Owners of 3 Hinsdale Homes Interested in Landmark Status

The owners of three homes on the south side of Hinsdale are interested in acquiring local landmark status.

Residents at 212 E. 1st St., 138 E. 4th St., and 405 E. 7th St. have received and are working through materials on the landmarking process from the Village of Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the commission’s chairman Scott Peterson said at a June 11 meeting at Memorial Hall.

According to the HPC's website, the last time a Hinsdale home applied for and received the local landmark designation was in 2006.

“I think we need to figure out how we’re going to close these and exactly what we need to do to turn the corner,” Peterson said.

Commissioners agreed that to do so, it’s important they themselves understand more thoroughly the complicated designation requirements and process. They set up an internal workshop for July 9.

Peterson said the goal is to develop "road map of the process that we want to make crystal clear" so the commissioners can better help residents in historic homes more easily acquire local landmark status.

Commissioner John Bohnen said he knows of “a couple more” homeowners who might be interested in the near future.

He supported the workshop idea.

“I think if we’re to be of service to these people that want to avail themselves to landmarking and tax-freeze potentiality then we all get our hands in the middle and get familiar with the process so that we can come up with a format,” Bohnen said.

Local Hinsdale historic landmarks are legally protected from exterior changes “that would compromise its historical and architectural significance,” according to an HPC handout Bohnen passed along last February. The HPC approves all exterior changes on such homes.

This status helps protect homes against demolition and allows an owner who wants to renovate to participate in the state’s property-tax freeze program, which keeps property taxes on such homes from rising for eight years.

According to the historic preservation commission’s application for local landmark status, “In order to be eligible for designation as an Historic Landmark in the Village of Hinsdale, a structure or site must be at least 50 years old and must meet the designation criteria set forth by the Hinsdale Historic Preservation Commission.”

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