Mayor - Kirk Watson
What is your favorite historic place in your district and why?
Wooldridge Square. It's one of the four original town squares in Austin and the only one that still retains its original function. Wooldridge Square is also special to me personally, as I kicked off my first run for Mayor there back in 1997.
The City of Austin will soon adopt a new Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan to replace Austin’s 1981 historic preservation plan with an inclusive, community-oriented process and outcome. Its proposed policies, programs, and tools will help the City Council, Historic Landmark Commission, City departments, and partners address challenges and support thriving communities. The plan is set to be adopted by Council later this year, and its future success will rely on buy-in from Council to execute its recommendations.
If elected, would you support the plan’s recommended policy changes and budget allocations to ensure that the future of preservation in Austin is proactive, collaborative, and accessible to all? Please explain.
YES
Yes, I am appreciative of the efforts by many to update and revise the City’s preservation plan, with an eye toward recognition of the contributions and historic resources of the breadth and depth of Austin’s diversity.
Research shows that older, smaller homes are more naturally affordable for renters and owners than new construction. Last year, Preservation Austin, Austin Infill Coalition, and AIA Austin partnered on a new Preservation Bonus that was adopted as a part of HOME Phase 1. The bonus exchanges increased development entitlements for preserving single-family homes built before 1961. Research conducted by Cedar shows that expanding entitlements for Preservation Bonus projects to include increased impervious cover and an additional developable unit can generate 10x as many housing units as the current bonus allows (see report HERE).
If elected, would you support increasing entitlements for Preservation Bonus projects to maximize the effectiveness of the bonus, preserve existing housing, and support sustainability and affordability goals? Why or why not?
YES
Yes, we have seen various efforts in recent years to balance the community’s interests in preservation and increasing available housing supply. For example, the Council has established preservation plans for local historic districts that allow for greater density under existing zoning while preserving special and unique character-defining features.
Historic resource surveys inventory historic neighborhoods and make recommendations for buildings and districts that are eligible for historic designation. Accurate and up-to-date surveys enable City staff, elected officials, and citizens alike to make decisions about which properties and neighborhoods ought to be protected. For example, in 2020 the Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross neighborhood successfully became Austin's first local historic district dedicated exclusively to Black heritage. This effort relied on data gathered in the 2016 East Austin Historic Resource Survey to define the district's boundaries and identify contributing structures. Without the 2016 survey, this historic district may not have been possible.
If elected, will you support continued funding for surveys and the City’s preservation office? Will you honor the findings of these surveys by supporting historic zoning for individual landmarks and districts? Please explain your answer.
YES
Yes, historic resource surveys are vital for preservation planning. They allow our staff and potential developers to understand what is prioritized for preservation, thus allowing both the City and the community to make deliberate decisions about protecting what is special and unique about Austin. While historic resource surveys are a vital component of what should be considered in applying historic zoning for landmarks and districts, decisions by the City should be based upon the full criteria established in the Land Development Code, which is how I approach any individual zoning case.
We know based on our research that between 2010 and the end of 2021, finalized residential demolitions per year rose from 271 to 622, an increase of 130%. These older buildings are often constructed with more sustainable materials than new buildings and provide more affordable housing than new construction. Rehabilitation rather than demolition of existing structures also reduces waste and is more sustainable. In 2020, construction and demolition debris accounted for approximately 25% of all waste produced in Travis County's three municipal solid waste landfills. Cities such as San Antonio and Portland have adopted deconstruction ordinances to slow demolitions and divert landfill waste.
If elected, would you support policy solutions that encourage sustainable building practices via preservation? How do you think our community can embrace this as part of our efforts to create a more sustainable and equitable Austin?
YES
Yes, I’m paraphrasing here, but it’s been said that “the greenest building is the one that’s already built.” So it makes sense for us to encourage the use of existing housing stock, built with materials that often are of higher quality, to the extent possible. This has the added benefit of keeping these materials out of landfills. Other cities have recently created programs to encourage, when demolition is approved, reuse of materials that may be incorporated into new construction.
Many Texas cities establish historic districts to protect their heritage by preventing demolitions and ensuring new construction is compatible with surrounding historic buildings. Dallas has 21 districts, Houston has 19, and San Antonio has 27, while Austin has only 8. The creation of new historic districts was made more difficult following the adoption of HB1474 by the Texas State Legislature in 2021, which requires a supermajority of Council to vote in favor of a local historic district if even one owner in the district objects.
Do you support the establishment of more Local Historic Districts to protect Austin’s historic neighborhoods? Why or why not?
YES
Yes, local historic districts are a key component of a comprehensive approach to preservation. Unfortunately, Austin did not have a mechanism in code to create local historic districts until much later than the peer cities listed. As mentioned above, we can utilize the design guidelines as a tool to protect what is special and unique about the individual district, while also incorporating provisions to address broader goals.
In 2023 City Council officially proclaimed October as Legacy Business Month in honor of Preservation Austin’s inaugural Legacy Business Month passport program, which encourages Austinites to support participating businesses and broadly promotes their heritage. The city’s explosive growth has made protections and financial support for legacy businesses more important than ever. City governments in San Francisco and San Antonio have adopted ground-breaking legacy business programs to protect and support their cities’ legacy businesses through designation, education, and directly supporting businesses with financial resources.
If elected, would you support creating a similar program for the City of Austin? Why or why not?
YES
Yes, Austin has benefited greatly from a number of legacy businesses, and we should look to ensure that these businesses are able to remain and thrive. Local businesses are part of what makes Austin special and unique. I would welcome the opportunity to work on crafting a legacy business program for Austin.
Underrepresented Heritage is one of Preservation Austin’s Advocacy Priorities. East Austin continues to experience increased rates of displacement and demolition of historic places significant to its Black and Brown neighborhoods. Recently, we’ve advocated for historic zoning for properties in East Austin such as the Sinnigson House and 1500 E. 12th Street. Often, the designation of these properties is supported by our Historic Preservation Office, the Historic Landmark Commission, and Planning Commission, but fail at City Council due to a lack of supermajority votes needed to designate over an owner’s objections.
If elected, would you support designating properties over an owner’s objections? What is your threshold for determining if a property merits designation? Please explain.
NO
Generally, I don’t believe it to be appropriate to declare that I would be in favor or opposed to historic designation over an owner’s objection. As discussed above, zoning is a legislative power of home rule municipalities and decisions on individual zoning cases should be made based upon the criteria established in the Land Development Code, which is how I approach any individual zoning case. I’m also very thankful for the roles our boards and commissions play in reviewing and assessing zoning cases, and in providing recommendations, which I take into consideration when considering these cases at the Council level.
As a member of Austin City Council, what is one policy or initiative you would enact to ensure the preservation of our city’s historic and cultural heritage?
I personally believe that the best initiative to ensure the preservation of our historic built environment is a comprehensive set of historic resource surveys, as identified by this questionnaire. These surveys serve as an educational tool, and map a proactive path to understanding how and what is prioritized for preservation. Our development process is primarily responsive in nature, but surveys allow us to proactively plan for preserving what is important to our community.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts, and to Preservation Austin and its members for their advocacy to protect what is special and unique about our city.