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Building San Antonio: A look at the ways to preserve older neighborhoods
: November 13, 2009
In our city, there are two zoning tools that residents can use to work together to preserve their neighborhoods: historic districts and neighborhood conservation districts. Each type of districting is intended to promote strong and desirable neighborhoods, but each method has its own set of procedures to form the district and to administer it once it's in place.
First the similarities: In both types of districts, the existing base zoning classification remains, but an overlay designation is added. Both types of districts require that communities come together to initiate the creation of the district and that 51 percent of the residents, or owners of 51 percent of the land area, approve the process before it is considered by City Council. Both types of districts require that most of the structures in the area be at least 25 years old and that the area have distinctive features that create a cohesive neighborhood character.
While all residents must apply for a building permit when they are making changes to their property, the primary difference between historic districts and neighborhood conservation districts is related to property modifications.
Property owners in historic districts must have modifications approved by a board composed of local residents with a variety of backgrounds. The Historic and Design Review Commission, known as the HDRC, is charged with interpreting general design "guidelines" that are outlined in the local development code, and pertain to all periods of history. In general terms, new construction must be compatible with the other historic structures in the district. Compatibility can be interpreted in many ways, but generally, renovations must be made that do not significantly impact the existing historic character of a historic resource. Since the design guidelines are general, board decisions are subjective. The board must use its best judgment in determining appropriate design on a case-by-case basis, and therefore at times, board decisions may seem arbitrary or inconsistent.
Neighborhood conservation districts are developed with their own set of design "standards" based on the character of the existing structures and physical qualities of the proposed district, so each conservation district maintains a separate set of standards. The committee that prepares the design standards determines which characteristics are worth keeping, and therefore which elements should be incorporated into design standards for the proposed conservation district.
The standards are objective and precise. For example, if a high percentage of houses in the district have a front porch, then a design standard for that neighborhood may require that a new house must have a front porch. This type of standard is easily administered by the city staff, who must objectively decide if the modifications meet the standard. No review board is required, and since the standards are precise, property owners are able to use them, with a high degree of confidence, as they design their project.
Ironically, the standards for conservation districts have the opportunity to be more restrictive than the guidelines used for historic districts. Standards for neighborhood conservation districts may include restrictions on lot coverage related to a ratio of interior to exterior space, determinations of architectural styles allowed, building location and density. None of these factors is specifically discussed in historic district guidelines, but may be used in the determination of a structure's 'appropriateness' within a specific historic district.