Historic Preservation Commission

Program Coordinator:
David Breland

Department Phone:
(256) 341-4818

Alabama Historical Commission

National Trust for Historic Preservation

National Park Service

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation

Background and Purpose

The City of Decatur Historic Preservation Commission was established by City Ordinance Number 90-2882A Article II on February 5, 1990. The creation of locally designated historic districts subject to historic overlay zoning was mandated by residents of the Old Decatur and New Decatur/Albany Historic Districts to help maintain the integrity of these two National Register districts. The Historic Preservation Commission is a municipally-appointed board who by law review all building and demolition permits within the designated districts for appropriateness.

Decatur houses approximately 1,000 buildings and nearly 100 blocks of homes on the historical register.

2017 Meeting Dates and COA Submission Deadlines

Important Note: Per city ordinance, the deadline to submit a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application and supporting documentation is fourteen (14) days in advance of the scheduled monthly meeting date. In the case where the COA deadline falls on a holiday, the COA deadline will be extended to the following Monday (see dates, if any, marked with an asterisk*). Failure to submit COA requests in a timely manner will result in the item not being included on the meeting agenda. The Decatur Historic Preservation Commission meets at the historic Union Depot located at 701 Railroad Street, Decatur, AL 35601. COA hearings begin at 7:00 P.M. The property owner or a representative of the property must be in attendance at the meeting. For more information, please contact 256-565-3788 or dbreland@decatur-al.gov . For HPC policies and procedures and design guidelines, please visit the Document Downloads section.

The Historic Preservation Commission and Certified Local Government staff and board also serve as a resource and advocate for history and preservation efforts throughout the entire city.  For additional information and assistance please contact: David Breland , Program Coordinator.