St. Charles, IL, 1960.
St. Charles, IL, 2022.
The above aerials of St. Charles looking south from the dam on the Fox River from 1960 (in black and white) and 2022 (in color) demonstrate how a city can evolve. Most of what can be seen in the photos is within St. Charles’s historic district, established in the late 1990s. There are many similarities between the pictures, and there are clear changes—the First Street Plaza area on the west bank of the Fox River south of Main Street is the most obvious. Zoning ordinances, written and overseen by local city council members and mayors, have the greatest influence over how a city changes. And it is the voters—local citizens—who choose those officials.
A Historic Preservation Ordinance, which St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia have, is a zoning ordinance specific to local historic landmarks and local historic districts. Most people are generally aware of zoning rules that designate where certain types of business can be located, the maximum height of a building, or how far a building must be set back from a public right-of-way. Since the zoning rules detailed in a city’s historic preservation ordinance are less commonly known, there is some misunderstanding about those rules and why they are there.
Below are answers to some of the most common questions brought up in the Tri-Cities about historic preservation:
HOW DOES HISTORIC PRESERVATION BENEFIT ME?
Historic places can often provide economic benefits such as enticing visitors to shop, eat, and stay in a unique, inviting environment. Buildings that are restored rather than replaced decrease construction debris in landfills and lessen the environmental impact of making new materials. Most importantly, historic preservation can improve a community’s quality of life by grounding people with a sense of place.
WHY CAN’T I DO WHATEVER I WANT TO MY PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT IS HISTORIC OR IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT?
Nearly all private property is subject to certain regulations in zoning laws. For example, in most cities, building height, building materials, and window sizes are regulated. Historic preservation ordinances regulate similar aspects of buildings with a greater level of detail. For example, most historic preservation ordinances request the use of historic or historic-appearing building materials and the retention of specific architectural features and window styles. Furthermore, compared to other zoning laws, historic preservation ordinances are much more flexible. The end goal of historic preservation is to retain as much of the historic character of a building as possible while also making a modern reuse of the building possible.
CAN A HISTORIC BUILDING OR BUILDING IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT BE TORN DOWN?
Yes. While each city has its specific requirements for approving the demolition of a historic building or a building in a historic district, each generally considers three primary factors: historic significance, structural condition, and integrity. Read more here.
ISN’T HISTORIC PRESERVATION JUST MORE BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE?
No. Historic preservation ordinances are in place to aid change, not prevent it. Volunteers appointed to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) by the mayor and affirmed by the city council review proposed property alterations and demolitions of buildings that are locally landmarked or in a historic district. Their role is to ensure that proposals adhere to the guidelines in the historic preservation ordinance. If a property owner disagrees with a decision by the HPC, they may appeal to the city council. Most historic preservation ordinances, though, are deliberately flexible so that the HPC and property owner can work together on a solution that benefits both the owner and the community. As a result, appeals to the city councils of St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia are rare.
DOESN’T HISTORIC PRESERVATION MAKE COSTS HIGHER?
It depends. Sometimes, a property owner wants to replace a historic element, such as a wood window, when repair is less expensive. Sometimes, a property owner wants to replace a historic material, such as wood siding, with a non-historic material that costs less but will likely diminish the historic integrity of the structure. Sometimes, historic preservation is more expensive.
Even when historic preservation is more expensive, incentives exist to even the playing field. For multimillion-dollar projects, there are federal and state tax credits available. For homeowners in Illinois, there is the Property Tax Assessment Freeze Program. Municipalities such as St. Charles and Batavia offer façade improvement grants.
Importantly, if historic preservation was usually too expensive, no one would do it. That, of course, is not the case.
CAN A PERSON LANDMARK A BUILDING THEY DO NOT OWN?
No. Most local historic preservation ordinances do, however, allow a private citizen to INITIATE a historic landmark application of a property they do not own. The Supreme Court has upheld this right in several landmark decisions (Village of Euclid v. Amber Realty Company, 1926; Berman v. Parker, 1954; and Penn Central Transportation v. City of New York, 1978).
However, INITIATING a historic landmark application does not mean that landmark status will be granted. The process typically involves public hearings where the owner can express their support or opposition to a landmark. A final decision comes from a vote from the City Council. In some ordinances, a super majority is required to approve a landmark against the desire of the property’s owner.
DOES HISTORIC PRESERVATION VIOLATE MY PROPERTY RIGHTS?
No. A building’s history and significance belong to the community within which it resides. That community consists of the people past, present, and future who have interacted with the parts of the built environment that are considered to be historically significant. The community, through its city council, therefore, rightfully has a say in how its history is to be preserved or not.
WHAT MAKES A BUILDING “HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT?”
While ordinances vary across the country, most follow guidance from the National Register of Historic Places.
Building is at least 50 years old
Building is associated with at least one of the following:
a. Person of historical significance
b. Event of historical significance
c. Master builder or architect
d. Information about people that cannot be discovered elsewhere
Integrity—the building is substantially similar to its original form and features
HOW DO YOU DEFINE “HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE?”
Generally, historical significance depends on the impact of a person or event on others. For example, Abraham Lincoln is historically significant because, as president of the United States, he had an enormous impact on millions of Americans. COVID-19 is a historically significant event because billions of people around the world have been impacted by it.
From a local perspective, Judge William Barry is historically significant in St. Charles because he was a well-known and influential lawyer, county judge, and Republican political operative. The manufacturing of windmills was a historically significant event in Batavia because several factories were built there employing hundreds of workers for decades.
Historic preservation ordinances are in place for the benefit of the community. They support viable community growth, ensure a sense of place is perpetuated for future generations, and create economically vibrant places for people to live, work, and visit. The Tri-Cities are as wonderful as they are because of the historic fabric of their downtowns and neighborhoods, ensured by their historic preservation ordinances.
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