The New York State Historic Preservation Office (OPRHP) and New York State Department of State, in partnership with the Preservation League of New York State, have developed an updated model local preservation law to help municipalities preserve historic resources in their communities. The model law is available on the agency’s website here.
The new model law details procedural steps for local landmarking decisions and review of proposed alterations to historic properties, and new standards for municipal process and public participation in the protection of historic resources. New York Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales said that the Department of State has worked closely to ensure that the Model Law can be used by towns, villages and cities of any size.
The new model law incorporates standards and practices that have developed over the last two decades. It offers municipalities options for implementing historic resource protection at the municipal level, including measures for protecting historic buildings, public spaces in building interiors, and/or historic landscapes.
The law meets the requirements of the federal Certified Local Government (CLG) program, and communities that adopt the new Model Law will be CLG-program compliant, allowing them to access federal funding to assist in historic resource protection at the local level. For more information on adopting a local preservation law and participating in the Certified Local Government Program, contact Julian Adams, CLG Program Coordinator at (518) 237-8643 ext.3271 and visit http://nysparks.com/shpo/certified-local-governments/#sthash.JH009ejT.dpuf
The development of a revised and expanded Model Preservation Law for local municipalities continues a partnership between the Preservation League of New York State and the State Historic Preservation Office that dates to the late 1980s, when the League and agency collaborated to develop the state’s first model local historic preservation law.
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