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STAFF REPORT: PROPOSED RIVER BEND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT Fred M. Holycross Director May, 1992 There will be.a Public Hearing at the regular monthly meeting of the HPC on June 15, 1992 in order that the Commission might make a decision concerning a proposal to recommend to the South Bend Common Council the designation of a portion of the neighborhood east of Memorial Hospital and south of Leeper Park a Local Historic District. This proposal is sponsored by the River Bend Neighborhood Association. The River Bend Neighborhood Association has presented the HPC with both a petition signed by its members and an individual petition signed by property owners in the neighborhood. The area contains eighty-eight (88) separate parcels (lots); the association has gathered petitions in support of a historic district from forty-six (46) parcel owners or 52% of the total. The proposed area is bounded by Bartlett Street on the north, Marion Street on the south, the St. Joseph River on the east (with Riverside Drive as the most easterly street) and St. Joseph Street on the west. The area contains eighty (80) primary structures consisting of residences. There are also numerous ancillary structures including garages, sheds and other buildings. The association petition states that its purpose is "to preserv[e] the historical residential character of the neighborhood as well as prevent ... any further deterioration to the homes." According to this document, the petitioners plan to adopt standards similar to those governing Riverside Drive LHD; these standards are to be worked out in negotiation between the association, property owners, the HPC and its staff if the area is designated. The staff has been analyzing the proposal according to the responsibilities mandated by ordinance that state that the "designation of ... Historic Preservation Districts" should be "on the basis of historical and cultural significance, educational value and suitability for preservation.[1] In addition, HPC policy adds a fourth criteria -- evaluation with respect to a area's "portrayal of the environment of a group of people in an historical era."[2] This analysis has also included an update of the numerical count of the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Survey, specifically assessing the number of remaining contributing and noncontributing structures in the area. Research relevant to the historical development of the area has also been conducted. If the area is designated by the Common Council, the staff will "update Survey cards, including photographs and histories" as suggested by HPC policy.[3]