What Local Historic District DOES NOT do: · Does not regulate paint colors · Does not require repairs or renovations to be made · Does not increase taxes beyond normal increases for the City or County · Does not prevent additions · Does not prevent non-contributing homes from being demolished · Does not require use of historic materials or historic building methods · Does not require that you open you home to the public · Does not restrict routine maintenance of properties
What Local Historic District DOES do: · Recognizes that Oakhurst has a distinctive historic character important to the overall character of the City of Decatur · Encourages creative and compatible development with historic areas · Requires that a Certificate of Appropriateness be obtained for exterior changes to contributing properties, demolition of buildings, and new construction. · Applies only to major renovations to the exterior of your home. Interior renovations are not restricted.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

What someone else said about preserving their neighborhood

A Neighborhood Worth Preserving...

In order to define just what we are trying to preserve, we did an informal survey of what midtown means to you. Not surprisingly, many of the lists overlapped. Here are the common themes:

* Neighborhood feel in an urban setting
* An eclectic mix of houses
* Old homes that provide a sense of history
* Trees!
* Walkablity and proximity to parks, shopping, and restaurants
* Diversity of residents (village feel)

These are all things that a Local Historic District can help to protect!
Benefits

A Local Historic District is an overlay to existing zoning that provides additional protection for historic structures. Some of the benefits of being a part of a Local Historic District include:

1. Historic preservation helps to maintain a sense of place and to bolster the character, community, and visual appeal of a neighborhood.

2. Historic districts provide a framework for a cohesive neighborhood while still embracing a wide variety of styles.

3. Protected neighborhoods draw economic activity because they are good places to live and work and great places to visit!

More information on Property values in historic districts.

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