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Certified Local Government
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Certified Local Government?
- What laws allow my city's historic district commission to regulate my property?
- What kinds of work does a historic district commission review?
- What standards or guidelines does my city's HDC uses when reviewing proposed changes to my property?
- My house is not a historic structure. Why does the HDC need to protect it?
- My property is already listed on the National register of Historic Places. Why does my city want to place additional restrictions on it?
Q: What is a Certified Local Government?
A: The CLG program represents a
partnership between the National Park Service, AHPP, and Arkansas
municipalities to preserve historic resources at the local level. An
Arkansas city is eligible to participate in the CLG program if it has a
historic district commission (HDC) with design review authority over one
or more historic districts in that city.
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Q: What laws allow my city's historic district commission to regulate my property?
A: The Arkansas Historic Districts Act
(ACA 14-172-201 et seq) allows a city to create a historic district
commission. But the commission's design review authority can only come
from the city's local preservation ordinance.
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Q: What kinds of work does a historic district commission review?
A: Only changes to the exterior of a
property. This includes windows, doors, walls, roofs, porches, yards,
sidewalks, storefronts, signs, etc. Some HDCs also regulate paint
colors. However, HDCs cannot consider interior arrangements, zoning, or
how a building is used. Additionally, work that does not involve a
change in design, materials, or appearance is considered "ordinary
maintenance" and is not subject to HDC review.
When the HDC approves your proposed work, you will receive a
Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). Pick up an application at your
city hall. You still must observe all other city building codes and
zoning requirements.
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Q: What standards or guidelines does my city's HDC uses when reviewing proposed changes to my property?
A: Cities participating in the CLG
program are required to use the Secretary of the Interior's Standards
for Rehabilitation when evaluating proposed changes. Many commissions
also develop design guidelines that are specific to the architectural
character of a particular historic district. Contact your city hall for
details.
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Q: My house is not a historic structure. Why does the HDC need to protect it?
A: Your property may be a
"non-contributing" structure to the historic district's overall
character. Most HDCs consider this fact and have less stringent
requirements for non-historic structures. However exterior changes to
ALL structures in the historic district are subject to HDC review to
ensure that those changes will not be incompatible with nor detract from
the district's historic integrity.
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Q: My property is already listed on
the National register of Historic Places. Why does my city want to
place additional restrictions on it?
A: Most of Arkansas' local historic
districts are overlaid on the boundaries of a National Register Historic
District. However, National Register designation alone does not place
any restrictions on your property. Design review by a local historic
district commission is the best tool an Arkansas city has to preserve
the characteristic architecture of its historic neighborhoods. A number
of studies have also shown that locally protected historic districts
attract more tourists and feature higher property values than in other
older neighborhoods.
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