A proposed ordinance before the Crawfordsville Common Council is aimed at preserving and protecting more of the downtown.
On Monday, the council began its process to designate an area in the downtown as the Main-Green Local Historic District. The first reading of the proposed ordinance received a 7-0 vote. Two additional readings and votes are required before the ordinance can be adopted.
Councilman Mike Reidy said the ordinance is great for the city and the county as a whole. His sentiments were echoed by Councilman Jeff Lucas, who shared comments from a recent housing panel discussion he attended in Lafayette.
“The question before the panel was how do you attract industry, retail and workforce? Is it the chicken or the egg, what do you do first? ... All the panel members resonated that a vibrant downtown core hits every note — industry, retail, workforce — they are all looking for what does your downtown say about your community.”
During public comments, Sue Lucas, director of Crawfordsville Main Street, said CMS supports passage of this ordinance. She said the designation will help foster partnerships between downtown property owners seeking to repair or rehabilitate their historic buildings and the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Furthermore, she said the designation will continue to encourage a culture of preservation choices in the community, and ensure downtown investors and developers that city sees its downtown core as a valuable asset worthy of protection.
Sue Lucas said the buildings in the 100 block of South Washington Street and those in the Pike-Washington Street Historic District are prime examples of local preservation efforts.
“Those eight buildings speak volumes every single day to the 20,000 cars going up and down Washington Street, but even more so they have encouraged a new generation of property owners to invest in downtown.”
Tommy Kleckner, Western region director for Indiana Landmarks, said the proposed historic district was carefully surveyed and documented and comes to the full council with the recommendation of the city’s HPC.
“The existing Montgomery County Courthouse Historic District protects the west half of this particular block and this proposed district would bring that entire block into the protection of the HPC,” Kleckner said.
He added the proposed local designation is part of a larger goal to have the whole downtown under historic designation protection.
In other matters concerning the downtown, the council adopted revised guidelines for the Crawfordsville Downtown Exterior Rehabilitation Grant Program.
Officials revised the language to reflect that the program now includes more than a building’s facade and can include restoration work on the sides of downtown buildings.
Kleckner shared with the council that the language changes were initiated as part of their professional services with the city.
“The revision takes the current facade grant program and extends that to the exterior grant rehabilitation grant program,” Kleckner said. “Oftentimes the critical needs and repairs are not facades, and these revised guidelines will allow, once funding is available again in this program, for downtown building owners to be able to tap into city funding assistance to make those kinds of critical repairs that are going to enhance both stabilization of these buildings, but also their viability.”
In other business, the council:
• Adopted an ordinance amending the Green Power Rider for Services rendered by Crawfordsville Electric Light & Power.
• Adopted an ordinance establishing Fund 2531 for an Underground Storage Tank Financial Assurance Fund.
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance making an additional appropriation for the Crawfordsville Street Department to repair a trash truck.
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance making an additional appropriation for the Community Crossing Paving Program.
• Approved a resolution for a Historic Preservation Loan in the amount of $10,000 for Michael Schiedler at 109 E. Main St.
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance prohibiting the use of compression release engine brakes (“Jake Brakes”) within the city. Councilman Andy Biddle said the restrictions were “long overdue” and will hopefully alleviate the concerns of residents, especially those along U.S. 231.
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance changing the zoning classification for 59.32 acres of real estate located a half mile south of C.R. 150S on US 231S. The change is part of a plan between the city and a developer to construct 274 homes on the south side.
“I was asked today what is Crawfordsville doing right,” Councilman Lucas said. “... I did say this, it’s not one thing, it’s a balance, and it’s demonstrable with the advancements we’ve seen. This is an indication that a lot of things are going right.”
• Approved the first reading of an ordinance designating the Main-Green Local Historic District as a Local Historic District in downtown Crawfordsville.
• Adopted an ordinance vacating a portion of an ordinance vacating a portion of a north-south alley directly west of 413 Harrison St.
• Heard comments of gratitude from Biddle and Jeff Lucas regarding the successful operation of the annual Crawfordsville Strawberry Festival. Fellow councilman Ethan Hollander also expressed his thanks to the city fire department for allowing him to shadow shift C. He said he hopes he never needs them, but if so, he knows he is in good hands. Hollander also urged councilman and the public to listen to the Crawfordsville Connections podcast.
