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Planning Division | 389 Congress Street | 4th Floor | Portland, Maine 04101 | 207-874-8719

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Alterations & Repair Additions & New Construction Exterior Utilities/Signage Site Alterations Moving & Demolition Protected Properties

If your property is located within a historic district or is an individually designated historic structure, you must receive advance approval before proceeding with any alteration or improvement readily visible from a public way.  Please note that minor alterations, such as signage or awning installations, are typically reviewed and approved at the staff level.  More prominent or significant changes are reviewed by the Historic Preservation Committee.  The following activities require approval:

Alterations and Repair

• Removal and replacement of architectural detailing (for example, porch spindles and columns, railings, window moldings, and cornices);
• Window and door replacement;
• Installation or replacement of siding;
• Masonry work, including repointing, sandblasting, chemical cleaning, painting where the masonry has never been painted, or conversely, removal of paint where the masonry historically has been painted;
• Installation or replacement of either roofing or gutters when they are a significant and integral feature of the structure;
• Porch replacement or construction of new porches;

Additions and New Construction

• Installation of exterior access stairs;
• Construction of rooftop additions or decks;
• Alteration of accessory structures such as garages;
• Installation of antennas and satellite receiving dishes;
• Installation of solar collectors;

Exterior Utilities and Signage

• Exterior lighting where proposed in conjunction with commercial and institutional signage or awnings;
• Exterior utilities, including mechanical, plumbing, and electrical, where placed on or near street-fronting facades;
• Installation or alteration of any exterior sign, awning, or related lighting;

Site Alterations

• Site features other than vegetation, including fencing, paving, and grading;

Moving and Demolition

• Moving of structures or objects on the same site or to another site;
• Any demolition or relocation of a landmark or contributing structure within a district;

Note:  Any exterior alteration or construction requiring a building permit is subject to review under the historic preservation ordinance.

What Proprieties are Protected?

The city's historic districts include:

Deering Street Historic District Fort McKinley Historic District How Houses Historic District Stroudwater Historic District Waterfront Historic District West End Historic District Westbrook College Historic District Baxter Boulevard Historic Landscape District Deering Oaks Historic Landscape District Eastern Promenade Historic Landscape District Lincoln Park Historic Landscape District Western Promenade Historic Landscape District

The following properties outside the districts are protected as individually designated historic structures:

• Structure One
• Structure Two
• Structure Three