Historic Preservation/Design Standards Advisory Committee

Agendas & Minutes

Meetings are generally held quarterly on the third Wednesday of January, April, July, and October. If no actions are required during that quarter, the HPDS will not meet on their regularly-scheduled date. If any actionable items are submitted prior to the first Wednesday of any month, the HPDS will meet to review it the same month (with the intention of meeting on the third Wednesday, if a quorum is available).

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

View Most Recent HPDS Agendas, Packets, and Minutes

Overview

The Smithville Historic Preservation and Design Standards Advisory Committee was created during the 2011-2012 Smithville Comprehensive Plan process. This Advisory Committee was established because many of the individuals who attended those Comprehensive Plan meetings supported the concept of "smart for us" growth and development. Economic Development surveys have also shown that it is important to our community that Smithville maintains its historic, small-town character and charm, especially as Smithville becomes more successful in attracting new residents and businesses.

The main objective in forming this Committee was to encourage property owners to consider historic preservation and designs as they make decisions to purchase and/or renovate historic structures, and to encourage compatible design in new structures.

The Advisory Committee reports to the Smithville City Council and is comprised of representatives from the Smithville Heritage Society, the Lost Pines Artisans' Alliance, and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as six at-large community members. The first two organizations represent the community in the fields of preservation, history, and design, to ensure that Smithville's character is not compromised. The Chamber of Commerce represents business interests, to ensure that no standards or guidelines are too onerous for current business owners or too restrictive for prospective business owners. The six at-large members provide additional expertise to the Advisory Committee. All at-large members must live in or own a business in Smithville. These members are knowledgeable about the community and its history and understand what it takes to maintain historic buildings. All have access to information about ordinances and construction techniques related to any given project they may be asked to review.

Advisory Committee Tasks

Provide recommendations to the City Council when developers or property owners submit requests for a Smithville Certificate of Appropriateness (COA);
Review existing design guidelines and examples of design features that should be protected, encouraged, and discouraged with COA applicants;
Assist the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through the EPIC program, ensuring that any contractors working in the historic districts are taking adequate precautions to protect our historic resources (similar requests to assist in similar functions with other projects/from other agencies will be considered in the future at the request of the Mayor and/or City Manager);
Review applications to the "City Historical Marker" program; and
Provide information and develop educational information as it relates to preservation and historic buildings in Smithville, especially in the Historic Commercial District.

Resources & Information

The Texas Historic Commission's guidance for preservation and sustainability is a great wealth of information, including links to resources and potential funding opportunities, for people interested in preserving history in their community.

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties provides guidance to the owners of historic buildings to help them maintain and support their historic structures.

THC also provides a report on the Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Texas for more information about the importance of preservation.

For more information about tax credits, see: