Historic Preservation Commission

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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	August, 2005	Return to newsletter index

The Saco Historic Preservation's Commission's efforts to enhance the character of the downtown historic district are well known. The Commission administers a section of the zoning ordinance which guides construction and rehabilitation of 225 properties.

Less well known is the Commission's role in research and education about Saco's historic resources. Because Saco's ordinance meets state and national standards it has achieved the federal "Certified Local Government" designation. Only eight other Maine communities share this designation. One benefit of the CLG program is a grant program in which the City is able to participate each year.

This year the Commission was able to retain Architectural Historian Andrea Strassner, now the director of the Saco Museum, to do an historic survey of the beach area. Historic surveys record description and the historic characteristics of each building over 50 years old. Andrea will make a public presentation on the beach area survey this fall.

This is a follow-up to last year's survey of the areas west of the Turnpike and north of I-195. One of our goals is to completely survey the city's historic resources. About 800 properties in the eastern areas of the downtown remain to be surveyed.

This year's CLG grant will be used to create the Main Street History Trail. These historic markers from the Saco Museum to Saco Island will relate episodes from the city's rich history on high quality historic markers. The trail will be of interest not only to school groups and residents, but also to the growing number of heritage tourism visitors to Saco. Watch for this in the summer of 2006.

In the last few years CLG grants have also been used for rehabilitation projects at City Hall and the museum and library.

Members of the Commission are Diane Boyce, chair, Brigette Scontras, Mary Merrill, Bob Demers, John Read, and Audrey Milne. Development Director Peter Morelli assists the commission.