What is the planning rationale for historic district designation?
To qualify for historic district status, an area or neighborhood must contain a concentration of vintage architectural styles that have not been extensively remodeled or altered. Buildings may represent a variety of architectural styles built over several decades, and are usually over 50 years old. The concentration of historic buildings should be approximately 2/3. An architectural survey compiles this information, and research on the history of the neighborhood provides a historical context. Buildings are evaluated architecturally and are categorized as “contributing” and “noncontributing.” Contributing buildings are architecturally significant to the historic value of the neighborhood and are targeted for preservation; noncontributing buildings are nonhistoric intrusions, which are outside of the historic preservation goals.
