Historical April 1976 proposal and period costs; this article does not describe current law or current prices.
After more than a year of work the Historic District Proposal is ready for scrutiny by the community. The members of the committee would like you to keep a few ideas in mind as you read and discuss it.
First, this is now only a proposal. There will be ample opportunity for your ideas to be included before it is written in final form and presented to the Board of Aldermen.
Secondly, everything that now exists on your property can stay. Even if it is in direct conflict with the standards passed into law, it can stay. If you now have an asphalt front yard you can keep it. If you now have a 20 foot high, rusty chain link’ fence in front, you can keep it. If you now have a purple plastic roof, you can keep it. But no more of these monstrosities will be permitted.
Most of the residential appearance standards are matters of taste. The proposal seeks to regulate the facades of the houses for “the greater good.” Property values will increase if harmonious streetscapes are maintained. Many items that are specifically excluded were done so to preserve the character or historic flavor of this area. Yellow vinyl siding, for example, may be fine on a ranch house in a subdivision somewhere in south county, but it is out of place in our neighborhood.
There are several items in the residential appearance standards which may raise questions of cost. I spent a while on the phone with the Yellow Pages to investigate a few of these. Since most of our doors and windows are nonstandard sizes and require custom made fixtures, getting estimates is difficult.
I used the dimensions of my large front window when I called McAlpine, Jefferson Tent and Awning, and Youngstown. There was no price difference in original installation of an aluminum or canvas awning. Both were approximately $125 for a 90 inch window. The frame of the canvas awning will last the life of the house. The fabric will last at least five to seven years and the cost is 2/3 of the original price to replace. One of our neighbors in Parkview has canvas awnings which are over 10 years old and have not ever been taken down in winter. Metal awnings, while perhaps lasting longer, are also susceptible to hail damage. The installation cost of a standard size economy storm window (unfinished or raw aluminum) is $29.50. Generally it is 50¢ extra for each inch over the standard size. An anodized window is $2 more, A white or color finish is $3.50 more at one company, $4 more than raw aluminum at another company called. The price increase is slight when one considers the advantages in looks and wear.
The present owners of raw aluminum storm doors and windows are encouraged to paint them. If they have been on the house for a year or two they will hold the paint very well and greatly enhance the house.
The basic notion of a historic district is a neighborhood imposing standards on itself. These standards are higher, that is stricter, than those in the rest of the city. In this way we can insure the quality and preserve the character of our area. Lending institutions and propsective homeowners see this as a sign of loyalty to our homes and faith in their future.
Originally published in The Paper, April 1976.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1976_04.pdf, printed page(s) 5, 8; PDF page(s) 5, 8.
