By: Mick Blankenship

It’s my favorite time of the year. Warmer weather is coming and after being pent-up inside much of the winter, we are itching to get out. Some may enjoy the warmer weather by having afternoon cocktails on their porch. Others may get back into running or biking. If you are like me, you are looking for new home improvement projects for the outside of your home. But be careful. Many of us midtown dwellers do not enjoy the home owning liberties of others. We have rules. These rules are in place to preserve the historic nature of our area. If you are in a historic district and you want to change anything about the outside of your home, it must be approved by the Architectural Review Board (ARB). The Mobile Historic Development Commission (MHDC) has given guidelines to the ARB to guide them in their decision of whether or not to approve an alteration to the outside of your home. Consider these guidelines our rules.

Years ago, when my wife was pregnant with our first child, we realized our current residence was not suitable for raising a child. We weren’t in a financial position to buy a forever home just yet, so we found an affordable place to move for a couple of years while we saved. Only problem was, the place we found didn’t have a backyard and we have dogs. So we decided to fence in the front yard. Being the front yard, I wanted to make sure the fence was visually appealing. No chain link or wood privacy fence. We went with a black metal fence that provided full visibility of our home from the street. Our dogs had been known to climb fences so I went with a six foot fence to make sure they were contained. I was not aware that this home was in a historic district. I had lived only a couple blocks away in the past and had done several exterior alterations with no issues. Turns out I was literally one block away from the end of a historic district. It wasn’t long before I was notified that my fence did not comply with MHDC guidelines and it must be removed to avoid fines. I met with the MHDC and they said I could have a fence but it couldn’t be more than four feet high in the front of the home. I’m not sure what the fines would have been, but I am a compliant citizen and I replaced my 6 foot fence with a 4 foot fence. It was a costly lesson to learn. I had no idea I was doing anything wrong or I definitely would not have built a 6 foot fence in the front. Now I’m stuck with the cost of removing a fence and replacing it. How was I supposed to know?

If you are in one of these historic districts, and you may not be aware, I would like to take this opportunity to share what I had to learn the hard way. Maybe I can help you avoid making the same costly mistake I did. Let’s start with the districts and where they are.

Old Dauphin Way

Old Dauphin Way is the largest of the districts and includes most of what we refer to as “Midtown.” The district borders Springhill Ave to the north, Government St to the south, and runs east to west from Broad St to Houston St.

Oakleigh Garden

Oakleigh is home to the Oakleigh Mansion, Washington Square, and Callaghan’s Irish Social Club. The district borders Government St to the north, Texas St to the south, and runs east to west from Broad St to Ann St.

Leinkauf

Leinkauf is Oakleigh’s sister district to the west, just north of Ladd Stadium. The district borders Government St to the north, Virginia St to the South, and runs east to west from Ann St to Houston St.

Lower Dauphin

Made up of mostly commercial buildings and loft apartments, Lower Dauphin is the heart of downtown and where all the action happens. The district is made up of all the buildings to the north and south of Dauphin St, running east to west from Water St to Broad St.

De Tonti Square

One of the smaller districts, De Tonti Square is made up of only nine blocks. It is a hidden gem just north of the heart of downtown. Containing some of Mobile’s oldest homes, the district borders Adams St to the north, St Anthony St to the south, and runs east to west from Conception St to Claiborne St.

Church St East

Church St East is De Tonti Square’s sister district to the south and also contains some of Mobile’s oldest homes. The district borders Government St to the north, Canal St to the south, and runs east to west roughly from I-10 to Broad St.

Ashland Place

Well off the beaten path, Ashland Place is one of the smaller districts and is not adjacent to any of the other historic districts. The district borders Springhill Ave to the North, Old Shell Rd to the south, and runs east to west from Ryan Ave to Levert Ave.

Note that these borders are not exact. If you find yourself on the edge of one of these districts, you may want to contact the authorities (MHDC) to find out for sure if your home is included. If you are, then I suggest you follow the MHDC guidelines when making any exterior alterations to your home. The guidelines are about 175 pages long. Instead of making you read the whole thing, I will highlight the guidelines I think will be most important to you as a home owner in one of these districts.

I found the MHDC’s guidelines to be quite repetitive. The whole document could be summarized by saying, “put it back the way it was, or as close as possible.” The guidelines require the same strategy for all of the following features of your home:

-Siding -Doors & doorways -Shutters & Awnings -Garage Doors -

-Roofs -Windows - Ornamentation -Porches

If a feature is in good condition, maintain it as such. If the feature is damaged, repair it to its original condition. If a feature or a portion of it is missing, reconstruct it to the original design with original materials. If reconstruction with original materials is not feasible, use materials that most closely resemble original features and only reconstruct the portion that is beyond repair. If you want to add new features or additions, they must be designed in such a way that has a minimal impact on the original features, and in some cases, not visible from the street.

Reconstruction of original features and obtaining original materials can often be difficult or frustrating. Fortunately, the goods and services of the construction market have responded and some manufacturers and craftsmen have specialized in historic preservation. If you need help, the MHDC can help you locate the appropriate materials and craftsmen. They will also work with home owners to meet their needs while staying within the MHDC guidelines.

The guidelines outline more specific does and don’ts for certain features.

Siding

· If you want to change the color of your house, you must have it approved. The ARB will only approve colors that reflect the building’s predominant historic period.

· Acceptable materials are stucco, wood, brick, stone, or other material original to the building.

· Unacceptable materials are metal, vinyl, plywood, imitation brick or stone, mineral fiber, concrete block, or ceramic paint.

Roofs

· Any additions to your roof such as a skylight, communications equipment (e.g. a satellite dish), or a new dormer must not be visible from the street.

· Some original roofing materials are difficult to obtain. The following replacements are acceptable:

o Use a composition shingle where a wood shingle would have been.

o Use cement tiles when replacing clay tiles

· Acceptable materials include slate, tile, metal, shingles, lead, copper, or other original material.

· Unacceptable materials include corrugated fiberglass, asphalt roll roofing, panel and batten, and brightly colored metal.

Doors

· Acceptable materials include wood panel with or without glass, metal with painted finish, or other material original to the building.

· Unacceptable materials include unfinished metal, fiberglass, or flat wood doors.

Windows

· Acceptable materials include wood sash, steel, or aluminum.

· Unacceptable materials include vinyl, mill-finish aluminum, and interior snap-in muntins.

Shutters

· Acceptable materials include wood and synthetic or composite shutters that closely resemble wood.

· Unacceptable materials include lightweight plastic.

Awnings

· Awnings must be canvas or a similar woven fabric.

· Must use a shed type awning for a rectangular window and a rounded awning over an arched window that matches the curve of the opening.

· The awning must not cover any significant architectural details.

Fences, Walls, and Gates

· Front yard fences are restricted to 36” though 48” are sometimes allowed with approval.

· Side and rear fencing is limited to 72”, or 96” when adjacent to a multifamily or commercial building.

· Acceptable fence materials include wood picket, wood slat, wood lattice, iron or steel, historically appropriate wire fences, and aluminum that appears similar to iron.

· Unacceptable fence materials include chain link, stockade, post and rail, masonite, pvc, plywood or asbestos paneling, razor wire, and barbed wire.

· Acceptable wall materials include brick, stone, stucco or masonry. Unstuccoed concrete block is not acceptable.

Lighting

· Security lights, such as a flood light, must be mounted on the rear or side of your home, not the front.

· The lighting should not spill over to a neighboring property.

· Do not use an imitation historic fixture that may convey a false sense of history.

· Acceptable lighting sources are low wattage incandescent, LED that appears similar to incandescent, mercury vapor, moon lighting, and dark sky (downward facing).

· Unacceptable lighting includes low sodium and metal halide.

Trees

· The Mobile Tree Commission oversees the protection of “heritage trees” such as live oaks. A permit is required to cut such trees.