The Design Guidelines for Historic Commercial and Residential Districts and Properties were adopted in 2000 to serve as guidelines for the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning and Development Services (PDS) staff when reviewing alterations proposed to historic properties, districts and areas. The Guidelines have not been updated since then, and the proposed update seeks to:

• Update information about city procedures about historic designation and the “Certificate of Appropriateness” project review process.
• Ensure that the guidelines are applicable for properties built between 1945 and 1975, which have aged into eligibility for historic designation since the 2000 guidelines were adopted.
• Ensure that the guidelines also function for architectural design review of certain non-historic properties located in historically significant areas, as specified in the city’s Zoning and Development Code.
• Clarify preferred treatment of historically designated properties, as well as new construction in historic districts.
• Emphasize the importance of understanding a property’s particular history and historic significance before determining appropriate treatments and beginning any work.
• Include new sections with content previously spread across multiple areas of the guidelines or not addressed, including dedicated Chapters on property maintenance and on streetscapes, the public realm, and cultural landscapes.

The draft Historic Design Guidelines are available for public review and comment. This is a draft, unformatted document:

PDS staff will hold 2 sessions of office hours to solicit feedback and answer questions from historic property owners and the general public. 

• 8/26 (Wednesday) 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. City Council Chambers (221 E Main Street)
• 9/1 (Tuesday) from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. in Planning and Development Services 2nd Floor Conference Room (301 W Bagdad Avenue, Suite 210)

Please send any questions and comments to Lily Park at lpark@roundrocktexas.gov