The Canton City Council voted 5-1 to approve creation of a downtown historic district as well as guidelines requiring business in the district to get approval before making significant changes to their structures.
The ordinance states that material changes in the appearance or exterior environmental features of a property in the district—such as changing the color of a building—can’t be made until the Historic Preservation Commission has approved a certificate of appropriateness. Without a certificate, a building permit can’t be issued.
Architect Mark Robillard spoke against the plan, saying he thought city officials hadn’t talked to enough downtown business owners about the proposal and that he’d heard from several in opposition. He said enough guidelines were in place already to protect the city’s history.
Councilman Jack Goodwin cast the only dissenting vote, saying he’d heard from constituents that the plan was another level of bureaucracy that wasn’t needed.
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