Historic Districts and New Homes in Southeast Michigan
What A Historic District Is
The historic review is separate from the building permit and comes ahead of it. It covers the outside of a property, whether a new home, an addition or taking a building down.
We work alongside your architect or designer. They lead the design. We keep you informed at every step and build it with care.
Building In A Historic District
Find Out Whether The Lot Is In A District
A district can be a whole village center or just a few streets, and much of Clarkston is one. We check your address with the town first, because it changes the order of everything else.
The Commission Meets On A Schedule
Commission meetings fall on set dates, and missing one means waiting for the next. We plan the application around those dates so your project is ready when it meets.
What We Bring To The Commission
We show the commission the home in its setting: a plan of the lot, drawings of each side, the outside materials, and photographs of the property and the street. We prepare these with your designer.
Taking Down An Older House
This is where districts differ most. In some, taking a building down is a last resort and calls for a report on its condition from an engineer or architect. If a rebuild is the plan, we look into this before you buy.
An Early Conversation Helps
In several towns we get an early, informal look at a project before anything is filed. We use it. Nothing tells us sooner what a commission cares about.
Outside A District
Away from a district, some towns still have a design review board or name individual homes as historic, as Birmingham does, and the village of Dixboro in Superior Township has an advisory board. We check for these too.
General information, not legal advice. Each town, county and state office decides what applies to a property.
Questions About Historic Districts
Can a new home be built in a historic district?
That rests with the commission, one property at a time. We check with the town for your address and prepare the application with your designer.
How do I know whether a lot is in a historic district?
The address tells us. We check it with the town before anything else, since it changes the order of the work.
Does a historic review take long?
It depends on the commission’s meeting dates and on the project. We plan the application around those dates and keep you up to date.
Does the new home have to look old?
It is more about fitting in with the street than looking old. We go through what the commission looks for with your designer before the drawings go in.
Who goes to the commission meeting?
We do, with your designer where it helps. You are welcome to come as well.
General information, not legal advice.
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