The next step is to further refine the guidelines during a series of public meetings, including Thursdays, Planning Director Elaine Wilkerson said.
The city has a register of historic resources and property owners can apply to have their homes placed on the register on a case-by-case basis. But a district has yet to be formed that would designate an entire city neighborhood as historic, Wilkerson said.
"Cumberland Heights has an application for historical district status, but they have withdrawn it while they are waiting on these guidelines to be finalized," Wilkerson said, adding that residents in Adams Hill and Rossmoyne area have also expressed interest in forming their own districts.
Originally, city officials planned to develop district design guidelines for each of the city's potentially historic areas, Wilkerson said. But the City Council decided it would be better to establish citywide guidelines for consistency.
The process to declare an entire neighborhood as historic would include a detailed survey of each home, Wilkerson said, adding that not only turn-of-the-century structures would be considered as potentially historic. Homes built at the mid-20th century would also be possible candidates.
"The criteria would also relate more to the number of buildings that contribute to the district's historical status," Wilkerson said. "For example in Cumberland, where they already conducted a survey, 80% of the buildings were seen to be contributors. The consultants were very impressed with the quality of the homes, and how well they were maintained."
The guidelines would also serve as a tool for Design Review Board members as they examine proposed future additions or upgrades to properties in a historic district, she said.
