Butternut Ridge Historic District Design Guidelines

A new resource is being developed to assist property owners within the Butternut Ridge Historic District.

The City of North Olmsted has engaged the historic preservation consulting firm of Naylor Wellman, LLC to work with the Landmarks Commission on creation of design guidelines for the Historic District. The design guidelines will serve as a tool for promoting community pride in historic architecture and the unique history of Butternut Ridge. They will also be used to educate the community and enhance understanding of the role of the Landmarks Commission and local historic preservation ordinances.

Historic districts are a collection of buildings, sites and settings that share a common history, appearance and special meaning in time and place. Projects in historic districts have an impact on the distinctive character of adjacent structures, streetscapes and the larger setting, therefore making the creation of local design guidelines a recommended choice. The guidelines will help reinforce the character of the historic area and protect its visual aspects. They will also give direction to which design approaches the community encourages or discourages and serve as a tool for use in making preliminary design decisions.

Councilman Kevin Kearney, who is Council’s representative to the Landmarks Commission, said the guidelines will not create any additional burden on residents in the district. “Design guidelines are meant to help residents in making improvements to their properties,” said Kearney. “These are not new ordinances or laws, but a guide book for development.”

Landmarks Commission chair and historic district resident David Neville agreed that design guidelines will benefit the community. “The guidelines will help residents appreciate what is unique and special about their older homes, so they understand their options and make good decisions that will protect their investment.”

Naylor Wellman will be photographing and documenting the exteriors of buildings located within the Butternut Ridge Historic District. The district is significant for its distinctive collection of primarily residential land uses encompassing architectural styles and types spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, representing the development of North Olmsted.

Wendy Naylor and Diana Wellman are registered Preservation Consultants qualified under the Federal Historic Preservation Professional requirements, U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation (48 FR 44716). The firm was established in 2013 and specializes in historic building preservation and adaptive-use, architectural history and historic preservation planning with experience spanning 40+ years with projects across the country.