12 - Paris Historic Resource Survey Phase 2 - professional services agreement with McDoux Preservation LLC

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Item No. 12 TO: Mayor & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Cheri Bedford, HPO & Main Street Coordinator SUBJECT: HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY PHASE 2 DATE: DECEMBER 12, 2020 BACKGROUND: This 2020 historic resource survey update is the latest in a series of efforts the City of Paris, Texas, has undertaken since the 1980s to actively support Historic Preservation. The immediate purpose of this project was to provide the City of Paris with an updated historic resources survey/inventory of buildings in the downtown (HD-1) Commercial Historic District. This was needed to bring the City back into compliance with THC's CLG Program. The THC recommends that surveys are updated at least every 10 years and requires cities participating in the CLG program to maintain an updated historic resources inventory. Compliance with and participation in the CLG program makes the City of Paris eligible for historic preservation grants, training, and support. This project was divided into phases. Phase 1 was approved by City Council in July, 2020, and a full report was received on October 27, 2020 by Cheri Bedford. This information was presented in the November 11, 2020 Historic Preservation Commission meeting. The Commission has found the information helpful. With Phase 1, the Historic preservation commission has received a report with recommendations on reclassification of properties to Contributing or Non Contributing within Historic District 1 (Commercial District). The consultants sought the support of the Certified Local Government coordinator in Texas to help validate their recommendations. The Historic Preservation Commission will start the official process of changes to properties is 2021. A building classified as Contributing is eligible for state and federal tax incentives for rehabilitation. Going forward, the updated survey data will enable members of the Paris Historic Preservation Commission and City Staff to make more well-informed decisions regarding alterations to and demolition of historic properties. While the City's historic preservation ordinance and Certificate of Appropriateness approval process applies to all designated historic properties, regardless of contributing or Non - Contributing status, the survey has identified incompatible alterations that have resulted in buildings losing architectural/historical integrity. A better understanding of these changes, which may seem insignificant to well-intentioned property owners but can cumulatively have a negative impact on the historic district as a whole, will guide the City and the Commission in making the best decisions during the review process. While this is helpful information, part of the requirements of the CLG program in regards to historic resource survey is to have this information available to the public. Currently, the City of