Utah Heritage Foundation

Technical Preservation Services is pleased to announce the launch of our expanded and redesigned website at www.nps.gov/tps. In the new site, you will find the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines; information about the historic preservation tax incentives; all of our
publications, including the Preservation Briefs and Tech Notes; guidance on meeting the Standards in rehabilitation projects; information on the
Historic Surplus Property Program and the Historic Preservation Internship Training program; online training; and much more.  Big-D Construction's rehab of the Fuller Paint Warehouse is one of the featured sites that rotates on the home page.
The new site features expanded information on Sustainability and Historic Preservation, including the recently-published Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Also included are links to research and studies on energy efficiency and historic buildings and to sustainability resources for home owners, historic districts and communities and Federal agencies.
Case studies highlighting successful tax incentives projects and projects that combined historic rehabilitation and green building practices rotate
on the home page and in several sections of the site. A Site Map has been added, at www.nps.gov/about/site-map.htm, to help users navigate the site.
We will continue to add new information and features, particularly in the Sustainability section. We hope you will explore the new site and visit
often. 
In addition, the fillable PDF version of the Historic Preservation Certification Application, revised 2011, is now available.  Copies of the
forms are attached and are also available on our website at www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/application.htm.  Please distribute them
widely to your tax program contacts.
Applicants will be able to type directly into the forms and save the information. Please note that the narrative boxes on the Part 1, Part 2,
and amendment forms are limited, not expandable. Applicants and consultants who have developed their own versions of the narrative pages beyond the cover sheets may continue to use their versions.

This came from the city after the most recent Planning Commission meeting.

"On August 10, 2011 The Planning Commission voted unanimously on the Small Neighborhood Business Amendment to forward a favorable recommendation of the proposed ordinance to the City Council.  Additional issues for discussion include; Parking impacts of commercial activities and other developments on residential properties.  Discussion of better illustrations and definitions for our sign ordinance and discuss the options and opportunities for property owners who may want to opt out of the future map amendment portion of the petition.  This would maintain their nonconforming status."

In short, this is really good news.  The amendment recognizes the value of small commercial buildings, many of the existing being historic, and the value of small businesses in neighborhoods across the city.  Anything that combines these two characteristics can only make Salt Lake City a better place.  Great work by the Planning Division.  Let's hope the city council is unanimous in voting for this.

Thanks to all those who attended last Saturday’s Seismic Retrofit for Historic Buildings workshop.

The Salt Lake Tribune printed a follow-up article that you can read here.

If you could not attend, or just wanted electronic versions of the materials that were available, we have listed them below for your convenience.

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.

As solar technology improves and solar panels are become more affordable, energy efficiency and preservation proponents are seeking ways to incorporate solar panels on historic buildings. To assist this effort, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has developed information on alternative energy siting and sample guidelines to address new installations. These guidelines, resources from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions and the North Carolina Solar Center, as well as best practices from municipalities are now available online.

If you are a homeowner, your simplest, most practical, and least time consuming option would be to consult the   Salt Lake City solar panel guidelines (3.06 Mb) .