A physical change in or to a building.
Regulations governing the appearance or architectural style of buildings or structures.
A building, such as a retail or commercial structure, house, barn, church, hotel, jail, or similar construction, that is created to shelter any form of human activity. “Building” also may be used to refer to a historically and functionally related unit, such as a courthouse.
The body of law developed through hearings and judgments of specific issues (cases) by courts of law.
A document that integrates the various preservation activities and gives them coherence and direction, as well as relates the community’s preservation efforts to community development planning as a whole.
A document or series of documents prepared by a planning commission or department setting forth policies for the future of a community.
The decision-making process conducted by an established review committee of a local government that is guided by the terms set in the historic preservation ordinance.
A set of guidelines adopted by the commission and approved by the city council that details acceptable alterations of designated properties. They are usually generously illustrated and written in a manner that would be understood by most property owners.
A district possesses a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites, buildings, structures, or objects united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical development.
A requirement that legal proceedings be carried out in accordance with established rules and principles.
State legislation that grants certain authority to local governments so that they may direct the development of their communities. Chapter 211 [of the Local Government Code] is the legislation that enables municipalities in the state to designate historic landmarks and districts as part of the comprehensive plan.
Incorporated municipalities with populations under 5,000. These cities must conform to the general laws of the state.
A district, site, building, structure, or object significant in American history, architecture, engineering, archeology, or culture at the national, state, or local level.
This generally is the same as a historic property. It includes architectural, historical, and archeological properties as well as landscape features.
Incorporated municipalities with populations over 5,000. These cities must adopt a home rule charter and are granted more independence in their local decision-making.
The authenticity of a property’s historic identity, evidenced by survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property’s historic or prehistoric period.
A systematic detailed examination of an area designed to gather information about historic properties sufficient to evaluate them against predetermined criteria of significance.
A list of historic properties that have been identified and evaluated as meeting specified criteria of significance.
Any individual building, structure, or object that is significant for historical, architectural, or archeological reasons.
The term “object” is used to distinguish from buildings and structures those constructions that are primarily artistic in nature or are relatively small in scale and simply constructed. Although it may be, by nature or design, movable, an object is associated with a specific setting or environment, such as statuary in a designed landscape.
Generally refers to activities relating to a property that would be considered ordinary or common for maintaining the property, such as the replacement of a porch floor with identical or in-kind materials. It also may include other activities such as painting.
The authority of government to exercise controls to protect the public’s health, safety, morals, and general welfare.
The act or process of applying measures to sustain the existing form, integrity, and material of a building or structure, and the existing form and vegetative cover of a site. It may include initial stabilization work, where necessary, as well as ongoing maintenance of the historic building materials.
The planning for the continued identification and evaluation of historic properties and for their protection and enhancement.
The act or process of returning a property to a state of utility through repair or alteration which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions or features of the property which are significant to its historical, architectural, and cultural values.
The act or process of accurately recovering the form and details of a property and its setting as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of later work or by the replacement of missing earlier work.
The location of a significant event, a prehistoric or historic occupation or activity, or a building or structure, whether standing, ruined, or vanished, where the location itself possesses historical, cultural, or archeological value regardless of the value of any existing structure.
A district established to accommodate a narrow or special set of uses or for special purposes. The term can signify any district beyond the conventional residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural districts. Examples include open space districts, hotel/motel districts, or historic preservation districts.
The body of law established through statutes initiated and adopted by elected officials participating in our legislative and executive branches of government.
The term “structure” is used to distinguish from buildings those functional constructions made usually for purposes other than creating shelter.
The appropriation by government of private land for which compensation must be paid. Under the U.S. Constitution, property cannot be condemned through eminent domain for public use or public purpose without just compensation.
(Ordinance adopted 12/13/05, app. A)