Home Field Advantage
TO PROTECT LANDMARKS, LOCAL IS BETTER THAN NATIONAL
BY KARELIA MARTINEZ CARBONELL. PHOTOS BY VICKI CERDA
There is something of a misconception with local and national historic designations. The natural inclination is to choose national over local as the highest protection for historic resources. Not so.
A historic designation by the U.S. Department of the Interior on the National Register of Historic Places, although an important first step in recognizing a local landmark, is mostly symbolic. It does not provide any protection from future neglect or demolition. Administered by the National Park Service, it bestows a certain level of prestige to a historic site but little else. The best way to protect an important site is to designate it historic in the city or county where it is located.
A few decades ago, following a statewide mandate, Miami-Dade County passed a preservation ordinance that allowed cities to opt out of county regs and create their own historic ordinances, procedures, and boards. Coral Gables, Hialeah, Homestead, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Shores, Miami Springs, Opa-locka, South Miami, and Sunny Isles Beach did so. Indeed, Coral Gables was one of the pioneers in historic preservation; today, the city has a significant local process that protects historic sites, which in turn strengthens the local economy by enhancing property values. (A study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that American towns which make historic preservation a priority enjoy an economic dividend.)
WHY – AND HOW HISTORIC?
1400 South Greenway. Architects: Phineas Paist and Harold Stewart, 1929 (Left). 1133 North Greenway. Architects: Kiehnel and Elliott, 1923 (Right)
Why would a property owner want his/her property designated as historic? This is a moot question for any history lover, since historic designation provides protection for the property. No soft spot for history? Studies show that historic designation leads to premium property values, improves marketability, and may enhance financing options. However, there is much misinformation about what historic designation means.
Landmark Designation protects the historic integrity of a property but does not freeze it in time or prevent alterations or even major additions. Designation does provide for maintaining standards of work which respect the historical qualities of the property and requires guidance and approval by the historic resources Department.
The first pre-requisite is age. The City of Coral Gables Historic Preservation Ordinance has among its requirements that the property be at least 50 years old or older. If old enough, it must then meet at least one of several criteria, including historical, cultural, aesthetic, or architectural significance.
Properties that are 50 years and older do not automatically qualify for historic landmark status. Each structure recommended for historic designation is assessed individually (as per City Ordinance) with no preference given to any type of architecture. In Coral Gables, residents enjoy landmark structures built in a variety of recognized styles.
The City of Coral Gables adopted its first Historic Preservation ordinance in 1973 in response to the community’s growing concern for safeguarding irreplaceable historic resources. In 1984, a revised and expanded ordinance was enacted by the City Commission and made part of the City Code. This ordinance established the Historic Preservation Board and added further protections to local properties. The ordinance is deemed one of the strictest in the country.
In order for a property 50 years or older to qualify as historically significant, it first goes through rigorous research by city staff. Their findings may or may not qualify the property as historic. However, if staff finds the property meets at least one of the criteria (historical, cultural, aesthetic, or architectural significance) for designation, staff creates a Local Designation Report and presents the research to the Historic Preservation Board. This nine-member board has quasi-judicial powers to accept or reject designation. Only an appeal to the City Commission can overturn a decision.
The Historic Preservation Board has a directive to “preserve and protect historic or architecturally worthy buildings, structures, sites, quaint neighborhoods, and artifacts which impart a distinct historical heritage of the City.” Presently, there are over 1,200 Local Historic Landmarks listed in the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places.
HISTORICAL BENEFITS
Living in Coral Gables includes living with historical heritage. Residents living in a historic city usually choose it because of the fact that it is historic; its landmarks give a community a sense of place, identity, and stability. They also provide numerous economic Benefits.
According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, historic properties appreciate at rates greater than the local market overall as well as faster than similar, non-designated properties. In study after study, the increase of property values in historic districts outperforms the market as a whole.
WHAT IS LOCAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION?
Local historic designation confers protection of properties that are designated historic by the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places. The process requires a public hearing at which properties significant to the community are nominated.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF LOCAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION?
Historic preservation strengthens the economy of the city by enhancing its property values in historic areas. Local tax incentives may be applied for improvements and, if approved, provide a ten year freeze on the value of those improvements.
WILL HISTORIC DESIGNATION PREVENT REPAIRS OR CHANGES TO MY HOME?
Changes to a historic home are allowed based on their compatibility with the existing architecture. For example, an addition may be approved if located on a secondary façade that does not appreciably change the character of the existing architecture. Changes to a locally designated property must also comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
For more information about the designation process or about what changes can be made to a historically designated property, contact the City of Coral Gables Historical Resources Department at 305.460.5095 or hist@coralgables.com
Karelia Martinez Carbonell is president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables, a 501c3 non-profit founded in 1991. The Association promotes understanding of the importance of historic resources and their preservation. For more information, please visit historiccoralgables.org