Council Examines Historic District Plans

The Canton City Council learned more about the possible design guidelines for the city's proposed historic district during its meeting at City Hall last Thursday.

Paige Hatley, a consultant from MACTEC, came before the council to describe their proposed guidelines that would maintain a historic feel to the downtown area, and outlines the process by which the city can designate downtown a local historic district.

Although many parts of downtown Canton are already on the National Register of Historic Places, this is an honorary designation that does not come with any provisions for local control of proposed changes to the property's exterior.

If a building falls within a local Historic District, which will be designated by a city ordinance, all changes to a building's exterior must receive approval from a city Historic Preservation Commission before modifications can begin.

The MACTEC proposed Historic District in Canton piggybacks off the National Historic District already in the city, but reigns the district in to the railroad tracks, Waleska Street, North Street,  West Marietta Street, East Main Street and Dr. John T. Pettit Street.

The presentation also provided design guidelines within the historic district, which will provide a uniformity in style to all historic buildings and any proposed new buildings or renovations. These guidelines are not intended to create exact copies of the same building, but to prevent a building with a super-modern appearance to disrupt the historic feel of the district.

Guidelines are also included for fencing, sidewalks, and the process by which historic homes can be converted to commercial use. Mayor Gene Hobgood asked for an additional study on ways to the design guidelines being proposed for downtown can be expanded to the historic homes that ring the downtown area.

It is expected that the city and MACTEC will look at the cost of adding the historic homes to the design contract, and will submit a change order to the contract if the financials of the deal are acceptable.

The final slide of the presentation (which is attached to this article) outlines the 11 steps required by a city or municipality to implement the historic district and design guidelines therein. The City of Canton has yet to adopt a historic preservation ordinance or appoint city residents to a Historic Preservation Committee, but documents already exist or can be easily prepared which will accelerate this process.

Once the design guidelines are adopted, the city must hold public meetings to declare certain property historic and subject to the guidelines. If the property is deemed historic, owners wishing to make changes to the outside appearance of the building must apply for and receive certificates of appropriateness before starting work.

It is not clear when the city will adopt a historic preservation notice and appoint members to the Historic Preservation Committee; no such items appear on the agenda for the March 7 city council meeting.