[MassHistPres] MassHistPres Digest, Vol 42, Issue 2

[Jane Guy]

Salem guidelines state that Hardship can "only be issued when a
Certificate of Appropriateness would be denied as inappropriate and such
denial will involve a substantial hardship, financial or otherwise, to
the applicant. Approval of a Certificate of Hardship must not affect the
historic district in general, must be without substantial detriment to
the public welfare and must not cause departure from the intent and
purposes of the Historic Districts Act. The Commission will not approve
a Certificate of Hardship in instances where the hardship was
self-created (i.e. financial burden to undo work performed that had not
been approved by the Commission)."

We have an easy way of determining financial hardship.  If they claim
they cannot afford the historically appropriate work, we inform them
about the City's housing rehabilitation loan program which provides CDBG
funding for income eligible properties (therefore they would be able to
afford to do the "appropriate" work because the city will pay for it).
If they say they can't income qualify for the program....alas, there is
no financial hardship :)

Our hardship approvals tend to be mostly for handicapped access, fire
safety or public safety solutions.  I have not noticed an increase in
hardship applications.  For he last 3 years we have issued only 2 per
year.

-Jane

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Jane A. Guy
Assistant Community Development Director
City of Salem
Department of Planning & Community Development
120 Washington St., 3rd Floor
Salem, MA  01970
978-619-5685
(F) 978-740-0404
jguy at salem.com
www.salem.com
 





Date: Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:23:30 -0400
From: "Jeff Levine" <jeff_levine at town.brookline.ma.us>
Subject: [MassHistPres] Hardship Applications Question

The Brookline Preservation Commission is seeking information about how
other local historic district commissions address hardship applications,
i.e. what criteria are used to determine hardship, and wondering if
there has been a recent increase in the number of hardship applications
in other towns.

We would also like to know if commissions use a formula for determining
financial hardship and if so, if there is a different formula used for
income-producing properties than for owner-occupied properties? 

Please forward replies to:

Jean Innamorati, Preservation Planner
Office of Planning and Community Development Town of Brookline
333 Washington Street
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 730-2089
jinnamorati at brooklinema.gov 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
Jeff Levine
Director
Department of Planning and Community Development Town of Brookline
333 Washington Street Third Floor
Brookline, MA

617-730-2130 (v)
617-730-2442 (f)

Email:    Jeff_Levine at town.brookline.ma.us
www:  http://www.brooklinema.gov/Planning/