Background and Purpose
The City of Decatur Historic Preservation Commission was established by City Ordinance Number 90-2882A Article II on February 5, 1990. The creation of locally designated historic districts subject to historic overlay zoning was mandated by residents of the Old Decatur and New Decatur/Albany Historic Districts to help maintain the integrity of these two National Register districts. The Historic Preservation Commission is a municipally-appointed board who by law review all building and demolition permits within the designated districts for appropriateness.
Decatur houses approximately 1,000 buildings and nearly 100 blocks of homes on the historical register.
2023 Meeting Dates and COA Submission Deadlines
Important Note: Per city ordinance, the deadline to submit a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application and supporting documentation is fourteen (14) days in advance of the scheduled monthly meeting date. In the case where the COA deadline falls on a holiday, the COA deadline will be extended to the following Monday (see dates, if any, marked with an asterisk*). Please turn in all CoAs into the Community Development Department on the 5th floor of City Hall., or submit them digitally to Caroline T. Swope, M.S.H.P., Ph.D. . Failure to submit COA requests in a timely manner will result in the item not being included on the meeting agenda. The Decatur Historic Preservation Commission meets at the Decatur City Hall, in council chambers, which is located at 402 Lee Street NE Decatur, AL 35601. COA hearings begin at 4:00 P.M. The property owner or a representative of the property must be in attendance at the meeting. For more information, please contact (256) 341-4968 or Caroline T. Swope, M.S.H.P., Ph.D. . For HPC policies and procedures and design guidelines, please visit the Document Downloads section.
2023
Meeting Date | Deadline to Submit COA Application |
January 12, 2023 | December 29, 2022 |
February 9, 2023 | January 19, 2023 |
March 9, 2023 | February 23, 2023 |
April 13, 2023 | March 30, 2023 |
May 11, 2023 | April 27, 2023 |
June 8, 2023 | May 25, 2023 |
July 13, 2023 | June 22, 2023 |
August 10, 2023 | July 20, 2023 |
September 14, 2023 | August 24, 2023 |
October 5, 2023* | September 28, 2023*
*Dates moved to accommodate a staffing conflict. |
November 9, 2023 | October 19, 2023 |
December 14, 2023 | November 22, 2023 *
Moved from the 23rd to the 22nd to accommodate City office closure for Thanksgiving. |
The Historic Preservation Commission and Certified Local Government staff and board also serve as a resource and advocate for history and preservation efforts throughout the entire city. For additional information and assistance please contact: Caroline T. Swope, M.S.H.P., Ph.D. .
RFP for Design Review Standards
Design Review Standards Grant Agreement
Designing Decatur 200 Years of Decatur’s Built Environment
Old State Bank RFQ