A county Historic Overlay Committee will hold a third, possibly final, open house next month related to historic preservation planning.
The public discussion is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at Union Grove Campground (301 Amen Drive, Building 400, in Cleveland).
Earlier this year, the White County Board of Commissioners formed the committee to study creating a “historic overlay” that could be applied to the county’s existing land-use map. The overlay and other potential recommendation would be designed to ensure that a property’s historical assets are taken into account, for example, when changes to zoning or structures are proposed.
The committee hopes new faces will be present, as the group aims to reach diverse stakeholders for feedback before ultimately presenting recommendations to county commissioners.
While many attendees have been local history enthusiasts or representative of historical properties, the committee strongly encourages all residents, land owners and business leaders to attend, ask questions and share their thoughts about how to address the issue. Committee members say even if someone may not have historic property, they may still be impacted by how such areas are managed.
The historical preservation plan is a work in progress, but multiple suggestions have essentially been grouped into three main areas of discussion: zoning and design guidelines; viewshed, noise and light pollution ordinances (including setbacks and vegetative buffers); and creation of a reconstruction advisory committee.