Rock Island commission backs three-tier historic inventory to replace "Moses list"

The Rock Island Historic Preservation Commission on an agenda item reviewed a staff proposal to replace the city’s informal "Moses list" with a formal three-tier "historic structures and sites inventory," intended to identify and recognize architecturally, culturally and archaeologically significant properties across the city.

Staff (Speaker 4) described the plan as a starting point: the existing Moses list would serve as the initial basis, and properties would be assigned to tier 1, tier 2 or tier 3 based on how many evaluation criteria they meet. "Tier 1 would be those that would instantly be considered for landmark designation," Speaker 4 said; tier 2 nominations would require deeper research before a National Register or local landmark nomination could proceed. Speaker 4 emphasized that a property must meet at least one criterion to be added to the inventory.

Commissioners pressed staff on owner notification and next steps. Speaker 1 asked whether tier 1 properties would be brought directly to the commission for landmarking; Speaker 4 replied that staff would consult property owners and seek consent before initiating formal landmark nominations. The commission discussed creating a short nomination form to capture basic property details, age, and known histories so residents and owners could nominate properties easily.

The draft envisions a low-barrier recognition path for properties that are valued locally but not landmark-worthy, a move several commissioners supported because it allows recognition without regulatory constraints. "There's no teeth there," Speaker 3 said when describing the recognition program, underscoring that the inventory would be primarily informational unless a property proceeded to a formal landmark nomination.

Commissioners agreed staff would return a cleaner version of the draft at the next meeting and planned an action item to form a subcommittee or other mechanism to review and tier properties from the existing Moses list. Speaker 3 said staff would prepare spreadsheets with suggested tiering for the hundred or so Moses properties and commissioners could divide batches for review. Commissioners noted that any subcommittee work involving three or more members could raise open‑meetings concerns and asked staff to plan accordingly.

The commission also reviewed ancillary items connected to recognition and outreach. Members discussed certificate and plaque designs for landmarked properties, favored a traditional certificate style with a gold seal placed at the bottom right and instructed staff and volunteers to refine the design. Staff reported the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will open a new round of Certified Local Government (CLG) grants; Speaker 3 said the statewide pot is about $140,000 with typical awards up to $30,000. Speaker 2 recommended applying for CLG funds to hire a consultant to develop a consolidated marketing/branding plan for Downtown Rock Island and other historic districts, including a web presence, signage strategy, and budget estimates.

What’s next: staff will prepare a cleaner draft of the inventory policy and a simple nomination form, bring an action item to the next meeting to create a subcommittee or review process for tiering the Moses list, and pursue potential CLG grant applications for marketing and outreach work. The commission did not take a final vote on the inventory itself at this meeting; staff will return with a revised draft for formal action.