Historic Preservation Commission outlines certificate process, plans citywide windshield survey

Betsy Calhoun, speaking for the Livonia Historic Preservation Commission, outlined the commission’s recent work and upcoming plans during public comment.

Calhoun summarized the commission’s mission to “safeguard the heritage of the city by preserving historic resources” and said the commission operates under city ordinance and follows guidance consistent with the State Historic Preservation Office and the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. She said the commission monitors exterior changes for properties on the State or National Register and locally listed resources.

Last year the commission created and refined a certificate of appropriateness (COA) application for exterior property work to standardize documentation and communication between the commission and property owners. The commission also commissioned a small illustrated mini-survey of about six sites — including houses of differing eras, the Livonia Public Schools central office campus and the Winter Garden Tavern — and has filed the results with the State Historic Preservation Office.

Calhoun said the commission received approval to increase its annual voting meetings from four to six and plans to commission a citywide windshield survey, quadrant by quadrant, to document built heritage from different decades. She encouraged school field trips and public engagement, noting that resumption of second-grade field trips was a recent highlight.

The commission’s materials and the mini-survey report are available on the city’s Historic Preservation Commission page, Calhoun said. She requested up to five minutes to present, and council approved the additional time by voice vote.