Learn About
Historical Preservation, Inc.
Historical Preservation, Inc. (HPI) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation founded in 1969. The Board of Directors meets every month, except July, and is elected at the Annual Contributors’ Meeting the last Saturday in January.
In addition to enforcing the zoning regulations of the Historic Preservation, HPI has been charged with building an endowment fund to carry out long range goals and to preserve and enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood. To achieve its goals, HPI is organized into the following committees:
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Code Compliance
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Community Liaison
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Heritage Hills Herald
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Membership
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Security
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Long Range Planning: View our most recent Long Range Plan HERE.
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Traffic
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Trees, Parks and Beautification
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Website and Communications
For example, when light poles or street signs in the neighborhood are damaged, it is HPI’s responsibility to remedy it, not the city’s. Likewise, all the landscaping in the medians and parks is also the responsibility of HPI. And to help maintain a distinctive characteristic of our neighborhood, large trees, HPI sponsors an annual tree planting program.
For more details on Historical Preservation, Inc. you can download a copy of its bylaws.
Historic Home Improvements
Besides being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Heritage Hills also lies within an Oklahoma City Historic Preservation District. An HP District is protected by unique zoning ordinances specifing what, when and how structures in the District may be modified, built or destroyed by owners. Permission for these changes must be obtained from the Mayor-appointed Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commission.
The ordinances were updated in 2003 and included the addition of Neighborhood Design Review committees. Residents of each HP District with extensive knowledge and experience of HP rules and processes volunteer their time and non-binding advice to homeowners. Their goal is simply to make the process as successful as possible by being an informational conduit between residents and the HP Commission. While they do make monthly reports and recommendations, only the HP Commission decides which actions to take for or against property owners.
In general, owners must request and receive a Certificate of Appropriateness, or “CA”, from the HP Commission before any modifications or additions are made to any exterior feature of a home. The intention is to protect the integrity of the entire neighborhood’s historic signifigance and character. All interior modifications and any regular exterior maintenance, such as painting or replacement of exterior features with like materials, do not require a CA. You can find extensive information online at OKC Planning Department’s website.
HPI has submitted the following residents of our neighborhood to serve on the Preservation Review Committee:
- Randy Ice, Chair
- Shannon Rundell
- Deven Bowles
- Nancy Kerr
- Cara Parent
- Bill Carey
The purpose of the Preservation Review Committee is to help citizens of Heritage Hills to go before the Historic Preservation Committee to receive a Certificate of Appropriateness for work to be done on their property. Contact any member of the committee or [email protected] if you have any questions about the process. The Committee also invites any resident of Heritage Hills to serve on the Committee; simply contact Marva Ellard if you are interested.
