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Historic Districts: How 'strict'?

Q. "My husband and I are thinking of buying a historic home in Phoenix. We live in a gated community in Scottsdale where we have a lot of restrictions on what we can and cannot do to our property. Are there any rules and regulations you have to follow when you live in a Historic District? If so, what are they?"

A. Often people who own historic homes are concerned about their rights to make changes to their property. It is no more restrictive, and often less restrictive, to live in a historic district than in a subdivision with CC&Rs.

Fortunately, when you move into a historic district, you are not presented with a large volume covering rules and regulations like the conditions, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) of many subdivisions. However, when you make the decision to live in a historic home you become the steward of that home These wonderful homes have stood for many years before us and will be there many years after we move on-and there are guidelines for homeowners to follow.

Q. "What is the purpose of these guidelines and where do they come from?"

A. Their primary purpose is to preserve the historic integrity of historic properties. The guidelines ensure that any changes made to a historic property do not negatively affect its historic integrity. These guidelines only extend to the exterior of the property. The focus is to preserve the visual qualities of the historic neighborhood. Each home is a part of the fabric and history of that neighborhood and should be preserved.

From strictly a layperson's point of view, having rules and guidelines to protect historic properties is a good thing. Most people buy in these communities because of the uniqueness of the homes and the old-world feeling of the neighborhoods.

Why would we want to destroy the very things that make historic neighborhoods so attractive to live in? Well, most of us wouldn't knowingly do that. However, some homeowners, in their efforts to bring modern conveniences to these older homes also bring "today's fashions" as well and in doing so destroy or impair their historic integrity.

To prevent this type of thing from happening to the homes, the Phoenix Historic Preservation Office (PHPO) established design guidelines for properties and historic districts to preserve their historic character.

These guidelines were created according to the unique styles, construction materials, codes, etc. of the historic homes in this area and at the same time closely follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. For instance, the guidelines for Phoenix are necessarily different to the guidelines for historic homes in Boston.

These design guidelines require a property owner to apply for a "certificate of appropriateness" from the PHPO before making any alterations to the exterior of their home. If any work requires a permit, it has to be approved by the PHPO before a permit can be issued. In this way prospective changes can be monitored and historic integrity of the home can be preserved.

The best reference you can have is a book published by the PHPO called Historic Homes of Phoenix: An Architectural & Preservation Guide. It is a must for any historic homeowner it is also a great gift for anyone interested in historic preservation in Phoenix.

(If you wish to purchase one of these books, they are $15 plus postage. Please e-mail me for your copy or visit or call the PHPO (602-261-8699, 200 W. Washington, 9th Floor, Phoenix.)

I can also recommend attending one of my Free Seminars on "Historic Preservation in Phoenix" or "How to Rehabilitate a Historic Home." (See the Calendar section or email me for the upcoming schedule.)

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Helen Prier is a longtime resident of F.Q. Story Historic District and co-founder and Director of the Phoenix Historic Districts Coalition.