PRESS RELEASES - Village of Brockport

Home Improvement Program offered by the Village

“The Village of Brockport has many lovely historic homes. A lot of them are being worked on,” said Village Trustee David Wagenhauser, “but some homeowners may be intimidated by the difficulty of the work...and we want to help.” The Village Board and the Historic Preservation Board are offering to assist them with a new home improvement program. The program, for single family, older homes, will provide homeowners with expert advice from area architects and craftsmen.

John Bero, a renowned historic preservation architect, will launch the program with a workshop from 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, May 31, at the Village Hall, 49 State Street. He will provide general information on the restoration of historic homes. The workshop is free and open to all Village residents.

The new program will also provide individual home evaluations and recommendations from Bero (through the Historic Preservation Board) and local volunteer craftsmen. These experts will consult with homeowners on repairing, maintaining, and preserving their houses.

To be eligible for the program the homes must be at least fifty years old with their original architectural integrity. Also, they must have been designated historic landmarks by the Historic Preservation Board or the owners must apply for such designation. Homeowners can learn more about the Historic Preservation Board by visiting the Village’s website at brockportny.org. Ten homes will be selected for 2008 and ten more in 2009.

While the Village is offering the “ways” to improve our homes, it is also working on getting the “means” to help with the costs of improvements. First, participants may receive a property tax abatement for the increased value of their homes that results from work completed under the program. Secondly, the Village has applied for a grant to provide funds for the rehabilitation of owner occupied single-family homes. The money can be used for materials and labor and will not be restricted to historic structures. Notification on this grant is expected this summer.

Andrews and Wagenhauser also announced that the Village has been awarded a Certified Local Government grant of $9,3333 for the consultation portion of the housing program. “Our goal is to assist homeowners to protect, preserve and be responsible caretakers for Brockport’s wonderful history,” they said.

For further information contact Bill Andrews at 727-1748 or David Strabel, HPB chair at 637-5346.