So You’re Interested in Preservation

So You’re Interested in Preservation
ConwaySelectboardMary Kate Ryan, NHDHR7 June 2016
What is Preservation?
At acommunity level, historic preservation is identifying features of the built landscape that help define your town’ssense of placeand working tomanage changeso that this sense of place is not lost.The Conway Master Plan suggests balancing growth with the needs of the community.This can be preservation.
Why should the Town be Involved?
SENSE OF PLACEis community-wideAll policies and regulations are made by the townWhat other organization represents all of the constituents of a place?Town sets land-use laws and makes land-use decisions.
What are the tools?
Survey – historic architectural, archaeologicalNational Register/State Register of Historic Places listingLocal Historic District(s)Tax incentives: RSA 79-D,RSA 79-E, Federal Historic Preservation Tax IncentiveCertified Local GovernmentBuilding codes/Local Land Use PlanningMain Street programsScenic Roads/Scenic BywaysState grant programs: Moose Plate, LCHIP, NH Preservation AllianceMaster plan chapter, Hazard Mitigation planConservation and agricultural commissions and designationsTHERE ARE MANY OPTIONSWhere do you start?
Heritage Commission
Enabling legislation: RSA 674:44ATown-wideAdvisory bodyDuties include:Researching existing information on town resources andpreservation strategiesWorking with or consulting professionals, as neededHolding meetings, doing public outreach andeducationAdvising other town organizationsand commissions
What do you already know?
What histories have been written?What documents do the town hall, the libraries, the historical societies have?What has been surveyed? (DHR’s files)What maps exist of town?What are citizensinterested in?
A heritage commission can pull together all known information about cultural resources in town as a starting place to identify gaps, unknowns, potentially threatened resources
And can then identify appropriate tools for the town to consider.
Where to start – 1 suggestion
2002 Master Plan Land-Use chapter:Identified “Village Character” as importantWhat defines the character of Conway’s villages? Will be different for each village. Look at:Form and massing of buildingsSetback and streetscape elementsMaterials and stylesInteractions between public/private and pedestrian/auto spaces
Questions as you Begin?
Mary Kate RyanState Survey CoordinatorNH Division of Historical [email protected]