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Community Heritage Action Plan
Some communities take their first step towards becoming a Green Community
by developing and implementing a community heritage program. Establishment
of a theme and a designated historic district can serve as a focal point
for a community heritage plan. Click here for Community Heritage Action
Plan Indicators and Linkages
Goals and Objectives
Goals
Enhance the quality of life through the preservation of historic resources which are significant for their historical, architectural, archeological, and cultural value.
Objectives
- Recognize historic resources, sites and districts as valuable physical components of the community's heritage.
- Determine appropriate zoning and land development guidelines in order to protect historic resources from incompatible development.
- Encourage the restoration of historic properties through financial incentives and public and private loan and grant funding programs.
- Encourage private and public preservation activities for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.
- Create and adopt an Historic Preservation Ordinance.
- Identify, protect, and recognize scenic and historic roads and corridors in the community.
Recommendations for Action Planning
- Allow property tax credits for the restoration of historic sites.
- Provide financial assistance options for the preservation of historic sites.
- Provide density credits, tax credits, or other incentives for the retention of open space around historic sites.
- Provide for no increase in tax assessments for a certain number of years following a restoration project.
- Consider historic preservation overlay zoning.
- Designate local historic districts as a tool for citizens to have greater control over change in their area.
- Draft and enact an archeological ordinance to require surveys of potential archeological sites identified when those lands are being developed.
- Preserve historic roads when identified.
- Promote awareness of the historical and cultural value of cemeteries.
- Encourage commercial development or renovations to existing commercial structures in historic areas to be compatible with existing historic architectural character.
- Review proposals for the development of properties abutting historic resources to ensure that land use or new construction does not detract from the architectural characteristics and environmental setting of the historic resource.
- Utilize scenic easements to protect the settings of historic resources.
- Maintain the character of historic resources by allowing variances from the strict provisions of building codes.
- Design public facilities to minimize adverse impacts on historic resources.
- Significant archeological sites should remain undisturbed.
- Encourage the use of interpretative plaques about the history of archeological sites, or about the history of an area.
- Encourage historic interpretation signage for trails and connecting historic features.
Click here for Community Heritage Action Plan Indicators and Linkages