Columbus Hires Architecture Firm to Review Historic Preservation Rules, Raising Concerns Among Advocates

Columbus is preparing a broad review of how it handles historic preservation, and some preservation advocates say they are uneasy about where it could lead.

On Monday, Columbus City Council approved a $150,000 contract with Quinn Evans Architects. The firm will assess the city's current historic preservation standards and examine how other cities approach the issue. City officials have said they want to "modernize" preservation policy. Quinn Evans has home offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Washington, D.C.

Chris Hune, CEO of the preservation nonprofit Columbus Landmarks, said she fears revised guidelines and codes could weaken protections in historic neighborhoods that already have review processes, including German Village. "We just have concerns that the districts that are there, that the developers are just trying to sidestep the guidelines to get their own developments in place in a quicker manner," Hune said.

Hune acknowledged that the number of commissions across central Ohio can make it hard for developers to win approvals quickly. Even so, she argued the districts exist for good reason. "My main concern is that historic district guidelines are protected," she said.

Several bodies currently oversee changes to historic properties in Columbus. German Village, Italian Village and Victorian Village each have commissions that consider applications to alter properties within their boundaries. The city's Historic Resources Commission reviews applications and issues certificates of appropriateness for alterations to properties in Columbus register districts and those listed in the Columbus Register of Historic Properties.

Bryan Clark, a deputy director in the city's development department, said Columbus is growing quickly and has significant housing needs, but also wants to protect its cultural and architectural legacy. Asked whether developers are pushing for changes to the rules, Clark said they are not.

Clark said the review is intended to make preservation more equitable across the city. That would include examining historic districts and critical areas such as German Village, he said, as well as the history of neighborhoods like the Near East Side, Linden and the Hilltop. "We need to make sure that when we are preserving our history, we're doing it equitably across the city," Clark said.

City Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans tied the effort to the city's broader overhaul of its zoning code, known as the Zone In initiative. "While modernizing our zoning code through the Zone In initiative, now is the perfect time to make sure that our city's growth works for everyone," Dorans said in a statement. He added that honoring the buildings and neighborhoods that give Columbus its character "will help ensure that we preserve what makes Columbus worth growing into."