TOOLS FOR PRESERVING VACANT & DILAPIDATED HISTORIC BUILDINGS: INSIDER LOOK

​PAWV’s 2014 Historic Preservation Conference is coming up in a few months.  Our conference is held every two years and features a different city and theme each year.  This year’s city is Huntington, and the theme demonstrates how archaeology and brownfield re-use intersect with historic preservation.

We’re featuring special insider blogs into some of the  conference sessions.  The conference is being held in Huntington, WV, September 25-27, 2014.  A full conference schedule is available HERE.  You can register for the conference at our EventBrite page.  Register today!  You won’t want to miss this conference.

​Jesse J. Richardson, Jr.
Lead Land Use Attorney

West Virginia University Law School Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic

 presents

“Tools for Preserving Vacant & Dilapidated Historic Buildings”
​
Friday, September 26, 2014

3:15-4:30 PM
​
Visual Arts Building

Jesse Richardson to present at the Statewide Historic Preservation Conference.

According to the American Community Survey, 58,106 units, or 1/14 of the homes, in West Virginia fall are vacant, abandoned and/or dilapidated. Many of these buildings are either historic or lie within historic neighborhoods. In addition, some of these properties can be classified as brownfields.

Local governments in West Virginia are primarily responsible for determining how to deal with these issues and prioritizing which properties to address. Mr. Richardson’s presentation will describes the tools that local governments can use to effectively preserve historic properties that are vacant, abandoned, dilapidated and/or brownfields.

Richardson’s presentation will discuss how citizens can engage with the local government to promote preservation of historic properties. This discussion will include regulation of unsafe and unsanitary buildings, registration programs, and land banks, all of which are authorized and presently used in West Virginia. The presentation will also provide examples of tools used in other states but not presently in use in West Virginia.