Montford Design Standard Amendment Survey
Montford Design Standard Amendment Survey
The Historic Resources Commission (HRC) is considering some updates to the Montford Historic District Design Review Standards, originally adopted after Montford's 1980 designation as the city's first local historic district. These standards guide property owners on making exterior changes to their properties and assist the HRC in reviewing proposed changes, ensuring preservation of the neighborhood's historic character. The standards are based on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties and preservation best practices.
As they consider potential amendments to the sections pertaining to Additions and Fences and Walls, the HRC is asking community members to participate in a short survey to help inform them in their decisions. The results from the survey will be shared with the HRC in April as they prepare to formally deliberate and vote on any amendments at their May and/or June regular meetings.
The HRC is considering amendments to the standards for Additions - see the draft amendments below (red text is new):
1. Site new additions as inconspicuously as possibly, preferably on rear elevations and where historic character defining features are not damaged, destroyed or obscured. Additions to side elevations may be considered appropriate if the proposed addition will not impact an existing porch, entryway, exterior chimney or other character-defining features, the proposed addition is clearly subordinate to the existing building and sufficiently set back from the front/primary building plane, and a sufficiently sized side yard exists.
2. Additions on the a front elevation will not be allowed.
3. Additions to rear elevations shall be inset additions from rear building corners to differentiate them from the existing building and to reduce public visibility.
4. Design additions so they are compatible with the existing building in height, massing, roof form and pitch; additions to a side or highly visible elevation cannot exceed one story in height.
5. Reduce the visual impact of an addition on a historic building by limiting its scale and size. Do not overpower the site or substantially alter the site’s proportion of built area to green space.
6. Windows in additions should be similar to those in the original buildings in their proportions, spacing, and materials.
7. Select exterior surface siding and details that are compatible with the existing building in material, texture, color, and character.
8. Construct additions, if feasible, to be structurally self supporting to reduce damage to the historic building. Attach additions in such a way that loss of historic material or details is minimized.
9. Foundations and eaves or other major horizontal elements, should not generally align on buildings and their additions so as to differentiate new from old.
10. Protect mature trees, significant site and landscape features from damage during or as a result of construction by minimizing ground disturbance; a tree protection plan is required for mature trees.
11. It is not appropriate to construct an addition that significantly changes the proportion of original building mass of the structure or the original building mass to open space on the individual site.
12. It is not appropriate to construct an addition if the overall proportion of building mass to open space on its site will significantly vary from the surrounding buildings and sites that contribute to the special character of the historic district.
These amendments may allow additions on side elevations of buildings in some circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
The HRC is a municipal historic preservation agency charged with preserving and protecting the cultural and architectural character of Asheville and Buncombe County. The HRC is responsible for making recommendations to governing bodies on historic district and landmark designations. Under state statute, the HRC must adopt and apply design standards whenever a local historic district is designated.
Select the search icon in the bottom right of this historic district overlay map and input the property address.
Properties that are within the overlay are subject to special design standards aimed at preserving the historic character of the district.
The standards apply to exteriors of existing structures and landscape features, as well as new construction. Montford Historic District Design Review Standards
It's recognized that the standards may need to be amended from time to time. Amendments to the standards can be proposed by the HRC, City staff and/or community members. The amendments currently in review by the HRC were submitted by Montford residents in 2024.
The City is facilitating a clear, structured review of resident-proposed amendments to the Montford Design Review Standards. There isn't a set step-by-step process for amending the standards, but amendments generally involve analysis and input from stakeholders, including HRC members and affected property owners. In the end, the HRC makes the final decision on whether to approve the changes.
Historic district standards should be based on best practices in the field of historic preservation, and rooted in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties, as set forth by the National Park Service. The Executive Committee of the board and staff analyzed the Montford standards against multiple other NC cities, including Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, New Bern, Durham, Rocky Mount and Wilmington, as well as the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, to gauge consistency of the Montford standards.
The commission's analysis found that the standards for windows and doors and solar panels are consistent with federal preservation guidelines, as well as those of other peer cities, and further consideration of changes to those standards is not warranted at this time.
The HRC will take public comment on the proposed amendments at an upcoming regular meeting, likely in May and/or June. 2026 HRC Regular Meeting Schedule