The past two days have been a whirlwind of Historic District news. Many thanks everyone for venturing out during the soggy weather to offer your support and feedback.
Tuesday night, more than 30 people gathered at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church to hear about the benefits of seeking Historic District status from Ann Andrus, Department of Historic Resources and Lee Shewmake, President of the Woodland Heights neighborhood association. Ms. Andrus clarified the designation is an honorary, not regulatory status and provided information on the challenges and tax benefits ahead of area residents if the application is approved. Attendees also had the opportunity to review the proposed district boundaries and view some of the initial committee research materials. The star of the night was the lovely aerial photograph of the Forest Hill Neighborhood, and we hope to add a downloadable version to our resources section shortly.
At Wednesday’s Forest Hill Neighborhood Association meeting, members overwhelmingly voted to approve seeking state and Federal Historic District status for the Forest Hill Neighborhood, and, after spirited debate, agreed to contribute $5,000 over two budget years. These funds will be used to cover the expense of retaining a consultant to prepare the application and pay for the printing of the anticipated 2,100 photographs on archival grade materials. The Historic District committee will continue to seek out additional fund raising and sponsorship opportunities to help defray expenses related to achieving historic district status.
We’ve also begun to assemble additional volunteer teams for research, photography and data entry. If you’re interested in assisting with our efforts, please contact us and we’ll get you started!