Design Guidelines, City of Utica, Scenic and Historic Preservation Commission

From introduction: "The physical appearance of any community is the direct reflection of the attitudes and values of the citizens. Well-maintained neighborhoods and business districts suggest a higher degree of community pride than do neighborhoods and downtowns which are unkempt and shoddy. In addition to such a basic concept, a community’s appreciation of itself is often reflected in its attitude toward the preservation of its historic property. Much of the character and flavor of Utica’s past is found in the areas which have been designated as the first Scenic and Historic Preservation District. Dating from the early decades of the nineteenth century through the first half of the twentieth century, the district’s built environment represents many of the styles popular during this span of more than a century. If the character of this Scenic and Historic Preservation District–and others designated in the future--is to be maintained, it is important for property owners, tenants, design professionals, builders, and community leaders to understand and appreciate that methods for dealing with older properties often differ from treatments for contemporary ones, and that choosing the wrong treatment can cause serious, irreversible damage to irreplaceable historic properties. These Design Guidelines offer both general and specific recommendations to assist with good decision-making regarding Utica’s historic properties. Design guidelines such as these can help to avoid hasty or mis-informed alterations to historic property by offering preferred, time-tested options for dealing with significant features and by specifying precise treatments for solving common maintenance-related issues. Even more importantly, however, owners and tenants of properties within the Scenic and Historic Preservation District and design professionals, real estate professionals, and contractors working with the District should become familiar with these Guidelines if they intend to make physical charges to the exterior of properties in the District." Funding was provided in part by Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Utica administered by the New York State Historic Preservation Office and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Design Guidelines, City of Utica, Scenic and Historic Preservation Commission

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