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Board reviews National Park Service rehabilitation standards and plans grant application to update downtown district
Summary
The board watched a training on National Park Service preservation standards, reviewed their application for a Historic Preservation Fund grant (seeking $25,000), and discussed consultant recruitment and district expansion options including the police department and Ben Givens Park.
Board staff presented a training segment on the National Park Service (NPS) preservation standards and led a discussion about how those standards apply to downtown storefronts, additions, and rehabilitation projects. The training material emphasized the ten preservation standards, including retaining character-defining features, avoiding conjectural reconstruction, repairing rather than replacing historic materials, and minimizing the visual impact of additions.
Staff said the training video (a Lawrence-area presentation by an outside preservation consultant) illustrated practical examples — for instance, compatible storefront design, sensitive additions attached with a “hyphen,” and the need for careful cleaning and testing to avoid damage to historic materials. Staff noted the National Park Service’s Preservation Briefs and technical guidance as primary resources for applying the standards.
Separately, staff reported that they are preparing an application to the Historic Preservation Fund to update the downtown historic district inventory and boundaries. The board supported staff’s plan to apply for $25,000 to hire a consultant to evaluate potential new district resources and possibly add the police department building and Ben Givens Park to the district if the consultant recommends it. Staff said the city commission had already voiced support for the application at a recent meeting.
Staff described the need for a consultant (the previous consultant has retired), discussed likely in-kind match from the certified local government (CLG) status and local staff time, and said the SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) often supplements shortfalls. Staff listed possible consultant sources in the Kansas City area and national firms and said they would issue an RFP. The board asked procedural questions about the grant timeline and consultant selection and asked staff to return to the board with consultant proposals and any drafts of the scope of work.
No formal vote on the grant application was recorded at the meeting; staff will proceed with preparing and submitting the application and report back to the board as work progresses.
