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Unified Recommendation
Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)
Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) Process
Fast Track COA Approval
Field Change Procedures
Historic Building Design and Resource Manual
Agenda Packets, Minutes and Meeting Information
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Latest News
Limited Copies of the FREE Historic Building Design and Resource Manual NOW AVAILABLE!
From now through August 31, 2010, interested residents may obtain a FREE copy of the recently completed Historic Building Design and Resource Manual. To obtain a FREE copy of the manual, stop by the Building Permit Counter located on the main floor of the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. Manuals will be available only during normal business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are currently 100 copies available, which will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The offer is limited to one free copy per person.
Residents may also download an electronic copy of the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual on this webpage.
Unified Recommendation of ECHO, NCC, NHS and City of Naperville
On May 19, 2009, the Naperville City Council approved an initiative to revise the Historic Sites Commission’s composition, scope and mission and change the process and standards for Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review for increased property owner satisfaction. The initiative was presented as a set of unified recommendations by representatives of the East Central Homeowners Organization, North Central College, Naperville Heritage Society and City of Naperville and was the product of several months of community collaboration.
Based on the City Council’s direction, city staff has developed a comprehensive work plan which includes immediate, ongoing and long-term action steps to implement the unified recommendations. Over the past several months, the following activities have been completed to help improve public communication and education, clarify procedures and standards for historic properties, and simplify the approval process for district residents:
- Developed the “Improving Your Historic Home” handout regarding the new COA procedures and standards and distributed it to property owners and residents of the Historic District;
- Amended the Naperville Municipal Code to define and establish the Historic Preservation Commission to replace the existing Historic Sites Commission (see “Historic Preservation Commission” below);
- Restructured the COA review and approval process to include expedited administrative review, enhanced department-wide coordination of various teams, and integration of the COA process with other processes (i.e. building permit, inspection, and field changes);
- Initiated fast-track meetings every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. where COA applicants can talk about their projects with staff from the Planning, Building and Inspection Teams and receive approval at the end of the meeting for improvements that qualify for administrative review (see “Fast Track COA Approval” below).
- Completed the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual, which serves primarily as an educational document to encourage appropriate maintenance and renovations consistent with the historic architectural style and character of the structure and scale of the existing historic district (see “Historic Building Design and Resource Manual” below);
- Conducted a three-part window restoration webinar training session for interested residents/commissioners.
- Conducted a seminar to educate residents on proper care for mature trees and plantings in their neighborhoods.
Further information about implementation of the unified recommendations will be posted on this Web page once they become available and will be sent via email to those signed up to receive the Historic Preservation e-Newsletter. To sign up to receive the e-Newsletter, visit the e-News page of the city’s website and select the “Historic Preservation” topic.
Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)
On Tuesday August 18, 2009, the City Council approved amendments to the Municipal Code establishing a Historic Preservation Commission in accordance with the Unified Recommendations. The amendment adjusts the title and membership of the current Historic Sites Commission and modifies the powers and duties.
The Historic Preservation Commission is comprised of at-large representatives and owners/residents of historic district properties. Nine members serve staggered three-year terms and are supported by a designee of the Naperville Heritage Society (non-voting member) and city staff.
The Historic Preservation Commission meets monthly to review applications for Certificates of Appropriateness; guides the development of Historic Building Design Guidelines and ongoing training activities that will be coordinated by city staff; and assists in reaching out to the community to create awareness of historic preservation and educating residents about available resources for preservation activities.
A copy of the amended commission membership, powers and duties can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) Process
The unified recommendations expanded the list of improvements that do not require a COA. The following improvements are now exempted from the COA requirements.
Please note: A building permit may still be required; call (630) 420-6070 for more information:
- Any work performed on the interior side or rear façade of the home that is not visible from the street
- Rear addition on an interior lot, if the addition does not extend beyond the side walls and existing roofline
- In-kind siding replacement of less than 50% of the front or corner façade with use of original materials or fiber cement board in place of wood
- New detached garage or change to existing detached garage.
- Any accessory building or structure (e.g. shed, deck, patio, trellis) located in the rear yard
- New or relocated driveways with alley access or retaining existing street access
- Wood or iron open picket fence parallel to a primary façade, or fence of any style parallel to an interior side or rear façade
- Typical appurtenance (e.g. window air conditioning unit, gutters, storm windows and doors, and painting)
- Landscaping
- Painting
- Signs and graphics
Improvements that are not listed above must obtain a COA prior to the commencement of such improvements. Please refer to the Improving Your Historic Home handout for more information. A COA is an either subject to an administrative review through the Fast Track Approval process or the review of the Historic Preservation Commission at a public meeting. Information regarding the Fast Track Approval process is outlined below. COA application packets are available at the Municipal Center, located at 400 S. Eagle Street, or can be downloaded below:
Fast Track COA Approval
Historic District property owners and residents applying for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) can now receive expedited staff review and approval for qualifying improvements to Landmark and Historic District structures through the city’s new Fast Track Approval Process. COA applicants are encouraged to attend the weekly Fast Track Meeting to discuss their projects with city staff. The meetings are held every Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in TED First Floor Conference Room 154 of the Naperville Municipal Center (400 S. Eagle Street).
The following improvements performed on front and corner side facades of the home or driveways may receive COA approval at the end of the Fast Track meeting if sufficient information is provided:
- Doors: In-kind replacement with use of wood or original material
- Windows: In-kind replacement with use of wood or aluminum clad wood
- Roofs: In-kind replacement with use of asphalt or original material
- Exterior Building Materials: In-kind replacement of 50% or more of the front or corner side façade(s) with use of original material or fiber cement board in place of wood
- Porches: In-kind replacement in whole or replacement of porch columns with use of wood, plaster or cement materials; in-kind replacement of porch flooring with use of wood or composite decking materials; or in-kind replacement of other porch components with use of wood or original material
- Shutters and Awnings: In-kind replacement with use of original material
- Other Original Architectural Features: In-kind replacement with use of original material
This process has been designed to expedite your application for a COA. To achieve this goal, please download a copy of the Fast Track COA Application Packet and follow the process steps outlined in this application packet.
The Fast Track COA Application Packet can also be picked up at the Transportation, Engineering and Development Business Group, located on the first floor of the Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. Once the application is complete, please call 630-548-2974 to make a reservation to attend the fast track meeting.
For questions, please contact Community Planner Ying Liu at (630) 548-2950.
Field Change Procedures
An improvement authorized through a COA shall be constructed in all respects in accordance with the approved COA. Any change to the approved COA requires additional review from either staff or the Historic Preservation Commission before the work begins through a field change process. Detailed field change procedures and a copy of the application form can be downloaded by clicking the link below:
Historic Building Design and Resource Manual
Final Manual
On April 22, 2010, the Historic Preservation Commission approved the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual. A copy of the recently approved manual is available below:
Introduction
The Historic Building Design and Resource Manual serves as an educational document that encourages appropriate maintenance and renovations consistent with the historic architectural style, character, and scale of the existing historic structures and neighborhoods. The City of Naperville has two locally designated landmark buildings and approximately 320 properties within a locally designated historic district that includes part of the North Central College campus and approximately 250 residential homes. The manual provides guidance for preservation and renovation of the existing designated Landmark and Historic District structures. Visit the Historic District web page to learn more about existing Landmark and Historic District structures.
Project Schedule
The City of Naperville commissioned The Lakota Group & Bailey Edward Architecture to assist in preparation of the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual. The project took approximately eight months to complete beginning from October 2009 to May 2010.
Past Events
Training Workshops Held on June 29 and July 14, 2010
The City of Naperville, in cooperation with The Lakota Group and Bailey Edward Architecture, offered two training seminars on the recently completed Historic Building Design and Resource Manual on June 29 and July 14, 2010. Participants of the seminars learned about the major topics and highlights in the manual as well as practical techniques for proper maintenance and rehabilitation of historic structures. In addition, they had the opportunity to talk to a historic preservation architect and city staff specifically about their next home improvement project. The slideshow presented during the seminars can be downloaded by clicking the following link:
ECHO Neighborhood Meeting Held on April 12, 2010 and HPC Meeting Held on April 22, 2010
To provide additional opportunities for public review, city staff presented the draft Historic Building Design and Resource Manual and sought resident feedback at the East Central Homeowners Association (ECHO) Annual Meeting on April 12, 2010. The manual was then revised based on the feedback received and presented to the Historic Preservation Commission for consideration on April 22, 2010. At the commission meeting, three members of the public spoke and expressed general support for the manual. Some minor changes were suggested by commissioners and residents. Following the public comments, the commission voted unanimously to approve the final draft of the Historic Building Design and Resource Manual subject to corrections discussed during the meeting. The manual has since been modified to reflect the conditions of approval.
Public Workshop #1 Held on October 19, 2009
The City of Naperville hosted an initial public workshop on Monday, October 19, 2009 for the Naperville Historic Building Design and Resource Manual project.
The attendees were given a presentation by the Naperville Heritage Society and The Lakota Group & Bailey Edward Architects regarding the development Naperville’s historic neighborhoods and historic building design guidelines in general. After the presentation, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a workshop and provide input related to several topics including neighborhood character and residents’ future needs. The input received will help the project team draft the guidelines to address specific issues and needs of Naperville.
The materials presented at the workshop can be downloaded by clicking the links below:
Agenda Packets, Minutes, Meeting Info, Application Submission Deadline
Below you will find the scheduled meeting dates and room, application submission deadline, approved minutes, and full agenda packets which include all reports, attachments and supporting documentation for Naperville's Historic Preservation Commission meetings.
The commission approves meeting minutes for any given date at a subsequent meeting. Occasionally, the commission will choose to revise the meeting minutes. We do our best to post the meeting minutes as quickly as possible after they are approved.
7 p.m.
Meeting Rooms B and C
Naperville Municipal Center
400 S. Eagle Street
Starting October 2009, all COA applicants are required to submit complete applications at least 21 calendar days prior to the schedule commission meeting. A 21-day advance submission is necessary to provide sufficient review time for Planning, Building and Inspection staff, commissioners, and residents. A summary of the 2010 meeting dates and submission deadlines are provided below:
Application Submission Deadline
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Agenda Packets
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Minutes
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January 7
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January 28
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January 28
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February 4
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February 25 CANCELLED
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n/a
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March 4
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March 25
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March 25
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April 1
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April 22
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May 6
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May 27
CANCELLED
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--
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June 3
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June 24
CANCELLED
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--
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July 1
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July 22
CANCELLED
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August 5
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August 26
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--
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September 2
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September 23
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--
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October 7
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October 28
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--
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November 17*
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December 9*
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* Changes to regular schedule
Archives of agendas and minutes from past Historic Sites Commission meetings are also available on the city's Web site.
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