Living in a Historic District

Live in a Local Historic District? 

If your property is located in a Local Historic District, changes beyond ordinary maintenance to the exterior of properties or landscape, and any additions or new construction, should be reviewed by the Washtenaw County Historic District Commission (WCHDC) prior to the beginning of the project. Find out more about this process here (outline of COA procedure). You can find the Application for Work here.

Other Resources

  • State Tax Credit information The Michigan State Historic Preservation Tax Credit application portal is up as of mid-June 2022. See SHPO's website for more information.
  • Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation The Historic District Commission uses the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation as the basis for decision making for all applications.
  • Thornoaks Neighborhood Design Guide The Thornoaks Design Guide is an informational pamphlet written to help demystify the process of review for homeowners. The Design Guide is also a tool to help new homeowners understand the historic aspects of the neighborhood. However, it is not an official guideline or design review standards as contemplated in Sections 4(B) and 4(F) of the Washtenaw County Historic Preservation Ordinance. The design guide is not used by the HDC when making decisions on applications. The HDC only uses the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation as a framework for decision making, and considers each application in its own unique context.