Nominations Accepted for Valdosta Preservation Awards
Nominations are being accepted now through April 25 for the 8th Annual Valdosta Preservation Awards (VPA), held each May in observance of National Historic Preservation Month. This year's theme for National Historic Preservation Month is "This. Place. Matters." which encourages people across the country to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and their communities.
The VPA recognize significant contributions to the preservation and enhancement of historic buildings in the Valdosta Historic District. Citizens are encouraged to nominate a person or group who has made outstanding efforts to preserve historic buildings in our city within the last three years. Nomination forms, as well as full VPA rules and information, can be found on the VPA application located on the Valdosta website.
Nominations will be reviewed by the VPA Committee, comprised of members of the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission, Lowndes County Historical Society, and the Valdosta Heritage Foundation. The committee will determine winners for the following awards based on the contributions of the project to the architectural and historical character of the Valdosta Historic District:
Outstanding Achievement Award
Recognizes exemplary accomplishments in historic building rehabilitation or restoration, specifically for complex or large-scale projects.
Distinguished Merit Award
Recognizes preservation improvements made to historic buildings through simple, small-scale projects that contribute to Valdosta's heritage.
Stewardship Award
Recognizes property owners for their long-term care, maintenance, stabilization or protection of a contributing historic building.
Excellence in Compatible New Construction Award
Recognizes excellence in the design of new construction that complements and reflects the architectural character of the Valdosta Historic District.
Harold M. Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognizes a person from our community who has dedicated many years of his or her life to historic preservation and impacted preservation efforts in the City of Valdosta.
Completed nomination materials may be emailed to jhorton@valdostacity.com, or mailed or hand-delivered to the Planning & Zoning Division, P.O. Box 1125, Valdosta, GA 31603-1125. Nominators and award winners will be notified the first week of May 2016. Awards will be formally presented at the City Council meeting on May 19.
For more information, call 229-259-3563.