An Athens committee nominated the East State Street and Elmwood Place district to be listed on the National Registrar of Historical Districts, but residents of the area expressed their concerns about the nomination at a public hearing yesterday.
The Athens Historical House Tours Committee nominated the district, which includes 94 residential homes, to be listed on the national registrar, said Betty Hollow, a member of the committee that submitted the nomination. She added that the district gained local attention because of the historical house tours.
A majority of the residents living in the district must agree to add the district to the national registrar, said Susan Tietz, a representative of the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
Many attendants expressed concerns about what this would mean for future renovations of their homes because the city could change building codes if the district is added to the national registrar.
Alan McMillan, who lives at 209 E. State St., said he has lived in other historical districts before and that regulations on design aspects, such as windows and outside paint colors, have been enforced.
Mayor Paul Wiehl said new city codes regarding the district could possibly be made in the future if the district was added to the registrar.
Although district residents are concerned about how the historical listing could affect their future building plans, City Planner Paul Logue said codes were not regulated for the Uptown Historical District until 30 years after it was added to the national registrar.
The codes did not stop the construction of Court Street Diner, which did not meet any of the historical requirements of the district, Wiehl said.
Residents were also concerned that they were not made aware of the district's nomination.
Kelly Huq, who lives at 171 E. State St., said she found out 10 minutes before the meeting started.
Residents said they hope to alleviate the lack of knowledge by passing out flyers.
Before the district is added to the registrar, a meeting to finalize the decision will be held July 16 in Columbus.
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Marika Lee
