Historic Preservation Commission

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 DateDeadline to Submit COA Application
January 12, 2023December 29, 2022
February 9, 2023January 19, 2023
March 9, 2023February 23, 2023
April 13, 2023March 30, 2023
May 11, 2023April 27, 2023
June 8, 2023May 25, 2023
July 13, 2023 June 22, 2023
August 10, 2023July 20, 2023
September 14, 2023August 24, 2023
October 5, 2023*September 28, 2023*
*Dates moved to accommodate a staffing conflict.
November 9, 2023October 19, 2023
December 14, 2023November 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

THE CITY OF OPPORTUNITY