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There’s a form at the end to submit your question. We’ll get it answered and share with you and others here!
WHY might we want to be a Local Historic District?
Historic district designation is a planning tool residents can use to ensure that as Atlanta grows, the character of our neighborhood, the
things that brought most of us here in the first place, will not be lost. Historic designation is one of the only ways we can have a (regulatory) say in the quality of design for new buildings in our neighborhood, it can protect existing affordability, and is the only way to prevent demolition of historic homes and buildings.
Why are we even talking about this??
This conversation has been a long time coming. Candler Park residents have considered historic designation since the 1990s and talk of what residents can do to have some control over the future of Candler Park has fluctuated over the years since then.
In the last few years the construction of townhouse duplexes became a concern and the Zoning Committee succeeded in adding additional regulations to the R-5 (two-family) zoning code specific to Candler Park, creating R-5-C (”with Conditions”). These regulations guide slightly more restrained new construction on R-5-C properties. But the ability of traditional zoning regulations to achieve all the goals that had been discussed is limited. As residents have learned through previous inquiries, historic district designation is the only tool available that would restrict demolition of existing buildings and the only type of regulations that could not be overturned by a rezoning without neighborhood approval.
Why should I care?
Everyone who enjoys Candler Park should care, some of us own historic buildings, some of us are renters, and others of us live in nonhistoric houses and condos, but ALL of us have a stake in this neighborhood in that we enjoy the proximity to amenities, parks, and schools and we enjoy walking, biking, and driving these streets most every day. It’s not just about your house or building, it’s about the neighborhood as a whole.
Aren't historic districts overly restrictive?
The big thing about living in a Local Historic District is that there are design regulations and review. There’s no way around it. Historic District regulations are written to protect the historic architectural integrity of the neighborhood by providing a plan for necessary growth and changes in a way that is compatible with the district. By protecting the historic integrity of a district, Local Historic District designation protects the aesthetics and amenities that attracted us here in the first place.
Design regulations should not be onerous however, or prevent property owners from repairing, upgrading and renovating their homes so that they enjoy living there. Since the neighborhood proposes their own regulations, they are tailored to target design issues that property owners feel is important in their district. By writing meaningful regulations, we can have a say in what our neighborhood will look like in the future and, further down the road, the design review process provides an avenue for neighbors to have a meaningful voice in new construction projects.
The City of Atlanta has also created new “Historic District Lite” 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 district designation is a planning tool residents can use to ensure that as Atlanta grows, the character of our neighborhood, the
things that brought most of us here in the first place, will not be lost. Historic designation is one of the only ways we can have a (regulatory) say in the quality of design for new buildings in our neighborhood, it can protect existing affordability, and is the only way to prevent demolition of historic homes and buildings.
Why are we even talking about this??
This conversation has been a long time coming. Candler Park residents have considered historic designation since the 1990s and talk of what residents can do to have some control over the future of Candler Park has fluctuated over the years since then.
In the last few years the construction of townhouse duplexes became a concern and the Zoning Committee succeeded in adding additional regulations to the R-5 (two-family) zoning code specific to Candler Park, creating R-5-C (”with Conditions”). These regulations guide slightly more restrained new construction on R-5-C properties. But the ability of traditional zoning regulations to achieve all the goals that had been discussed is limited. As residents have learned through previous inquiries, historic district designation is the only tool available that would restrict demolition of existing buildings and the only type of regulations that could not be overturned by a rezoning without neighborhood approval.
Why should I care?
Everyone who enjoys Candler Park should care, some of us own historic buildings, some of us are renters, and others of us live in nonhistoric houses and condos, but ALL of us have a stake in this neighborhood in that we enjoy the proximity to amenities, parks, and schools and we enjoy walking, biking, and driving these streets most every day. It’s not just about your house or building, it’s about the neighborhood as a whole.
Aren't historic districts overly restrictive?
The big thing about living in a Local Historic District is that there are design regulations and review. There’s no way around it. Historic District regulations are written to protect the historic architectural integrity of the neighborhood by providing a plan for necessary growth and changes in a way that is compatible with the district. By protecting the historic integrity of a district, Local Historic District designation protects the aesthetics and amenities that attracted us here in the first place.
Design regulations should not be onerous however, or prevent property owners from repairing, upgrading and renovating their homes so that they enjoy living there. Since the neighborhood proposes their own regulations, they are tailored to target design issues that property owners feel is important in their district. By writing meaningful regulations, we can have a say in what our neighborhood will look like in the future and, further down the road, the design review process provides an avenue for neighbors to have a meaningful voice in new construction projects.
The City of Atlanta has also created new “Historic District Lite” 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. Historic district regulations are typically much more 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. Specifics would be figured out in the process of neighborhood input and workshopping to draft potential regulations.
Will interior work be regulated by the Historic District?
Interior projects are not subject to review.
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. Specifics would be figured out in the process of neighborhood input and workshopping to draft potential regulations.
Will interior work be regulated by the Historic District?
Interior projects are not subject to review.
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?
No! The Neighborhood writes their own regulations. During the the process the City's historic preservation office staff, and, typically, a professional planner, partner with the neighborhood to develop and refine regulations that meet that neighborhood's specific criteria.
How would regulations affect Green Upgrades?
There has been concern about this because past historic districts in the city have limited the placement of solar panels, however, Candler Park’s historic district does not have to restrict the placement of solar panels! Other efficiency alterations like adding storm windows or installing replacement windows with modern materials are becoming increasingly common in other historic districts as well. 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. Specifics would be figured out in the process of neighborhood input and workshopping to draft potential regulations.
What about handicap or other accessible alterations?
Accessibility is important and this is a topic that will need to be addressed during the process of neighborhood input and workshopping to draft potential regulations.
Once designated, do properties have to be retrofitted to comply with Historic District regulations?
No. 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.