The City of Upland boasts a rich history that adds to its historic charm. Originally inhabited by the Tongva people, the area later saw development and a booming agricultural community in the 1880s, when the Chaffey brothers, Canadian-born entrepreneurs, acquired large tracts of land in the region and developed irrigation systems that now includes the cities of both Upland and Ontario. Their goal was to form a model colony and the brothers are credited for laying out the 200-foot wide Euclid Avenue that connects Upland to Ontario.   

The Chaffees were succeeded by the Ontario Land and Improvement Company, which purchased the northerly portion of the colony in 1887.  They renamed the area to the “Town of Magnolia”, although it was more popularly known by residents at the time as “North Ontario”.  In 1902, this northerly area withdrew from the Ontario colony and sought to grow as their own city. The area was formerly incorporated as the City of Upland in 1906.

At the time of incorporation, agriculture, particularly Upland’s well-renowned lemon groves, became a foundation of the early local economy.  This early lemon heritage is honored today in the City’s seal and through popular events in the City, such as the Lemon Festival. Today, Upland is a thriving city that balances its rich agricultural heritage with modern suburban development, while preserving its historical landmarks and community spirit.

Additional information on Upland History can be found through through the Upland Public Library and the Cooper Regional History Museum.

In the 1980s, community interest in historic preservation and the potential loss of valuable cultural resources grew in public appeal. Residents within the area founded Upland Heritage (originally known as the Upland Historical Preservation Society) in 1989 to raise awareness of the importance of preserving the City’s cultural and historic heritage.  The City of Upland undertook the creation of a Historic Resources Survey to evaluate the potential of historic resources, categorize the properties that were eligible for historic designation or as a contributing property to a historic district.  The City Council formally adopted the survey in 1991, which served as a precursor to the adoption of the City’s first Historic Preservation Ordinance in 1993.  The ordinance established policies and procedures for the designation, preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and demolition of historic structures in efforts to preserve the City’s cultural and historic heritage.

Today, the City boasts 9 unique locally designated historic districts and maintains a local register of historic and cultural resources with over 580 properties.  Additionally, the City has resources on the National and State of California historic registers, including:

What is a Historic Resource?

A historic resource is a building, site, structure, object, or district that is considered significant in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture, usually meaning it holds important value to a community's past and is eligible for listing on a local, state, or national historic register.

A historic district is a a group of buildings, sites, or other properties that are significant for their historical or architectural value.  This grouping typically contribute to the same historic character and share the same historic period of significance/time period of construction. 

What are the criteria to be eligible for designation as a local historic resource?

The City of Upland's Municipal Code, Section 17.26.100(F) contains 7 criteria that a property or grouping of properties are reviewed under to determine eligibility for addition to the City's local historic register.  Only one criteria must be met.  These include:

1. It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics, valuable to the study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship.

2.  It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of the city.

3.  It is identified with historic persons or with important events in local, state, or national history.

4.  It is representative of the work or product of a notable builder, designer, or architect.

5.  Its unique location or singular physical characteristics represent an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood.

6.  It contributes to the continuity or character of a visually or thematically cohesive street, neighborhood, or area.

7.  It has integrity as a natural or manmade environment that strongly contributes to the well-being of the people of the community.

What are the benefits to being designated as a historic resource?

• Eligibility to participate in the Mills Act program, a property tax incentive that encourages the preservation and rehabilitation of historic properties.
• The ability to utilize the California State Historical Building Code.
• Recognition and distinction, plaques, awards, or other symbols of recognition.
• Flexibility on parking requirements, when projects meet qualifications.
• Preserving the historic character of buildings for future generations.
• Potential for higher property values due a high demand for properties with historic character and the declining supply within Southern California.

The City of Upland has nine designated historic districts, each representing unique historic quality that contributes to the history of the city. 

Exterior modifications, that alter the appearance of a historic resource, requires the submittal and approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness application by the City's Planning Division. A Certificate of Appropriateness is intended to protect structures, improvements, natural features, objects, and areas of architectural, cultural, economic, historic, political, and social importance from any alteration that may negatively affect the resource's historic integrity.  If you're looking at rehabilitating, restoring, modifying, or adding onto your historic home, Planning Division staff can serve as a helpful resource to provide guidance on undertaking projects that follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards on the Treatment of Historic Properties.  The purpose of these standards are to provide guidance to historic building owners and building managers, preservation consultants, architects, contractors, and project reviewers prior to beginning work on the best practices and guidelines for rehabilitating, restoring, preserving, or reconstructing historic properties. 

Alterations to historic resources that are subject to a Certificate of Appropriateness application are required to follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties for Rehabilitation.  These include:

1. A property shall be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.

2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property shall be avoided.

3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.

7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used.

8. Archeological resources shall be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property.

10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

The California Mills Act Program was first enacted in 1972 and allows participating cities and counties the authority to enter into contracts with owners of qualified historic properties who actively participate in the rehabilitation, restoration, preservation, and maintenance of their historic properties. The Mills Act provides property tax relief to owners of historic buildings to offset the costs of historic preservation work. It allows for a reduction in property taxes for owners of designated historic properties, so that those realized property tax savings can be used directly on the restoration, rehabilitation, and maintenance of their historic properties.  Additional information on the Mills Act program can be found here: https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21412

What properties are eligible for the Mills Act? 

To be eligible under the City’s program, the following must apply:

• The property must be located in the City of Upland.
• The property must be privately owned.
• The property cannot be currently exempt from taxation.
• The property must be listed in a Federal, State or City official Register or within a designated Historic District at any level.

When is the deadline to submit an application for the Mills Act?

The City has a deadline of September 30th every year for Mills Act applications. Applications for that calendar year are submitted concurrently as one annual Mills Act Class.  

What does participating in the Mills Act entail?

The Mills Act contract has a minimum term of 10-years.  Applicants that enter into the program complete a 10-year work plan that demonstrates the improvements to the historic building(s) that they will complete during that 10-year program, with the intent that the cost of improvements/work on the plan will match or exceed the estimated amount of tax savings over a 10-year period.  Property owners are required to provide proof that work on the 10-year work plan has been completed, work with staff to revise the work plan in advance if any changes to the work plan or its timing are necessary, and allow for occasional inspection to ensure that the property is meeting its obligations to implement the plan.

What happened after 10 years?

 Each contract that is approved will include a term of ten (10) years. After 10 years, at the end of each year, it will renew automatically and add one year, until the applicant or the City cancel the contract. After 10-years, property owners can be asked to provide an updated plan for repair/rehabilitation, restoration/maintenance.

What type of improvements can be included in the 10-year work plan?

 Improvements on the work plan are those that are intended to prolong the life of the historic structure, which provides a public benefit.  All work will be required to be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines on the Treatment of Historic Buildings. Typical items on a 10-year workplan include, but aren’t limited, to:

• Foundation work (including seismic retrofit)
• Roofs
• Exterior siding repair/maintenance, paint, finishes
• Repair of original historic materials
• Restoration/Rehabilitation on damaged historic materials that are too deteriorated to repair with an “in kind” material
• Porch, patio, balcony repair/restoration/rehabilitation
• Code-required repairs or replacements (such as replacing knob & tube electrical wiring with modern electrical wiring)
• Repairs/restoration/rehabilitation to other documented contributing historic elements unique to the property (e.g. historic rock wall, historic carriage house, etc.)
• Replacement of non-period appropriate materials (such as vinyl windows) with period appropriate materials that are consistent with the architectural style (such as wood framed windows)

 What types of work items are usually NOT eligible for the 10-year work plan?

• Building additions, the construction of new structures (sheds, accessory dwelling units, guest houses, pool houses, etc.)
• Fences, walls, or gates
• The addition of non-period appropriate/modern materials, such as vinyl
• Landscape or drainage improvements
• Interior work such as aesthetic and modernizing improvements (kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom upgrades)
• New interior flooring, paint, wallpaper, countertops, cabinets, fixtures, etc.
• Replacing appliances
• Maintenance costs such as paying a gardener, utility bills, insurance bills, etc.

 What type of tax savings may I see if I enter into a Mills Act contract?

 Property taxes are recalculated using a formula in the Mills Act and State Revenue and Taxation Code.  The Mills Act changes the way property taxes are calculated by creating an alternative assessment method based on the property's potential income, rather than its market value. The tax rate (before and after the Mills Act) is calculated by the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office and not the City of Upland.  The Mills Act can result in significant property tax savings, ranging from 20% to 70%, however, in Upland, we see that the majority fall into the 40-60% range.  The amount of savings varies depending on factors such as property value, net operating income (if applicable), and the specific capitalization rate used in the tax rate calculation. The assessed value of the property under a Mills Act contract is recalculated annually, meaning property taxes may fluctuate slightly each year based on market conditions and changes to the factors used in the calculation. Because Proposition 13 limited the annual increase limit for standard property taxes, limiting the base year value to a maximum increase of 2% annually to account for inflation, or by the California Consumer Price Induct (CPI), the length an has owner the property can affect the amount of savings under the Mills Act.

 The greatest savings under the Mills Act are typically seen by:

• Recent buyers of historic properties  (long-time owners of historic properties may already have much lower taxes because of Prop 13)
• Properties with higher assessed values and/or higher mortgage rates  (because the Mills Act calculates property value using an income approach, which often results in a lower assessed value compared to the market value)

 When would I receive my property tax reduction?

 Mills Act contracts are awarded and recorded by the end of the calendar year.  Tax savings are seen on the following year’s tax bill. For example, if your Mills Act contract is approved in 2025, it would be recorded in December of 2025 and you would see your tax savings on your 2026/2027 tax bill.

 Does submitting an application for the Mills Act guarantee my acceptance into the program?

 No, not necessarily. Your application will be reviewed to confirm that you meet all of the eligibility requirements.  Additionally, your 10-year work plan will be reviewed by City staff to ensure that it is both consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines on the Treatment of Historic Buildings and includes enough work improvements to match the estimated cost savings.  If staff has concerns about your 10-year work plan in either regard, we will request a meeting with you to discuss the plan and will make recommendation on how the plan can meet these requirements, allowing for modifications to be made before the application is reviewed by the City Council.  The City Council will have the final acting authority on approving a Mills Act application.  City staff will guide and work with you throughout the entire process with the intent of assisting you with a successful application.

 Can I meet with the City before I submit an application and get initial feedback or guidance on my 10-year work plan?

 Absolutely.  You may contact Planning Division staff prior to filing the official application and refine or clarify any items regarding your proposed 10-Year Work Plan.  Our staff is available to provide guidance on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines on the Treatment of Historic Buildings. We can also help you confirm that your property is located on a historic register and help guide you in research on your historic property.

What if I want to cancel my Mills Act contract?

Mills Act Contracts may be canceled by the owner, but the owner will still be responsible for following the 10-year work plan until the initial 10-years elapses.  If the 10-year contract is not canceled, it will automatically renew every year for 1-year. To cancel, the owner will need to submit a letter to City Historic Preservation staff, explaining their desire to end the Contract.  When a non-renewal is issued, the tax savings will gradually decrease until they are consistent with the market tax rates. If a property owner decides not to renew their Mills Act Contract after the 10-year period elapses, a written 90-day notice of non-renewal (prior to the anniversary date of the contract execution) must be given to the City. This notice of non-renewal will result in the legal cancellation of the Mills Act Contract. The City of Upland can also provide notice of non-renewal of the contract by giving a property owner a minimum 60-day notice prior to the contact anniversary date. Either party can give notice of non-renewal for any reason. 

What happens if I default on my obligation under the Mills Act?

 City staff work with diligently with property owners to stay in compliance with their Mills Act contracts and to get back into compliance if any items require attention.  However, if a property continues to remain out of compliance after a series of attempts by staff to remedy the situation, State law allows the City to cancel the owner’s Mills Act Contract and fine the owner 12.5% of the fair market value of the property.

 What happens if I sell my Mills Act property?

Mills Act contracts remain with the property.  When a property with a Mills Act Contract is sold, the new owner will automatically assume all the rights and responsibilities of the Mills Act Contract. New owners are encouraged to contact City’s Planning Division staff in order to receive a copy of the Mills Act contract and ask any questions they have about the program. It is important that sellers of Mills Act properties disclose the Mills Act requirements to the new property owners, as well as any unfinished maintenance items from their 10-Year Maintenance Plan, as the new owners will be required to comply with the same requirements of the program.

• Chapter 17.26 of the Upland Municipal Code - Historic Preservation
• Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
• National Park Service Technical Preservation Briefs
• California Office of Historic Preservation - DPR 523 Forms (Microsoft Word)