Poland to 'increase public awareness' of HRC's role in aiding historical district homeowners

MOUNT VERNON – Sibley Poland, a Mount Vernon native and realtor with over 15 years of experience buying and selling homes, has been nominated to the Historical Review Commission (HRC). 

Her aim is to "increase public awareness" of the HRC's role in aiding historical district homeowners.

Poland is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she intended to become an accountant. Her path changed unexpectedly in 2004 when purchasing property in the Mount Vernon historical district. A realtor friend suggested Poland get into real estate herself, and the rest is history.

"I moved into a house on Gay Street in 2013, which is in the historical district," Poland told the Mount Vernon News. "I am an investor and am currently still investing in homes in the downtown area; several are on Gay Street. I have always rehabilitated them or put them back on the market for resale."

Poland's experience purchasing and rehabilitating historical district homes gives her a unique viewpoint as a newly appointed member of the commission. Her ultimate goal is to shine a light on the HRC and show residents the importance of its mission. 

"I think it is important to grow public awareness of the HRC's process," she explained. "Most people do not know it is even a thing." On top of assisting homeowners with refurbishing historic homes, the HRC offers historic preservation workshops as well as historical tours for public education. 

Poland told the News that one of the biggest benefits of living in Mount Vernon is its small-town feel and lack of traffic when compared to other densely populated areas in Ohio. 

"Mount Vernon is small enough to get around easily," she said. "It is a walkable community." 

It is crucial that Mount Vernon protect the integrity of its historic districts, and the HRC has been created to do just that.

As with most local government commissions and agencies, community interaction with them is unlikely or only in certain circumstances. Poland believes the HRC has a vital role to play in Mount Vernon and shouldn't be viewed as a headache to homeowners. 

"I am looking forward to open communication with residents when they do modifications to historic homes," she said. "I hope that the message from the commission is that we are here to help and want to help you work through decisions in facelifting a property."