Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Survey topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Historic Landmark Commission opens public comment on Downtown Austin historic resource survey
Summary
The Historic Landmark Commission received a briefing on a draft Downtown Austin Historic Research Survey. The public comment period opens March 26 and runs through May 9; a virtual public meeting is scheduled for April 16 (two sessions). Staff said the survey inventories properties 45 years or older and will replace the 1981 survey.
The Historic Landmark Commission on March 5 was briefed on the City of Austin’s draft Downtown Austin Historic Research Survey and was told a public comment period will open March 26 and run through May 9.
Sofia Wagner, Planner III with the Historic Preservation Office, said the draft inventories properties at least 45 years old and is intended to replace the 1981 survey. Wagner said the consultants have identified 1,964 resources within the defined downtown boundary and that the survey is intended as a planning tool, not an automatic change to zoning or taxes. "The public comment period opens on Wednesday, March 26, and it will go all the way through May 9," Wagner said.
Commission members and staff outlined next steps and outreach. Wagner said there will be a third public meeting on April 16; staff discussed offering two time slots, noon–1 p.m. and 6–7 p.m., to improve access for business owners and other stakeholders. The Historic Preservation Office will present consultant findings to the commission in July.
Commissioner Roxanne Evans asked how the city will reach people without internet access. Kim McKnight, Division Manager for Historic Preservation, said staff are finalizing an outreach plan that will rely on media advisories and social media and noted the office lacks budget for signs or in-person outreach at scale. "In terms of having signage or things like that, that is not something that we're budgeted to do," McKnight said, while adding the office will use multiple media channels.
The commission and staff also discussed boundary overlap with earlier surveys and noted some local and National Register districts are excluded from the current study because they already have existing documentation. Wagner and staff urged the public to read the survey’s contextual narrative as well as the property inventory, saying the context chapters are source-heavy and intended as a public resource.
The briefing drew no formal action; commissioners were notified about the public comment dates, the April virtual meetings, and the July presentation of findings.
