Since Mesta Park is a historic preservation district, there are certain guidelines that must be followed when making any exterior alterations to property within our neighborhood. These guidelines protect the beauty and integrity of our historic area. These guidelines are also laws and failing to comply with them is actually illegal. Therefore, it is important to understand these guidelines before you begin any project on property in Mesta Park.
What is a certificate of appropriateness?
A Certificate of Appropriateness (CA) is an official certificate issued by the City of Oklahoma City's Historic Preservation Commission. If the project you undertaken requires a certificate of appropriateness (see below), you must apply for and obtain a CA before beginning work on your project. The Historic Preservation Commission meets to review applications and issue CA's once per month.
When is a CA required?
A CA is required most anytime that a person plans changes to the exterior of a property or the grounds. If you want to change, demolish, add or repair over 66% of a feature of your house then you must apply for a CA and go before the Oklahoma City Historic Preservation board for approval prior to beginning work. However, there are a few circumstances in which a Certificate of Appropriateness is not required:
- For "ordinary maintenance and repair", or for interior work. Ordinary maintenance and repair means that you are repairing a feature using the exact same materials, not replacing a feature.
- If you are repairing less than 66% of a particular feature.
In addition to the above, there are some situations in which you can obtain administrative approval from the City of OKC's Historic Preservation Office. This means that your application doesn't have to go before the HP Commission for approval and can often be approved more quickly. The situations for administrative approval include:
- Restoring a feature of your home back to its original condition when you have documentation or proof of the original condition.
- Other projects, such as a fence or sidewalk/driveway replacement, that comply with the HP Guidelines.
How do I get a CA?
The process of acquiring a CA begins by submitting an application to the City of Oklahoma City's Planning Department. All information related to the process is available on the Oklahoma City Historic Preservation website. There, you may download the Certificate of Appropriateness Application packet which contains the application and helpful information about the process. Also, you will find more information about HP commission activities and deadlines on the HP Commission Calendar.
Who can help me with this?
Raina Pelofsky, chair of the Mesta Park Preservation Review Committee, is available to help you with any questions. She is extremely knowledgeable about the guidelines and the process. She can be reached at 405.524.5510 or by email at hp@mestapark.org. Raina can review your plans and advise you as to what steps you must take to apply for approval on your project. However, she cannot design your project for you.
Eva Osborne at the OKC Planning Department is also available for questions. She can be reached at 405.297.2576 or by email.