The City of Andalusia is petitioning the National Register of Historic Places and the Alabama Historical Commission to change the bounderies of the Alabama Commercial Historic District. 

The matter is expected to be considered by the Alabama National Review Board on Sept. 22, 2022. 

The following public notice has been published locally and on state websites as required by law:

PUBLIC NOTICE

A boundary change and update to the Andalusia Commercial Historic District, in Andalusia, Alabama, will be considered for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places at the next meeting of the Alabama National Register Review Board, on September 22, 2022.  The updated Historic District is roughly bounded on the north by East College Street, on the east by Central Street, on the south by Baker Street, and on the west by River Falls Street.

Street numbers within the updated Andalusia Commercial Historic District include the following:

119-125 Central Street

100-239 Church Street

100 Block Coffee Street

102-124 Coffee Street

136-141 N Cotton Street

101-300 S Cotton Street

1-7A E Court Square

101-101½ N Court Square

4-14 W Court Square

25-29A S Court Square

110-122 Crescent Street

119 Dunson Street

256-260 Historic Central Street

105-113 O’Neal Court

100-115 Opp Avenue

000 Pear Street

109-111 Pear Street

112-209 E Three Notch Street

114 E Three Notch Street

115-121 E Three Notch Street

200-402 S Three Notch Street

A copy of the nomination and of the map detailing the precise boundaries proposed is on file with the Alabama Historical Commission. Information on whether your property is located in the proposed district can be obtained by calling (at 334/230-2696) or writing Evelyn D. Causey at the Alabama Historical Commission, 468 S. Perry Street, Montgomery, AL, 36130-0900 or .

The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Listing in the National Register encourages the preservation of historically significant buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts by identifying and documenting their significance, by lending support to local preservation activities, and by pointing out historic properties so that federal, state, and local agencies can include these historic resources in their planning projects. Designation results in the following for historic properties:

        1.  Consideration in planning for federal, federally licensed, and federally assisted projects.  The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation must be given an opportunity to comment on all federally related projects affecting listed properties.  For further information see 36 CFR 800 (Code of Federal Regulations).

        2.  Eligibility for federal tax provisions.  The Federal Internal Revenue Code encourages the preservation of depreciable historic structures by allowing favorable tax treatments for rehabilitation and also provides for charitable contributions for conservation purposes of partial interests in historically important land areas or structures.  For further information see 36 CFR 67.

        3.  Consideration of historic values in the decision by the state or federal government to issue a surface coal mining permit where coal is located.  For further information see 30 CFR 700 et seq. 

        4.  Eligibility for federal grants-in-aid, whenever funds are appropriated by Congress.  For further information, contact the Alabama Historical Commission.

The National Register DOES NOT:

Restrict the rights of private property owners in the use, development, or sale of private historic property; lead automatically to historic district zoning; force federal, state, local, or private projects to be stopped; guarantee that grant funds will be available for all significant historic properties; provide tax benefits to owners of residential historic properties, unless those properties are rental and treated as income-producing by the IRS.

Owners of private property nominated to the National Register may concur with or object to the nomination, in accord with 36 CFR 60.  Any owner or partial owner who objects to listing should submit a notarized or sworn and signed statement (certifying ownership and objection to listing) to the Alabama Historical Commission, ATTENTION: Evelyn D. Causey, 468 South Perry St., Montgomery, AL 36130-0900, by September 21, 2022.  Each owner or partial owner has one vote, regardless of how many whole or partial properties in the district are owned by that party.  If a majority of private property owners object to the nomination, it will not be listed; however, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall submit the nomination to the Keeper of the National Register for a determination of eligibility for inclusion in the National Register.  If the property is determined eligible but not formally listed, the Advisory Council must still be given an opportunity to comment on federal projects that may affect the district.

A copy of the nomination, the criteria used for evaluation, and more information on the results of listing are available from the Alabama Historical Commission.  Comments on the nomination should be received by the Alabama Historical Commission before the September 22, 2022 State Review Board meeting.