The last few months as a new member of the Historic District Commission (HDC), I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with a number of folks, learning more about Laurel’s HDC processes, and helping find answers to questions residents have asked.

It occurred to me that it may also be helpful to share some ‘fast facts and tips’ for residents of Laurel’s Historic District, whether you’ve been here for a bit or are newly moved into town. So, a la Dave Letterman, here’s an unofficial ‘10 Fast Facts for Historic District Residents’:

  1. First, sometimes there’s understandably confusion between the Historic District Commission and the Laurel Historical Society. The HDC is an official part of the Laurel City Government with the mission to ‘promote the preservation of Laurel’s historic sites’ and which handles decisions around structural changes in the Historic District designated area. The Laurel Historical Society is an independent non-profit with the mission to ‘deepen an understanding of Laurel’s past and inspire for its future’. Sometimes the Laurel Historical Society can help residents or the City understand what things looked like around town as part of their work, but they don’t handle any decisions for the City.
  2. Which leads me to #2: Residents (and businesses) of the Historic District who plan to make changes to their property’s exterior will generally need to submit an application for approval to the HDC. This includes most items from windows & paint, to house additions & tree removals.
  3. Some applications can be approved directly by City staff within 7 - 10 days if it’s considered “in-kind” – This means the color, style, and material is the same as the existing. (E.g., you need to replace old gutters with the same ones you had before.)
  4. There’s also a fast-track provision for ‘emergency approvals’. For example, you have a hole in your roof and need to get the roofer out right away to keep water out of your home.
  5. Most other applications will generally need to be approved as part of the monthly meeting of the HDC, which is usually held the third Tuesday of each month. The key thing to know, is that the application must be submitted roughly a month prior to the meeting and can be accomplished online. (The official meeting schedule contains corresponding application submission dates, so be sure to look for those.)
  6. A help to Historic District residents: Qualifying project costs can receive a 10% City real estate tax credit, so be sure not to miss out if it applies to you. Qualifying costs include materials and are for homes identified as having historic impact. (So project costs to modern-styled structures in the Historic District generally won’t qualify.)
  7. Which also bring us to two other tax credits: Laurel has a historic rehabilitation City real estate credit of 25% and Maryland has a Homeowner Tax Credit against income taxes of 20% for eligible renovation or rehabilitation costs. These have a little more added criteria, but can definitely be worth it if you’re undertaking a big project.
  8. Tip #8, remember that after receiving HDC approval, some projects will also need typical permits as well, so you may have one more step. (For example, garages, fences, sheds, decks, driveways, etc.) Permits aren’t issued by the HDC, but by the City’s Fire Marshal and Permit Services (FMPS) Department, which are also processed online.
  9. A common question I’ve received: what about work related to trees? First, a tree not seen from the public right-of-way does not need HDC approval to be removed. (Though be aware an alley may deemed a public right-of-way.) Second, removal of a dangerous or diseased tree also doesn’t need HDC approval as long as a letter from a certified arborist is received attesting the same. Other than that, tree removal from public right-of-way will generally need HDC approval, and all tree removals will usually be accompanied by a request to plant a replacement native tree.
  10. Lastly, you can download a HDC Information Packet right from the HDC pages of the City’s website, as well as find a host of information there. There is a lot, so don’t hesitate to call or email the City team to help get clarification and save yourself some time and effort – staff recommend contacting them early on the front end of a project so they can help guide you to a speedy approval.

I hope the above is helpful, and certainly if there’s ideas, questions, or other, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me as well and I’m happy to work on getting an answer for you. And together, we can help Laurel preserve part of its heritage as a 150+ year old City anchoring the center of a historic state!