Newsletter for Ohio s Certified Local Governments Ohio Historic Preservation Office Ohio Historical Society Winter 2013 It s All Local The Importance of Your Local Review Inside this issue: It s All Local 1 Question: How does state or federal review of a project impact your decisions as a local board/commission? Answer: Very little, if at all. While every local review board should be aware of state and federal policies, your board/commission s ultimate responsibility is to your ordinance. That law, passed by your local council, is what guides your local process. The most commonly cited difference between local and federal/state decisions arises from design review, particularly in the instance of Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit (OHPTC) or the Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit (federal tax credit). These same projects are most commonly within local historic districts, and subject to local design standards and design guidelines. State and federal reviewers are using the Secretary of the Interior s Standards for Rehabilitation the same standards that may be outlined in your ordinance. Yet differences may arise when other elements of decision making are introduced. Tax credit reviewers are looking holistically at a project, including alterations to the interior of the property (which most local ordinances in Ohio do not regulate). Local design review of a project may take into account the local plan, zoning requirements, local design guidelines, and other elements not considered by other entities outside local government. Any of these elements outside of the basic application of the Standards for Rehabilitation to the exterior of a property can alter the board/commission or reviewer s decision. We at the Ohio Historic Preservation Office encourage local commissions to continue to work through public outreach and education with property owners to alert them to the differences between local actions and those at the state and federal levels. We strongly recommend that all tax credit projects be submitted and reviewed by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office before work is started. These reviews are independent, and approval at the local level does not mean automatic state/federal approval. If you find that many of your decisions are being overturned or disagreeing with state and federal reviews, especially if you are primarily using the Secretary of the Interior s Standards for Rehabilitation, it may be time to consult with our office. Some differences may arise between federal standards and local guidelines, but discrepancies between reviews using the same standards language may indicate some problems. Even if everything is working out, it may be helpful to have some training. Additional Review Resources Online Training from the National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/tps/education/ online-training.htm National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Training http://napc.uga.edu/education/camp/ Manager s Special 2 CLG Grant 2013 3 Special Message from Heritage Ohio 4
Page 2 The Manager s Special A Message From Ohio s Certified Local Government Manager Greetings CLG Managers, Commission/Board Members, and City Staff. I hope you all had a great holiday season. Now is the time, though, to seize the cold winter months and take stock of your preservation program and make a few New Year s resolutions. Start with using part of a regular meeting to read over your ordinance. Are you doing everything it says? Have there been parts you have neglected? How about outreach and educational opportunities? No program is perfect, and everyone has room to grow and improve. Where can you? Another thing to consider? Partnerships. Budgets are tight, resources are stretched, and there is always lots and lots to do. So, why not work on developing relationships with organizations, nonprofits, neighborhood associations, and others in your community that can help promote historic preservation, community and economic development, and local history? In addition to possible labor to help with survey work and filling out forms, these groups offer you valuable information about the activities in your community. It is a chance to reconnect and expand your influence, and the influence of historic preservation, in your community. Survey is also good in the winter. Sure, it s cold. But you can get photographs that are unimpeded by leaves and most plants. This can help you view more of the building, and see more details. In other words, use your time wisely. Examine your local program, and how it fits within the local government and the community at large. See how you can increase your impact and how you can do more. Nathan A. Bevil CLG & Preservation Services Manager P.S. A question for all of you: does the format of this newsletter matter? Would a digest email be more accessible? A summary of preservation-related articles? What info and what format would you all like to see? The State Historic Preservation Plan is Coming! Every five years or so, each state prepares a state historic preservation plan to submit to the National Park Service. This document serves as a blueprint for statewide historic preservation activities. The plan isn t a work plan for the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, or for any single organization. It is a statement about how historic preservation fits into the statewide conversation, how it is utilized and perceived, and the challenges the historic preservation movement faces. Over the next two years I will be talking with each of you to discuss specific local historic preservation issues. Most of the Advisory Board s work will be done through email, and we may seek your input or the input of community leaders. We want to make sure that the voices of all our CLGs are heard in the planning process. So keep a look out!
Page 3 As I mentioned in the last newsletter, the CLG Grant timeline has been moved up a month. Applications are now due February 1, 2013. If you are proposing a National Register nomination, you should have submitted your Questionnaire by January 11th. Remember that there are seven grant categories: planning, survey & inventory, registration, pre-development, acquisition, development and education/other. There are eight grant priorities, which garner an application extra points in the scoring process. For 2013 the priorities are: Projects involving multiple CLGs working collaboratively or that involve innovative approaches that could apply to multiple communities. Projects that involve and recognize the heritage of underrepresented groups promoting the cultural diversity of Ohio. Projects to develop or update local historic preservation planning documents or the implementation of the community s historic preservation plan recommendations Community or neighborhoodbased survey projects that Certified Local Government Grants 2013 Tips & General Information Building Doctor promote sound preservation planning through the completion of systematic identification and evaluation of historic resources Projects to survey, nominate, or rehabilitate resources of the recent past, such as mid-20th century properties Projects that encourage local protection of historic properties through local designations Education projects with emphasis on green technology or innovative use of technology related to historic buildings Projects that address an immediate threat to a National Register of Historic Placeslisted property Remember that local nonprofits may also serve as your grant administrator, so reach out and connect with Main Streets, local historical societies, and other organizations with similar goals. If you need any additional information or to obtain an application, please visit www.ohpo.org and click on the link for the CLG Program. For questions contact Kathy Fortener at 614-298-2000 or kfortener@ohiohistory.org The 2013 Building Doctor season is now upon us (the first clinic is in March!!) but we are also now accepting applications for the 2014 season. If you are interested in hosting the Building Doctors, please contact Mariangela Pfister at 614-298-2000 or mpfister@ohiohistory.org. And remember, as a CLG you get a discount!
Page 4 Special Message from Heritage Ohio Save the Date: February 25-26, 2013 Heritage Ohio, with the generous support of the Jeffris Family Foundation, will host a two-day Fundraising Workshop in Columbus February 25 & 26, 2013. There are certainly many deserving projects in need of funding here in Ohio, but many struggle to make their case. This two-day fundraising workshop will be very interactive and train board, staff and volunteers. Topics will include board development, case statements and annual campaigns. There will also be two lunch-time panels designed to engage participants in a discussion of successful models in fundraising. Panelists will share how they have gone from ordinary to extraordinary fundraisers and share their best and worst solicitation stories. The workshop is designed to be fun, inspirational, and move your projects forward. In order to be a more effective workshop, participants will be expected to attend in small groups. At least two members from each organization registering must attend. Heritage Ohio is pleased to be partnering with the Ohio Historical Society, Ohio History Alliance, and Goettler and Associates in planning this workshop. For more information about location, costs, and a list of panelists and presenters visit heritageohio.org or call 614.258.6200.
Page 5 Ohio s Certified Local Governments Calendar of Events Akron Alliance Aurora Avon Lake Barberton Berea Brookfield Township Burton Canal Fulton Canal Winchester Canfield Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Dayton Delaware Dublin Elyria Euclid Galion Gallipolis Glendale Green Hamilton Hudson Jefferson Kent Lakewood Lancaster Lorain Madison Mansfield Mariemont Marysville Massillon Medina Millersburg Montgomery Mt. Pleasant New Richmond North Olmsted Oberlin Olmsted Falls Oxford Parma Perrysburg Portsmouth Salem Shaker Heights Springboro Steubenville Tipp City Toledo Waynesville Willoughby Zanesville February 1: CLG Grant applications due at OHPO February 25-26: Fundraising for Small Non- Profits (See page 4. Contact Heritage Ohio for more information at www.heritageohio.org) March 16: Ohio Local History Alliance Region 7 Meeting, Local Historical Societies and Historic Preservation Organizations. Auglaize County Historical Society, Wapakoneta. (Contact the Ohio Local History Alliance at www.ohiolha.org) April 14-16: National Main Street Conference, New Orleans, LA Ohio Historic Preservation Office 800 East 17th Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211-2474 ph: 614.298.2000 fx: 614.298.2037 www.ohpo.org Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Individual staff hours may vary) To better serve you we recommend that you call ahead for an appointment Publication of this newsletter has been made possible in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior s National Park Service, administered by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society. U.S. Department of the Interior regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age or disability. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of federal assistance should write: Director, Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127.