Cadillac's Courthouse Hill Historic District

Est. April, 2005

The exterior alteration, addition or removal of existing elements where there is a change in the design, materials or general appearance of any property within the Historic District, will be subject to approval by the Historic District Commission (HDC). General routine maintenance will not require HDC approval. The HDC currently utilizes the design guidelines issued by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, which are listed below. Any specific questions may be directed to the Community Development Coordinator of the City of Cadillac, Jerry Adams. He can be reached at (231) 775-0181, ext. 101.

The Historic District Commission meets monthly on the second Monday of each month at 5 P.M. at the Cadillac Municipal Complex Council Chambers. The seven commissioners are appointed by the City Council and serve three-year terms, with initial terms staggered.

Courthouse Hill Historic District Commissioners:

Mary Dudek - Chairperson

Wendy Moore - Vice Chairperson

Mark Snider - Secretary

Dean DeKryger

Nan Taylor

Jill Brown

John Fuson

City of Cadillac Staff - Jerry Adams, Community Development Coordinator

 

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation The Standards (Department of Interior regulations, 36 CFR 67) pertain to historic buildings of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy and encompass the exterior and the interior, related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction. The Standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility. 1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment. 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. 3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken. 4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved. 5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved. 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence. 7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. 8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. 10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.