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San Diego County, CA November 2, 2004 Election
Smart Voter

INVOLUNTARY HISTORIC DESIGNATION

By Michael Winn

Candidate for Council Member; City of Del Mar

This information is provided by the candidate
The incumbents made a decision that reduces the value of some Del Mar homes by 35% to 50%. On two occasions, (4/12 and 5/12), the council was asked to make historic designation voluntary. The refused to do this. The incumbents know the city does not have the resources to compensate owners for the loss in value--to make them whole. They've already cost one home owner $75,000 for a pointless EIR which they ultimately certified after seven months and much staff time and aggravation for the resident
Preserving historic value is a fine idea, but the incumbents are using it to manipulate the emotions of susceptible people with romantic notions in an election year. Only this explains the kind of thinking that suggests, as the incumbents have, that "The Mills Act offers some possibilities" to compensate owners of designated propertyies when the Mills Act only offers property tax relief, and authorizes a city to use public funds to compensate for restoration to standards of the US Department of the Interior, while the loss of value on a $2 million property could be as high as $1 million, according to studies. The Mills Act does not compensate for loss of value and it is misleading to suggest otherwise.

Incumbents have also suggested a Floor Area Ratio enhancement for an owner who wishes to designate, which makes things even more difficult, and to make up a million dollars of value, the floor area bonus would seem to be substantial. On one hand, the city wants to preserve scale and inhibit "mansionization", now they are suggesting that the city give who? planning staff? DRB? the discretion to negotiate an expansion of FAR?

VOTE FOR NO INVOLUNTARY HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

VOTE FOR MICHAEL WINN.

For more information, please see my campaign website: http://www.Winnfordelmar.com

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ca/sd Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 13, 2004 22:40
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