East Nottingham Township
Elk Township
Lower Oxford Township
Oxford Borough
Oxford Region
Upper Oxford Township
West Nottingham Township
Multimunicipal
Comprehensive Plan
Historic Resources
May 28, 2008 - 7:00pm
Purpose of Meeting Discussion
To determine the Role, Type(s), and Level
of historic resource protection
in the Oxford Region.
What is a Historic Resource?
What Best Represents Oxford Region’s History?
Agriculture
Milling
Oxford
Villages
Borough
What else represents your Region‟s heritage?
Oxford Region is fortunate to have
many resources remaining – some
have National Register recognition
23 National Register listed and eligible resources and districts:
• 5 National Register Listed Properties
• 3 National Register Listed Historic Districts
• 14 National Register Eligible Properties
• 1 National Register Eligible District
… and some historic resources are
locally important
Historic Sites Survey
(1978-82)
• Lower Oxford, Elk, W Nottingham,
Upper Oxford, E Nottingham,
Oxford
Updated currently through
Chester County Historic
Resources GIS Atlas
• Lower Oxford, Elk, W Nottingham,
Upper Oxford, E Nottingham,
Oxford
Why Preserve Historic Resources?
Community Character:
• Retains community character and identity/integrity of place
• Raises awareness/education of community context
• Ensures the legacy of the nation’s history and founding
• Retains craftsmanship and materials no longer affordable or readily available
• Maintains a human scale
Economics:
• Helps increase property values
• Results in more rehabilitation-related local business than new construction
• Provides economic benefits through heritage tourism
• Encourages additional investment with historic resources as community
anchors and produces a return on municipal dollars spent
• Supports growth management policies through reuse of existing buildings
Oxford Region Historic
Resource survey results:
A total of 14 surveys returned
How important are Historic Resources?
Yielded mixed results, but all
respondents felt historic resources were
at least „somewhat important‟
6 Very Important
3 Important
5 Somewhat Important
How would you like to further protect historic resources?
PA Municipalities Planning Code (Act 247)
requires:
• Historic resource protection plan as part of a
comprehensive plan
• Protection of historic features and resources in zoning
There are various levels of Historic Resource
Protection Planning: Federal, State, and Local
Federal Level Historic Resource
Planning Tools
• National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966
• National Register of Historic Places
• Section 106 Review Process
• Certified Local Government
Program
• Investment Tax Credits
State Level Historic Resource
Planning Tools
• PA History Code
• PA Historical and Museum
Commission
• PA Historic Preservation Plan
• Historical Marker Program
• Act 247, PA MPC
• Act 167 Historic District Act
• Act 537, Sewage Facilities
Planning
County Planning Efforts
Landscapes policy
Goal
“Sustain and enhance natural, scenic,
and historic resources for the benefit
of current and future generations while
accommodating planned growth.”
Objective
“Preserve historic and cultural resources and their
appropriate settings; use historic resources and the
County‟s existing cultural landscape as a basis for
creating strong community character.”
County Planning Efforts
Implementation of Landscapes
• VPP program grants for Historic Resource Protection
• Preserving Our Places
• Technical assistance
Chester County Parks Heritage Preservation
Coordinator and County Preservation Officer
• Chester County GIS Historic Atlas
• Historic Commission Assistance
• County Historic Designations
• Historic Reviews
Municipal Planning Efforts
• Historical commissions
• Comprehensive plans
• Open space plans
• Historic preservation
ordinances
• Building Codes
• Community Outreach
Regional Planning Effort Examples
• Oxford Regional Comprehensive Plan update
• Chester County Historic Preservation Network
• Brandywine Battlefield Taskforce
• Chester County Historical Society
• Valley Forge National Historical Park
• Schuylkill River Heritage Corridor
• “Finding Common Ground” workshop (2005)
Are there any regional planning efforts that
apply to Oxford Region?
Local Public and Private Planning
Effort Examples
• Historic Yellow Springs
• Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund
• Chadds Ford Historical Society
• Main Street programs
Are there any examples of local or private
planning efforts that apply to the Region?
Context Issues
• Impact of development? • Loss of historic villages?
• Context sensitive design? • Loss of historic contexts?
Level of Protection Issues
• Increased public awareness about
historic resources (based on
survey results),…… but what about
protection issues or tools?
• Competing local priorities – e.g.
resource protection vs private
property rights
Have any of the Region’s historic resources been
preserved as a result of an ordinance or other land
use measure?
Economics issues
• Economic viability?
• Lack of funding
Outreach Issues
• Need for greater public education and outreach?
• Need for consistent comprehensive historic resource surveys
Potential Idea?
Use this type of regional heritage preservation planning map in
Oxford Region comprehensive plan?
Questions
or
Comments?
East Nottingham Township
Elk Township
Lower Oxford Township
Oxford Borough Oxford Region
Upper Oxford Township
West Nottingham Township
Thank you
and
Goodnight!