Libertyville moves forward with preservation ordinance

Character and heritage rank high among community assets valued by Libertyville residents but that feel has endured mainly because of good fortune.

Prominent commercial buildings have remained intact and homes that have been torn down over the years, by and large, have been replaced with tasteful new ones, village officials say.

Soon, however, an official layer of protection is expected to be installed as village leaders move closer to adopting a historic preservation ordinance.

During a work session Tuesday, the village board unanimously supported a draft of an ordinance compiled after more than two years of research, discussion and debate by the village’s Historic Preservation Committee.

“We feel this is what the community wants,” said Mike Kollman, who chairs the committee created by the village board in 2009.

Supporters agree not everything old is worth saving but a mechanism should be available to protect any property, structure, site or object with “a high degree of historic, cultural, architectural or archeological significance,” to the village, according to the ordinance.

The initial focus would be on the seven Libertyville buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the downtown commercial area. Village officials fear significant buildings could be torn down without rules in place.

Although residential areas also would be covered, the village is treading lightly with no immediate plans to designate landmarks or districts there.

“I support this 100 percent for commercial. I have reservations over residential,” Mayor Terry Weppler said.

Weppler said he was concerned a resident with an ax to grind could create difficulty for a neighbor considering an improvement by applying for landmark status for that neighbor’s house.

That possibility would be eliminated under a change to be included in the final version the village board eventually decides.

If the ordinance is approved, the first action would be a survey by an impartial party to identify properties eligible for landmark status or areas eligible as historic districts.

What would fit? The ordinance lists 10 criteria including architectural style but also identification with the work of a certain architect or designer or association with an important event in the village history, for example.

“It has to be significant in a number of ways,” Kollman said. “There’s a lot of different elements that could make that a significant structure ... not just because it’s old.”

The village, through a recommendation by the Historic Preservation Commission or with the consent of 51 percent of property owners in a given area, could pursue designation of a historic district.

For a single structure, the commission or individual owners could apply for landmark status regardless of whether it is in a historic district.

Once designated, a “certificate of appropriateness” would be required before permits would be issued for alterations or additions visible by the public or adjoining property; construction of a new home on a vacant lot; complete or partial demolition; or, request for a zoning change.

Approval requires a public meeting before the commission and its decision could be appealed to the village board. The work would be governed by a set of nine design guidelines involving height, proportion and other characteristics.