Town to consider historic overlay

By Jeff Poole
Review Managing Editor
Published: October 9, 2008

To ride down Main Street Gordonsville is to ride through the past. Dozens of antebellum homes line the streets and comprise much of the town’s core. Nearly 25 years ago, Gordonsville officials secured a historic district for these properties, recognizing their cultural significance.
While there are more than 100 properties within the district-which roughly runs from the traffic circle to the Exchange Hotel-there are no provisions to protect those properties from demolition, nor to prevent new construction not complementary to existing architecture.
Last month, a handful of Gordonsville citizens approached the town council about establishing a historic overlay that would protect these properties.
“These are wonderful old properties and we think it’s important to preserve them,“ local architect Will Stewart said. “Currently, there is no provision for the preservation of these properties or controls for development within the historic district.“
The code of Virginia allows for local protection of structures, streetscapes and neighborhoods in areas designated as historic districts. A local historic district may be established with the purpose of preserving the unique character of historic buildings and their surroundings, while encouraging new construction to include architectural designs that complement historic buildings.
“The main emphasis is to try to protect homes within the district, not to try to control development,“ Stewart told the council.
Stewart and other local property owners are part of a grassroots movement to encourage the addition of this overlay to the town code. They held community meetings of affected property owners and circulated petitions.
According to Stewart, a historic district overlay does not regulate paint colors, require renovations, increase taxes, prevent additions, require the use of historic materials or historic building methods, prevent non-contributing structures from being demolished or restrict routine maintenance of properties. 
Instead, what the proposed local historic district would do, he said, is recognize the historic character of the neighborhood and its importance to the overall character of the town of Gordonsville. The proposed ordinance would apply only to major renovations to the exteriors of properties within the district and would require a certificate of appropriateness for exterior changes, demolition of buildings and new construction within the district. A board of architectural review-comprised of property owners from within the district-would issue that certificate, he said. 
For the ordinance to be effective, the town council would need to appoint a board of architectural review to provide a bridge between the town ordinances which govern the district and the property owners, Stewart explained. The board would meet as need to review projects proposed by property owners. If approved, each project would be issued a certificate of appropriateness required to obtain a building permit for work within the historic district.
Any exterior alteration to a property within the historic district that is visible from a public way must be approved, he said. This includes painting, repairs, additions, outbuildings, lightings and signs. The standards for rehabilitation issued by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior are the foundation for the actions of the board of architectural review.
Stewart offered a number of scenarios that may arise if the ordinance is passed.
Is a certificate of appropriateness needed if a homeowner wants to paint their house or the trim on it?
The choice of an exterior paint color remains the property owner’s responsibility and choice, Stewart said. The board of architectural review could assist the property owner in the selection with a suggested palette of colors.
What about changing the siding on a building within the district?
While synthetic siding materials are discouraged because covering original siding with synthetic materials hastens deterioration and makes eventual restoration nearly impossible, there are some materials available that, when used properly, maintain character and appearance and successfully protect the structure, he said. In that case, he added, the board of architectural review would work with the property owner to find a solution.
Can property owners replace old, leaking wooden windows?
The board of architectural review would be committed to saving and restoring original parts of historic structures whenever possible, Stewart explained. In some cases, he explained, insulated wood sash replacements, or wood, or aluminum storm windows can be used.
How long will it take to get approval for a project?
The board of architectural review can only act on petitions at public meetings that have a public agenda, he said. Interested property owners would contact town hall to have their project placed on the council agenda as soon as possible.
The recent loss to fire of the old carriage house (Colonial Florist) next to the railroad overpass and Orange County’s treatment of St. Mark’s Church (future library site) are painful reminders of the need to preserve and protect Gordonsville, Stewart said.
The proposed ordinance submitted to council was modeled after a similar ordinance in Leesburg.
“We hope this will be adopted and we’ll be able to preserve these beautiful old properties and ambience of the town,“ Stewart concluded.
Gordonsville Town Councilman Rick Wilkinson moved to refer the proposed ordinance to staff and the town attorney for review.
While Tuesday’s meeting was not a public hearing, South Main Street resident Robert Sharp had a few questions about the ordinance and worried the town was fast-tracking the proposed ordinance.
Sharp expressed concerns about how strongly the board of architectural review would discourage individuals from making non-contributing changes.
“They’re not going to help me pay for my improvements,“ Sharp said. “A lot of people here are not Paul Manning or Bruce Gupton.
“You’re not paying my taxes. You’re not telling me what to do with my property,“ Sharp said.
Stewart said property owners would have recourse through appeals to the town’s board of zoning appeals and ultimately the town council.
“It does require some controls in place for people who live within the district,“ Stewart said. “The people on the board of architectural review would live in the district. It’s not someone we don’t know.“
Stewart also said the board of architectural review would also be able to assist those within the district without the wherewithal to hire architects or planners in an effort to preserve the historic character of the town.
But Sharp argued that buildings in the district are 100-200 years old and have lasted this long without an ordinance to protect them.
“Why do we need one now?“ he wondered. “So now, a neighbor three doors up can tell me what to do with my property?“
Mayor Bob Coiner said nothing was being decided at that meeting, but simply wanted to get the process started. “We don’t want to dismiss this out of hand. We need to start the process to talk about it,“ he said.
Coiner said it wasn’t just about current property owners. “I’m looking at the long-term aspects of this. People living there now might not be there 50 years from now. Every decision I make I think about how it affects our children and our grandchildren.“
Wilkinson said his motion was simply one to initiate the process.
“When you look around Virginia,“ he said, “the places people admire are the places that have some controls. We don’t want to put our thumbs on someone. It’s there to protect the value of properties.
“This just says we want to keep Main Street Main Street. Two-hundred year old houses have their place and Main Street Gordonsville is that place,“ Wilkinson continued. “When I drive down Main Street Gordonsville, I don’t want to see row houses. There’s a lot of talk in Orange County about preserving rural heritage and this is a good way to do this. If the citizens don’t want it, we’ll hear from them.“