New preservation initiative approved last year proving popular among homeowners
The number of properties on the village’s Historically Significant Structures Property List is growing, with the third set of homes slated to be approved by the Hinsdale Village Board next week.
“After Tuesday, we will have 68 houses approved,” said village planner Bethany Salmon. “I’ve got more coming through. We have four more that are en route officially and I have two more coming through starting in September.”
Other homeowners are preparing to apply.
“We do have a handful that are not quite in the queue yet that are getting ready to be in the queue,” she said.
Forty-six properties initially were recommended for inclusion on the list by Hinsdale’s Historic Preservation Commission in February and approved by the village board in March.
Thirteen more were added to the list following trustees’ approval in May.
Among the eight homes slated to be added this month is the William Whitney house, also known as the Hallmark House, at 142 E. First St. The Italianate Victorian home already is on the National Register of Historic Places and was listed as historically significant in the village’s reconnaissance survey in 1999 and the Robbins Park Survey in 2002. The house currently serves as the rectory for Grace Church.
Salmon noted that only 25 homeowners in more than 20 years requested to register their properties through the village’s landmarking program.
“This program hasn’t been established for even a year and we’ve got more than double the properties we had for the landmark list,” she said.
Village staff have been working with architects and real estate agents to let them know about the program, which was established in September 2022 as part of the creation of the Historic Overlay District. Homes on the list are eligible for incentives such as relaxed or waived zoning regulations, property tax rebates and matching grant funds.
The historic preservation commission handles requests related to zoning and fee waivers, while the village board reviews requests for tax rebates and grants.
“We’ve made it pretty simple to go through that process now,” she said.
As projects are completed, Salmon said she wants to share before and after photos with residents. She plans to update the list of homes, which is posted on the village’s website at http://www.villageofhinsdale.org, on the bottom of the page titled “Historic Overlay District & Historic Preservation Incentives.” She also wants to post blurbs on each home’s history when things slow down a bit. But that might not be anytime soon.
“I only think it will just get more and more popular, to be honest,” Salmon said.
