FAIRHOPE, Ala. — In 2003, Fairhope’s entire downtown area made the list of “Places in Peril,” a program designed to highlight some of the state’s most endangered historic sites, published annually by the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation and the Alabama Historical Commission.

“Fairhope has the largest number of historic properties in the county,” said City Council President Debbie Quinn, during a recent meeting of the city’s Historic Preservation Committee, during which the group planned the first public meeting in several years about the subject.

About 20 people attended the Thursday night event at City Council chambers to hear a presentation about historic preservation approaches and possible benefits for the city and local property owners.

“There is no set way to do it,” said David Schneider, of Schneider Historic Preservation LLC from Anniston. “There are some basic principles, but there is a lot of flexibility.”

Schneider said historic preservation is an important economic development tool and cited statistics showing how property values have risen relative to neighboring areas in every designated historic district studied in the state, such as in Montgomery, Decatur and Talladega.

He also pointed to federal tax benefits for income-producing historic buildings that have been restored, which can result in 20 percent of the value of the property rehabilitated. He explained that for a building where $100,000 was spent to rehabilitate the property, the owner could take a $20,000 tax credit.

Schneider has worked throughout Alabama on historic preservation efforts and in cities like Charleston, which owe its significant downtown economic revitalization to such efforts, he said.

“Virtually all cities that have experienced downtown economic renewal have used historic preservation as a tool,” he said. “Charleston is a shining example.”

His trip to Fairhope was planned by the city’s Historic Preservation Committee to coincide with a trip Friday to Magnolia Springs, where the town has engaged his services.

“They have a new historic commission, and they’re in the process of getting it up and running,” he said, noting that Magnolia Springs recently passed an historic preservation ordinance.

He said one of the first things he might do is update a survey of historic properties in the area, and then help prioritize them for historic designation purposes.

Devereaux Bemis with the Mobile Historic Commission also spoke and described preservation easements as another approach for local property owners to consider. He explained the tax benefits of that program coupled with its historic preservation purposes.

“You can receive a one-time tax deduction of the value of the easement,” he said, explaining the property owner gives property rights to a qualified organization like the MHC. “That can be a goodly chunk of change. If you see you’re going to have a big tax liability, that would be a good time to do it.”

He explained the easement would restrict changes in the property without the permission of the organization granted the easement.

About seven years ago, the Historic Preservation Committee supported a local historical preservation ordinance. That effort failed after the debate became centered on property rights.

Since that time, the committee’s work has focused on a popular tour of historic homes in the area.

Thursday’s meeting was the start of an effort to revitalize other work of the Historic Preservation Committee, said Harriet Gutknecht, who has served on the committee for several years. She said they are hoping more people will now get involved in the group’s work.

“I’m hoping out of this will come some ideas for where we need to go in terms of preservation efforts,” Quinn said.

Scheider emphasized the need to first develop a local consensus for the kind of historic preservation approaches a city needs and wants for such efforts to be successful.

The Historic Preservation Committee meets at 9 a.m.. the first Thursday of each month in the conference room at City Hall.