New
Lincoln Historic District approved for downtown
Send a link to a friend
[October
21, 2013]
The October meeting of the
Lincoln Historic Preservation Commission on Thursday evening offered some
very good news. After April Doolin gaveled the meeting to order in Lincoln
City Council chambers, Tina Warfel of Prairie Engineers reported the latest
numbers in the push to create a historic district for downtown Lincoln. |
Of the 118 properties being considered
for the historic district, the owners of 67 properties said "yes."
This represented 57 percent of the properties. Since this exceeds
the 51 percent necessary to create the district, the downtown
Lincoln Historic District has been approved.
The next step is a public meeting
to present the district to the community and answer questions
concerning it. The public meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday,
Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the upstairs council chambers at Lincoln
City Hall.
Monthly meeting nights to change
Because of scheduling conflicts for
some Historic Preservation Commission members, beginning in November
the official monthly meeting will change to the third Tuesday of
every month at 6 p.m.
On Nov. 19, the commission will
meet from 6 until 6:30 p.m., and the public meeting will start at
6:30.
In other business, the commission
continues to research a plaque or medallion that can be affixed to
historic buildings to denote the building as a part of the Lincoln
Historic District. The commission has expressed the desire that the
plaques be unique in shape, unlike any other historic sign in
Lincoln, and that they have a reasonable price tag.
[to top of second
column] |
A brochure will also be created to
detail how the district is formed and to allay any concerns that the
commission will be an overreaching government entity, as seems to be
the case in New England historic districts. The Lincoln commission
will not have any say on interior renovations of historic buildings,
nor will it restrict the use of modern, energy-saving windows and
doors.
It was mentioned that Chicago has
numerous historic districts, and it seems to be universally
acknowledged that the historic districts enhance property values.
A new feature instituted by Doolin
for the commission meetings will be time set aside for public
participation.
[By
CURT FOX] |