State of California and National Resources

The Mills Act

The Mills Act is a California law that allows cities to enter into contracts with owners of historic properties.  The contract provides a small reduction in property tax in exchange for preservation and maintenance of the historic property.

State Historical Building Code


The California Building Code is a set of requirements for the designing, building, and maintaining buildings in California.  It is updated and adopted by the California Building Standards Commission; Modesto then must adopt the Building Code for it to become effective.  The California State Historical Building Code is a separate code that recognizes the unique issues associated with maintaining and adapting historic buildings to new uses.

State Office of Historic Preservation

 
The Office of Historic Preservation oversees federal and state mandated historic preservation programs. The Office of Historic Preservation offers training and workshops on historic preservation and publishes an electronic newsletter available for subscription.
 
The DPR 523 is a series of forms that collects information needed to evaluate potential California Historical Landmarks, California Points of Historical Interest, and to the California Register of Historical Resources. Modesto requires you submit all relevant completed DPR 523 forms with each application for consideration of landmark status. 

Secretary of the Interior Preservation Briefs

Federal historic preservation programs are managed by the Secretary of the Interior through the National Park Service. The Preservation Briefs provide strategies to identify common problems and solutions to ensure historic buildings can continue to be a source of information and enjoyment. 

The Standards for the Treatment of Historic Buildings

The Standards for the Treatment of Historic Buildings (PDF) pertains to the maintenance and repairs of historic buildings and provides guidance for designing additions or making alterations to historic buildings. These standards provide guidance for changes to historic properties.