Is your house in the Takoma Park Historic District, and if so, what does that mean for your addition permit in Takoma Park?
There are a few different ways you can figure out if your house is in the Takoma Park Historic District.
TAKOMA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT MAP
Click image to download a high resolution version with all the street addresses visible.
First, you can check out this map of the Takoma Park historic district boundaries. Click the image to open or download a high resolution image which has all the street addresses visible. If you’re within the red boundary and yellow fill area then your house is within the Takoma Park Historic District.
My map is just a more legible version of the original Takoma Park Historic District map.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY ZONING MAP
Another option is to check out the Montgomery County Zoning Map. Search for your address in the top right corner. The map will zoom to your location, but then you actually have to click on your property. Once you do, you’ll open a Property Info tab on the left with a bunch of useful property information. There’s a “Historic Site/District” line. If you’re within the historic district it will say, “Takoma Park Historic District” Otherwise it will say, “N/A” or perhaps some other historic district if you’re elsewhere in Montgomery County.
On the same Zoning map you can open up the Layers menu at the top left and click the purple “Historic Resources – Master Plan” layer.
TAKOMA PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT MASTER PLAN
Finally, you can read directly from the Approved and Adopted Amendment to the Master Plan for Historic Preservation in Montgomery County, Maryland Takoma Park Historic District & Carroll Manor / Douglas House.
That document provides background on the history of Takoma Park and the formation of the Historic District. It also lists every house within the district, and it’s category, i.e. Outstanding Resource, Contributing Resource or Non-Contributing Resource, as well as the different requirements and review guidelines for the different categories. Note that if your address is not in that list, but your house is within the Takoma Park Historic District boundary you will still need to go through the historic review process.
HISTORIC DISTRICT PERMIT PROCESS
If your house is in the Takoma Park Historic District, whether or not it's a contributing resource, you will need to go through the Historic Area Work Permit process prior to receiving your regular building permit from Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS).
That last link has a more in-depth post about design considerations for additions within the Takoma Park Historic District. If you want to read the technical info direct from Montgomery Planning you can view the Historic Area Work Permit page or download the Historic Work Permit Application.
The Cliff's Notes is that you need to provide enough information about the size, scale, scope, quality and materials for the Historic Preservation Committee to make a judgement as to the appropriateness of your project. For simple things like replacing the shingles on your roof or building a new fence, a homeowner can probably get through the process on their own. Anything more involved, on the order of additions, you probably need an architect familiar with the historic preservation guidelines.
Got a few questions or know you're ready to get moving on your own addition or renovation? I'm here to help! Send me an email or book a free consult to get the conversation started.
