HomeMy Public PortalAboutRehabilitation Grant Program Description REHABILITATION GRANT PROGRAM DESCRIPTION P ROGRAM P URPOSE The Village of Plainfield Rehabilitation Gran t Program is designed to encourage private investment in the exterior rehabi litation and restoration of histor ically designated residential and non-residential structures in the Village. The program is intended to provide financial assistance and incentives to owners of local landmarks or properties in a historic district in recognition of the positive impact that individual building improvements can have on the overall appearance, quality, and vitality of the ne ighborhood and community as a w hole. The rehabilitation and maintenance of historic resources will protect the character of the community for years to come. G RANT E LIGIBILITY To be eligible for a Rehabilitation Grant reimbur sement, projects must preserve, restore, or rehabilitate the historic ch aracter of the structure’s exterior . Rehabilitation for the purpose of this grant means that an effort is being made not only to maintain a historic property in reasonable repair, but to improve, reclaim, and restore historic ar chitectural charact eristics that are threatened or have been lost through wear, alteration, or neglect. Additionally, the property must be a designated landmark or lo cated within a designated historic district. Properties with a pendi ng application for landmark or dist rict designation at the time of application are also elig ible. (An official designation is re quired to receive grant funding. See the “Grant Reimbursement” section of this docum ent for more information.) All projects must conform to the Design Manual for the Lockport Street Business Corridor and/or the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. Th e Standards for Rehabilitation can be found online at http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/TPS/tax/rhb/ or copies of both documents are available in the Planning Division Office. Property owners or tenants who will make at least $1,000 in qualifying improvements are eligible to receive a matching gr ant. Eligible improvements incl ude, but are not limited to paint and repair, substitute siding removal and rehabilitation of architectural elements. For a full list of qualifying improvements, please see the “Eligibl e Improvements” section of this document. This program can be coupled with the Facade Improvement Program as an added benefit for rehabilitating a historically designated structure within the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. See the Facade Improveme nt Program for more information. F UNDING G UIDELINES Grants are available to make certain improveme nts to a historically designated building. The grant reimburses up to 50% of the total project cost, not to exceed $10,000 per project. Rebates and other forms of economic incenti ves may be utilized as part of the grant reimbursement at the Village’s discretion. Funding amount can be in fluenced by the scope of the project, facade orientation, and other factors. Should the F acade Improvement and Rehabilitation Grants both be approved, the matching requirement of this program will be waived. Approved 9/18/2006
Rehabilitation Grant Program Description Page #2 of 4 Grants may be awarded to applicants for residential properties up to two times in a calendar year. If awarded, the sum of the grant amounts may not exceed the maximum grant allowance. Should an applicant own multiple designa ted properties, they may apply for the Rehabilitation Grant Program twice per calendar year for each parcel. While architectural services by a licensed arch itect are encouraged, th ey are not required to participate in the program. If the Village approves the project, the architect may provide bidding and construction plans and documents, as well as construction supervision. Only architectural services directly related to the approved improvements will be reimbursed. A PPLICATION R EVIEW P ROCESS Interested parties should schedul e a pre-application meeting with staff at (815) 439-2824 prior to preparing any materials for submittal. Following said meeting, the applicant may complete and submit a grant application form, available on the Village’s website or in the Planning Division office. Submittal requirements are set forth on the application form. In addition, staff may request material samples to gain a better unde rstanding of the proposed colors. Information provided by the applicant will be used as the ba sis for preparation of the staff report to the Historic Preser vation Commission. The Village retains the right to approve an entire request, to approve portions of a request, suggest and/or ask for changes/ad ditions to a request before appr oving, or to deny any request or portion thereof. Staff will prepare a report offe ring a brief introduction to the project, a review of the various aspects of the proposal, and a suggested recommendation based on an evaluation of the proposed work against the Village’s Down town Design Guidelines. The report will then be presented to the Historic Preservation Commi ssion (HPC) for review and then forwarded to the Village Board for approval. Designated properties may require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) in addition to any applicable building permits, filed in conjunction with this application. See Planning Staff for requirements for COAs. Every project will be evaluated for the historic or architectural signifi cance of the structure, extent/scope of work proposed, im pact to the streetscape, and occ upant. The staff report will be presented and consider various as pects in the following method: 1. Introduction to the project and proposal 2. Analysis of proposal a. Historic or Architect ural Significance i. Service of the building ii. Historic significance (Historic significance will be based on the landmark/district nomination or designation, as well as the historic resources surveys available in the Planning Division.) b. Extent/scope of work proposed i. Discuss each aspect of the project (Utilize photographs and descriptions submitted by the applicant to explain and evaluate the project. Projects that intend to reconstruct missing historic elements are required to submit evidence of such element.) Approved 9/18/2006
Rehabilitation Grant Program Description Page #3 of 4 ii. Evaluate adherence to the Downtown Design Guidelines (Available for purchase at the Village or on-line at www.plainfield-il.org ) c. Contribution to improving the streetscape i. Building location/visibility ii. Impact on block/neighborhood d. Occupancy (owner-occupied vs. rental unit) 3. Summary a. Highlight desirable or unique aspects b. Funding proposal 4. Recommendation P ROCESSING T IMELINES Upon receipt of a complete application, with all required attachments, a petition will be scheduled for the next available HPC meeting, typi cally within thirty (30) days of receipt of completed submittals. The HPC meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month. Once the HPC has made a recommendation and appropriate revisions have been made, the petition will be scheduled for a Village Board meeting. The Villa ge Board meets in regular session the first and third Monday of each month. Upon Village approval, the applicant and Villag e enter into a formal agreement, called a Rehabilitation Grant Agreement, establishing the scope of work and approved reimbursement amount. The Agreement is signed by the Village and the applicant, afte r the Village Board has approved the project. Grant proj ect work may commence after the Agreement is signed and necessary building permits are obtained. All work completed under the Rehabilitation Grant Program is to be ski llfully performed using appropriate materials approved by the Village. The work is to be conducted, installed and completed to secure the results intended by the Hi storic Preservation Ordina nce. The Village has the authority to reject work not completed using the acceptable materials or standards of workmanship. Upon notification by the owner that the work is entirely complete, the Village will inspect and notify the owner of any incomple te or defective work. The property owner will be required to take immediate st eps to remedy such deficiencies. G RANT R EIMBURSEMENT If costs exceed the original estimates, the property owner or tenant will be responsible for the full amount of the excess. The Village cannot reimburse more than the total amount specified in the Agreement. Any work commenced prior to Village Board approval and signing of the Rehabilitation Grant Agreement will not be eligible for reimbursement funding. The applicant has one year to complete the work from the date of approval. Owners or lessees may request a six month extension provided there is a demonstrated hardship. Grant reimbursement will occur upon official landma rk or district designation, completion of the improvements and after proof of payment has been received. If the applicant is doing his/her own labor, funding will be reimbursed only for material costs. Approved 9/18/2006
Rehabilitation Grant Program Description Page #4 of 4 Reimbursement grants are subject to Federal and State taxes, and are reported to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099. Property owners a nd tenants should consult their tax advisor for tax liability information. E LIGIBLE I MPROVEMENTS (in order of funding priority ) • Reconstruction of Missing Features Reconstruction of missing original features such as front/side porches, towers, turrets, cornices, carriage houses, etc. Reconstruction must be based on evidence such as historic photographs. • Removal of Non-Original Featu res/Restoring Original Details Removal of any material that is not original a nd restoring back to the historic material(s), primarily substitute siding. Substitute siding is siding that has been installed over the historic exterior cladding material. When substitute siding is removed, the original material uncovered and any trim and ornamental details are to be repaired or restored. • Repairing/Stabilizing Deteriorated Existing Elements Repair or reinforcement of existing details that are deteriorating: for example, repairing a porch using new structural lumber and deck ing, but conserving existing column/posts, spindles/balusters and brackets through epox y consolidations or other methods; or repairing windows using epoxy cons olidations or other methods. • Continuing Maintenance Cleaning, tuckpointing, scraping and painti ng; porch handrail repair, glazing and glass replacement while retaining original sashes. Paint colors are subject to HPC review. • Replacement Replacing deteriorated materials with appropria te materials different than the original. Original materials may be replaced if more than fifty (50) percent is damaged. Replacement might consist of new wood si ding, new wood windows, new door, or new architectural composition asphalt shingles, where the new materials shall consist of traditional building materials. The following items are not eligible for reimbursement grants under the Village of Plainfield Rehabilitation Grant Program: • Acquisition of land or buildings; • Title reports and legal fees; • Building permit fees and related costs; • New additions; • Decks and fences; • Landscaping; • Repair or installa tion of sidewalks; • Site improvements that are not a ssociated with the designation; • Extermination of insects, rodents, vermin, and other pests; • Heating, ventilation a nd air conditioning; • Electrical work; • Plumbing; • Interior floor or ceiling replacement and repair; and, • Any work commenced prior to execution of a Rehabilitation Grant Agreement. Contact Planning Staff at (815) 439-2824 with inquiries or to sc hedule a pre-application meeting. Approved 9/18/2006