Why don all the cities in California have the Mills Act?
Because each municipality must adopt the Mills Act, each local city government must make a decision to offer this preservation tool. Some cities do not embrace historic preservation as a revitalization tool; they wipe away old buildings and neighborhoods and encourage only new development. Wise city councils realize you need the old with the new (you need to have a “past” in order to see the “future”) and that historic preservation brings cultural tourism and local reinvestment. By offering the Mills Act, your city would be saying that historic preservation is good for the city and good for the building owner. The revitalization of neighborhoods is contagious. Once unappealing and “remuddled” buildings have undergone positive restorations in the cities in San Diego County that have the Mills Act.
