Rancho Palos Verdes resident Mark Morgan is looking to create a historic preservation ordinance that would protect as many as 262 tract homes that were designed in the late 1950s by noted African-American architect Paul R. Williams, reports the Daily Breeze, a move that would allow the homeowners to take advantage of the Mills Act. While the suggestion has the backing of the LA Conservancy, the City Council doesn't sound particularly enthusiastic about the proposal, which, of course, would mean "less revenue for the city, school district and state" because of the property taxes issue. Via the paper: "I don't believe the Mills Act was based upon noted architects designing tract homes," Mayor Larry Clark said at Tuesday's council meeting. "I'm not going to go there." Now, before everyone starts bashing the not-caring-about-famous-architect-Williams-crew, according to city documents, William designed "the majority of the homes in the Seaview community," not all of them. So is it really about the taxes? Or is more about what a major pain if one of those homeowners wanted to add a garage and couldn't because of the protection status? [Daily Breeze]
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