Within the Acre Neighborhood District (AND), the erection, demolition, or alteration of any exterior feature (and interior when work affects the exterior appearance) of a building, structure, or parcel requires the approval of the Lowell Historic Board (LHB). By state law, no City department, board, commission, or other entity can issue any approval until the LHB has first issued its approval. Assisting the Board is a five member neighborhood committee comprised of three Board members, a district property owner, and district resident.

Located in a portion of one of Lowell’s earliest neighborhoods, the AND is a design review district established on October 12, 1999 under procedures established in the Board’s statute (Lowell Historic District Act, Chapter 566, Acts of 1983). Creation of the AND was the first neighborhood review district established under the Board’s statute and first expansion of its review powers since the boundaries of the Downtown Lowell Historic District (DLHD) were expanded in 1986.

Establishment of this design review district was an important element of the Acre Urban Revitalization and Development Plan. The Plan called for the creation of the district to ensure proper and coordinated development in the plan area not already included in the DLHD. The goal is to maintain the historic urban character of the Acre neighborhood and ensure that future development complements that existing character. Establishing design review controls in the neighborhood was a major element of the Plan in order to ensure that community actions would not be inconsistent with the Plan’s goals.