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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Landmark Commission - 06/24/2021 MINUTES REGULAR MEETING LANDMARK COMMISSION CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI Via WebEx Video Conference - 6:00 pm June 24, 2021 STAFF: Nina Nixon-Mendez, Assistant Director & Historic Preservation Officer Catherine Garza, Agenda Coordinator Craig Garrison, City Planner I. Call to Order/Roll Call Chair Robbins called the meeting to order and a quorum was established with no absences. II. Approval of Absences: Commissioner Brown Commissioner Brown stated she was present at the May 20, 2021 meeting but joined a little late by phone after roll call took place. Minutes will be corrected to reflect her attendance. III. Approval of Minutes: May 20, 2021 A motion was made by Vice Chair Dees to approve the minutes listed above with the correction to Commissioner Brown’s attendance. The motion was seconded by Commissioner De La Garza and the motion passed. IV. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. V. Community Meeting: Historic Preservation Plan hosted by McDoux Preservation Steph McDougal with McDoux Preservation gave an overview of the draft Preservation Plan by outlining the rest of the steps for the completion of this project which is on schedule to be completed by the end of September. She explained that for some reason, the same recommendations that appear in previous plans were never implemented in the past. Implementing these recommendations can move Corpus Christi forward and join all other cities in Texas that are taking advantage of historic preservation’s potential as an economic development tool. She recalled the work that has been completed thus far, including a review of the state of preservation, stakeholder interviews and a community opinion survey. She said the Plan is divided into two main sections. The first half is a summary of all the information that has been gathered. The second part includes a vision for historic preservation in Corpus Christi, three overarching goals, and a total of 16 strategies for achieving those goals. Ms. McDougal proceeded to read the vision statement for the Plan which combines community input and the overarching goals: “By 2030, historic preservation in Corpus Christi will support a vibrant, multicultural community enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, with a thriving downtown, diversified economy, updated infrastructure, and equitable investment in new and legacy neighborhoods.” COMMISSIONERS: Dr. Christine Riser-Robbins- Chair Randy J. Dees, Sr. – Vice-Chair Dr. Ira Freeman Madeleine Fontenot Kathleen de la Garza COMMISSIONERS: Rosyln Wanzer Dr. Jen Brown Armando Mendez Veronica Wilson Goal 1: Build capacity for historic preservation. Goal 2: Enable community-driven historic preservation. Goal 3: Support historic preservation as an economic development tool. She continued with explaining the 16 strategies: 1. Hire a full-time historic preservation officer. 2. Update the historic preservation ordinance to add Protected Landmarks and Protected Historic Districts where the Landmark Commission’s decision is binding (although appealable). 3. Update the Landmark Commission bylaws and training requirements. 4. Plan for disasters, including preparation, response, and recovery process, and help individuals develop and implement their own preparedness, resilience, and recovery plans. 5. Develop walking tours of historic areas in partnership with the City Convention and Visitors Bureau. 6. Improve the City’s historic preservation website to make information easier to find. 7. Improve community outreach and standardize the public engagement process. 8. Support the creation of a local nonprofit organization to partner with the City, individual residents, and other organizations on preservation activities. 9. Commit to pursuing equity for all neighborhoods (new and existing) and empower residents to define what that means to them. 10. Work with Nueces County Historical Commission to develop a thematic approach to new historical markers that supports heritage tourism. 11. Promote historic preservation as an economic development tool. 12. Fix the vacant building ordinance, which now encourages demolition instead of adaptive reuse. 13. Invest in historic resources surveys and multi-property listings to the National Register of Historic Places. 14. Develop local tax incentives programs to support historic rehabilitation. 15. Develop façade improvement program outside TIRZ#3. 16. Support a few select projects to demonstrate preservation’s potential to spur economic growth. Ms. McDougal detailed examples of action items specifically for strategy #6: • Add a historic preservation landing page, to include a brief statement about historic preservation in the city and an overview of designations and requirements for Certificates of Appropriateness. The rest of the page should provide links, each of which focus on a single topic • Commit to public comment opportunities and a section with links to share citywide research, summary reports, and other historic preservation resources on the City website for the community’s review and comments. This proposed departmental policy is essential for transparency and building trust. • Commit to providing information in English and Spanish. Historic preservation should be accessible for everyone. Ms. McDougal included in the plan a case study from El Paso, Texas which relates to strategy #5 for an app/website for walking tours (printed brochures & audio versions also available). The app includes detailed descriptions of the historic sites and allows the user to select favorite sites and create their own itinerary. She concluded the presentation with next steps for the Plan: JUNE 24–JULY 2: Public comment period JULY 22: Landmark Commission public hearing AUGUST 4: Planning Commission public hearing SEPTEMBER: Present to City Council She added that inquiries for more information can be sent to Craig Garrison, Development Services, and a draft of the Plan is available online at www.cctexas.com/hpp. After the presentation, a question and answer session took place from the community through comments posted on Facebook Live and from dsoutreach@cctexas.com. VI. Historic Preservation Officer’s Report Nina Nixon Mendez, Assistant Director, informed the Commission that the next Landmark Commission meeting will be taking place in-person in the City Hall Council Chambers and not via WebEx. VII. Future Agenda Items Vice Chairman Dees mentioned the City Bakery as a potential landmark designation. VIII. Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 7:00 p.m.