Title
HLC#23-004: Discussion and Possible Action on an Update of the 1999 Historic Preservation Plan
Description/History
Under Section 155.116 of the Code of Ordinances, and as a Certified Local Government, the City must have a historic preservation plan. The official Mansfield Historic Preservation Plan was prepared in 1999. The purpose of the plan was to establish the framework for managing the City’s historic and cultural resources.
In the last 24 years, Mansfield has seen tremendous growth city-wide. Historic Downtown Mansfield is experiencing new development, with all the impact that has on the City’s historic resources. Preservation becomes more important as older structures are replaced with new homes and businesses. At the same time, the current City Council is more supportive of preservation efforts than some of the Councils in the 1980-90s.
While the Commission has annual preservation goals, a historic preservation plan addresses longer-term goals and policies. As a practice, the preservation program relies more heavily on historic design guidelines, the provisions of Chapter 155 of the Code of Ordinances, and individual preservation opportunities that arise than the guidance of the 1999 Plan.
While City staff is working on a new city-wide Future Land Use Plan, it focuses more on new and re-development, rather than the special needs for the preservation of Mansfield’s historic resources. Staff believes that the 1999 Preservation Plan should be updated to modernize the City’s preservation program for today’s challenges.
This will be a long-term project that might involve revising the entire preservation plan or simply portions of it. The Commission will need to consider an update to the plan in light of the City’s current and future preservation needs.
To begin the process, Staff has attached a questionnaire to asses the Commissioners’ view of the City’s preservation program. Please review the questions for the discussion. As part of the updat...
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