On November 15, Columbus City Council will be hold a public hearing on proposed legislation which would establish a Neighborhood Conservation District program for Ohio’s Capital City.

A relatively new phenomenon, “neighborhood conservation districts” are in operation in several cities across the country. Like their counterpart, the local historic district, neighborhood conservation districts operate as overlays over existing zoning and land use controls, and focus on maintaining and enhancing the essential qualities of a neighborhood.  Both have similar goals of protecting property values, reducing crime and promoting diversity.

Typically, however, neighborhood conservation districts are enacted in areas with a distinct physical character, but which may not qualify for designation as a historic district. After creation, residents of the neighborhood identify those qualities which they would like to preserve and promote, and then create a set of guidelines based on those priorities. A board then administers the ordinance by reviewing proposed property owner projects against those guidelines. One possible use of such a district is to prevent the demolition and erection of so called “McMansions” – large residential structures that replace smaller properties and are out of keeping with the density and character of a neighborhood.

One concern about such ordinances is that they could be used as an easier substitute for historic districting, thereby allowing communities to bypass traditional historic district review based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and leaving deserving properties unprotected.

In Columbus, the proposed program would create “Conservation Neighborhoods,” which would be established pursuant to a procedure launched by at least ten neighborhood property owners, and ratified by at least sixty percent of affected owners. Criteria for selection and specific procedures for review are also included. To access the proposed legislation and a fact sheet concerning the Conservation Neighborhood program, click here.

Photo Credit: Victorian Village, Columbus/AmyMo/Creative Commons License