Bend’s west side can be fertile ground if you are looking for an older home that is a piece of Bend’s history. The Wienecke, Emil and Ottilie House on NW Federal Street is even individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Bend’s Landmarks Commission moved Tuesday night to take some baby steps to encourage more preservation of historic homes in the area around NW Federal Street and NW Awbrey Street. If you own a home in the area the commission is discussing, it would be a good idea to find out more. Historical preservation is an admirable target. But it can come with many strings attached.

For some people, owning and preserving a home in a formal historic district is an honor. Bend has two historic districts already, the Bend Old Town Historic District and the Drake Park Historic District. They help to retain distinctive architectural and historic characteristics. There can be grants and historic tax credits for property owners.

For others, it’s complicated. It can add a new layer of restrictions and cost to home improvements. Vinyl windows and nonhistoric siding materials are frowned upon. A historic district can also put upward pressure on home prices. And in Bend, major home alterations in a historic district, require a hearing before the Landmarks Commission before they can proceed.

The area discussed Tuesday night is not necessarily ripe for a full-on historic district.

A study prepared for the Landmarks Commission looked at 318 homes. Only one home outright qualified and only 36% were deemed eligible for listing in the national register. Many homes had been significantly modified with vinyl windows or with “Craftsman-inspired design elements that were never historically present, introducing a false historicism that renders the property” ineligible, according to the study.

Commissioners briefly discussed an option between what exists now and a historic district. It’s called a local landmarks district. “In landmarks districts, design review is limited to major changes (such as new construction, exterior alterations, and demolition),” the study said. Property owners can also be encouraged to reverse things, such as siding so more homes are eligible for historic listing.

A majority of the members of the Landmarks Commission seemed to clearly want more homeowners to try to preserve the historical character of their homes.

But they absolutely were not plotting to impose anything on residents.

“We don’t want to give them the impression that there is someone working behind the scenes about to pounce on them,” Commissioner Robin Vora said during the meeting.

First and foremost, a majority of the homes do not qualify. Commissioners want to share information with homeowners, so they know they have options.

Homeowners don’t have to install vinyl windows. They can make choices that help retain the historic character. Commissioners talked about meeting with neighborhood associations and finding other ways to spread the word.

It’s ultimately up to the neighborhood if it wants to help preserve its historic character or allow it to fade.

Contact the Landmarks Commission, if you want to learn more. Email senior planner Heidi Kennedy at hkennedy@bendoregon.gov.