Historic Preservation Commission

History

The Historic Preservation Commission was formed in the Fall of 2004.  It was created to assure that Tuscaloosa’s historic resources are maintained in a manner appropriate to the city’s heritage.  It provides primary guidance in the planning and design of projects that are sympathetic to the special character of the historic districts. Click here to view portions of Chapter 20 of the City Code pertaining to the Historic Preservation Commission and our historic districts in general.

Meetings
The City of Tuscaloosa Historic Preservation Commission normally meets on the second Wednesday of each month. The purpose of these meetings is to review applications for Certificates of Appropriateness for work being done to properties in historic districts.  Click here  to view the November 2009 legal notice. 

2009 Meeting Dates & Deadlines

Certificate of Appropriateness 

In any historic district, no building or structure may be erected or demolished, and no material change in the exterior appearance of such property or structure shall be made or permitted to be made by the owner or occupant unless or until an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) has been submitted to and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The HPC will review properly submitted applications at their regularly scheduled monthly public hearing. Each application will be reviewed for consistency with the Historic Preservation Commission Design Guidelines.

A Work Classification Appendix is provided in the Design Guidelines that indicates the level of review required for specific types of work being performed in historic districts.

Items listed in the Appendix in the Major Work category require the submission of a Certificate of Appropriateness Application and full HPC review.

Items listed in the Minor Work category may be approved by the Planning Department Staff on a case-by-case basis provided that a complete Certificate of Appropriateness Application, including exhibits and fees, is submitted, and that the proposal also meets all relevant current policies and standards adopted by the HPC. Such review and approval shall not require a public hearing or notice to adjoining property owners.   

Items listed in the Routine Maintenance category and involving no material changes will only require the submission of an Expedited Review Application. This application is reviewed by the Planning Department Staff.

Demolitions 

The HPC will not grant a COA for the demolition or relocation of any property within an historic district unless the HPC finds that the removal or relocation of such building will not be detrimental to the historical or architectural character of the district. In making this determination, the HPC will consider the following:

a.   The historic or architectural significance of the structure;

b.   The importance of the structure to the integrity of the Historic District, the immediate vicinity, an area, or relationships to other structures;

c.   The difficulty or the impossibility of reproducing the structure because of its design, texture, material, detail or unique location;

d.   Whether the structure is one of the last remaining examples of its kind in the neighborhood, the county, or the region or is a good example of its type, or is part of an ensemble of historic buildings creating a neighborhood;

e.   Whether there are definite plans for refuse of the property if the proposed demolition is carried out, and what effect such plans will have on the architectural, cultural, historical, archaeological, social, aesthetic, or environmental character of the surrounding area.

A Demolition Application is required to be submitted to and approved by the HPC at their regularly scheduled monthly hearing. This application shall contain the following information:

1)   The date the owner acquired the property, purchase price, and condition on date of acquisition;

2)   The number and types of adaptive uses of the property considered by the owner;

3)   Whether the property has been listed for sale, prices asked and offers received, if any;

4)   Description of the options currently held for the purchase of such property, including the price received for such option, the conditions placed upon such option and the date of expirations of such option;

5)   Replacement construction plans for the property in question and amounts expended upon such plans, and the dates of such expenditures;

6)   Financial proof of the ability to complete the replacement project, which may include but not be limited to a performance bond, a letter of credit, a trust for completion of improvements, or a letter of commitment from a financial institution; and

7)   Such other information as may reasonably be required by the commission.

Historic Preservation Commission Members

 

For additional information, please contact Brendan Moore at 248-5080.

Documents

Affidavit of Ownership & Acknowledgement of Notice regarding the application of a proposed historic district

Certificate of Economic Hardship

Map of Historic Districts