| UCHS Announces 2009 Technical Assistance Program The University City Historical Society (UCHS) is, for the third year in a row, sponsoring a Technical Assistance Program (TAP) in partnership with the Community Design Collaborative of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The TAP provides West Philadelphia property owners with two hours of on-site, face-to-face consultation with an architect or building preservation expert. Most of the residential buildings in University City are over a hundred years old. And while architectural character and history are, in part, what draw many of us to the area, older properties can be a serious technical and financial challenge to maintain. They have special maintenance needs and it can be difficult to know what should be fixed first, who to call, how much it will cost, and which parts of the project are possible to do on your own versus those best left to professionals. The TAP program is designed to address these types of questions. Those who apply and are chosen to participate in the program will have the exterior of their property examined by a building professional who can offer advice on issues which, depending upon your needs, may include foundations and drainage, roofing and gutters, porch repair and painting, energy conservation or any other exterior problems. Each consultation is followed up by a brief written report given to the property owner that outlines the TAP professional’s findings. TAP consultation is only available to UCHS members as a benefit of membership. UCHS membership is only $20/year for households or $10 for seniors. Other benefits include subscription to On the West Side, the society’s regular members’ newsletter; registration on UCHS’s Grapevine e-mail preservation listserve; access to UCHS members’ local Contractors/Suppliers Referral List; and invitations or discounts to UCHS sponsored events, including house tours, workshops, date plaques, and publications. Those interested in becoming a member of UCHS and applying for the Technical Assistance Program consultation get copies of the membership and TAP applications at www.uchs.net, email info@uchs.net or call (215) 387-3019. Applying for TAP consultation is easy and inexpensive. Applicants are asked to briefly describe their exterior renovation priorities on the TAP application by May 15, 2009 and provide a handful of photographs documenting the existing condition of problem areas. If you are chosen to participate in the program, you will be asked to pay a $25 registration fee. The dozen properties which receive these services this year is limited by the number of participating TAP building professionals; UCHS will select applicants who demonstrate the greatest need. The owners of the dozen properties chosen will be given dates for their TAP consultations later this summer.
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