Sometimes it’s a good idea to review local guidelines and practices to make sure they are still relevant to current needs. That was the case last week when the Senoia City Council approved a small number of changes to the city’s guidelines for the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic structures.
“This is a modernized version of what we’ve had for years,” said City Manager Richard Ferry prior to the unanimous vote to accept the updated guidelines which had been reviewed over the past few months. “Guidelines need to be reviewed from time to time.”
The guidelines broken into several sections include the rehabilitation of historic buildings, guidelines for new construction within the historic district and guidelines for new additions to historic buildings.
One of the changes to the guidelines was the deletion of the section on landscaping while other changes involved new construction and new additions. Ferry recommended the removal of the landscaping section, noting that it is not practical to retain that portion of the guidelines.
A change in the new construction portion of the guidelines deletes the statement that roofs in the commercial area are both flat and gabled.
An addition to the same section notes that window frames should have a minimum profile of two inches.
Another addition states railings should be consistent with existing railings or those of the original porch if photographic evidence can be found to support.
Also in the same section, the former notation that slab foundations are not permitted has been changed to provide an exception involving a continuous pour for a garage or other accessory structure.
For a complete listing of the guidelines visit http://www.senoia.com/IE/HPC.htm
