Nashville town hall hears how a local historic district and preservation commission would work

State historic preservation staff and restoration specialists visited a Town of Nashville open town hall on Monday to explain what forming a local historic district and a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) would mean for homeowners and downtown development. Sean Wilkes, Nashville’s planning director, opened the meeting and said the session was held in response to a public request to explore local designation.

The presentation, led by Christie Brantley of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, explained three kinds of designation: National Historic Landmarks, the National Register of Historic Places and local designations enacted by ordinance. Brantley said National Register listing is largely honorary and does not impose restrictions on owners, while local designation is regulatory and typically enforced through an HPC. “Before the Historic Preservation Commission can regulate the interior, they’d have to have the owner’s permission,” Brantley said, adding that local regulation normally covers exterior work and site features.

Panelists said the HPC would use design standards and a certificate-of-appropriateness (COA) process to review changes visible from public rights-of-way. Brantley said staff can approve minor works…