City of Montpelier Proposed Design Review Regulations

Preamble and Purpose: "Montpelier is a compact community that has retained a high proportion of historic buildings and resources. These buildings convey a distinctive and powerful sense of place and time to residents and visitors alike. The active downtown has well-kept 19th and early 20th century commercial and governmental buildings and is bounded on three sides by historic residential neighborhoods. The Vermont State House is a National Historic Landmark and serves as the anchor to the city's governmental history and the Capitol Complex. Unlike in any other state, the backdrop of the Vermont State House is a scenic wooded hillside. Taken together, Montpelier is a memorable place where history actively joins with the present. Montpelier's history needs to be honored to ensure continued vitality into the future. In order to preserve this distinctive place for the present and for future generations, it is important that the character-defining features of individual buildings be protected. Major demolition is less likely to occur without notice than the incremental loss of countless, seemingly slight elements of historic buildings that anchor the building to its place in history and the community. While to some it may seem negligible to lose trim, doors, windows, and porches, these incremental losses become cumulative . Small losses may seem unimportant but cumulatively they degrade the distinctive sense of a place until it is gone. If one building loses its character-defining features, the neighborhood loses character. Through standards and guidelines, the Design Review Committee works closely with property owners to protect the character of their properties and prevent others from devaluing neighborhoods or the downtown by removing distinctive and character-defining features while making needed changes for continued and new uses. The purpose of the Design Review Overlay District is to recognize that Montpelier's natural beauty and historic character are important assets for the City and contribute substantially to the City's local economy and sense of place. As Vermont's capital city, Montpelier is significant to residents of the city, state, and New England. Living and working in historic buildings is a way of life for residents. Protecting the historic environment has long been a community priority. In order to protect and enhance these attributes, the Design Review Overlay District is established to ensure the preservation of historic character and architectural integrity, encourage a consistently high standard of design in new construction, and to support traditional and sustainable building practices." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P17AF00049).

City of Montpelier Proposed Design Review Regulations

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