Protecting our Neighborhoods

"The primary strength of a local designation is that it can be tailored to specific community needs and provides greater protection for local resources."
City of Prescott, Arizona, Master Plan, 1997

Lafayette's historic neighborhoods are essential to our identity as a city. Passing through the 20th century relatively unscathed by "urban renewal" and demolition, Lafayette sits as an architectural treasure on the Wabash. Surprisingly, many of these very intact and historic neighborhoods remain unprotected to this day. Protection through the establishment of local protective districts is essential to preserving our city's historic character and identity.

While Lafayette's old city boasts many historic districts that have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, very few of these districts have any real protection. The National Register of Historic Places makes this very clear stating "Under federal law, owners of private property listed in the National Register are free to maintain, manage, or dispose of their property as they choose, provided that there is no Federal involvement." Essentially, Lafayette's historic city is is grossly underprotected, leaving our historic core vulnerable to demolition, defacement, and decay. Without our historic neighborhoods, Lafayette would quickly lose what makes it, well, Lafayette.

Left- Nationally recognized historic districts, Right- Actual protected historic districts

So you may be thinking, "Well, that's great and all, but how does a neighborhood become protected?"
Well, there are 3 questions that come to mind.

1) What is a local protected district?
2) How is it created?
3) What does it mean for property owners?

1) What is a local protected district? The city of Lafayette defines the purpose of a historic district as a means to "Promote the educational, cultural and general welfare of the citizens of Lafayette and to insure the harmonious and orderly growth and development of the municipality; to maintain established residential neighborhoods in danger of having their distinctiveness destroyed; to enhance property values and attract new residents; to ensure the viability of the traditional Downtown area and to enhance heritage tourism within the City of Lafayette." link

A local protected district is a protected historic district where demolition, construction, exterior remodel, and major exterior alterations are guided by rules that preserve the historic character of the neighborhood. For example, if someone were to add onto their historic property within a protected district, they would follow guidelines that made sure the addition was sensitive to the historic character of the house.


2) How is it created? A local protected district is established through an ordinance passed by the city council. The council establishes a specific district deemed historically and architecturally significant enough for preservation. link

3) What does it mean for property owners? Owning a property in a protected local district has its perks, but it does come with limitations. A protected district, as stated in 1), is protected. This means that demolition, new construction, or major exterior alterations to a historic structure must be reviewed first in order to guide new development and alterations in a way that preserves the historic character of the structure and neighborhood. However, contrary to popular myth, a review board cannot tell you what to actively do, nor can they retroactively disapprove of alterations that occurred before the neighborhood became protected. The goal is not to turn these historic buildings into museums, but rather to adapt to new uses and changes while preserving the historic character. A board cannot make you restore your house, but a protected district can prevent you from removing architecturally significant features, demolishing a historic property, etc. But, even then, an appeal can be made if there is no means of financial gain from the property, and if approved, demolition or alteration may proceed. More on the details of Lafayette law regarding local historic districts can be found here.

While the Centennial Neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places, it remains unprotected to this day. Photo courtesy of Bobbie Lutes Photography

Benefits

So you may be thinking "Well, preserving these historic houses is great and all, but what benefit is it to property owners? Is it worth new limitations?"


For a property owner, a property in a protected district means not only higher property values but also may qualify your property for a form of financial assistance, such as a local tax incentive for historic preservation, if the local government has passed a tax incentives ordinance. It also provides stability for development, investment, and, less quantifiable but still important, maintaining a connection to the past.

Property Values
Indiana Landmarks found when surveying Hoosiers about protective districts that their primary concern was "Won't my property values go down if I have to submit to whatever requirements the preservation commission decides to impose?"

Not only will your property values not go down, they will very likely increase with designation of a protected historic district.

The Department of Urban Planning in Tuscon, Arizona put together this graph showing the increase in property values in protected districts when compared to similar neighborhoods without protection.

Source

As the graph shows, property values consistently increase in neighborhoods with actual protection across the nation.

In Indianapolis, a study looked at property values in two adjacent neighborhoods- Fletcher Place and Holy Rosary Danish Church- Both listed in the national Register and both identical in location and development, but only Fletcher Place was protected by a local historic district. While both neighborhoods appreciated in value, Fletcher Place with its protective status appreciated at a much faster rate than the unprotected Holy Rosary neighborhood. Source

Further more, in The Economics of Historic Preservation Donovan D. Rypkema notes that protected districts were less vulnerable to economic fluctuations and market volatility.  

So, why are property values better in protected districts? One major component can be attributed to the stability a protected district provides.

Stability

Historic Districts provide stability in development and ensure future projects and alterations respect the character of a historic neighborhood, which helps to preserve and increase property values.

The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources noted in 2007 that "Historic Districts encourage reinvestment. When you are part of an historic district, you have some certainty that any new construction or renovation activity will be respectful of the existing character of the community and its architecture. Historic district regulations are quality assurance standards, so that if you invest in your building, you are assured that your investment won't be negated by a thoughtless renovation next door. Real estate agents in many communities use historic district status as a marketing tool to sell properties, because buyers are assured that the aspects that make a particular area attractive will be protected over a period of time." Source

Historic districts ensure new developments and alterations are respectful to the neighborhood (Photo Courtesy of Bobbie Lutes Photography)

Indiana has several examples of successful protected historic districts that have proven key not only for preserving the character and architecture of a historic neighborhood, but also spurring economic rebirth. Madison Indiana is an excellent example of this.

Madison Indiana Nps.gov

 Today it is a tourist destination and the town enjoys not only beautiful historic architecture, but also a healthy economy that stands in stark contrast to an economically struggling southeastern Indiana. Madison is remarkably intact and possesses a vast number of historic buildings. In the early 1980's, the city council of Madison made a bold and innovative move to save their city from economic decay and destruction. They turned 133 city block into a protected historic district. This allowed Madison to preserve its historic character while adapting to new needs and changes, essential for their economic rebirth seen today. The fruits of Madison's preservation efforts can be seen in its choice as one of America's Best Communities. Furthermore, Urban Initiatives named Madison’s historic Main Street a Great American Public Place in 1995, and in June 2007 Midwest Living named Madison number four on its list of the top 100 places to visit in the Midwest, with many more awards here. Historic district protection turned a declining typical Indiana town into a beacon of economic rebirth and tourism. Now imagine what it can do for our historic neighborhoods!

Lafayette itself has seen the benefit of protected historic districts. Our own courthouse square and Main street are protected districts and have gone through (and continue to go through) an impressive transformation from economic decline and decay to a bustling hub of shops, fine dining, art galleries, theaters, hip bars, and high end apartments and condos.

Downtown Lafayette is a beneficiary of historic protection

Conclusion

The protection of our city's historic neighborhoods and architecture results in better stability, higher property values, and increased investment. The establishment of protective districts in the city is a no brainer for city leaders and property owners alike.