Planning and Building Agency
Item # 12
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Historic Resources Commission Staff Report
July 9, 2025
Topic: HPPA No. 2025-05 – The Borchard House (1617 E. Fourth Street)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute a Historic Property Preservation Agreement (Mills Act) with Vincent F. Sarmiento and Eva Casas-Sarmiento, for the property located at 1617 E. Fourth Street, subject to non- substantive changes approved by the City Manager and City Attorney (Exhibit 1).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Vincent F. Sarmiento and Eva Casas -Sarmiento are re questing approval to execute a Mills Act Agreement with the City of Santa Ana at an existing residence located at 1617 E. Fourth Street that is currently listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties and is categorized as Landmark.
DISCUSSION
Project Location and Site Description
The subject property, known as the Borchard House, consists of an existing two-story Spanish Colonial Revival-style residence and secondary building that are a combined 4,606 square feet in size located on a 26,500-square-foot residential lot. The Borchard House was added to the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties (“Register”) in 2004 and categorized as “ Landmark,” as recorded in Historical Resources Commission meeting minutes dated March 4, 2004 and pertaining to Historic Resources Commission Application No. 2003-02 and Historic Register Categorization No. 2003-02 (Exhibit 4).
Analysis of the Issues
Ordinance No. NS -2382 authorized the Historic Resources Commission to execute Historic Property Preservation Agreements (HPPA), commonly known as Mills Act agreements, for eligible properties. The property is listed on the Register and categorized as Key, making it eligible for a Mills Act Agreement. The agreement provides monetary incentives to the property owner in the form of a property tax reduction in exchange for
HPPA No. 2025-05 – The Borchard House (1617 E. Fourth Street) July 9, 2025
the owner’s voluntary commitment to maintain the property in a good state of repair as necessary to maintain its character and appearance. Once recorded, the agreement generates a different valuation method in determining the property’s assessed value, resulting in tax savings for the owner. Aside from the tax savings, the benefits include:
• Long term preservation of the property and visual improvement to the neighborhood • Allows for a mechanism to provide for property rehabilitation • Provides additional incentive for potential buyers to purchase historic structures • Discourages inappropriate alterations to the property
In 2004, the Historic Resources Commission placed the Borchard House on the Register and wit hin the “ Landmark” category as the work of renowned Santa Ana Architect Frederick Eley and for its unique architectural quality as a highly intact and finely detailed example of Eley’s interpretation of the Spanish Colonial Revival style applied to a large residential commission. All original exterior features of the Borchard House are character- defining and should be preserved including, but not be limited to: materials and finishes; roof configuration, materials, and detailing; massing; entry configuration and detailing; porte cochere; windows, doors, and balconies; architectural details such as columns; corbels, archivolt, and wrought ironwork; garage/guest house; and original landscape features such as the pergola, driveway, palm trees and other mature trees.
In 2004, building permits were issued for the repair of fire- damaged rafters, joists, and tiles. No other exterior alterations were documented in City building permits or observed during the site inspection conducted in 2025.
Additionally, during the 2025 site visit, Planning Division staff noted cracked paving at the front and rear walkways, porch steps, porch floor, porch alcove walls, and stucco siding at several locations. In addition, peeling, cracked, blistered, and/or discolored paint was observed in several locations, including the exterior walls, fascia, and window frames and sashes of the primary and secondary buildings were observed. Finally, Planning Division staff noted the water heater at the rear of the secondary building was not situated in a permanent enclosure. Planning Division staff will work with the property owner to address these items as part of the rehabilitation and restoration requirements during the duration of the Mills Act Agreement for this property. Additional future improvements proposed by Planning Division staff and agreed to by the homeowner during the initial ten years of the Mills Act Agreement include repair of porch steps, floor, and walls; repair, repainting, and/or replacement of rain gutters, fascia, and windows; repair of cracks in concrete walkways and similar paved surfaces; repair and repainting of exterior wall stucco; and construction of a permanent , stucco-clad enclosure for the water heater located at the rear of the secondary building. Staff will ensure that the proposed work will be performed sensitively and will maintain the property’s character-defining features as part of the Mills Act Agreement for this property.
HPPA No. 2025-05 – The Borchard House (1617 E. Fourth Street) July 9, 2025
As part of the Mills Act approval process, staff will work with the applicant to ensure that a bronze plaque is installed honoring and recognizing the structure. The plaque will include the historic name, address, year built, and local histori c register designation.
Lastly, the site will be subject to general maintenance and upkeep requirements including, but not limited to, replacement or restoration of damaged character -defining features, landscaping upkeep, painting, etc. These improvements will be subject to review and approval by staff. Upon consideration of the application, it is recommended that the City enter into a Historic Property Preservation Agreement.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines, the project is exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15331 of the CEQA Guidelines (Class 31 – Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation) as these actions are designed to preserve historic resources. Based on this analysis, a Notice of Exemption, Environmental Review No. 2025-50, will be filed for this project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Historic Property Preservation Agreement will reduce the Property Tax revenue account 01102002-50011 to the City by an estimated $1,545.57 annually, for a period of not less than ten years.
EXHIBITS
1. Mills Act Agreement
2. Vicinity Map – 1617 E. Fourth Street
3. Site Photos – 1617 E. Fourth Street
4. Action Minutes HRC (1617 E. Fourth Street)
Submitted By:
James Williams, Contract Planner
Approved By:
Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP, Executive Director, Planning and Building Agency
500’ RADIUS
SITE
P L A N N I N G AND B U I L D I N G A G E N C Y
HPPA 2025-05
1617 EAST FOURTH STREET
BORCHARD HOUSE
HPPA-2025-05
The Borchard House – 1617 E. Fourth Street
SITE PHOTOS
EXHIBIT 3