Have you heard the good news? Ten Phoenix historic districts have been added to the National Registry of Historic Places. With their addition, homeowners can apply for a reduction in property taxes. YEAH… we like lower taxes especially when it can be as much as 45% less.

The new additions to the National Registry are… a drum roll please:

• Campus Vista
• East Evergreen
• Encanto Manor
• Encanto Vista
• Garfield
• Los Olivos
• North Garfield
• Villa Verde
• Woodlea
• Yaple Park

If you move really fast, you may be in time to get the tax break for the coming year. By fast I mean June 30th. You’ll need to fill out an application, supply photos and swear a blood oath that you’ll maintain or improve the property according to standards outlined under the State Historic Historic Property Tax Program (SPT). Below is an excerpt from their site and a link to the page. BTW… the blood oath thing may be an exaggeration…  more like a cross my heart and hope to die ritual in government triplicate.

Owner Requirements

The SPT program reduces property taxes as much as 45%. (The exact figure is dependent on special assessments which are specific to your area. Questions regarding the amount of the reduction should be directed to the county assessor’s office.) As a condition of the reduced tax rate, the owner enters into a 15-year agreement with the state, consenting to maintain their property and to preserve the integrity of its historic features, materials, appearance, workmanship, and environment. If an owner plans to do any work on the property that will impact its public appearance, the SHPO must be contacted for review and comment or approval prior to project implementation. All such projects are reviewed for appropriateness according to a set of national guidelines called the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation ( 112 KB PDF).

Property owners are required to submit a notarized form (furnished by the SHPO) every three years verifying that the property has been maintained according to program guidelines. This report also requires submittal of two photographs demonstrating the current condition of the property. Furthermore, the owner is required to notify the SHPO when the property ownership or property use changes.  Here is a link to the SPT web site.

The SPT site has the application requirements, a way to download the application (PDF) and lots more info. So huury and save big on your next years taxes by getting your application in before June 30th.

Finally, we simply want to congratulate the homeowners, preservationists and all those who worked so hard, jumped way too many hoops, and persevered to make this happen. You’ve won this battle and we thank you!

Gene Urban & Ron Urban
The Urban Connection Team
602-234-5777

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