The Park Ridge City Council approved the city's first-ever historic district on Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to the city's meeting record.

The final reading of the ordinance designating the Spanish Town Historic District passed at the same meeting where the council approved a lease with Verizon Wireless for a cell tower at the Dee Road train station.

The district covers five Spanish Colonial Revival homes: 424 Talcott Place, 428 Talcott Place, 430 Talcott Place, 1305 S. Crescent Ave. and 1309 S. Crescent Ave. All were designed by architect Benedict Bruns and built by Durchslag Real Estate in 1927. One of the five, 424 Talcott Place, already carried individual Park Ridge Historic Landmark status, designated in September 2011.

The designation caps months of deliberation that began after resident Emily MacArthur filed for district status in late June. Neighbors had feared that 1309 S. Crescent Ave. had been sold for demolition, though a prospective buyer pulled out before a planned July 1 closing, Hoodline reported in August.

Developer William Durchslag originally planned 63 homes, 17 apartments and commercial space for the neighborhood after a trip to Cuba inspired the Spanish Colonial style. The Great Depression halted construction after only 12 homes were built. One of those 12 was demolished in 2016, sharpening preservation concerns on the block.

Park Ridge has maintained 18 individual local landmarks since its Historic Preservation Commission was created in 2010, but had never designated a full district. The city's Historic Preservation Plan, adopted Nov. 6, 2024, identified Spanish Town as a potential survey area.

The Procedures and Regulations Committee of the Whole advanced the ordinance on a 6-1 vote Aug. 17. Alderman John Moran cast the lone dissent, warning at that meeting that "families could eventually be forced out of Park Ridge by the restrictions that come with historic status." City Attorney Adam Simon noted at the same meeting that homeowners can leave the district under opt-out clauses. Four of the five homeowners supported the district at the Aug. 17 meeting, while a fifth had no objection.

The council also placed a moratorium on future historic district applications after the Aug. 17 vote until aldermen could review the process. Several council members expressed concern that the existing rules could be used to landmark homes against owners' wishes, according to the Journal & Topics.

Homeowners in the new district must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission before making major exterior changes that require city permits. Under Illinois law, owner-occupants who invest at least 25 percent of their home's market value in certified rehabilitation work can receive an eight-year freeze on their assessed property-tax value, followed by a four-year step-up period.

The Verizon Wireless lease covers cell tower premises at 930 N. Dee Road, the Dee Road commuter rail station site. The item was listed under the Finance and Budget Committee. Financial terms of the agreement were not included in the public agenda.

The council's moratorium on future historic district applications remains in place while aldermen review the process.