West End Historic Overlay
Design Review Guidelines

(View the 9.69 MB pdf document)

The West End Historic Overlay District was created to protect the unique character of the West End neighborhood. The Historic Overlay District promotes the preservation, conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of architecturally and/or historically significant structures and features within the District.

The original purpose of the guidelines was to allow flexibility for modernization while preserving the unique historical character of the neighborhood rather than creating a museum-quality district.

The year 2003 marked the ten-year anniversary of the West End Historic Overlay District Design Review Guidelines. The Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission determined that it was time to revise and update the Guidelines based on precedents set in the past decade, plus the integration of new knowledge. In July 2003, a nine-person Subcommittee was formed to review and update the Guidelines. The Subcommittee’s membership included a member of the Commission, homeowners, rental property owners, and representatives of the commercial and institutional properties within the District. Over the course of two years, the Subcommittee met and worked with the intention of clarifying and updating subject matter, clearly illustrating appropriate and inappropriate work, and providing general information, while introducing new categories to assist property owners and the Commission. The end product is a user-friendly document that reflects the last ten years of experience as well as time-tested knowledge and new technology in the preservation field.

On May 3, 2006 the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission held a public hearing and adopted the revision of the West End Historic Overlay District Design Review Guidelines. The effective date for the revised Guidelines is September 1, 2006. Therefore, the first Certificate of Appropriateness cases that will be heard using the revised Guidelines will be those submitted for the October 4, 2006 meeting. If you have any questions, please email LeAnn Pegram or Michelle McCullough or call LeAnn at 336-747-7054 or Michelle at 336-747-7063.