Historic Preservation Commission established

Kendallville Common Council has approved the creation of its Historic Preservation Commission, marking an important milestone in the city's efforts to support downtown revitalization and the restoration and preservation of historically significant structures.

Five community members will serve on the commission:

• Keith Ballard, contractor, former RDC member, and building owner

• Stephane Langelier, building owner and Kendallville Car Show organizer

• Terry Householder, retired KPC Media publisher/president, historian

• Jerry Spaw, former RDC member and member of Kendallville Restorations Inc.

• Brad Graden, Community Foundation of Noble County director, former RDC member, former banker

The commission will be responsible for vetting projects that propose to conspicuously change the exterior appearance of a building. In order to obtain a building permit from the city for such projects (when located in designated historic districts), building owners will need to receive a "certificate of appropriateness" from the commission. Through the PreservINg Main Street project and its supporting partners, commission members will be trained extensively in order to help building owners explore best practices and options that will protect the historic integrity of buildings while being sensitive to costs.