Historical September 1990 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The Historic District Review Committee has met several times over the summer.
There are four items to be reported on. 1) The Skinker DeBaliviere Council office now has a Polaroid camera which may be borrowed to take the pictures required for building or “Heritage-only” permits. Both types of permits require a photo of the front and rear elevations.
The camera may be borrowed for a 24-hour period.
A valid Missouri driver’s license or a major credit card must be left at the Council as a deposit.
In cases when neither is available, a $25 cash deposit will be permitted. Borrowers must pay for the number of photographs in advance, an estimate is $1.00 per photo.
This service is being offered by the Council to keep the building permit process work easily for everyone. Call to reserve the camera at 862-5122. 2) A quick reminder of what improvements require building permits: almost everything.
If it does not require a building permit, it probably requires a “Heritageonly” permit.
This includes: window replacements; storm windows and doors; major tuckpointing; repair and/or replacement of cornices, brackets, soffits, porches, balustrades; additions of shutters or trellises; demolitions of any kind; new construction of any kind; siding; and the painting or repainting of brick or stone masonry.
Please do not be taken in by sales people from home improvement companies saying that siding, windows, bracket work, etc., does not require a permit.
It does and as the homeowner you will be responsible for undoing work that was incorrectly done.
There is a hand-out available from the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council office, 862-5122 or call Katie Kurtz, 727-6377 for further information. 3) Beginning sometime in September, there will be a building-by-building photo survey of the entire Skinker-DeBaliviere Historic District.
These photographs will serve as an architectural record of our neighborhood and a source for neighbors planning work on their properties.
The survey will cover the fronts of buildings only (or the sides or rears if visible from the street). 4) As a follow-up to item #2 above, letters have been sent to several window and home improvement companies which have been soliciting business in our area.
These letters seek to inform the companies of our area’s status as an historic district and what standards are in place because of this designation.
Please remember that much of what these companies are trying to sell are not part of our historic district standards.
In fact, there is evidence that vinyl siding incorrectly applied, without proper ventilation, may cause severe dryrot, and that many replacement windows have to be re-replaced after fifteen years.
The Historic District Review Committee is working on various long-term costs of various products and hopes to be able to provide some cost-effective comparison’s in the future.
If you have any questions about any of these items or for anything else, please call Nancy Farmer at 862-5122 or Katie Kurtz, 727-6377.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September 1990.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1990_09.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 5.
