Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Committee Advisory Role topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Preservation committee weighs advisory role, design guidelines and commercial surveys
Summary
After staff said the committee can no longer be required to perform binding design review, members discussed focusing on voluntary advisory reviews, drafting nonbinding design guidelines for staff, supporting commercial surveys and preservation planning, and a likely quarterly meeting schedule.
Committee members discussed several near‑term options after staff announced the statutory change: retain an optional advisory role, develop nonbinding design guidelines for use by city staff, assist with commercial surveys if training and funding permit, and maintain a quarterly meeting schedule with the option to convene special meetings.
Jack, a committee member, and others emphasized the value of the committee’s local expertise and suggested compiling an advisory document or historic preservation plan to guide staff reviews and future grant applications. City planning staff said the city has funding available this year for some commercial surveys and invited committee volunteers to assist if they receive training.
The committee discussed meeting frequency and decided a quarterly calendar with the option to call special meetings is a practical starting point; staff said they would try to avoid repeatedly scheduling meetings only to cancel them and would work with the committee on an appropriate calendar. Members also asked staff to transmit proposed zoning‑update text amendments when ready so the committee could comment.
Staff noted two awarded historic preservation grants—projects at the Lincoln School and KPRK—are pending and that committee assistance on outreach and documentation could help when grants advance. Members also discussed emergency demolition and demolition‑permit processes and reiterated the committee’s interest in being informed of major downtown projects even if their review is only advisory.
Next steps: staff will circulate draft language for Chapter 31 when available, explore training and survey support, and maintain channels for committee input on the city’s zoning‑code update and grant opportunities.
