Gastonia Historic District Commission

To view the agenda for the May 25th Historic District Commission Meeting , use this link to view it online:

Historic District Commission Upcoming/Recent Meetings Historic District Commission (HDC) DATE ...

Want more info about the City of Gastonia's Tree Ordinance? Or tree regulations in Historic Districts?
The City's Historic District Commission is hosting a meeting with the City's arborist on Sept. 22. The meeting will also be streamed at: https://loom.ly/QXZFquA

Please contact the City Planning staff ahead of the meeting if you have questions for the municipal arborist: [email protected] or 704-854-6605

🌳❓🌳 Would you like more information about the City of Gastonia's Tree Ordinance? Or tree regulations in Historic Districts?
The City's Historic District Commission is hosting a meeting with the City's arborist on Sept. 22. The meeting will also be streamed at: https://loom.ly/QXZFquA

Happy ! This year’s theme is an important one: “People Saving Places.” Without the people behind preservation (including you!), our historic treasures wouldn’t stand to tell their stories.

This month, join us on social media and in our weekly emails (sign up to receive our emails at PreservationNC.org) as we highlight some of North Carolina’s place-savers who pour their time, energy, and resources into protecting the places they care about, often without recognition. We will highlight past award winners, property owners (on our posts), tradespeople, volunteers/interns, and staff of Preservation North Carolina. We don’t do this work alone and we are excited to shine a spotlight on those who have helped us save and protect over 900 buildings across North Carolina.

The Brookwood Historic District is one of the city’s oldest communities and Gastonia’s second historic district. Created in 1997, the Brookwood neighborhood consists of over 106 structures. The majority of homes in the district were constructed in the mid-1930s to late 1940s. Predominate architectural styles vary between Craftsman, Tudor, Colonial Revival, and Minimal Traditional.

https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/Maps/Brookwood_map.pdf

The York-Chester Historic District is the City’s oldest community and consequently the City’s first historic district. Created in 1988, York-Chester consists of over 540 structures, with many of the homes dating back to the early 1920s.The architecture of the district is a mixture of many styles, such as Bungalow, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Neo Classical, New England Saltbox, Farmhouse, Colonial, and Georgian Revival.

https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/Maps/YC_district_map_2014.pdf

Let’s talk about signs. Staff recently received a request to install signage in the Historic District. The Historic District Design Standards, as well as, the City of Gastonia regulates signs.
Why? The City of Gastonia’s purpose for sign regulations are:
A. To promote the health, safety, welfare, convenience and enjoyment of travel on streets and roads.
B. To protect public investment in street and roads within the City.
C. To encourage the effective display of signs as a means of communication.
D. To maintain and enhance the pleasing look of the City.
E. To preserve the City as an attractive place to do business.
F. To improve motorist, bicyclist and pedestrian safety.
G. To minimize the possible adverse affects of signs on nearby public and private property.
H. To ensure that signs placed in the City are compatible with the high quality image that the City seeks.

Let’s say you would like to move forward with requesting a sign on your property. Depending on the type of sign, it may or may not require a sign permit with the City.

Where do you go to find out if a sign is permitted in the City and if it’ll require a sign permit?
Regulations for signs are found in Chapter 12 of the Unified Development Ordinance (https://library.municode.com/nc/gastonia/codes/unified_development_ordinance?nodeId=CH12SI_12.1.1PU). Zoning staff can assist with the interpretation of this section.

Do you need to complete a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application with the Historic District? Yes, even if you do not need to complete a permit with the City. Depending on if the sign is considered a minor or major work, the review of the application may involve a subcommittee or the Gastonia Historic District Commission (GHDC) or both.

Where do you go to learn more about applying for a COA for a sign in the Historic District and what is needed? The sign section begins on page 28 of the Design Standards:https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/HD_DesignStandards2021Final.pdf

Staff recommends contacting the Planning Department at [email protected] to discuss sign regulations in the Design Standards and the UDO.

The latest version of News in the Districts, the GHDC newsletter, will be arriving shortly to your mailbox, along with the updated Design Standards. You can find a digital version of the newsletter here:
https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/Newsletters__Events/Winter_2021_letter_size.pdf
and the Design Standards here:
https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/HD_DesignStandards2021Final.pdf

This week’s focus from the Design Standards is Shutters. Shutters can provide function, insulation, and privacy, as well as, have an impact on the appearance of a home. There are a wide variety of shutters within the Historic District based on style and period of the structure itself. An improper treatment of the shutters of a historic building can detract from its architectural character. Recently, a few properties in the historic districts have installed stained cedar shutters and doors. While these are currently popular and are seen in many neighborhoods, they are not appropriate for the historic districts and our standards explicitly disallow these type elements. The Design Standards are aimed to ensure that changes to shutters are appropriate to the Historic District’s unique character.

Shutters:
a. Retain any original shutters and hardware.
b. Replace shutters that are beyond repair to match the size and design of the original shutter.
c. Vinyl and aluminum shutters are not appropriate.
d. If size permits, size new shutters to fit the window opening
e. Shutters on multiple or bay windows are not appropriate.
f. Do not install shutters on buildings that historically never had shutters.
g. The design of new shutters to be architecturally consistent with the building’s style.
h. Despite being wood, “barn-style,” pallet-style or stained cedar shutters are not architecturally consistent with any building in Gastonia’s Local Historic Districts and are not allowed.

A few examples of stained cedar shutters that are inappropriate are below.

Gastonia's Historic District Commission adopted an update of their Design Guidelines- now Standards- in October of this year. This document will be mailed in the next few weeks to all property owners in the local York-Chester and Brookwood historic districts, along with the December newsletter. A pdf of the Design Standards can be found here:https://www.cityofgastonia.com/images/files/planning/HDC/HD_DesignStandards2021Final.pdf