31 - Draft recommendation to adopt the Equity-Based Preservation Plan — original pdf

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EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN RECOMMENDATION Historic Landmark Commission Recommenda(cid:415)on 20241002-31 WHEREAS, the City of Aus(cid:415)n Historic Landmark Commission (the Commission) was established in 1974 to promote historic preserva(cid:415)on ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es in Aus(cid:415)n and advise the Aus(cid:415)n City Council on ma(cid:425)ers related to historic preserva(cid:415)on; and WHEREAS, the purpose of the Commission is to prepare and periodically revise an inventory of the structures and areas that may be eligible for designa(cid:415)on as historic landmarks, most recently completed in 1984; prepare, review, and propose amendments to a citywide Historic Preserva(cid:415)on Plan, last adopted in 1981; and review requests to establish or remove a historic designa(cid:415)on and make recommenda(cid:415)ons on the requests to the Land Use Commission; and WHEREAS, since its establishment the Commission has successfully recommended designa(cid:415)on of 676 historic landmarks and 8 historic districts, stewarded changes to those proper(cid:415)es through administra(cid:415)ve and Commission review, partnered with historic landmark and historic district owners to maintain the integrity of individual proper(cid:415)es and historic districts, overseen historic resource surveys to iden(cid:415)fy poten(cid:415)al historic resources, and recommended heritage tourism grants for projects benefi(cid:427)ng tourists and conven(cid:415)on delegates; and WHEREAS, the Commission has increasingly recognized the limita(cid:415)ons of exis(cid:415)ng programs and tools to accomplish its mission; and WHEREAS, City preserva(cid:415)on efforts, in spite of many successes, have historically not reflected the full history of the city and its many diverse communi(cid:415)es; and WHEREAS, the Commission’s work has largely been reac(cid:415)ve to development pressures, a rising number of demoli(cid:415)on applica(cid:415)ons, and increasing displacement of long(cid:415)me communi(cid:415)es; and WHEREAS, na(cid:415)onal preserva(cid:415)on efforts and best prac(cid:415)ces in other ci(cid:415)es have grown to emphasize the value of historic and cultural resources that reflect more diverse histories and communi(cid:415)es, tools to recognize and support cultural heritage such as legacy businesses, preserva(cid:415)on’s contribu(cid:415)ons to environmental sustainability and affordability, and more expansive and inclusive community engagement; and WHEREAS, the Commission and the Historic Preserva(cid:415)on Office seek to respond to 21st- century challenges with improved and new policies, programs, and tools, including transparent and accessible historic review processes, inclusive community outreach, and incen(cid:415)ves that meet both historic preserva(cid:415)on and equity goals; and 1  WHEREAS, the Commission created a 26-member community working group, the Preserva(cid:415)on Plan Working Group (the Working Group), on June 28, 2021, to develop a dra(cid:332) of an equity-based historic preserva(cid:415)on plan between July 2021 and June 2022 (phase 1 of the planning process); and WHEREAS, Working Group members are representa(cid:415)ve of Aus(cid:415)n’s racial and ethnic diversity, live in 19 ZIP codes, and include one third renters; and WHEREAS, the Working Group diligently completed the dra(cid:332) Equity-Based Preserva(cid:415)on Plan (the Plan) during monthly mee(cid:415)ngs, drawing on research from na(cid:415)onal best prac(cid:415)ces, employing an equity evalua(cid:415)on framework, and incorpora(cid:415)ng feedback from 275 community members and stakeholders through a community heritage survey, focus groups, a Technical Advisory Group of City staff, and the Commission’s Preserva(cid:415)on Plan Commi(cid:425)ee; and WHEREAS, Council allocated $160,000 to Phase 2 of the Plan in the FY2022-23 budget to support robust community engagement around the plan; and WHEREAS, broad, inclusive outreach and engagement around the dra(cid:332) Plan reached more than 2,500 people throughout Aus(cid:415)n to review and comment on the Plan’s goals and recommenda(cid:415)ons, conduc(cid:415)ng 127 targeted events and leveraging outreach by community ambassadors and organiza(cid:415)onal partners; and WHEREAS, communi(cid:415)es of color, people with disabili(cid:415)es, LGBTQIA+ communi(cid:415)es, and renters were strongly represented in Plan engagement par(cid:415)cipants, and reside within 41 of Aus(cid:415)n’s 64 ZIP codes; and WHEREAS, the equity-based planning process has amplified the voices of those who have not historically been part of discussions about historic preserva(cid:415)on; and WHEREAS, the Working Group and Commission revised and finalized the Plan based on public feedback; and WHEREAS, the Imagine Aus(cid:415)n comprehensive plan outlines historic preserva(cid:415)on policies for the City of Aus(cid:415)n to iden(cid:415)fy, preserve, and interpret historic resources in Aus(cid:415)n for residents and visitors; and WHEREAS, the Plan aligns with and supports the historic preserva(cid:415)on goals and recommenda(cid:415)ons in Imagine Aus(cid:415)n; and WHEREAS, amending Imagine Aus(cid:415)n to incorporate the Plan upon adop(cid:415)on by Council will further a coordinated, strategic approach to planning for the City; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION: The Historic Landmark Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the Equity-Based Preserva(cid:415)on Plan, amend Imagine Aus(cid:415)n to make the Plan an element of the City's comprehensive plan, and support the Plan’s (cid:415)mely implementa(cid:415)on. 2