Published in the Bay City Times on January 4, 2006. Copyright Judith Kerman 2006.
As architect John Meyer recalls it, architectural preservation really became a public issue for the first time in Bay City when the Third Street Bridge collapsed in 1976. Small business owners on Midland Street were worried that, without the bridge traffic, they would go out of business. But soon, fortunately, business owners and citizens realized that Midland Street was an architectural gem that could draw the public because of its beauty and historical interest. The Bay City Commission created our first Overlay District, the Midland Street Historic District, by a city zoning ordinance a few years later. More recently, Center Avenue also became an Overlay District.
According to Meyer, Bay City chose to create Overlay Districts because their approval and management processes are entirely local, unlike state and federal historic districts and sites. Bay City’s Overlay Districts are under the supervision of an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) made up of Bay City residents who serve as unpaid volunteers. Owners of buildings within the Overlay Districts must seek approval from the ARC before making changes to the exteriors of their buildings, in order to preserve and protect the historical character of the district. The ARC operates under the US Department of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation.
Meyer himself served on the ARC for a number of years. He is Director of Historic Preservation practice for the architectural firm of Wigen, Tincknell, Meyer & Associates. During more than 30 years of architectural practice, he has worked on such notable restoration projects as Bay City Hall, First Presbyterian Church, the Michigan State Capitol, and the State Theatre. In 2001, he was honored by being named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) for his work in Historic Preservation.
The ARC provides free advice and information to all Bay City property-owners about cost-effective ways to maintain or restore their homes and commercial properties. A building does not have to be in an Overlay District for the owner to consult the ARC. All ARC members have owned and restored or rehabilitated older properties, and they understand first-hand the financial constraints faced by property-owners. Recent and current members have included licensed architects, a historian, a realtor, artists and designers.
As Bay City Planning Department Manager Jim Bedell told me, “historic preservation comes from the people – it’s not top down and shouldn’t be.” Bedell provides staff support for the ARC and is available to speak to property owners between meetings of the ARC.
In addition to the Overlay Districts, Bay City has several other types of designated historical sites and districts. Both the Downtown Business District and the Midland Street District are on the National Register of Historic Places, although this designation doesn’t actually protect the properties or provide advantages to the owners.
Many Michigan cities, villages and townships have Michigan Public Act 169 Districts, which have the advantage of giving property-owners access to tax incentives and state grants for preservation of their buildings. The Pere Marquette Depot has been designated a PA 169 District, and the Farmers Auto and Machinery Building (recently reopened as the Lumber Barons restaurant), is expected to become a PA 169 District in 2006. PA 169 establishes a local Historic District Commission to oversee districts organized under the act, and the districts must be approved at the State level. In Bay City , the ARC serves as the Historic District Commission.
Bay City ’s Obsolete Properties Rehabilitation Program, which operates under Michigan Public Act 146, can also provide tax incentives for owners who rehabilitate older commercial properties.
John Meyer points out that well-kept older buildings, reflecting the times in which they were built, create the sense of place that makes a town unique. Because Bay City was a 19th century lumber center, our older buildings exhibit many of the important developments in construction technology over more than 150 years, as well as the traditional wisdom and sense of style of master craftsmen. Many of Bay City ’s “ordinary” buildings are examples of grace, proportion and skilled use of materials, and its architect-designed buildings are often outstanding.
Our interesting older buildings make Bay City an unusually pleasant place to live and work, so preserving and restoring them raises the value of everyone’s property in the long run. The road that began with a collapsed bridge led Bay Cityans to recognize neglected treasure and to begin the process of protecting and enhancing our heritage. Because, as the saying goes, “They don’t make ‘em like that any more.”
Thanks to John Meyer and Jim Bedell for agreeing to be interviewed for this column.