April 15, 2008
Reminder: Battersea preservation easement hearing tonight
City Council will hold a public hearing seeking public input on whether the City of Petersburg should voluntarily grant a preservation easement, as prepared by the Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources, on Battersea Estate.
A recent P-I article notes that at stake is $100,000 in funds — these monies would come from DHR and the legislature on a matching basis, and would be used on restoration work on the estate. However, these monies can be released when the city provides a voluntary perpetual preservation easement to DHR — which must happen before June 30th (contracts with contractors would also have to be approved by this date).
The folks at Battersea note that the city has granted easements and raised monies in the same manner for other city properties, including Centre Hill and the Train Station. And that DHR holds numerous easements on city property.
What is a preservation easement?
From the website of the National Trust for Historic Preservation: BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT PRESERVATION EASEMENTS
Owners of historic properties devote considerable time, effort, and expense to restoring and maintaining the architectural details and historic character of their properties. Preservation-minded owners often worry that their properties will not be properly protected and maintained in the future by subsequent owners. Likewise, preservation organizations have a strong interest in ensuring the long term protection of the many thousands of historic properties that remain in active private use, whether a nationally-significant landmark, a rural village, a cultural landscape, or farmland.
For property owners looking to permanently protect their historic properties, one of the most effective legal tools available is the preservation easement, a private legal interest conveyed by a property owner to a preservation organization or to a government entity. The decision to donate a preservation easement is almost always voluntary, but, once made, it binds both the current owner and future owners to protect the historic character of the property subject to the easement. Preservation easements have been used to protect a wide range of historic properties across the country from New England Cape Cod cottages to Southwestern archaeological sites, and from Kentucky horse farms to mid-twentieth century Modernist houses in California. While some easements are for a period of years, in most instances easements are created as permanent restrictions.
Preservation easements have become an important component of state and federal policy to encourage public participation in the preservation of America’s historic resources.
For more information:
On Petersburg People’s News
http://pburgpn.net/news/2008/04/04/important-message-from-battersea/
Easement information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/legal-resources/easements/
Easement Information from the Department of Historic Resources
http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/easement/easement.htm
Battersea Incorporated’s Website
htpp://www.BatterseaInc.com
So a preservation easement would help Battersea raise funds from individuals, corporations, and state/federal sources, but someone(s) in the city thinks this may not be a good idea?
The property has structural needs, and all this stalling on the city’s part is delaying any restorative work being done (to say nothing of potentially leaving needed monies - not coming out of the city budget - on the table).
This is a no-brainer: provide the preservation easement, let Battersea flourish for years to come to the benefit of our community.
This should have full community and regional support. Petersburg needs to provide the easement. Battersea is a key element to understanding this region’s overall early history. Its residents and workers are as important as the structure to have knowledge of if one desires to ever gain a ture understanding of Petersburg regioanl history. Petersburg’s needs a historical society this could be an excellent site later on and would help keep the doors open and secure.
Hm… a quote from Ellen Boyer in the P-I article just came to mind. I take it that she suggests the easement is not necessarily a requirement to receive the $100,000 in question, as had been thought?
Even if that turns out to be the case, the easement would still be a facilitator…
1) then Battersea could tell potential individual/corporate contributors, that indeed, the estate will be preserved as a national landmark indefinitely (and hence the contribution/investment will not be for nothing in say 5 yrs.)
2) some federal programs do REQUIRE a preservation easement to be eligible for grants… for example, the ‘Save America’s Treasures’ program (see line item #8).
More info on Battersea can be found on the National Register registration form.
The easement was approved by Council.
Hooray!!!