Historical May 1976 clarification of the April Historic District proposal, not a statement of current regulations.
Some things we left out or befuddled in The Paper’s April issue, where the Historic District Committee tried to explain its work, need explanation or clarification. First, a clarification. There are currently five designated Historic Districts in St. Louis. They are: Lafayette Park, Central West End, Kingsbury Place/ Washington Terrace, Visitation Park, and Soulard. Carondolet, Hyde Park, Compton Heights and Benton Park are currently working on their Historic District plans, and several areas of the old Cabanne District north of us are beginning their groundwork. While all these areas have some historic or architectural prominence in their pasts (as has most of St. Louis), obviously the basic reason for Historic District designation today is the desire of each district’s residents to maintain some means of control over their neighborhood. What each of these diverse areas really has in common, then, is active residents who want some say in what happens to their small community existing within the larger City.
Second, an apology for not making more clear the immense number of ordinances which control almost everything that can be done to your lot and home, inside and out. Our list of “for instances” was just that – a short list. The Building Commissioner’s office has a 3″ thick notebook of small-print regulations on what can and can’t be done, and how.
Third, we must caution everyone that some of our proposed standards may or may not comply with current codes. Frankly, the committee was just too inexpert to know all of the codes, and has gratefully left that area to the Community Development Agency which does have the experts who will know. We followed other Historic District proposals in some things, but “winged it” in other areas which seemed to us to be important.
Fourth, a clarification of the Historic Histrict Review Committee. This committee is to be a standing committee of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council which will be charged with aiding residents in finding replacement parts and logical alternatives where replacement parts are unavailable. The Review Committee will also try to interpret our standards to any of our residents who wish to do something to the front of their homes. In other words, the Historic District Review Committee is intended to be a “hassle-prevention” committee, sharing information and ideas and helping to get permits for residents as fast and as easily as possible.
Since the small meetings to discuss the Historic District proposal will all probably be held after the Art Fair, during May, an area-wide meeting of all people within the proposed Historic District will be held in early-to-mid-June, sponsored by the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council and Alderman Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. The date of this meeting will be printed in the June issue of The Paper. Please think up your hardest questions for the small meetings, so we can be sure to let everyone make a carefully-thoughtout contribution to this ordinance!
Originally published in The Paper, May 1976.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed “Carondolet” and “Histrict Review Committee” retained.
Original source: SD_Times1976_05.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
