a month or two ago, so I don't have any data on how the program is
> progressing. The city did the awards via lottery. The total amount given to
> the city from CPA was, I think, around $200k.
>
> The city did not put in a CPA request for additional funding for the
> program for 2021, they were concerned that the program was too hard for the
> existing employees to administer.
>
>
> Ralph Slate
> Springfield, MA
>
> On 7/30/2021 3:02 PM, Alicia Primer wrote:
>
> Hello
> The Town of Weston Planning Board is investigating ways to incentivize
> historic preservation as a way to diversify our housing stock. Our focus
> was initially on saving the few remaining estates in town by creation of a *voluntary
> *Historic Heritage Overlay Designation, which would allow for greater
> density and possible subdivision of large homes into smaller units (with
> design guidelines), using the Town's existing Flexible Subdivision by-law
> as a base. In our talks with homeowners, it seems however that tax relief
> is at the top of everyone's wish list.
>
> Have other towns been able to give tax breaks for preservation of historic
> buildings? Our tax assessor doesn't consider that even houses with
> Preservation Deed Restrictions qualify for any tax reduction. Any examples
> to bolster our cause will be appreciated.
>
> ALICIA PRIMER
> Weston Planning Board, chair
> consultant to Weston Historical Commission
>
> Weston: 781-899-5597
> Groton Long Point: 860-536-0035
> cell: 781-771-9510
>
> “The greenest building is the one already built.” Carl Elefante
>
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-- 

Many Thanks,
Garrett Laws

www.copperandslate.net
The Copper & Slate Company, Inc.
Fine Roofing and Historic Carpentry
238 Calvary Street,
Waltham, MA 02453
(781) 893-1916

*LEAD FREE SINCE 2008*
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