Historic Preservation Commission
Preservation In Our Town - FAQs

When is a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application required?

Property owners must fill out a COA for ANY EXTERIOR alteration (other than painting and landscape) to a landmark or property within a historic district. This application must be approved before the Town Inspection’s Department will issue a permit.

Who approves a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)? When?

The HPC reviews COA applications according to the guidelines set forth in the Historic Preservation Code Sec. 15.16-5(f). The Commission meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Conference Room C of Normal City Hall, 100 E. Phoenix Avenue, unless otherwise posted. However, some applications do not require a full review by the Commission, but rather an expedited review by the Commission Chairperson and staff.

What type of work qualifies for expedited review?

Expedited review of an application generally takes 3-4 working days. The following projects qualify:

Work being done to a non-contributing
structure (often homes built post-1945).
When materials are being replaced with
like materials (i.e. asphalt shingles
replaced with asphalt shingles, wood
siding replaced with wood siding).
Emergency situations.

How does the Bone Grant program work?

The HPC may choose to provide financial assistance for EXTERIOR restoration projects in the form of a 50/50 matching grant of up to $5000 to eligible applicants. To apply, property owners must obtain two bids from professional contractors and fill out the grant form, after their COA is approved. Grants may be approved for up to half the lower bid and are given on a reimbursement basis. Grant are not awarded for projects already underway or completed.

What type of work is eligible for funding through the Bone Grant program?

The HPC generally approves grant money only for restoration projects, i.e. removing aluminum siding and restoring the original wood siding or reopening an enclosed porch to reflect its original appearance. Most maintenance work, such as repairing or replacing a roof, siding, gutters, windows, etc., is not eligible.