The City of Gastonia has two locally zoned historic districts, York-Chester & Brookwood, designated as such for their unique architecture and character, lot layout, development pattern, and historic significance.
Within these districts, the seven-member Historic District Commission 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 guide the types of projects and materials that are permitted and if they require review by staff or the commission.
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 work that has received a COA, a yellow sign will be posted on the property with the COA information while the work is in progress. For more information on the HDC COA process, pre-submittal meetings, deadlines, and how to apply for an HDC COA, please see the information below
Meetings
Location
City Hall, 181 S South Street, Gastonia, NC. Meet in the Council Chambers.
Commission Staff
Veronica Bateson, Senior Planner
704-866-6746
Jalen Nash, Planner
704-854-6644
Historic District Commission Information
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We need volunteers when vacancies on our board occur. To apply to volunteer on the Historic District Commission, please fill out this form: Citizen Committee Application
How to Apply for a Planning Certificate of Appropriateness (COA):
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Complete the appropriate COA form
Fill out the Short Form or Long Form COA application, depending on your project. After submission, a PDF copy will be emailed to you for your records.
Note: Completing the COA form does not submit a permit application.
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Submit your request through the CityView portal
Register or log in to the City of Gastonia CityView portal at https://devsvcs.gastonianc.gov/. Apply for a Planning Certificate of Appropriateness permit under the Planning Department and upload your completed COA form along with any supporting documents.
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Pay applicable fees
After staff receives your submission, you will receive an email with instructions to pay any required fees. Staff review will begin once payment is received through the CityView portal.
Resources & Neighborhood Information
