Planning and Building Agency
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Planning Commission Staff Report
September 28, 2026
Topic: HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-3 – The F.B. RogersDickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
1. Adopt a resolution approving Historic Resources Commission Application No. 2026-8 and Historic Register Categorization No. 2026-3; and
2. Recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute the attached Mills Act agreement with Grant and Emily Bettencourt, for the property located at 1123 N. Lowell Street, subject to non-substantive changes approved by the City Manager and City Attorney.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
William Grant and Emily Ann Bettencourt, Co-Trustees of The WGB and EAB Family Trust, U/A dated December 19, 2024, are requesting approval to designate an existing Tudor Revival-style residence located at 1123 N. Lowell Street on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties (“Register”), as well as approval to execute a Mills Act agreement with the City of Santa Ana. The property qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 as an intact example of a Tudor Revival-style house. It is worthy of “Contributive” categorization as it contributes to the overall character and history of its neighborhood, is a good example of period architecture, Tudor Revival, including moderately pitched side gable roof with sloped front gabled entrance, wood sash windows throughout, wood louvered shutters, exterior brick chimney, central rear patio entrance, wood and glazed door and side lites, and the ribbon/Hollywood driveway.
DISCUSSION
Project Location and Site Description
Located on a mid-block parcel in the Washington Square neighborhood, the F.B. RogersDickson House consists of a one-story, single-family residence and detached garage constructed in the Tudor Revival style. The parcel is bounded on the west by Lowell Street and on the north, south, and west by private properties. The one-story residence has an irregular shaped plan and a concrete foundation. Its steeply pitched cross-gabled roof is HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-2 – The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
September 28, 2026
clad in composition shingles, and the exterior walls are sheathed in horizontal plywood planks. Facing Lowell Street to the west, the asymmetrical main façade is characterized by a wood paneled front door with a fan lite sited within a front-gabled extension with a sloped roof and accessible by concrete steps. The primary façade is also characterized by wood frame double hung sash windows with original wood louvered shutters.
The north elevation features an exterior brick chimney, triangular-shaped wood louvered vent in the gable, and three wood frame double hung sash windows, two that are oneover-one and the third that is six-over-six.
The rear, east façade faces an enclosed grassy backyard and concrete patio. There are two front gable extensions on the north and south side of the east elevation with the concrete patio in-between. Each extension has original one-over-one wood frame sash windows, and the north extension features a secondary entrance with a non-original glazed door and concrete steps. A portion of the patio sits under the primary roofline with another secondary entrance with an original divided lite wood frame door, wood frame screen, and wood frame side lites. The south facade features four original one-over-one wood frame double-hung sash window and two small wood frame fixed pane windows.
An original concrete Hollywood driveway runs along the north elevation from Lowell Street to the detached garage. Rectangular in plan, the garage sits on a concrete foundation and capped with a front-gabled roof clad in composition shingles with overhanging eaves on the north and south elevations. The exterior is clad in horizontal wood board siding, and with vehicle access by way of a non-original roll-up garage door located on the west elevation. The south elevation of the garage has an entrance with a non-original paneled and glazed door.
The front of the property is set back from Lowell Street with a grassy lawn and ornamental plantings. A paved walkway leads to the front door, and concrete pavers run from the Hollywood driveway to the front door. The rear yard has a concrete patio, grassy lawn, and mature trees.
Analysis of the Issues
Historical Listing
In March 1999, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. NS-2363, establishing the Historic Resources Commission (HRC) and the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties (“Register”). For more than 25 years, the HRC served as the City’s review authority for matters involving the designation and categorization of historic properties and other historic preservation applications pursuant to Chapter 30 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code (SAMC).
HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-2 – The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
September 28, 2026
On July 7, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. NS-3097, which dissolved the HRC and transferred its historic preservation powers and duties to the Planning Commission. Ordinance No. NS-3097 became effective on August 6, 2026. As a result, the Planning Commission now serves as the City’s review authority for historic preservation matters previously considered by the HRC, including applications to designate and categorize properties for inclusion on the Register.
Accordingly, the Planning Commission is considering Historic Resources Commission Application No. 2026-8 and Historic Register Categorization No. 2026-3 pursuant to the applicable provisions of Chapter 30 of the SAMC. The applications require the Planning Commission to apply the selection and categorization criteria established in Chapter 30 to determine whether the F.B. Rogers-Dickson House is eligible for designation and listing on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties and, if eligible, the appropriate historic categorization. The first criterion for selection requires that a structure be 50 or more years old.
The structure identified meets the selection criteria for inclusion on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties pursuant to criteria contained in Section 30-2 of the SAMC, as the structure is 93 years old and is a sound example of period architecture. No known code violations exist on record for this property.
The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House is architecturally significant as an intact example of a Tudor Revival-style house in Santa Ana. The original building permit indicates the property was constructed in 1933 as a single-family residence and detached garage at a cost of $2500 for and by F.B. Rogers. Mr. George H. and Mrs. Winona M. J. Dickson likely purchased the property from Rogers in 1934 and occupied the residence from 1934 to circa 1968 (The Register 1934, 1968; Santa Ana City Directory 1934). Mrs. Dickson's mother, Martha Jessen, lived with them for five years before she passed away in 1957 (The Register 1957). Mrs. Jessen and her husband were early settlers of Santa Ana, moving to the area in circa 1881. City directories list neither George's nor Winona's occupations, and while George passed away in 1947, Winona continued to live at the property until her death in 1968. Research did not identify any residents in the 1970s and identified one owner from 1981, Daniel A. Smith (City of Santa Ana Building Permits).
The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 as an intact example of a Tudor Revival-style home in Santa Ana. Located in Washington Square, the house was constructed in 1933. The recommended categorization is “Contributive” because it contributes to the overall character and history of its neighborhood, is a good example of period architecture (Santa Ana Municipal Code, Section 30-2.3). Character-defining features of the house’s original Tudor Revival-style construction include, but are not necessarily limited to, moderately pitched side gable roof with sloped front gabled entrance, wood sash windows HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-2 – The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
September 28, 2026
throughout, wood louvered shutters, exterior brick chimney, central rear patio entrance wood and glazed door and side lites, and the ribbon/Hollywood driveway.
Mills Act Agreement
Ordinance No. NS-2382 established the City’s Historic Property Preservation Agreement (HPPA) program, commonly known as the Mills Act program, for eligible historic properties. Historically, the Historic Resources Commission served as the review authority for Mills Act agreements. However, on July 7, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. NS-3097, which dissolved the Historic Resources Commission and transferred its historic preservation powers and duties to the Planning Commission.
Accordingly, the Planning Commission now reviews Mills Act applications and makes a recommendation to the City Council regarding approval of the agreement.
To be eligible for a Mills Act agreement, a property must be listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. The Historic Resources Commission Application and Historic Register Categorization actions proposed for this site would designate and categorize the property for inclusion on the local register, thereby establishing its eligibility 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 the owner’s voluntary commitment to maintain and preserve the property in a good state of repair and in a manner that maintains its historic character and appearance.
Once recorded, the agreement provides for an alternative method of determining the property’s assessed value, which may result in property tax savings for the owner. In addition to potential tax savings, the benefits of a Mills Act agreement include:
• Long term preservation of the property and visual improvement to the neighborhood • A mechanism to provide for property rehabilitation
• Incentives for potential buyers to purchase historic structures • Discouraging inappropriate alterations to the property The property has no identified unauthorized modifications. Upon consideration of the application, it is recommended that the City enter into a Historic Property Preservation Agreement subject to a completion of future improvements as described in an attached Work Plan.
Overall, future improvements (Work Plan) proposed by the homeowner and Planning Division staff during the initial ten years of the Mills Act Agreement include the following:
1) assess all siding (lap wood and brick) for cracking and other damage; replace or repair in-kind with staff approval; 2) assess condition of windows; replace in-kind, as necessary with staff approval; 3) assess condition of roofing (composition shingles) and fascia and repair or replace in-kind, as necessary with staff approval; 4) assess condition of exterior HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-2 – The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
September 28, 2026
brick chimney and repair or replace in-kind, as necessary with staff approval; and 5) assess hardscaping, including driveway, walkways, and porch/patio steps and flooring, throughout the residence and repair or replace in-kind, as necessary and with staff approval.
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 historic 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. Upon consideration of the application, it is recommended that the City enter into a Historic Property Preservation Agreement to enable the Mills Act.
Public Notification
The subject site is located within the Washington Square Neighborhood Association. The president of this Neighborhood Association was notified by mail 10 days prior to this public hearing. In addition, the project site was posted with a notice advertising this public hearing, a notice was published in the Orange County Reporter and mailed notices were sent to all property owners within 500 feet of the project site. At the time of this printing, no correspondence, either written or electronic, has been received from any members of the public.
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. 2026-059, 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 $670.89 annually, for a period of not less than ten years.
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution
2. Mills Act Agreement – 1123 N. Lowell Street
3. 500-Foot Radius Map – 1123 N. Lowell Street
HRCA No. 2026-8, HRC No. 2026-3, HPPA No. 2026-2 – The F.B. Rogers-Dickson House (1123 N. Lowell Street)
September 28, 2026
4. Copy of Public Notice – 1123 N. Lowell Street
Submitted By: Pedro Gomez, AICP, Principal Planner
Approved By: Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP, Executive Director, Planning and Building Agency