3:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The tour begins on North Lewis Street just off of Madison Avenue

Enjoy Artists & Their Work

Homes Decorated For Christmas

and much more! 

Click here to download our flyer

2009 Tour Handbill (180)

Adults: $10    Seniors: $8 Children under 12 Free

Tickets on Sale at Sandra Nickel Realtor    Capitol Grill    Stonehenge Framing & Gallery

Medicine Shoppe    Old AlabamaTown

For more information 264-6826 or 264-0800

You may also email your question(s) by selecting Contact Us

Attendees: Cynthia, Cindy, Michelle, Tom

GOAL: Strategize on the best way to accomplish HD for all of Capitol Heights.
Task: Plot the original CH plats provided by Christy on the large scale map of CH.
Assigned to: Cynthia McCollister DONE
Task: Print large scale map showing current Historic Designations.
Assigned to: Christy Anderson DONE
Task: HD Committee to review maps after plotting & hopefully make a recommendation as to
boundaries.
Assigned to: Committee
Boundary recommendation proposed tonight. See recommendation below.
Task: Estimate the amount of time it takes to complete the survey and photos
Assigned to: Christy DONE – approximately 10 minutes per property.
Task: Contact water board and request map of places showing date the water was turned on
Assigned to: Cynthia DONE – has to be manual, no automation available. Christy has
called attention to the Montgomery County Revenue records that are online and most
have a construction date indicated for homes.

GOAL: Determine a high level plan to accomplish the HD. DONE
Determine boundaries for HD
Workshop with Christy Anderson from Planning Commission – learn how to complete survey
and other documentation required.
Education / Buy-in
Develop methods for educating the neighborhood and earning further buy-in from the neighborhood. Mailings, news articles, web site, events, etc.
Complete (physical) surveys.
Prepare required survey form for each house to be included.
Take photos of each house to be included.
Organize survey documentation.
Complete supporting (historical) documentation.
General Preservation Plan (approx. 1 page).
Justification for boundaries selected.
Any other documentation required.
Submit to Historic Preservation Commission.
Obtain approval.
City sends letters to parcels owners for their agreement (or disagreement).
City provides notice to association of parcel owners not responding.
Organize method of approach for obtaining remaining signature needed. Consider for example: (1) First pass (soft sell) workers gather the signatures they can. Second pass, assuming we’ve not met our quota needed, (hard sell) workers gather additional signatures needed. (2) Organize a neighborhood signature party – free food – prizes for attending.
Obtain signatures of agreement – need 60% (minimum).
Historic Commission nominates to City Council
Council approves.

GOAL: Define resources needed to accomplish the HD. DONE.
Volunteers, volunteers and more volunteers!
Photographers
Writers
Researchers
Volunteers to gather signatures
Buy-in from neighbors
Vendors for hire, if not too costly, to complete portions of the surveys (optional).
Students (for hire?) from local colleges, Architectural Organization / Clubs (optional)
Funds for photo copies and other reproduction costs
Funds for educational mailing(s)
Funds for neighborhood education/buy-in/signing event(s)

GOAL: Decide whether or not we recommend CHCA to proceed with this project.
Task: Contact two vendors to obtain rough estimates for completing physical surveys.
Assigned to: Christy Anderson
DONE Vendors Charge anywhere from $30 – $50. With almost 1,000 homes to be surveyed – paying for this is very near to being impossible!
Task: Need to see a copy of the Capitol Heights Articles of Incorporation. What were the
original boundaries of the town? Check Alabama Dept. of Archives, check with Carol King &/or Karren Pell.
Assigned to: Cynthia DONE – Carol shared her copy of the documents.
Task: Count the number of properties/parcels on the map
Assigned to: Cynthia DONE – 1,232 properties

Designation (boundaries) options for discussion.
“All” of Capitol Heights (1,232 properties estimated, 940 are undesignated)
• Refer to map provided by Christy
• 940 properties, estimated undesignated
• Shall we include or exclude commercial properties?
• Does designation of existing HD’s into the new one risk losing their current designation?
• Can we accomplish this many with the resources available?
• Do we have the support of the neighborhood for this work effort?
• Assuming current HD’s agreement continues, would these properties be counted toward reaching the 60% requirement?
• Note that “all” includes risky/challenging areas of our community
• Note that there is risk of failure when taking on 900 properties.
• Note there is also risk of a huge success when “all” is accomplished!

Concentrate on areas/streets where “core” bungalows (pre-war) were built, this would exclude areas/streets where, for example, post WWII (post war) structures were built
• Makes the initial task as easy as possible as number of properties is reduced
• This would also eliminate most commercial properties in the area
• Must make certain to define / create logical defensible areas
• Does designation of existing HD’s into the new one risk losing their current designation?
• What about the impact of surrounding properties not included in the designation? Does not including them perpetuate our problem with declining properties impacting property values, etc.?
• Expected to be more easy to accomplish with resources available
• Do we have the support of the neighborhood for this work effort?
• Assuming current HD’s agreement continues, would these properties be counted toward reaching the 60% requirement?
• Note that risk of failure lessens with fewer properties.
• Accomplishing this measures as success!

Define new HD area based on areas platted (by dates of plats)
• Designates the properties based on when they were platted – as opposed to when homes were built on them.

Notes on value of local historic designations:
• Have education sessions about the process & what it means
• Connect to downtown renovation
• Protects characteristics of community
• Study shows higher increases in values of properties

RECOMMENDATION:
Historic Designation Investigative Committee recommends to the membership of CHCA that expansion of local historic designations include “all” of Capitol Heights. Boundaries of the newly designated Capitol Heights Historic District shall be:
• Northern most boundaries: Upper Wetumpka Road, McCarter Avenue,
• Eastern boundaries: Federal Avenue (inclusive of the west side of Federal from McCarter to Atlanta highway),
• Southern boundaries: Mt. Meigs Road,
• Western boundaries: South Lewis Street, Madison Avenue to Hall Street, and Vonora Street.

“All” of Capitol Heights includes approximately 1,232 properties. Of these, 292 already have a local historic designation. Our goal is to have the remaining 940 properties designated as historic. To accomplish this, 60% (564) of the property owners of the undesignated properties will need to agree to the historic designation.

Properties with absentee owners are known to be the most difficult to obtain a signature agreeing to historic designation. Of the 1,232 properties, approximately 36% (447) of the properties have absentee owners.

Chairperson: Sam Adams 240-3404.  

We’ll have the lights on before PARADE ‘CAUSE WE WANT TO LOOK PRETTY FOR FOLKS ON THEIR WAY TO THE PARADE!

Details to follow.

3:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The tour begins on North Lewis Street just off of Madison Avenue

Enjoy Artists & Their Work

Homes Decorated For Christmas

and much more!

Click here to download our flyer

2009 Tour Handbill (180)

Adults: $10 Seniors: $8 Children under 12 Free

Tickets on Sale at Sandra Nickel Realtor Capitol Grill Stonehenge Framing & Gallery

Medicine Shoppe Old AlabamaTown

For more information 264-6826 or 264-0800

You may also email your question(s) by selecting Contact Us

Thursday, December 17th 

Selection of the best (exterior) Yuletide Decorating will be on Thursday, December 17th.

To participate, decorations must be completed by 4:00 P.M. 

Categories include:

Spirit of Christmas

Christmas Past

Christmas Future

Christmas Present

3 Honorable Mentions.

Good luck!!!

Attend a rain barrel workshop to learn more about water conservation, protecting our Alabama Rivers and the construction of a rain barrel for home use. You’ll go home with a greater appreciation of Alabama’s natural resources and a 55-gallon rain barrel for your home use.

Cost of the workshop is $25 and can be paid on the day of the workshop in cash or check made to Alabama Clean Water Partnership.

To reserve a spot go to www.cleanwaterpartnership.org and check out the Events section.

Or call Ashley Henderson at 334-300-3392.

Dates:   Sep 22, 26 / Oct 14, 17 / Nov 12, 14

Time:   9am – 11am

Location:   Young Meadows Presbyterian Church

Contact Person:   Ashley Henderson

Phone:   334-300-3392

Email:   ahendersoncwp@charter.net

Price:   $25.00

Description:   Workshop participants will learn about watersheds, local watershed issues, storm water and it’s effects on water quality. We’ll introduce various forms of rain water harvesting and talk about why rain barrels can be an extremely valuable part of an integrated approach to rain water harvesting.

We’ll show you how to build a simple, inexpensive and easy to maintain rain barrel.. Then you’ll be able to build your very own rain barrel,
with the tools and materials provided. There will be several trainers there to help folks that are unfamiliar with using power tools.

Be prepared to get a little dirty and have a lot of fun. And don’t forget that a 55 gal plastic barrel may not fit in your trunk.

To reserve a spot call or email Ashley Henderson. The $25 fee can be paid the day of the workshop. Checks can be made to “Alabama Clean Water Partnership”

The Alabama Rain Barrel Project is a project of:
Alabama Clean Water Partnership
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Coca-Cola Enterprises
Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education
RainCatchers
Soil and Water Conservation Soceity
and
World Wildlife Fund.

I’ve attached a copy of BONDS flyer announcing the Mayor’s Conference. The flyer includes an agenda detailing the evening’s program. This is where they will announce Grant recipients for 2009-2010 for which CHCA has submitted an application.

I thought we had already won a grant as I had been called to meet with a BONDS representative for the required “first site visit”. I learned during the visit that they haven’t made final decisions yet! Mr. Thomas did tell me that our grant request was the best presented one that he had ever seen! So, thanks so much to those of you that helped me to pull it together on that Friday earlier this year!!! He also explained that he would be representing our request to the BONDS Board and he was happy to do so! He was VERY supportive of our ideas toward marketing our neigborhood and our plans to improve our community through education. You will be surprized to know (LOL!), he complemented me on my enthusiasm toward my neighborhood! — I’m kidding of course, anyone who has spent 2 minutes with me knows I sing our neighborhood’s praises to anyone that will listen!! –

The cost to attend the Mayor’s Neighborhood Conference is $20 per person and yes, that amount is missing from the flyer!

If any of you would like to attend, please get your registration form & payment to me by Tuesday evening, October 27th. I volunteer at BONDS on Wednesday mornings and can reserve a table for those attending. Otherwise, you would want to see that BONDS has your registration and payment by Friday, October 30th as explained on the flyer.

It is a nice evening. Dress is typically business attire, but you’ll see less formal and more formal. The best parts are ….. good food, great company, helpful information, and if all goes will, a check made payable to Capitol Heights Civic Association! (They’ve also has some VERY nice door prizes in the past – I hope they do that again!)

Call 264-0800 with your questions.

Capitol Heights United Methodist Church is sponsoring

A Country Fair on the grounds of their church.

There will be tons of activities and events for all ages!

Games, Crafts, Entertainment, Food!

This event is free and CHUMC invites the Capitol Heights Community to participate!

Call 264-2424 with any questions.

Armstrong Park on Madison Avenue will be decorated in preparation for Capitol Heights Annual Tree Lighting.

All neighbors are encouraged to come by and help us to decorate!

This is definitely a case of the more the merrier!  The more neighbors that are there to help, the greater the fun, and the faster we can finish!