Dear Mayor Krajewski and Commissioners:

Per the Village Council’s request, Architectural Design Review Board has been discussing the Village’s need and desire for Historic Preservation regulations.  At the June 22, 2006 meeting of the ADRB, a motion was made by Mr. Pappalardo, and seconded by Mr. Matthies, to recommend moving forward with adopting Historic Preservation regulations.  Specifically, the Board has been reviewing the draft ordinance developed by Village staff.

The Board would like to include the following findings and recommendations for moving forward with developing a final Historic Preservation ordinance:

Findings:

1. The Architectural Design Review Board finds Historic Preservation will be a useful tool for protecting and preserving the Village’s historic structures and properties.
2. The Board finds the Historic Preservation regulations will provide a vehicle for residents to protect the character of existing neighborhoods while continuing to provide protection of private property rights.
3. The Board finds that Historic Preservation is a necessary tool for encouraging sensitive residential redevelopment.

In addition to the findings, the Architectural Design Review Board would like to include the following recommendations to guide the Village Council in the development of these regulations:

1. The Village Council should seek more public input through Community Forums and/or other public meetings to help guide the final drafting of the ordinance.
2. The proposed regulations should be reviewed and modified prior to final Village Council consideration.
3. Provisions for Neighborhood Conservation Districts should be added to the draft ordinance as these regulations will help preserve neighborhood character in areas that may not meet the standards for protection as a Historic District.
4. The regulations should be on a voluntary basis and should continue to allow for owner consent.
5. The Village Council should endeavor to develop incentive programs to entice the use of Historic Preservation and/or Neighborhood Conservation Regulations.

For further information:
Information on historic preservation at the national and state level can be obtained from:

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, www.nthp.org
The Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, www.landmarks.org

Information about the activities of the Downers Grove Architectural Review Board and the Village Council agenda may be found at the Village website, www.downers.us

Information about the Orange Lyman house can be found on the Pierce Downer Heritage Alliance website, see: http://www.pdha.org/Documents/PDHA%202004%20Spring%20Gray%20NL.pdf