13 - Facade Grant Updates - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No. 13 Memorandum TO: Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Andrew Mack, Director of Planning and Development Cheri Bedford, Historic Preservation Officer SUBJECT: Facade Grant updates DATE: June 1, 2023 BACKGROUND: The Paris Historic Preservation Commission provides incentives for facade grants for historic structures. The purpose of the grant is to assist property owners with rehabilitation of the historic structures in the Historic Districts. The current grant amount given is $2,500.00 for commercial property, and $1,000.00 for residential properties. In the 2022/2023 fiscal year budget, the City Council approved additional funds for the facade grants to be given to property owners. This benefited the historic districts property owners with incentives in the residential historic districts, and with the institution of the vacant property ordinance in the HD -2 Church ST residential district, we hoped to assist those who might need help meeting the criteria of the VPR. In addition, the HPC expanded the historic districts in Paris, nominating the Pine Bluff/Fitzhugh National Register District as having a local historic district overlay. This effort was met with support in the two town hall meeting held with the residents, one in July 2022 at City Council chambers, and one in April 2023, at a church in the neighborhood. With these changes, additional funding for facade grants is anticipated. Given the recent resurgence of the downtown, and the cost of construction in general, the commission is recommending the increase in the amount of the grant to property owners. STATUS OF ISSUE: A subcommittee was formed to review current guidelines and review current grant amount. The subcommittee members included HPO Bedford, Commissioner Long, Commissioner Matthews, Council Liaison Knox, Asst. City Manager Vine, Planning and Community Development Director Mack, Sherrie White, and Maureen Hammond. The first subcommittee meeting held on February 20, 2023, was to review what other cities were doing, and discuss what would be beneficial for property owners. Ms. Bedford had prepared a matrix of other city facade grants and requirements. After the first meeting an application was prepared and the subcommittee met again on March 6, 2023, to discuss and finalize a recommendation to the Historic Preservation Commission.