Historic Building Maintenance & Rehab

Designation and Reviews

Designation Types

There are several types of historic designations.  For more information on the types of historic designations, click here. If you are interested in landmarking your property check out the guide below or email preservation@lincoln.ne.gov.

Landmark Designation

Design Guidelines

Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, either in a district or individually, are not subject to design guidelines unless federal funding is involved. Local landmark districts or sites do come with specific design guidelines for each property and generally govern the exterior of the building(s). The design guidelines and review process are not intended to prevent change, but rather to guide it through review of major alterations. Each local landmark district or individual landmark property has a set of design guidelines which were adopted with the designation. To view the guidelines for your property visit the Historic Designations page here and search your address on the map. If you are in a historic district, your property will be inside an colored boundary with the district name. National Register Districts are in red, Local Landmark Districts in orange, and districts with both designations are green. If your property is individually listed, it will appear with an orange dot over it.

Review Process

There are two types of approvals--administrative and through the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The Historic Preservation Commission meets the third Thursday of each month at 1:30 pm in Room 113 of the City-County Building (555 S. 10th Street). More information and upcoming agendas can be found on their website here.

 

Administrative
  • Certificate of No Material Effect: the Planning Director may issue if the application is for work which is not restricted by the design guidelines applicable to the property and will have no effect on any architectural features of the landmark or district.
Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)
  • Certificate of Appropriateness: issued by the HPC if, after focusing on the aesthetic, historical, and architectural values, it finds the proposed work won't negatively impact the historic landmark or district.
  • Certificate of Exception: issued on the ground of insufficient return or hardship if the HPC finds the property cannot yield a reasonable return if the proposed work is not permitted, the issue is due to unique circumstances, and the hardship is the result of the application of the ordinance and not the act of the applicant.
  • Certificate of Allowance: issued by the Planning Director permitting an application denied by the HPC to proceed that proposes to demolish all or part of a historic property, or involves construction on open areas of a historic property, if after 90 days if no acceptable plan is negotiated and approved by the applicant in consultation with the HPC. A certificate of allowance is also issued by the Planning Director if other work on a historic property is not approved by the HPC and no acceptable plan is negotiated and approved by the applicant within 3 months of the decision not to approve.

The HPC may also refuse to issue a certificate if it finds the application does not meet any of the above criteria and will provide written findings of fact to support their decision. If denied the applicant may modify their application based on feedback from HPC at the meeting that would enable the HPC to issue a certificate under the above listed criteria.

To review the ordinance language specific to these preservation approvals and denials consult Chapter 27.57.150 of the municipal code and Chapter 27.57.160. If you have additional questions or would like to submit materials for review of your project email preservation@lincoln.ne.gov or call (402) 441-6377.

Financing Rehabilitation

Several financing opportunities are available to owner of historic buildings. Some require the property be income producing, while others do not. Not all programs are right for all projects, but the guide below provides basic information for each and contact information to learn more.

Programs for Financing Building Rehab(PDF, 164KB)

General Resources for Rehab/Restoration

Lead Paint

Below are a few links related to lead abatement in historic homes and on historic materials. Homes built prior to 197X more than likely used lead paint for windows, siding, and walls which can be a hazard especially to young children. There are several approaches to either remove or encapsulate the paint to avoid contamination that also protects the historic character of the home. Encapsulation has the potential of being a problem on surfaces that experience friction but efforts should be made to identify encapsulation material that have 20 year warranties. Even if those products have that long of warranty though they should still be checked on every 2 to 3 years in case the painted areas need some touch ups. Encapsulating exterior lead paint can greatly reduce the potential creation of new lead dust as compared to just using vinyl siding to cover the wood siding.

HUD Guidance

Exterior Paint

Lead Paint in Historic Housing

Painting Historic Interiors

Lead Safe Lincoln Grant Program

Windows

Original wood windows when properly maintained are cost effective, sustainable, and have a long lifespan. When compared to vinyl replacement windows, they can last up to 80 years longer. If energy efficiency or reducing drafty windows is the goal, consider the addition of a storm window or if the original glass is not historically significant, replacement with a double pane glass.

Only when a window is in such a state of disrepair or are missing altogether is replacement a viable option. When replacement windows are under consideration, start with a wood replacement window before looking to vinyl. The replacement should match the size, configuration and general characteristics of the window being replaced. For example if the wood window is a 48” by 22” two-over-one double hung the new vinyl would need to be a 48” by 22” two-over-one double hung. Street facing windows are the most important window to preserve if a decision needs to be made on vinyl versus wood windows as they are was the public sees on the historic home.

 Repairing Wood Windows

 Replacement Windows

Energy Efficiency

The most energy efficient way to heat your home in the winter and cool your home in the summer is with a heat pump. Many older homes still use a radiator system run off a boiler, installed when the home was built and often an air conditioning system has been added to provide relief from the summer heat. If your home has this set up, you could increase the efficiency by installing a heat pump to replace your air conditioner. The pump would do all the cooling and about two-thirds the heating. To continue using the radiator heat, a control device would be installed to shut off the heat pump and turn on the boiler system when temperatures get too cold. Or the boiler system could be removed and a natural gas furnace or electric furnace be installed.

If your home does not have central air conditioning (meaning there is no existing duct work feeding the home) an ultra-low temperature heat pump could heat the entire home. The radiators could still be used, again with a control device to shut off the heat pump and turn on the boiler when the temperatures dip too low. Some alterations would be needed on the exterior of the home to get the power and refrigerant lines into the space. This should generally be done on rear facades when possible, or side facades that are minimally visible from view of the public right-of-way.

Lincoln homeowners are now eligible for a $1,000 City of Lincoln-funded incentive toward the purchase of an air source heat pump. Eligible low-income residents who apply will receive $3,000 in City funds. Both may be combined with an $800 incentive from the Lincoln Electric System (LES) Sustainable Energy Program. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis through August 31, 2024, or until funds are expended, whichever comes first.

Learn More

Siding

Generally, the first consideration for deteriorated cladding materials should be replacement with the same material used in original construction (wood for wood, stucco for stucco, brick for brick, etc.) especially if there is a small amount of deterioration. If this is not possible, replacement with high-quality materials such as fiber cement board may be acceptable if it closely resembles the general dimensions, texture, reveal, and appearance of historic wood cladding. Consult the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties for more guidance on the maintenance of historic materials on structures. There is no suitable replacement for deteriorated brick other than brick that closely matches historic brick.

Additions

Additions should complement the style of the structure, but not attempt to imitate architecture styles which pre-date that of the historic structure. Generally, additions should be placed at the rear of the property to preserve the appearance of the building from the public view. If an addition is to be placed on the side of a property, sufficient separation or an offset between the original and new structure should be incorporated into the design to clearly distinguish old from new. Materials and architectural details used in the addition should complement those of the existing building without creating a false sense of history.

Demolition

Demolition should be a last resort when dealing with a historic property. Moving a landmark is discouraged; however, moving is preferred to demolition. If a structure has been neglected beyond the point of saving, the Planning Director may issue a certificate of "allowance on the ground of hazardous conditions" if the structure poses an immediate hazard to human health and safety. However, no owner shall be deliberate acts or deliberate neglect allow a landmark property to become a hazard with the intent of obtaining this type of permit.

Landscaping

The outdoor space surrounding a building or home can be an important aspect of its historic character. The expansive front lawns of many homes in the Boulevards Historic District for example is characteristic of the Woods Brothers development patterns. If your home is individually listed or located within a historic district, check with the Historic Preservation Planner first before beginning a landscaping project such as a new retaining wall, fence, sidewalk replacement or other similar project to make sure it complies with the design guidelines. 

Hiring Crafts People

History Nebraska has put together a great resource for hiring local crafts people to help with your rehabilitation project. The companies/individuals in this directory have requested or consented to be placed on this list. The City of Lincoln is not endorsing any of these individuals or companies. We strongly recommend checking references, reviewing previous projects, and conducting careful interviews of prospective providers. 

Crafts People Directory