MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR

UPDATED HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION GUIDELINES NOW ONLINE

Document has useful information for owners of homes, structures of nearly any age

One of the things that make Fort Wayne distinctive is the character of its older homes and established neighborhoods. Buildings and homes over 50 years old often have unique exterior maintenance requirements. The City of Fort Wayne’s Community Development Division has posted the revised Historic Preservation Commission Guidelines to the City’s website.

The guide is designed to assist property owners in maintaining the structure as well as preserving the features that make our city’s older and historic neighborhoods unique. It has exterior maintenance and design information useful to property owners with houses or commercial structures of nearly any age.
Community Development Director John Urbahns says when the commission updated the guidelines last year they wanted to make the document useful and relevant to a large audience, not just property owners within the City’s designated historic districts. The information now available online includes more graphics of Fort Wayne homes and buildings and is written for the general public.

Designed with Fort Wayne residents in mind, the commonsense-approach guide includes a glossary of architectural terms, resource guide and an architectural style guide.

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The written guidelines only apply to structures within the City’s locally designated Historic Districts – including the Landing, West Central, Williams Woodland Park, Shawnee Place and the Columbia Avenue historic districts – or that have the historic designation for the individual structure. The guidelines were first written in 1986 and updated in 1992 and 2000.

The seven-member Historic Preservation Commission, appointed by the Mayor, and City staff offer assistance to property owners and tenants within historic districts in shaping modifications while meeting the requirements of the City’s historic preservation ordinance. The ordinance provides a process to ensure property changes are compatible with the character of the historic district and preserve and enhance property values.

The document and a complete list of properties with national or local historic designation is available at www.cityoffortwayne.org/preservation.