Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:10 AM CST
LETTER: City should create its first Historic District
By the Charleston Historic Preservation Commission
We are delighted to see new development emerging on Lincoln Avenue here in Charleston; however, corporations cannot create the roots, history or community neighborhoods with distinctive qualities that have evolved over decades and generations.
The city has before it an opportunity to create its first Historic District along Sixth and Seventh streets. The benefits of Historic District designation include eligibility for property-tax freeze for residential properties and tax credits for income-producing properties, stabilization of property values, and the protection of homeowners’ investments in their property.
Additionally, our historic neighborhoods are located in the heart of Charleston, providing a quality of life in which families can walk to the library, post office, Rotary Pool, area schools, the Farmers’ Market and other businesses located in the downtown square area.
Historic District designation also brings with it opportunities to stop the erosion of Charleston’s distinctive and historic residential neighborhoods. Nationally, historic districts stabilize neighborhoods, leading to revitalization of individual homes as well as the community. However, our historic neighborhoods are under assault.
In Charleston’s United Development Code, the City called for a University Influence Area close to campus for the development of high-density residential units. Yet, in recent years such development has been encroaching on our historic neighborhoods. Because of this, we have seen an exodus of single families from these areas.
It’s not too late to reclaim and revitalize these homes and neighborhoods, but it will take community support to place historic preservation at the forefront of smart growth and resource conservation.
With this in mind, we urge the community to voice their support at a public hearing for Historic District designation on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at city hall. If you have questions or comments, please contact the Charleston Historic Preservation Commission in care of City Clerk, Deborah Muller, (CityClerk@co.coles.il.us).
Charleston Historic Preservation Commission
Bud Fischer; Hank Buerskens; Pat McCallister; Kit Morice; Elisa Roberts; Mike Titus; Jackie Wilen; and Nora Pat Small, ex officio member
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midright wrote on Dec 11, 2007 4:11 PM: