Could Beauregard Town become Baton Rouge's third local historic district?
A yearslong effort to turn Beauregard Town into Baton Rouges third local historic district is coming up on a key milestone, reigniting debate among property owners about the fabric of the neighborhood. Purple banners on the neighborhoods street signs signify its status as a national historic district, an honorific that unlocks tax credits to renovate old buildings. If the neighborhood becomes a local historic district, Beauregard Town property owners would be subject to stricter regulations on new construction. The East Baton Rouge City-Parish Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday will vote on a petition for local historic status from the Beauregard Civic Association. If approved, the proposal would head to the Planning Commission next month before a final vote by the Metro Council in September. Supporters of the effort say it would preserve the pre-Industrial Revolution-style architecture and maintain the neighborhoods distinct feel. The civic association formally applied for local historic district designation in 2019. Months later, during the pandemic, the Planning Commission used a $17,500 state preservation grant for an architectural survey of the neighborhood's 517 properties and to ask residents about what they would like to see regulated. Jeff Kuehny, president of the civic association, said the push for the new status has been brewing since Spanish Town became a local historic district in 2008. But Beauregard Town residents were wary of adopting rules as strict as those in the citys other local historic districts. The great thing about our proposal, what makes it different from Spanish Town and Drehr Place, is that residents cherry-picked which regulations we want enforced, Kuehny said. We had the freedom to make our own rules, and that warmed people up to the idea.  Unlike Spanish Town and Drehr Place, property owners in Beauregard Town wouldnt face as much red tape for renovations, according to the Planning Commission. New construction, additions visible from a street and commercial renovations visible from a street would all require approval from the Historic Preservation Commission. People dont care what color your house is, what your front door looks like or what you do with your trees, Kuehny said. We just want to make sure Beauregard Town looks and feels like Beauregard Town in 50 years.  Planning Commission member Collin Lindrew said the new status would help preserve the neighborhood by making it more difficult to demolish historic homes. Kuehny said there are more than 15 abandoned or neglected homes in the proposed district  one sits right next to his own property. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up  Thats the reason the civic association approached us in the first place, Lindrew said. With local historic district status, the preservation commission would be required to hold a public hearing with the property owner to discuss preservation options. It adds a human element to an otherwise impersonal condemnation process.  Lindrew said the preservation commission would encourage the owner of a neglected building to repair or sell the home, with demolition as a last resort. In a Planning Commission survey, 76% of respondents supported the proposal while 24% opposed it. Critics of the proposal raised concerns about regulations limiting property rights and placing undue financial burden on homeowners. Shirley Bowler, who lives in Beauregard Town, said there are plenty of circumstances that could prevent owners of neglected houses from repairing or selling them. Bowler voted against the local historic district proposal. Talks around regulating short-term rentals in Spanish Town and elsewhere resuming soon East Baton Rouge Parish is organizing a new working group to look at a possible ordinance setting regulations for the short-term rental indust  Repairing a house costs money, she said. Selling a house costs money. Construction approval from the commission costs money. I dont feel like anyone should be forced to bear that kind of burden when they didnt want to be part of a local historic district in the first place.  Bowler worries that the new designation would gentrify the neighborhood by displacing low-income residents. Michele Deshotels, a 40-year resident who supports the local historic status, said the civic association made a concerted effort to make the rules relatively affordable to comply with. We thought about how imposing certain regulations would impact low-income families, Deshotels said. Thats why we decided to only regulate truly historic aspects of the town. Were not trying to force people out of their homes or gentrify the place. Its actually quite the opposite.  Deshotels said after four decades of living in Beauregard Town, she feels its character is worth preserving. Its a quiet place, she reflected. Theres barely any crime. Its a hub for local businesses, renters and families. We know our neighbors, and everyone makes sure everyone else is OK. Im not sure how many other neighborhoods are like that here.