Munjoy Hill Public Hearing Tuesday May 8th

On Tuesday, May 8th at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers, the Portland Planning Board will hold a public hearing to consider a zoning map amendment and text amendments to the R-6 zone on Munjoy Hill. The purpose of the map and text amendments are to create an overlay district, the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District, to implement new dimensional, design, and performance standards related to new construction and demolitions in the R-6 zone on Munjoy Hill. Included in the public hearing are text amendments, applicable city-wide, to divisions of the Zoning Ordinance relating to extensions of non-conforming buildings in Division 23 & Division 25. 

The full text of the proposed changes is available on the city website.

We encourage you attend Tuesday night and speak out in favor of protecting the Hill's historic resources or to email the planning board at planningboard@portlandmaine.gov with supportive comments urging the planning board to:

• recommend that the Planning Department begin the historic designation process
• discourage demolitions by amending the dimensional standards so that the scale and mass of a project’s context is taken into account when determining the maximum dimensions allowed
• support the alternative design review option with reviews conducted by the Historic Preservation Board
• support an 18 month demolition delay that includes public notice and comment
• remove language on non-conforming building extensions that would apply city-wide from the discussion of R-6 zoning on Munjoy Hill to allow time for substantive review and comment by the public in other areas of the city.

Read more about Landmarks comments on the proposed changes.

Also...

The Historic Preservation Office will be offering an informational session on Monday, May 7th at 6:30 PM in the Merrill Rehearsal Hall at 20 Myrtle Street. The meeting is intended for owners of property in Portland’s historic districts as well as anyone interested in learning more about the City’s historic preservation program. Whether you’ve recently purchased a property in a historic district, are thinking about undertaking a project, or are simply curious about the potential effect of designation on your neighborhood, this is your chance to learn more. City staff and members of the Historic Preservation Board will describe Portland’s historic preservation program, provide examples of typical reviews and answer your questions.

Historic Tax Credits are in the final tax legislation passed on 12/20/17

On December 19 & 20, 2017, the House and Senate voted to pass the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act released by a joint House-Senate conference.  It includes the 20% Historic Tax Credit. 

The House and Senate Conference Committee reconciled the differences between the two versions of the tax bill. They eliminated the pre-1936 10% non-historic tax credit and included the 20% Historic Tax Credit (HTC) with a provision that it will be claimed over five years. Also, the Conference Committee included additional transition rule language that now clearly covers phased rehabilitations for which the taxpayer may select a 60-month period.

 President Trump is expected to sign the bill before the end of the year.

While advocates may be disappointed they could not fully restore the 20% HTC to current law and prevent the elimination of the 10% pre-1936 rehabilitation credit, there is plenty to celebrate! While hundreds of deductions and credits have been reduced or eliminated in tax reform, the HTC is expected to be retained as an incentive to protect and restore historic buildings in Maine and across the country. 

Fate of Federal Historic Tax Credits Remains Uncertain!

Early on Saturday morning, the United States Senate passed its tax reform bill restoring the 20% Historic Tax Credit (HTC) with a provision that it will be claimed over five years. It can currently be claimed in a single year after a project is complete and the longer payout period is anticipated to reduce its value. The credit for pre-1936 10% non-historic “old-buildings” was eliminated.

The House passed a tax reform bill on November 16th eliminating both the 10% pre-1936 non-historic “old building” credit and the 20% HTC.

Tax reform legislation now moves to a House and Senate Conference Committee to reconcile the two versions.  While advocates are disappointed the 20% HTC wasn’t fully restored to current law and the 10% pre-1936 rehabilitation credit was eliminated, we are standing our ground, insisting on the Senate provision and that no further erosion in the program take place.

THIS WEEK please ask Rep. Poliquin to encourage the House Leadership to accept the improvements in the Senate bill! Thank Sen. Collins for supporting restoration of 20% HTC!

If your live in the 2nd District, have friends in the 2nd District, or have a connection to Rep. Poliquin please contact him and ask that he work with House leadership to accept the Senate’s 20% HTC provision as they reconcile differences in the House and Senate versions of the bill.

(207) 942-0583

Please contact Sen. Collins to express your appreciation for the 20% HTC passed in the Senate tax bill. Please urge her to communicate to Senate Republican Leaders and Chairman Hatch that they must not weaken important protections for the 20% HTC when they reconcile the House and Senate bills.

(207) 780-3575

Not sure what to say? Here is a sample message:

1. Introduce Yourself as a Constituent

Rep. Poliquin: Say “I am extremely concerned that the House eliminated the Historic Tax Credit, an important community redevelopment incentive available to revitalize our main streets, towns, and cities and preserve our heritage. Will you please work with House leadership to include the Senate’s 20% Historic Tax Credit provision in the final tax package when you work out the differences in the House and Senate bills?”

Sen. Collins: Say ““I would like to thank the Senator for supporting a tax reform bill that includes a 20% Historic Tax Credit in Senate tax reform bill. This is a significant improvement compared to the elimination in the House bill. Please communicate to Senate Republican Leaders and Chairman Hatch (R-UT) that they must not weaken important protections for the Historic Tax Credit when they reconcile the House and Senate bills.”

2. Explain why you value Historic Tax Credits, and that the redevelopment of historic buildings will not get done without the HTC.

• HTCs created 5180 jobs in the past 10 years
• HTCs added 1,440 housing units
• HTCs generated $42.2 million in state and local taxes

3. Let them know about some previous and future HTC projects in Maine:  St. Joseph's Convent (Portland), Plummer School (Falmouth), The American Can Co. Building (Eastport), and the former Mayo Mill (Dover-Foxcroft)

4. If your Member of Congress has agreed to help, please remember to thank them and tell others about their support!

Recommendation to close South Portland's Mahoney Middle School and an update on the federal HTC program.

Last week the Middle School Facilities Committee in South Portland voted to recommend closing Mahoney Middle School in favor of building a new consolidated middle school for grades 5-8 using state and local funds. Mahoney, formerly the South Portland High School when it was constructed 1923-1924, is located on a 15-acre site on Ocean Avenue in South Portland's Millcreek neighborhood. It is a significant historic building, both for its Beaux Arts architectural style and its community associations. If it is no longer used as a school, its future is unclear. The building has been determined by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. It would be eligible for historic tax credits if it was rehabilitated for an income producing use. 

This week, as the Senate Finance Committee began to consider the tax reform bill, Senator Cassidy (R-LA) filed an amendment to restore the Historic Tax Credit from 10% to 20%  of qualified rehabilitation expenditures. As a budget savings measure, the amendment changes the HTC to be earned in installments over five years. Preservation advocates are hopeful that this amendment will be included in the bill later this week either by the chairman or by committee vote. This is a significant improvement over the House bill that would repeal the HTC entirely. The final tax package will need to be negotiated by the House and Senate later this year. Please continue to voice your concerns with your Congressional representatives and encourage them to support the HTC, undiminished, in tax reform legislation.