Legal Symposium: Creating, Defending, & Enforcing a Strong Historic Preservation Ordinance

The one-day symposium will address the legal, community, political, and enforcement challenges related to historic preservation ordinances and present creative, proven solutions for addressing them. Historic preservation commissioners, commission staff, city and county attorneys, and code enforcement officials are invited to participate in this interactive day of learning and discussion. We are pleased to have William Cook, Association General Counsel at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Andrea Ferster, nationally-respected historic preservation attorney, as our keynote speakers. Lunch is provided.

Program

Welcome

Saralyn Salisbury-Jones, Symposium Director, MAHDC Board of Directors, and Preservation Law Student at American University; Fred Stachura, Attorney, MAHDC President

Keynote: From Annapolis to Charleston: Protecting Cultural Heritage through Local Law

William Cook, Associate General Counsel at the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Session 1: Model Ordinance

Nell Ziehl, Chief of the Office of Planning, Education, and Outreach at the Maryland Historical Trust

Writing or revising an ordinance can be a formidable endeavor, but Maryland Historical Trust has created a new model ordinance, with topics keyed to the Land Use Article, to get you there. Nell Ziehl of the Maryland Historical Trust will lead a discussion on ordinance requirements for participation in the state's Certified Local Government program (considered "the gold standard"), as well as some of the variety in provisions encountered statewide. Participants will be invited to share their local approaches and experiences.

Session 2: Public Relations

Christina Martinkosky, Historic Preservation Planner, City of Frederick; Sharon Kennedy, Chair, City of Annapolis Historic Preservation Commission; and Scott Whipple, Historic Preservation Supervisor, Montgomery Planning Department

Ordinance change can be a high risk endeavor, so establishing a good public relations plan before you begin is essential for success. A panel of experts from three Maryland jurisdictions will present real-world examples of public relations strategies they have employed in their communities that have increased awareness, transparency, and public appreciation of preservation initiatives. The panelists will then lead a discussion with the symposium participants on effective community participation and communication.

Lunch & Keynote: Taking a Critical Look at Your Historic Preservation Ordinance: A Preservation Advocate’s Perspective

Andrea Ferster, Historic Preservation Attorney

Session 3: Working with Politicians

Councilman Bill Henry, City of Baltimore; Chairperson John Peter Thompson, Prince George's County Historic Preservation Commission

Politicians can be your greatest ally or a significant obstruction to creating, defending, and enforcing your preservation ordinance. Councilman Bill Henry of the City of Baltimore and Chairperson John Peter Thompson, Prince George's County Historic Preservation Commission, will share their experience and advice for working effectively with your elected officials.

Session 4: Enforcement

Jess Phelps, Attorney and MAHDC Board of Directors; Thomas Lester, Principle Planning Technician, Prince George's County Planning Department; Fred Stachura, Attorney, MAHDC President

No matter what size your community, enforcement can be a real challenge and it is critical to the effective operation of a preservation ordinance in a given community. This roundtable session will involve a discussion of some of the best practices currently utilized by various Maryland jurisdictions as well as some of the challenges we all face in protecting and fostering the viability of ordinances, particularly in the light of competing priorities and other resource constraints.

PARKING

Parking is not available at the Brice House. Please use nearby city lots or the state lot at St. Johns Street and Calvert Street (free on weekends).

Planning Committee

Saralyn Salisbury-Jones, Sheila Bashiri, Jane Cox, Lisa Craig, Eric Holcomb, Sharon Kennedy, LaSara Kinser, Melanie Lytle, Stacy Montgomery, Jess Phelps, Fred Stachura, and Nell Ziehl