The Historic Preservation Commission of the city of Deans voted to recommend that the Chautauqua Park and Ridgewood area be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, finding the proposed district meets National Register criterion C. The commission made the recommendation after hearing staff and consultant presentations and receiving questions from nearby property owners.

The nomination covers approximately 150 properties. Staff planner Ray Anderson said the district’s boundaries run along Brookside Park on the west, Sixth Street on the south, Thirteenth Street on the north and the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way on the east. Anderson said staff reviewed the consultant-prepared nomination and "believe that it meets the criterion C and would recommend that the commission recommend the nomination for approval by the state nominations review committee in accordance with criterion c." The commission voted in favor of the recommendation; there was no recorded opposition.

The nut graf: The nomination is an honorary designation at the federal level that can make properties eligible to apply for certain historic tax credits, but it does not by itself impose local restrictions on private property owners. The commission’s recommendation is an early, required step: the city council will consider the nomination at its second meeting in September and the state nominations review committee will meet on Oct. 10 to review and send its recommendation to the National Park Service.

Property owners asked how the nomination would affect their ability to modify, insure or sell homes. A consultant on the phone explained that "the National Register is an honorary listing, and there's no restrictions on what you can do to your property," and that restrictions generally arise only if a property owner seeks historic tax credits, which require rehabilitation work to meet standards in order to receive funding. Consultant Kurt, who said he works with the consultant on the nomination, added: "If you're willing to pay for it yourself, you can do whatever you want. There are no restrictions. There's only restrictions when you want tax incentives. So maybe that's where the confusion was coming in." The commission clarified that local historic-district regulations like those that apply in Old Town would be a separate process requiring local adoption.

Staff and commissioners explained next steps and public-review opportunities. Ray Anderson said the nomination will go to the city council for a recommendation two weeks after the commission meeting and that the state nominations review committee would meet on Oct. 10 in Des Moines; members of the public were told they are welcome to attend those meetings. The commission also noted the state committee may request changes to the nomination; the consultant would be given an opportunity to make those revisions before the nomination moves to the National Park Service.

Ending: The commission’s vote will be reported to the city council and included in the submission to the state nominations review committee. The nomination’s federal listing — if approved after state review and by the National Park Service — would be an honorary recognition; any change to local regulation would require a separate local process.