There was a time when Lura Roti didn’t know the rules, she just loved her old brick Victorian home, with its original woodwork, five-panel doors and a beautiful bay window that worked great as a backdrop for the family Christmas tree.

Built in 1888 in the Cathedral neighborhood, Roti’s house in central Sioux Falls was one of the first in the city to be listed on the federal register that protects historic places.

Owning it was privilege. And it came with responsibilities.

Roti felt that responsibility but didn’t know exactly how the federal government’s rules applied to historic homes until she joined the Sioux Falls Board of Historic Preservation.

“People who own these properties are guardians of Sioux Falls history,” Roti said.

Roti and other preservation officials launched a marketing campaign this month to alert all historic homeowners to their property’s designation, and its appearance on the National Register of Historic Places. Roti also plans to teach people about what it means to own a historic home and to celebrate those interested in keeping the integrity of Sioux Falls’ oldest properties.

Violations of historic preservation rules sparked disputes between neighbors and even legal action in recent years.

“I think that’s probably our biggest challenge, is trying to educate the public,” said Diane deKoeyer, urban planner for City Hall and liaison to the historic preservation board.

With hundreds of homes in the city’s seven historic districts, the endeavor is no small undertaking.

Roti, who has served on the city’s preservation board for more than two years, is working with other officials to send mailers to each historic property owner in the city between now and this spring.

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Mailers will include a map of the homeowner’s respective historic district, a copy of the federal design standards each historic property owner must follow during construction projects and an invitation to attend a preservation board meeting.

The board hosted its first educational session earlier this month at its Dec. 12 meeting for residents of the Cathedral Historic District.

The December meeting was only the start. Officials are inviting residents of the other districts to attend a series of its monthly meetings between now and May.

On the list to receive mailers and a meeting invite are:

146 addresses in the McKennan Historic District; meeting scheduled for Jan. 9

281 addresses in the All Saints Historic District; meeting scheduled for Feb. 13;

155 addresses in the Hayes Historic District; meeting scheduled for March 1;

132 addresses in the Sherman Historic District; meeting scheduled for March 1;

Dozens of residents of the Downtown and Old Courthouse Historic districts; meeting scheduled for April 10.

All will be able to attend a historic preservation board meeting and learn more about the responsibilities and benefits that come with owning a house in a district. This includes following the design rules set forth by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for any new construction on the exterior of their home. It’s the rubric used by the board to determine if a change to the outside of a home – any window replacement, porch addition or siding installation – will have an adverse effect on the historic nature of the home.

That’s another misconception, Roti said. Renovations that only affect the home’s interior don’t need board permission to proceed.

“That’s the only thing our board looks at is exterior changes,” Roti said.

Homeowners who want to showcase their property's history can receive a certificate from Mayor Paul TenHaken.

Preservation officials are partnering with Siouxland Heritage Museums to create the personalized certificates with an original photo of the owner's home.

Those who wish to participate must RSVP by April 1. Certificates will be handed out during the Recognition and Informational Reception set for May 8 at 4 p.m. at the Old Courthouse Museum.

Need for education

A grassy plot of land on Second Avenue offers glaring proof that mistakes can be made.

In the heart of the McKennan Historic District, right across from the park, this empty parcel was the source of a bitter feud, accentuated by a legal battle that went all the way to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

There used to be a massive home on this land. Now only the ghost of litigation remains, as lawsuits continue to bounce around the local court system.

Joseph and Sarah Sapienza were forced to demolish their home because it failed to meet height restrictions and other design standards required for homes in the historic McKennan Park neighborhood.

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Educating the community is part of serving on the board, but it can easily happen at an inconvenient time for the property: After they hire a contractor for a renovation and then go to City Hall to pull a building permit for the work.

“If they don’t know until they come in for a permit, they’ve already probably been making some decisions about changes,” deKoeyer said.

Sioux Falls developer Justin Johnson hoped to demolish four homes on Dakota Avenue this summer to make room for a box chain store near the intersection of 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue. His plans were eventually blocked by the Sioux Falls City Council because the homes were located in the Sherman Historic District.

Even City Hall has run afoul of the standards. Parks officials wanted to update Terrace Park in 2016 but the historic preservation board twice voted down the department’s plan to remove the park’s quartzite stone paths.

The city’s historic preservation board can’t make decisions on whether a project moves forward. It can only determine if the construction will have an adverse effect.

Rachael Meyerink, chair of the historic preservation board, said she and other members are there to be a resource for the community – a panel of experts that can help homeowners in historic districts preserve their piece of history.

“You can’t blame them for not knowing what they don’t know,” said Rachael Meyerink, chair of the historic preservation board.

The board’s decisions are not ones of bias. Members of the historic preservation board might love older properties, but their votes are not based on personal feelings or any sort of emotional reaction.

It’s based on the standards set by the federal government, which address the compatibility of new construction and whether the height, width, color, shape and materials used are appropriate.

Homes and neighborhoods on the national register are fall under the oversight of the National Parks Service.

They are protected for what they are – a representation of the city’s history and pieces of art, Meyerink said. Her 1889 Queen Anne Free Classic-style home is protected by the same federal agency that protects Yellowstone National Park.

If homes like hers are demolished, they’re gone, Meyerink said.

“They will never be rebuilt,” she said. “There is no possibility of rebuilding and recreating that.”