In July 2007, we signed a contract with Architectural Historian Terri Myers and her firm, Preservation Central, for approximately $50,000 in services to create our applications for a Local Historic District and a National Register District. On top of that amount, we must pay administrative fees to the Austin Community Foundation.
With $5,000 raised from donations, calendar sales and a yard sale, we paid our start-up money to fund the initial drive-by survey to see if we have 51 percent of contributing properties, required to apply for a historic district designation. (I've updated our fundraising thermometer to show that original $50,000 goal and include that first $5,000). And this summer, our neighbors pitched in to raise the next $5,000 for our completed reconnaissance survey.
Preservation Central went further in-depth with the survey than anticipated because they saw immediately that we had more than 50 percent contributing and were already in the field, so they went ahead and estimated dates for some of the homes and listed their architectural style.
The proposed boundaries of the districts are Kenwood Avenue, East Live Oak Street, Congress Avenue (only the residential properties whose rear abuts the businesses on Congress) and Riverside Drive, including Edgecliff Terrace. You can download a PDF version of the map here. (Please note that the map is upside down and doesn't show some properties on Edgecliff or Live oak that have now been added). Red is Non-Contributing and green is Contributing.
The survey shows we have approximately 70 percent contributing properties, qualifying us to apply for both a Local Historic District and a National Register Historic District.
Preservation Central will begin researching and writing a National Register nomination while we campaign for subscribers to the concept of an LHD. We must have 60 percent owner sign-on, determined by acreage, in order to submit our application to the City Preservation Office.
If the 60 percent sign-on is achieved, Preservation Central will continue with the National Register nomination while working on the additional requirements of the Local Historic District.
Preservation Central will provide us with a comprehensive cultural resources survey, a National Register nomination and, if sufficient property owners agree, an LHD application.
The comprehensive survey will result in:
- Inventory of both historic and non-historic properties for both the LHD and NR districts
- Complete site forms for each surveyed resource in support of the proposed LHD application (25 percent of contributing properties)
Historical research will also be done to further show the significance of our particular resources and to write a historic, contextual narrative that we'll include with our applications for both the LHD and NR districts.
Preservation Central will prepare design guidelines specifically geared to the Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District and suitable for use by the Austin Historic Landmark Commission in determining appropriateness of proposed alterations, new construction or demolition of properties within the LHD boundaries.
The LHD application is defined as a complete application that documents the evolution of a defined neighborhood and its historic physical components. The application will contain specific information about each individual resource and about the formation and development of the neighborhood as a whole. Individual Site forms with imbedded color digital photographs will be completed for each property within the proposed district boundaries and in-depth survey forms will be completed for each High Priority resource. The application will satisfy the regulations set forth by the City of Austin as administered by the City Preservation Officer.
The NRD nomination is defined as a completed nomination that documents the architectural and historic significance of the neighborhood and shows its role in the growth and development of the city of Austin. Nomination appendices include a district map identifying Contributing/Non-Contributing properties and black-and-white archival photographs of selected resources. The document will meet the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for preparing an NR nomination as administered by the Texas Historical Commission.
Terri Myers of Preservation Central will attend all public meetings for which action will be taken on the application and nomination. These include meetings of the Austin Landmark Commission, Planning Commission and City Council for the LHD application and the THC's State Board of Review for the National Register nomination.