Bills threaten local historic districts
A collective shudder ran through Michigan’s historic preservation community these past couple of weeks as details emerged about proposed legislation that could all but wipe out local historic districts in the state.
From Detroit’s Indian Village to Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill neighborhood, preservationists are crying foul.
The twin legislation, HB 5232 and SB 720, would end any historic districts in the state after 10 years, forcing residents and preservationists to apply anew every decade. Renewing a district’s standing would become much more difficult under the legislation; it would require not only a twothirds approval of property owners in the district but a majority vote of the city in the next general election. Other restrictions would apply as well.
For believers in preserving such treasured neighborhoods as Indian Village, Corktown, Lafayette Park and Palmer Woods, the presence of a local historic district has provided a bulwark against changes that would destroy the character of the area.
Without such protection, says Suzanne Schulz, planning director for the city of Grand Rapids, greedy developers would be able to snatch up properties in such districts and do what they will with them. Schultz estimates that perhaps two-thirds of the historic houses in her city’s Heritage Hill district would have been lost by now if not for protections offered by the local historic district.
“You’re always trying to stabilize these areas and provide some level of confidence for homeowners and business owners that when they invest in an area, their investment will be preserved,” Schulz said. “Being a homeowner in an historic district, you can have confidence that the home next door won’t have the front porch torn off and vinyl siding put up and vinyl windows installed.”
Nancy Finegood, director of the non-profit Michigan Historic Preservation Network, echoed that sentiment.
“The value is that your neighbor can’t do something inappropriate,” she said.