HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0003) IR 21-10703 - Citywide Historic Resources Update of the 2003 Historic Preservation PlanINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10703
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council November 16, 2021
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SUBJECT: CITYWIDE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY UPDATE
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The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide an update on recently completed phases of the City's
update of its Historic Resource Survey. In August 2017, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) undertook
its Four -Year Evaluation of the City of Fort Worth's Certified Local Government Program under Section
101(a)(7)(C) of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The evaluation highlighted Fort Worth's
historic resource survey as an outstanding item in the Certification Agreement between the City of Fort
Worth and the Texas Historical Commission. Certified Local Government (CLG) communities are required
to maintain an up-to-date system for the survey and inventory of local historic properties. To address the
deficiency, the City and State worked together to develop a plan outlining a strategy to create long-term
survey goals and undertake a multi -year survey update in phases.
In 2018, the City submitted a Letter of Intent to the THC for cost -sharing of the first element in a multi -year
strategy to update the City's historic resources survey. In 2019, the City forged ahead with the first part of
the update once funding had been confirmed for the project. As of this date, the State of Texas has
contributed $48,875 to the City's efforts and the City has contributed $62,500.
From 2019 through 2021, the City contracted HHM & Associates, Inc. (HHM) to complete phases of the
update, utilizing matching CLG grant funds. This included the completion of the Citywide Historic Context
for Fort Worth from 1840-1980; development of a citywide Survey Plan Addendum to be incorporated into
the Tarrant County Preservation and Survey Plan; and development of an ArcGIS Collector application and
mapping system for future survey efforts.
Citywide Historic Context
The completed Citywide Historic Context
establishes a framework that knits together
the significance of previously designated
landmarks and historic districts, while
providing helpful background for potential
future designations, districts, and preservation
planning in general. The geographic and
historic contexts show how existing historic -
age resources relate to significant historical
themes, events, and individuals in Fort
Worth's past. The contexts can be used as a
framework for evaluating properties for local
historic designation and National Register
eligibility during future surveys. These types of designations make historic properties eligible for local, state,
and preservation tax incentives when rehabilitation projects are undertaken.
ArcGIS Mapping and Survey Tool
For the first time in the history of the City's Historic Preservation Program, the City will be able to make
resource survey data available online through anew ArcGIS ArcGIS Mappingtool. Previous survey data was limited
to physical copies that could only be viewed at City Hall, and required a significant amount of staff time and
resources to make publicly available. The ArcGIS Mapping Tool will allow citizens to quickly and freely
research identified cultural resources throughout the Fort Worth. The map will be constantly updated as new
areas are surveyed throughout the city.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 21-10703
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council November 16, 2021
p"T�4 Page 2 of 2
SUBJECT: CITYWIDE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY UPDATE
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A component of the online Mapping tool includes an ArcGIS Collector app, which will allow citizens and
property owners to easily survey historic resources using a smart -phone or tablet. City staff intend to
collaborate with the community on future survey efforts, using the app as an educational tool that will help
citizens engage with the historic fabric around them. Fort Worth is one of only a handful of cities nationwide
that have an ArcGIS Mapping and Survey tool, placing Fort Worth at the forefront of innovative preservation
technology.
Survey Plan
The completed Survey Plan establishes a solid foundation for future resource survey and conservation
efforts by the City of Fort Worth, local citizens and property owners. HHM worked closely with the City's
Historic Preservation Program to understand its preservation needs and identify areas where the evaluation
of historic resources proves the most urgent and critical. The City's first resource survey took place in the
1980s, and resulted in the publication of the Tarrant County Historic Resources Survey in 1989. Best
preservation practices recommend updating a resource survey for a district or area every five (5) years to
document change. While the City has updated some of its local historic district surveys in the past, it is in
critical need of a comprehensive update to keep pace with the significant growth of Fort Worth over the last
30 years, which has placed tremendous pressure on historic resources throughout the city.
Future Phases of the Resource Survey Update
The City has recently submitted a CLG Grant Application to the THC for the upcoming FY2022 grant cycle
for the next phases of the Historic Resource Survey Update, in accordance with the Survey Plan. Upcoming
phases will consist of GIS mapping of previously identified resources and a reconnaissance -level survey of
the Terrell Heights local historic district and the Near Southeast National Register District, which are the
historic districts that are under the greatest degree of development pressure. With the anticipated
construction of the Evans & Rosedale development project and the proposed National Juneteenth Museum
adjacent to and within the Terrell Heights Historic District in the upcoming years, it is imperative that existing
historic resources within Terrell Heights be documented to inform future development efforts.
For questions about the Historic Resources Survey Update, please contact Justin Newhart, Historic
Preservation Officer, Development Services, at 817-392-8037, or Daniel Leal, Assistant Director in
Development Services, at 817-392-6214.
David Cooke
City Manager
[Attachment]
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
HISTORIC CONTEXT OF FORT WORTH
Figure 1. Map showing recommended survey areas
based on Fort Worth's successive stages of
development. Map by HHM, 2021.
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Task 2 — Survey Plan Addendum