Most of Galena is a National Historic District. Pick the job you have in mind — paint, windows, a fence, an addition — and see whether it needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before you start, and who signs it off.
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Most of Galena sits inside the National Historic District. Thinking about a job on your building?
Galena's historic district is the 'original city' — downtown and much of the older residential area, shown on the city's Official Zoning Map. About 80% of properties are inside it. There, any change to a building's exterior — new work, alterations, repairs, signs, even repainting in a new colour — needs a Certificate of Appropriateness (a COA) from the Building Official before a building permit can follow. Minor jobs are usually signed off at the counter; bigger ones go to the Historic Preservation Commission, which meets the first Thursday of each month.
First, check your property
First, find out whether your building is in the historic district — about four in five Galena properties are. The surest answer is a call to the Building Department on 815-777-1050; you can also look your building up in the city's Historic District Structure Database.
City Hall, 101 Green Street, Galena. Bring your address and a description of the work and the Building Official will tell you whether it's a counter approval or needs the Commission. Completed Certificate of Appropriateness applications are due at least nine days before the first-Thursday meeting.
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