Historical District Update – December 2023

MHH proposed amendments to HRB procedures
 
After months of rigorous advocacy, MHH’s proposed amendments to the HRB procedures—which would provide a process for listing national register districts on the local historic register—are slated to be discussed by the HRB’s Policy Subcommittee on February 12, 2024.
 
The proposed amendments originated after we sought to list Inspiration Heights, a national register district, on the local register in December 2021 and the City informed MHH that no streamlined process existed for the listing of such districts on the local register. 
 
Consequently, in July 2023, we submitted to the HRB proposed amendments to the procedures that would allow for the listing of national register districts on the local register, after rallying the support of ten other local preservation groups who submitted statements of support on our behalf. See this article on our website for more background on our efforts: Historic District Update.
 
Since that time, we have attended multiple HRB meetings, urging the Board or its Policy Subcommittee to consider the issue of the proposed amendments. And, despite reluctance from City Staff, the Board voted unanimously at its November meeting to direct staff to add a discussion of the proposed amendments to the next Policy Subcommittee meeting agenda.
 
Last week, City Staff published the agenda of the Policy Subcommittee meeting to be held Monday, December 11, 2023. The agenda included “Discussion of Historic District Policy and National Register Districts,” but did NOT include any mention of our proposed amendments or provide a link to such. Therefore, we considered the noticing to be faulty under the law and submitted a letter to the Policy Subcommittee asking it to continue the discussion to January so that staff can properly notice the matter consistent with the Board’s motion and attach a copy of our proposed amendments. 
 
We attended that Policy Subcommittee meeting yesterday to discuss the continuance. Only two of the five committee members were present at the meeting, but they agreed to continue the matter.  Because the Policy Subcommittee will probably have its hands full with the proposed Hillcrest Historic District in January, our proposed amendments will likely be discussed by the Policy Subcommittee at its February 12, 2024 meeting. At that time, we will press for the subcommittee to recommend to the full HRB adoption of the amendments.
 
We will keep you informed about developments.
Thanks for your continued support!