FAQ

The Charlotte Historic District Commission (HDC) was created in 1976 in connection with the redevelopment of the Fourth Ward. Seeing the impact that the redevelopment was having on the Fourth Ward and its historic character, City Council recognized the need and benefit to providing some regulatory protection for the preservation of historic neighborhoods like the Fourth Ward. As a result, the City Council adopted a Historic District Ordinance to provide for the designation of Local Historic Districts (LHDs) as well as a governmental commission (the HDC) to oversee and administer any changes within the LHDs that could potentially damage or destroy the historical character of the LHDs. The HDC is currently made up of 13 members appointed by the Mayor and City Council, 8 of which must own property, live or own businesses within the current LHDs. The remaining members are appointed at large. All of the members are required to have some demonstrable expertise or experience in the areas of neighborhood preservation, architecture, planning, history or other areas directly related to the HDC's mission: "...to ensure the preservation of any areas, structures, site and objects that are significant elements of the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of Charlotte and to safeguard the heritage of the city through the preservation and conservation of historical areas for the education, pleasure, and enhancement of the residents of the City."

Examples of "major renovations or projects" that are typically subject to review and approval by the full Historic District Commission include: New construction, large additions, demolition, front/side porch enclosures, substitute siding, large accessory buildings, major tree removal, significant landscape features, front yard parking, and the painting of unpainted masonry. Examples of "minor renovations or projects" that typically only require Administrative Approval include: fencing, signage, windows and doors, rear yard improvements, retaining walls, driveways, walkways, and some less substantial tree removal.

Yes, you can still renovate homes within a Local Historic District (LHD). The renovations may be subject to certain limitations, restrictions or conditions, such as approval by the Historic District Commission (HDC) in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness issued by the HDC after HDC's review of the property owner's application and any other supporting documentation that may be required in connection with the application, e.g., building plans or drawings; however, the required supporting documentation varies depending on the type and scope of the proposed renovations. While there may be some limitations, restrictions or conditions to a renovation, Local Historic Districts are not subject to blanket prohibitions against renovating homes or other properties located within the LHD.

Possibly. Any exterior renovations in a Local Historic District (LHD) require review and approval of the proposed renovation plans by the Historic District Commission (HDC), adding an additional layer of review and approval to the standard building permit process; thus, potentially increasing the time and cost involved in a project. The level and scope of review required by the HDC depends on the type and scope of the proposed renovation. Smaller renovations to the home or renovations involving exterior ancillary improvements (e.g., accessory buildings, driveways and landscaping or site features) typically only require Administrative Approval (i.e., review and approval by the HDC staff), which typically only takes 5-10 business days after the HDC office receives the completed application and fee. More extensive renovations, or proposed renovations that would not conform to the Historic District Design Standards, require review and approval by the full HDC, which can take 30 or more days due to the administrative proceedings and process involved in obtaining the full HDC approval. If the renovation requires full HDC review and approval, there is more likely to be additional time and costs involved due to the more extensive review and approval process required. That being said, it should be noted that roughly 2/3 of all Charlotte LHD projects submitted to the HDC's office for review and approval are only subject to Administrative Approval, so, in general, there is minimal additional time or cost involved for most renovations within Charlotte's LHDs.

No, not every single exterior change is subject to Historic District Commission (HDC) approval. You can repair a leaky roof without any HDC involvement. Ordinary repair and maintenance projects do not require any HDC review or approval, provided, that the repair and/or maintenance does not result in any substantial changes in design or material. For example, if you "repair" your leaky roof by replacing the existing shingled roof with a new metal roof, HDC review and approval would be required. Because the line is not always clear on what would be considered "ordinary repair and maintenance" or what would be considered "a substantial change in design or material", if there is any question as to whether HDC review and approval would be required, HDC advises property owners contact the HDC staff priorr to commencing any work to confirm if HDC review and approval is required for the proposed work.

No. While Elizabeth is listed as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, the National Register doesn’t provide for the preservation or protection of historical architectural or archaeological features unless a building or property receives assistance or is funded by the Federal Government. It merely provides a source of pride to the owner or community that has property listed in the National Register, and, from a practical standpoint, it provides certain tax credits related to the renovation or rehabilitation of qualifying income-producing (commercial) properties that are listed in the National Register.

The right to protect the neighborhood and input in the design review process. A strong tool to manage development, including out-of-scale and out-of-place structures. Ability to prevent large block, high-density apartments from being built within the historic district. Community Stabilization. Recent studies suggest that Local Historic Districts nationwide: Have higher resale values and increased property values than comparable properties and neighborhoods outside of designated historic districts; Insulate property values from wild swings in the housing market; and Lead to increased levels of home ownership and longer residence by both homeowners and renters.

Charlotte City Council adopted the UDO on August 22. 2022 and become effective on June 1, 2023. Regulations from eight different growth and development ordinances have been combined into a single set of regulations. It will be the primary tool to implement Charlotte’s plans and policies through development regulations. Additionally, some regulations, like the Zoning Ordinance, have been updated to respond to an increased demand for regulations that reflect today’s best practices. The UDO will work in concert with the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan which was adopted in June 2021 and became effective on July 1, 2022. The City’s Historic District Guidelines will not supersede any regulations or policies implemented by the UDO, so to the extent the UDO and the Historic District Guidelines conflict, the UDO will be deemed to control. However, the zoning “overlay” that would be provided by a LHD designation would require an extra layer of protection to the LHD by requiring any new development adhere to the Local Historic District guidelines to ensure the character and scale of future structures that may be permitted by the UDO are consistent with the historical character of the community.

The first major part of the UDO, the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Districts along the light rail were recently adopted by City Council. The purpose of TOD Districts is to encourage and enable the development of moderate to high-density, compact, mixed-use urban neighborhoods near transit stations. Therefore, with the streetcar extension running through the Elizabeth neighborhood, there is potential for high density, large-scale development projects within the areas of Elizabeth located near transit locations which could drastically change the landscape of the neighborhood. Since the TOD Districts are part of the UDO, the TOD will ultimately control what type of development may be permitted along the streetcar extension areas. While a LHD designation and the zoning overlay provided by that designation would not necessarily prevent any such development, it would help to ensure that any such development conforms in scale, size, architecture and design to historical character and integrity of the community.

Explore feasibility. Complete application (includes updating of existing property-by-property analysis). Determine proposed boundaries of the district (based on the property-by-property survey). Submit application to Historic District Commission (HDC) & State Historic Preservation Office for review. Apply for Rezoning to add a LHD zoning overlay, which is voted on by City Council (the rezoning application requires a fee and a petition signed by 51% or more of the property owners within the proposed boundaries).