No, but plans for new construction in a Local Historic District must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.
It is highly recommended that if you have plans for a new building on a vacant lot in a Local Historic District you should notify the Historic Preservation Commission early on in the planning process to ensure the design is compatible with the surrounding historic fabric. Attractive new construction can be designed to complement adjacent historic structures by paying close attention to features like lot placement, building orientation, scale, roof shape, massing, and fenestration (window and door placement).
One excellent example of new residential construction in a Local Historic District in Lafayette is located at 208 South 6th Street. The house is constructed completely of modern materials, but the way the building was designed makes it fit seamlessly with neighboring homes that were built more than a century earlier.
View a photo of the South 6th Street home.