Herndon's Heritage Preservation District Gets A New Name

HERNDON, VA — The historic area in the heart of the Town of Herndon now has a new name thanks to a Nov. 17 vote by the Herndon Town Council.

Previously known as the Heritage Preservation District, the area in and around the downtown and northern areas of the town will now be known as the Historic District Overlay. The council also voted to change the name of the Heritage Preservation Review Board (HPRB) to the Historic District Review Board (HDRB), and the Heritage Preservation Handbook (the guidelines) to the Historic District Overlay Guidelines (HDOG).

During the meeting, Zoning Administrator David Stromberg said there were three reasons why the change was being considered.

The first was that the original name was confusing and there was no legal difference between a "historic district" and a "heritage district."

The second reason was the new name would be consistent with the section of the Code of Virginia that allows localities the authority to have historic districts.

The final reason was that the Town Council, the Heritage Board, and members of the public had asked for the name to be changed.

The council also voted to extend the validity period for a Certificate of Appropriateness from the HDRB from one to five years.

"This matches the five-year timeframe of other administrative approvals, most notably site plans," Stromberg said. "The intent is to save time and money for property owners."

The council also voted to update the HDOG to include a clearer definition of the difference between an alternation and new construction on a property. Alterations are now defined as changes that are less than 49 percent of the structural components or sheathing, while new constriction is considered changes that are greater than 49 percent.

Perhaps the most important change made to the HDOG was to the administrative approval process within the Historic District Overlay. Town staff will now be able to approve certain types of work, including rear additions or alternations, accessory structures, and material replacement, such as windows, siding, and roofs. This would eliminate the need for these very common types of changes to have to go before the HDRB for approval.

"The size of the windows, if you're actually going to make larger or smaller holes into a facade, that would still go before the board," Stromberg said. "Major additions or new construction, that still goes before the board."

The Town Council voted unanimously to approve the name change and updated guidelines.

"I think it's great," Council Member Signe Friedrichs said, prior to the vote. "All of the bits are really going to make life easier for people who live in the Historic District and I think it's a great idea."

More information about the updated Historic District Guidelines can be found online.