Historic Districts

The May 11, 2022 HDC meeting was held as a hybrid in-person/online meeting.  

The meeting can be viewed on the CLT Planning YouTube page. 

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The new Charlotte Historic District Design Standards were adopted on December 8, 2021. Cases submitted on or after December 8th are subject to the new HDC Design Standards. Cases submitted prior to that date are considered under the previous HDC Design Standards. Please visit the Draft HDC Design Standards page for a copy of the new HDC Design Standards, a summary of Design Standards updates and public input updates. 

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All existing deadlines are still in effect. The next HDC application & final plans deadline for full commission review is June 1, 2022.

Due to canceled meetings and the transition to virtual meetings in early 2020 due COVID-19 public safety concerns, full commission review applications are currently running behind schedule. Applications are added to agendas in the order they are received and HDC staff will keep applicants updated as to when their full commission applications will be heard.

​​Seven of Charlotte's significant older neighborhoods have been designated by City Council as Local Historic Districts, in recognition of their importance in the history and character of the city. The twelve member Historic District Commission (HDC) and its staff work with property owners and businesses in the districts to assure that development and renovation occurs in a manner that is consistent with the character of the neighborhood.  Any changes made to the exterior of a property in a historic district requires review by the HDC or its staff. The HDC Design Standards provide guidance on the types of projects and materials that are permitted and if they require review by staff or the commission. New Charlotte Historic District Design Standards were adopted on December 8, 2021. Cases submitted on or after December 8, 2021 are subject to the new HDC Design Standards linked in the image below. Cases submitted prior to that date are considered under the previous HDC Design Standards. 

HDC Design Standards Cover

HDC Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)

A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) must be obtained prior to work commencing on the exterior of a resource within a local historic district.  A COA is a document issued by the Historic District Commission (HDC), that indicates the Commission has approved of the proposed work on a resource or property within a local historic district. For more information on the HDC COA process, pre-submittal meetings, deadlines and to apply for a HDC COA, please see the Application for Certificate of Appropriateness page.

Need to report work done without a COA? Please report it here. 

Meetings

2nd Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. (except where a City holiday requires a change in date).  Please consult the meeting schedule for details.

Location

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 E. Fourth Street,