What is the difference between the National Register Historic District and the local Historic Zone (H-1)?
The National Register Historic District designation is awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Although this status is very prestigious, it comes with no special protections. The local historic district zone (H-1) is a special zoning category contained in the local zoning ordinance. Once designated, a Historic Zoning Commission is created to maintain the beauty and integrity of the zone. The commission is a city board made up of preservation specialists, historians, architects and ordinary citizens. Before anyone can demolish, or make exterior modifications to a home or building within a local historic zone (H-1), the applicant must apply to the Historic Zoning Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). The commission will assess the proposed change for compliance with the standards established in the zone’s Guidelines for Alterations, Demolition’s and Removals. Emphasis is placed on preserving street facades of historic structures. Standards are generally relaxed f
