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Aren't historic districts overly restrictive?
Historic districts are crafted uniquely by each area or neighborhood that desires to have historic tools put into place for their area. The City of Atlanta has also created new “Historic District Light” zoning districts that enable even greater flexibility to enable home additions and renovations with new materials. This type of newer – more flexible – zoning district was adopted by the Poncey Highland neighborhood.
Do historic districts make it harder or easier to get a permit?
Historic districts can make obtaining a permit much simpler. Currently the Candler Park neighborhood is zoned predominantly R4 and R5 – zoning districts established in 1982 that apply to most neighborhoods throughout the City of Atlanta. The R4 and R5 zoning regulations were not written to specifically match the characteristics of homes and properties within Candler Park meaning that current homeowners typically are required to obtain variances to undertake home or property improvements even when such work is consistent with the established conditions of the home, the property, or the neighborhood. Historic districts establish regulations tailored specifically to the neighborhood so that future building permits are not required to go through a more lengthy variance approval process.
Historic districts are crafted uniquely by each area or neighborhood that desires to have historic tools put into place for their area. The City of Atlanta has also created new “Historic District Light” zoning districts that enable even greater flexibility to enable home additions and renovations with new materials. This type of newer – more flexible – zoning district was adopted by the Poncey Highland neighborhood.
Do historic districts make it harder or easier to get a permit?
Historic districts can make obtaining a permit much simpler. Currently the Candler Park neighborhood is zoned predominantly R4 and R5 – zoning districts established in 1982 that apply to most neighborhoods throughout the City of Atlanta. The R4 and R5 zoning regulations were not written to specifically match the characteristics of homes and properties within Candler Park meaning that current homeowners typically are required to obtain variances to undertake home or property improvements even when such work is consistent with the established conditions of the home, the property, or the neighborhood. Historic districts establish regulations tailored specifically to the neighborhood so that future building permits are not required to go through a more lengthy variance approval process.
Is a historic district the only way to further regulate design for new home construction?
Historic districts are presently the City of Atlanta’s only available zoning tool that restricts the ability to demolish a neighborhood’s historic structures. The City of Atlanta is currently in the process of preparing a new zoning ordinance anticipated to be completed in the 2024-2025 timeframe. It is possible that this effort could be an opportunity to create a zoning mechanism for the neighborhood to regulate the design of new houses or buildings that is something other than a historic district, but the only viable option today is the creation of a historic district.
Would new historic district regulations apply to all houses in the neighborhood?
Historic district regulations do apply to all houses or structures within the district, however, the regulations for “contributing” and “non-contributing” structures are usually different. A contributing structure is one which reinforces the visual or historic integrity of a district.. The historic district can be flexible in the regulations applied to houses or structures that are considered “not contributing” at the date of district adoption.
Will neighbors have a voice in proposed changes to properties?
Neighborhood involvement in the Urban Design Commission review is an integral part of being a Historic District.
How do historic districts affect property values?
A sampling of the cities and neighborhoods with historic districts today can provide a better understanding of whether these districts negatively or positively impact property values. These communities include City of Atlanta (Poncey-Highland, Inman Park, Atkins Park (in Virginia-Highland), Druid Hills, Cabbagetown, Castleberry Hill and Grant Park just to name a few), City of Roswell, City of Decatur, City of Marietta, and City of Alpharetta. These areas appear to have preserved their natural economic growth trajectory and there have been no clear direct correlations – either positive or negative – between the historic district regulations and home values.
Will neighbors have a voice in proposed changes to properties?
Neighborhood involvement in the Urban Design Commission review is an integral part of being a Historic District.
How do historic districts affect property values?
A sampling of the cities and neighborhoods with historic districts today can provide a better understanding of whether these districts negatively or positively impact property values. These communities include City of Atlanta (Poncey-Highland, Inman Park, Atkins Park (in Virginia-Highland), Druid Hills, Cabbagetown, Castleberry Hill and Grant Park just to name a few), City of Roswell, City of Decatur, City of Marietta, and City of Alpharetta. These areas appear to have preserved their natural economic growth trajectory and there have been no clear direct correlations – either positive or negative – between the historic district regulations and home values.
Are historic districts legal?
Historic districts have been established throughout the nation, the state, and the region as a legally-viable and supported zoning mechanism for regulating uses in areas that contain historic significance.
Would Candler Park even qualify to become a historic district?
Candler Park is well-positioned to qualify for historic district designation due to its unusually large number of well-preserved homes spanning decades of Atlanta architectural history. The Candler Park neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places (listed in 2005) an indicator that the neighborhood is an ideal candidate for becoming a local historic district. To become a historic district, an area must have an existing inventory of structures that were built greater than 50 years ago, that have been maintained and mostly preserved in their original condition. Other similar Atlanta neighborhoods such as Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland, Poncey Highland, and Inman Park are good examples of neighborhoods that are like Candler Park that have become historic districts.
About Regulations:
Will design review in a Historic District will prevent me from making renovations and expanding my home as needed?
Renovations in keeping with character of a historic property are encouraged and assistance from the historic preservation staff is available. There are many ways to expand a house without dramatically altering its historic integrity.
Will interior work be regulated by the Historic District?
Interior projects are not subject to review unless the alterations are visible from the public right of way (the “street view”).
Renovations in keeping with character of a historic property are encouraged and assistance from the historic preservation staff is available. There are many ways to expand a house without dramatically altering its historic integrity.
Will interior work be regulated by the Historic District?
Interior projects are not subject to review unless the alterations are visible from the public right of way (the “street view”).
Will the Historic District regulate paint color?
Paint color is not regulated in any Atlanta Historic District.
Will design regulations will be imposed by the City?
City staff partners with the neighborhood to develop the proposed design and development regulations.
Will this mean that I can't replace my windows?
That is a question that will be answered as part of the community process. Group consensus will decide, if a district is adopted, whether property owners need to try to rehabilitate windows before they replace them or just go straight to replacing them. In the Bonaventure-Somerset Historic District, for example, property owners decided they wanted to be able to replace windows with windows that match the architecture of the house, and that the replacement windows can be of any material. However, it can often be LESS expensive to repair existing windows.
- Some window resources:
- https://savingplaces.org/stories/preservation-tips-tools-retrofitting-historic-windows#.XYJZ325FyUk
- https://forum.savingplaces.org/viewdocument/saving-windows-saving-money-evalu
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/reginacole/2018/07/17/dont-buy-replacement-windows-for-your-old-house/#2d30132462c0
- https://www.presnc.org/historic-windows-energy-efficiency/
- https://indowwindows.com/resources/case-studies/energy-efficiency-old-homes/
Once designated, do properties have to be retrofitted to comply with Historic District regulations?
Existing work done prior to the start of the Historic District does not have to be reviewed or redone to meet the Historic District regulations. Regulation of changes only begins after the designation process has begun.
effects on Housing affordability, density, growth
Does a historic district help or hurt efforts to achieve housing affordability within a community?
Historic districts can have an indirect impact on preserving and increasing housing affordability when they are written to allow for a diversity of housing types. For example, a historic district can allow for a single house or structure that has the appearance of a single-family home but that allows a greater number of dwelling units inside the home or at the rear of the property, resulting in an increase in more affordable housing opportunities for the community.
What impact does a historic district have on the allowable density within the district?
There is not a 1-size-fits-all approach to allowable density within a historic district. Historic districts within established single-family neighborhoods such as Candler Park can be tailored to achieve the specific goals of the neighborhood. A historic district could continue to allow the exact same uses that are currently allowed in the neighborhood – single-family homes, accessory dwellings (commonly referred to as garage apartments), and duplexes in the R5 zoned areas of the community. But a new historic district could also expand the allowable list of uses and could allow for other uses within existing homes such as multiple dwelling units (apartments or condos). Density applies to uses, while historic districts apply more to appearance.
Historic districts can have an indirect impact on preserving and increasing housing affordability when they are written to allow for a diversity of housing types. For example, a historic district can allow for a single house or structure that has the appearance of a single-family home but that allows a greater number of dwelling units inside the home or at the rear of the property, resulting in an increase in more affordable housing opportunities for the community.
What impact does a historic district have on the allowable density within the district?
There is not a 1-size-fits-all approach to allowable density within a historic district. Historic districts within established single-family neighborhoods such as Candler Park can be tailored to achieve the specific goals of the neighborhood. A historic district could continue to allow the exact same uses that are currently allowed in the neighborhood – single-family homes, accessory dwellings (commonly referred to as garage apartments), and duplexes in the R5 zoned areas of the community. But a new historic district could also expand the allowable list of uses and could allow for other uses within existing homes such as multiple dwelling units (apartments or condos). Density applies to uses, while historic districts apply more to appearance.