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Historic Zoning Commission Overview |
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Main Street McMinnville was organized by members of the Warren County Heritage Alliance in 1999.
It operates with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charter, with a working Board and a paid Director
funded through a city-county cooperative effort. One of the first priorities of the Main Street program
was to draw boundaries for a downtown historic district and to adopt design guidelines for that area.
After several public meetings facilitated by Nancy Jane Baker, certified local government coordinator for the
Tennessee Historical Commission, an initial set of guidelines was drafted. A Design Committee formatted
the information into guidelines that were adopted by the City of McMinnville. The initial historic district
was divided into two areas, with residential districts to be phased in later. Additional guidelines will be
required for the residential districts.
With heritage tourism on the rise in Tennessee, interest in preserving the "best of the past" has increased across our state.
Our city hopes to increase an awareness of the historical significance of McMinnville and to revitalize the downtown area
through economic development and investment. Neighboring cities have adopted similar measures with resounding success.
Consequently, these guidelines are not meant to prohibit individual property usage, but to protect and give direction to those
who maintain ownership in our downtown area.
It is with this purpose in mind that these guidelines are adopted.