Kimberli Fitzgerald, City of Salem Historic Preservation Officer, described a recent review by the HLC of an application to demolish the Marion Car Park, a building within the Salem Downtown Historic District. This application was not approved by the HLC as they determined the applicant did not satisfy the required criterion that the proposed development would be of a higher benefit to Salem than the existing building, as there was no redevelopment plan submitted. The proposal had been postponed from its original July 2014 hearing date to March 2015 to allow the applicant time to hire a developer, but he was unable to secure those services. The applicant is currently forming a development team and is anticipated to resubmit an application later in the year when a development proposal has have been finalized.
The HLC offers a Toolbox Grant program for historic residential properties that are designated as a local or National Register resource. This $1000 matching grant program is designed to help with exterior maintenance of your property, and is offered twice a year (spring & fall) through a relatively simple application process. For more information and application materials, check out their website listed on our Links We Like page. There are similar programs for historic commercial properties administered by the city's Urban Development as well. Contact them through the City website at http://cityofsalem.net.
May is National Historic Preservation Month and there are several local events planned. An historic window workshop will be held at Willamette Heritage Center on May 2 from 9:00-5:00. This will be a hands-on training, learning as you help repair windows in one of the historic buildings on the WHC campus. Another fun event is the Heritage Faire held at the Capitol Mall on May 28 over the lunch hour from 11:00-2:00. Many state agencies dealing with historic preservation, along with several nonprofit historic organizations will be there to tell you about their activities. Games, gifts, and tours of the Capitol dome await you.
McKinley School is celebrating their centennial on May 28, 2015. Annie Morton is heading up the event and is requesting stories from past students. If you have a story you'd like to share from your time at McKinley, contact Annie at [email protected].
Our program will be taking a hiatus through the month of May and encore episodes will be aired. We'll be back with new episodes on June 3, 2015. See you then!