Historic Pella Trust Creating A Historic Preservation District In Pella

Historic Preservation District - outline Introduction and Background Why should we create a Historic Preservation District? Where should the first Historic Preservation District be located? What should we expect for a Historic District ?

Introduction & Background Pella has a rich tradition of stylish architecture dating back to 1847 Many of these buildings have outlived their useful lives BUT many have an irreplaceable style and charm In the first 11 months of 2013 Pella lost over 14 houses built prior to At this rate, we will lose more than 140 historic houses in the next 10 years Some of these houses were basic building blocks of some of our elegant historic neighborhoods The character, charm and property values of these neighborhoods can be severely damaged by these losses.

Introduction & Background cont. This neighborhood damage can continue if the lost buildings are replaced by structures that represent architecture and appearances that are from a dramatically different era and style The cohesiveness and general feel of neighborhoods is lost as it becomes a collection of disjointed and non-complementary buildings The quality of life for Pella residents is diminished The appeal of Pella as a relocation destination is damaged, affecting the ability of our major employers to recruit top notch employees Our tourism industry will be damaged Over 100 Iowa communities have already established Historical Preservation Districts to protect these neighborhoods

Historic Preservation District – Why Historic neighborhoods can continue to look and feel historic This helps maintain the property value of older homes in the neighborhood Encourages others to invest in enhancing and preserving older homes in these neighborhoods Prevents some of our historic areas of town from going through a cycle of deterioration, destroy and rebuild

Why – cont. This is particularly important in the neighborhoods surrounding our downtown area It helps welcome visitors to Pella as they come in our main entrance corridors Positive Economic Development in Historic Districts: –Neighborhood home values up 5% to 141% –Help prevent sprawl diminishing core city real estate value –Recent Nebraska study showed $170 million per year of economic activity from historical preservation

Historic Preservation District - Where We have many historic areas that are important As we began working on the Collegiate Historic District it became clear that there was a lot of interest among the residents in this area in maintain the look and feel of their neighborhoods These residents fully appreciated living in an attractive, full-of-life traditional neighborhood

Houses in the Collegiate Historic District

Where - cont. These residents are very concerned with some of the real estate developments in their area They feel vulnerable that their neighborhood character will be damaged They fear these changes will reduce the value of their homes They dread the idea that changes in the make-up of their neighborhoods may force them to re-locate

Where - cont. This area is primarily populated by houses built from 1885 to 1925 The Collegiate District is bounded on the east by Main Street, on the west by the west side of West 1 st, on the north by Union and on the south by Independence Over 20 households in this area have signed a petition requesting their neighborhood be declared a Historic Preservation District

Where - cont.

Historic District – What Would It Mean for Pella? Iowa Code section deals with the matter of creating a Historic District The process of creating area guidelines would begin with passing an ordinance This is followed by creating a Historic Preservation Commission appointed by the City Council –Citizen volunteers –Property owner(s) from the historic district –Local architectural historian

What Does It Mean? – cont. New structures in the district would be expected to reflect the predominant architectural styles of the district: HPC Guidelines for new “Infill” Buildings Property owners in the district would be expected to do major maintenance and remodeling on their homes in a way that maintains the property’s historic appearance: HPC Repair and Maintenance Guidelines Demolition Permits in the historic district would require HPC approval

What Does It Mean? - cont. Common Categories of HPC Guidelines for new “Infill” Buildings –Architectural style –Materials and colors –Set back/placement on the lot –Orientation on the lot –Scale (overall height and width) –Massing –Foundation height –Number of stories –Roof form –Window size and placement –Doors –Porch size and location –Architectural style –Materials and colors

What Does It Mean? - cont. Examples of what it means to maintain historic with new construction; single family, duplexes and multi-family

What Does It Mean? - cont. Selected Details from HPC Guidelines for New “Fill-In” Buildings –Architectural style A variety of historic styles are in the district(s), and it is suggested that new construction recognize the historic styles in its scale and overall mass, if not in the specific detailing. New or modern styles can be integrated into the districts if done in a manner that is sensitive to the historic character of the district. –Materials and colors Several materials are prominent features of the historic districts, such as the lap siding, local limestone and brick. New construction should attempt to incorporate or reference these materials, or their colors, dimensions, and textures. As example, new construction lap siding material may use a substitute material in place of wood siding if the substitute material retains the appearance and function of wood. The substitute material must be durable and accept paint. In many applications, fiber cement board is an approved wood substitute.

What Does It Mean? - cont. –Roof form Roof form and slope is largely dependent on architectural style New construction should fall within a range of 8:12 (8 inches of rise per 12 inches of run) to 12:12. Hipped and gabled roof styles are the most common forms. Roofing material should complement the texture and color for existing roofs in the historic district. –Window size and placement Window sizes and shapes are often related to architectural style, and the historic districts display a variety of forms. New construction should attempt to mimic the overall proportions, symmetrical arrangement, and decorative trim of the windows in adjacent structures. As example, window characteristics and elements include the window type, size, proportion, trim lintels, sills, decorative hoods and pediments, pattern of divided lights, mullions, sash and decorative glass. Most often, historic windows are double-hung, but casements were occasionally used. –Etc.

The citizens of the Collegiate Historic District and Historic Pella Trust respectfully request that the Pella City Council consider and adopt an ordinance creating an Historic Preservation Ordinance in accordance with the Code of Iowa Section for the suggested area.