Utah Heritage Foundation

The Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission is seeking nominations for its 2011 Preservation Awards Program. The program, to be held in August, will honor outstanding contributions towards the preservation of Salt Lake City's historic resources. To be considered, nominations must be for properties located in Salt Lake City and built no later than 1961. Rehabilitation work should be to the exterior of the property, completed between January 2009 and now. Nominations are due by Friday, July 8, 2011.

This is the first time that quality preservation work will be recognized by the city in about 10 years, which was the last time awards were presented.  This is a tremendous sign that the historic preservation program in Salt Lake City Corp. is moving along well and supported by both the Becker administration and City Council.  An annual awards program is also one of the key components included in the Citywide Preservation Plan, still awaiting adoption by the City Council.

The nomination form can be found at www.slcgov.com/ced/planning.

Historic Yalecrest National Register District Up For $25,000 Prize

With Enough Votes Neighborhood Can Win Money for Education and Marketing

Salt Lake’s Yalecrest neighborhood, with one of the finest collections of Period Revival homes in the state, has an opportunity to win a $25,000 prize from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of the annual “This Place Matters” national competition.

We hope you will join us at the opening celebration for the Dr. Stanley Taylor House, a project recently completed by the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City.

With its proximity to downtown, the University of Utah within walking distance, or the mountains and other cities via TRAX and multiple bus mass transit systems, and some of the greatest and most diverse stock of aesthetically appealing and range of prices, the University Neighborhood in Salt Lake City made This Old House’s 2011 list of Best Old House Neighborhoods: Northwest and West.  Spurred by local residents, the area was designated as a National Register Historic District in 1991 and later as a local historic district.

Built predominantly between 1900 and 1920, the architectural character of the area is mixed between high style Period Revival styles, Craftsman, Bungalow, and Queen Anne, and more modest versions of the same styles mixed with Victorian cottages and modern era structures.  With a mix between owner-occupied housing and rentals, a precarious balance is always needed in any town-gown community to ensure that the needs of both user groups are being met, but historic preservation is also being achieved to the satisfaction of all parties for the community good.  So, no matter who owns the property or what its use, the preservation guidelines that are in place help ensure that everyone is working from a level playing field, making the University Neighborhood a great place to be.