Historic commission considers role

Portland Historic Preservation Commission is re-evaluating its purpose as it looks for ways to play a more active role in downtown improvement.

The commission met Wednesday morning to review its role and discuss how it can best help improve the city’s downtown.

Established in 2008, the historic preservation commission is concerned with development, redevelopment, rehabilitation and preservation that affect visual quality in the historic district. Its purview can include landscapes and streetscapes and generally anything in the public view.

Commission members were reminded that their guidelines were changed in September 2023. Portland City Council amended the city’s ordinance related to historic preservation to eliminate the need for a “certificate of appropriateness” unless city funds are being requested.

There was some discussion about that change, with Ceann Bales of Jay County Development Corporation expressing concern about being too loose with the rules. (JCDC will be taking a more active role with group.) Redevelopment commission president Emily Goodrich explained that there had been a lot of pushback and that the certificate of appropriateness requirements seemed to be discouraging downtown business owners from making improvements.

Without taking any action Wednesday, commission members talked about the need for flexibility while also enforcing rules.

Also discussed during the meeting were ways to make sure business owners within the historic preservation district know about the tools that are available to them, such as the facade grant program that can help pay for exterior improvements to buildings. 

Options included mailing information to business owners and attaching deed restrictions in order to provide information to new owners when they purchase historic buildings.

Commission members also agreed to be more active beginning in January, with plans to schedule regular meetings.

In other business, the commission:

•Re-elected Goodrich as president and Rusty Inman as vice president.

•Reviewed terms for all members. The term for Hannah Long ends this year, Ashley Hilfiker and Inman in 2026, and Reda Theurer-Miller and Goodrich in 2027.