Despite all of the purported protections and guidelines accorded historic properties in Fullerton, the owners of the 1929 Spanish style bungalow apartments have replaced half of thier divided wooden windows with single glass panel vinyl frames. The too-cute-for-words Mariola Apartments have graced the 500 block of East Commonwealth for 85 years, surviving intact in an age of overdevelopment because through the decades at least someone knew how special they were, and made sure they stayed that way. Until now…
The City of Fullerton’s website features the apartments as a Significanct Property in its Historic Resources section:
That all changed sometime last month when the beautiful arched wooden windows in the units on the west side of the property were replaced with contemporary white vinyl ones.
Fortunately, the wooden windows on the east side remain, for now.
Vinyl windows may appeal to homeowners tired of painting wooden frames, but they are the nemesis of historic preservationists. Even though subsidies exist to encourage their installatioin because they can be better insulated, owners of properties in historic Residential Preservation Zones are usually constrained from installing them because they so significantly alter the appearance of otherwise well preserved older homes and apartments (wooden windows can be made double paned also, to provide better insulation). Unfortunatley, despite being cited as a prime example of Spanish Colonial architecture of the period by the city, the Mariola Apartments are not in a Residential Preservation Zone.
Perthaps if Fullerton participated in the State of California’s Mills Act owners of local historic properties would have more incentive to appropriately preserve them. The Mills Act allows cities to give property tax breaks to landowners “if they pledge to rehabilitate and maintain the historical and architectural character of their properties for at least a ten-year period.” The contract is renewable.
Unlike Fullerton, other Orange County cities like Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange, Tustin, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente all participate in the Mills Act, presumably because they “recognize the economic benefits of conserving resources and reinvestment as well as the important role historic preservation can play in revitalizing older areas, creating cultural tourism, building civic pride, and retaining the sense of place and continuity with the community’s past.”
It’s time for Fullerton to embrace the Mills Act before more historic properties are compromised or done away with entirely.
It wouldn’t hurt to pave the streets either.
fullertonrag.com 
Thanks for bringing up the Mills Act. Fullerton Heritage was just discussing that at their annual meeting Sunday afternoon. The board seemed to be of the opinion that there has never been a Fullerton City Council that would support it. I think they should give a try at it now, especially with the potential impacts to unrecognized histroic properties if the DCCSP is approved.
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Wow people – maybe you all can step up and pay for the new windows – help the owner out! But no…let’s just step aside and be critical with no inquiry as to why the owners replaced 85 year old windows. I don’t know but I bet to replicate them as the busybodies want would be very expense. These people are running a business and probably trying to keep tenants comfortable and secure. Nice no win situation can’t be a slumlord and can’t do the right thing and replace old energy inefficient windows with new ones….
It’s so easy to be a critical nag when your on the outside green with envy looking into a valuable property you have NO responsibility to maintain.
Idiots.
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Kathleen, of course it’s expensive to put the period appropriate windows in. That’s just the point—if Fullerton had the Mills Act, the property owner would get a tax break for fixing the old windows or replacing them with replicas instead of putting in cheaper vinyl ones.
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I understand that, but really at some point we need to lay off people and mind our own business. The new windows look fine. Of all the critical issues in the world to deal with – I just can’t get all exercised over someone being responsible and putting in new windows. It’s not like the owners painted it purple.
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I live in a 1920’s house in Fullerton and I love the windows in the house, but shudder to think of the cost to replace them. I think about it every time it gets really hot or cold.
Where can one draw the line between maintaining a historic value of of a home and neighborhood, and the value of saving money on heating and being more environmentally friendly? I agree with Kathleen, in that if there are no laws protecting the building, such as the Mills act, the owner can do what they feel the best is, all the while we are left to lament.
It feels like a smaller “Save Coyote Hills” problem. What right does a city have to tell a company what to do with their land/building. As much as other may want something, we have little to no right to tell them what to do.
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“What right does a city have to tell a company what to do with their land/building.”
It’s called zoning. You’re welcome.
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I understand the concept of zoning, but would that dictate the type of windows one could put in their house? Does it get that specific? I am asking because I do not know.
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I have a designed many additions and remodels in old Fullerton and always try to encourage people to use compatible wood windows….but at 4 times the cost of vinyl, sometimes it just doesn’t fit in with their budget.
A lot of people don’t realize that the Fullerton Preservation Zone guidelines don’t require wood windows.
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Jim, is it a difference between $50 to $200 or $500 to $2,000 in cost?
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A landowner with just the tiniest bit of enlightenment would know that historic authenticity adds something to the value of the property. It really shouldn’t take much to get someone to show a little class. In cases where “historic” means “obsolete”, there are substitutes that preserve the appearance.
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‘It really shouldn’t take much to get someone to show a little class’
.Really kitchenmudge?
I just cannot believe how people like you think they have some right to stick their nose into the private business of another person. It’s windows in a complex that is leased by tenants – good grief – the owner is doing what is correct to keep people safe.
Just offensive. Bet you would be the first to complain if the windows broke all over a kid or caused an elderly person to get cold…..oh wait that would mean you have class.
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When a post has such brazen red herrings, one can only think: “Trollin’, trollin’, trollin’….”
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This is exactly why Fullerton needs to adopt the Mills Act. The money historical home owners would save on property taxes can be used for the more costly, period correct, maintenance. This apartment owner could have chosen to keep the apartment historically correct with the benefit of tax savings. Or chose not to and pay the higher property tax. It is a win win situation for historic property owners as they only have to follow the historic preservation rules if they choose to take advantage of the tax break.
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