Public Input Sought for New Historic Design Guidelines

SUMTER, SC (January 9, 2017) – The City of Sumter is inviting the public to participate in a meeting regarding it’s update of the Historic Districts Design Guidelines on Thursday, January 26 at 6 PM in the City Centre, located adjacent to the Sumter Opera House in Downtown Sumter.

The purpose of the public meeting is to inform property owners, tenants, and interested citizens about the project and to gather information on desired improvements to the current guidelines for both the Downtown and Hampton Park Historic Districts.

“The City’s goal is to update the guidelines so they are more user-friendly and informative,” stated Helen Roodman, Senior Planner with the City-County Planning Department. “This update will assist both the property owners and the Historic Preservation Design Review Committee with appropriate design for rehabilitation of existing buildings and new construction in the historic districts.”

The project, made possible through a grant with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, will work with Hill Studio, a professional firm, out of Roanoke, Virginia, to update and revise the current design guidelines. “They will lead the discussion and address topics ranging from demolition, new construction and provide layout and illustrations of the guidelines,” said Roodman.

For more information about the Historic District Design Guidelines, contact Roodman at the Planning Department’s 12 W. Liberty Street office, call 803-774-1639, or email [email protected].

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