Look at a map of the proposed expansion area.

 

• Read the City of Plymouth Code of Ordinances (Chapter 18, Article XIII is the HDC Ordinance)
  
• Read the Kellogg Park Historic District Ordinance (PDF)

 

Please note: the letter below was sent out in October of 2006 so the event has transpired.

If you are interested in having your home become a part of Plymouth's historic district, we are still working on this endeavor and welcome your questions, comments, and input.

Please feel free to attend one of our meetings. The Plymouth Preservation Network meets on the fourth Thursday of every month (except in November and December) at 7pm in the basement of the historical Museum located on Main Street in Plymouth.

 

A letter to residents:

The Plymouth Preservation Network is very interested in promoting the expansion of the existing “Kellogg Park Historic District” of Plymouth. We are sending this letter to you because your home is in the proposed area of expansion for the historic district. We would like to invite you to an informational meeting to be held on October 24, 2006 at 6pm at the Plymouth Historical Museum to discuss this proposal. The museum is located at 155 S. Main Street in downtown Plymouth.

We have invited two special guests, Bryan Lijewski, Architectural Coordinator from the State Historic Preservation Office and his colleague, Amy Arnold, to speak at the October 24th meeting. Mr. Lijewski will give a presentation that explains the tax benefits that are available to property owners who reside in an historic district and Ms. Arnold will give a presentation to explain the other benefits of living in an historic district.

We have included with this letter a map that shows the current historic district and the boundaries of the proposed expansion area. On this map, the current “Kellogg Park Historic District” is shown in red and the proposed expansion area is shown in blue. You will notice on this map that the current historic district is overwhelmingly comprised of commercial property around Kellogg Park. It is a popular misconception among residents that “Old Village” also known as “Lowertown” is a designated historic district. This is not true. No homes or buildings outside of the red area on the map are in any type of historic district in the city of Plymouth.

It is our belief that the “heart” of any historic district is its homes, and our community holds a wealth of homes that qualify for historic designation. You may already be familiar with the historic districts of our neighboring cities. Northville, Farmington, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor are just a few communities in our region with at least one historic district. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti each have several historic districts. You will find that the historic districts in many of the cities of Southeast Michigan include the most prestigious, historically significant and architecturally interesting structures of a community. We believe our historic district should also include many of Plymouth’s great residential structures.

There are several advantages to being in an historic district:

1. Homes in historic districts tend to increase in value faster than those structures not inside an historic district.
2. Up to 25% tax credits are available for certain qualifying improvements to homes within certified historic districts. More information about tax credits will be discussed at the October 24th meeting.
3. An historic district tends to foster civic pride and improvement of properties in that district.
4. Creates a network of home repair and maintenance information for homeowners (qualifying contractors, material resources etc).

The most popular misconception about residing in an historic district is that it is difficult to receive approval for exterior renovations from the Historic District Commission (HDC). This may be true in a place like Martha’s Vineyard, but the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (www.mhpn.org) reports 92% of exterior renovations that come before an HDC in the state of Michigan are approved. The Plymouth HDC is not as strict in their review process as other historic district commissions that are sometimes spotlighted by the national media. Modern replacement materials for siding or windows which closely mimic original materials are frequently approved in Plymouth’s historic district. Exterior and interior colors of structures are not reviewed by the HDC.

The first step to expanding our historic district is support for the expansion by you, and the other residents in the proposed expansion area. If enough people support the project, a study of the area must then be completed. Finally, the documentation in that study must then be submitted to the state and returned to Plymouth’s City Commission for approval. Without your approval and support, this project will not be possible.

We hope that you will be able to join us at the Plymouth Historical Museum on October 24th at 6pm to answer your questions and receive your input on this important project. If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please feel free to visit our web site at www.plymouthpreservation.org or call Mark Oppat, Vice Chair of the Plymouth Historic District Commission at 1-734-455-4169.

It is our hope that an expanded historic district will encourage the preservation of Plymouth’s unique, treasured historic structures. We believe expansion will create a more vital, community oriented historic district for the City of Plymouth.

Thank you for your time,
The Plymouth Preservation Network