If you’re a resident of the Historic District, you’ve probably heard about the Historic District Commission (HDC) and the design review process. However, you might not be sure what design review involves, where to find guidelines, or why this process is important.
Design Review
When you’re planning external alterations beyond normal maintenance, you’ll need to plan for the design review process. It’s recommended that you contact staff early in your planning so review can go smoothly. Here’s a change you might not know about although that could make your fall maintenance easier: if you’re planning on repainting your house (previously painted surfaces), doing general maintenance or cleaning design review isn’t needed.
Design Guidelines
Earlier versions of the guidelines had some shortcomings – they lumped a variety of architectural styles and eras together, provided unclear alternative material recommendations, and offered a limited discussion of why certain methods were preferred over others – which made the guidelines frustrating for homeowners and difficult for the HDC and staff to use.
The HDC, city staff, and the Lakota Group (Chicago-based historic preservation planning consultant) collaborated on a comprehensive update to the guidelines. Since last fall we’ve worked on updating the guidelines to make them more inclusive of community needs and address topics previously overlooked.
The new guidelines still address appropriate methods for preserving buildings, and also provide information about architectural styles, sustainable design, and adaptive use of existing buildings. New illustrations and photos help make key ideas more accessible and clearly outline appropriate preservation methods.
The book is not 200 pages of rules. Don’t be intimidated when you check out the new guidelines – it may be big, but it’s a resource to help you be a steward of your historic property. This educational document can help you properly maintain each component of your home from the foundation to the finial!
Design guidelines can be found online at espreservation.org/guidelines or a professionally bound copy can be purchased at City Hall for $15.
Importance of Architectural Integrity
During design review, a project proposal, the building’s character and history, and the guidelines are considered to determine if the project is appropriate for the specific property. Design review helps protect what makes individual properties special and the city of Eureka Springs an exceptional place to explore historic architecture.
To be considered a historic building, a property must have integrity, meaning it retains the special physical features that illustrate the story of its history. These are called character-defining features and are unique to every property. They may include the general size of a building, details like windows or porch decorations, or even the space between buildings. The purpose of design review is to ensure that exterior changes to a historic property are planned to protect the property’s integrity or historic character.
Kylee Hevrdejs, khevrdejs@eurekaspingsar.gov