Preservation Basics
City of Austin Historic Preservation Office
The Historic Preservation Office protects and enhances neighborhoods, buildings, and sites that reflect elements of Austin’s cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history.
Contact Historic Preservation Office staff about zoning cases, proposed demolitions, certificates of appropriateness, and more found here.
City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission
The duties of the Historic Landmark Commission (HLC) are to:
Promote historic preservation activities in Austin
Review applications for heritage grant monies
Review applications for historic zoning cases
Review certificates of appropriateness and tax exemption applications for city landmarks
Review sign and building permits in historic districts
Visit the HLC’s webpage for upcoming meeting agendas, approved minutes, and backup materials. Contact your district’s commissioner here.
Who Owns It, How’s It Zoned?
Search for active permits along with property ownership and zoning information below.
Preservation Terms
Preservation, development, and land use issues come with dozens of acronyms, making it difficult to understand or follow along. Here's a short list of terms you're bound to come across in articles and meetings dealing with preservation here in Austin.
This type of building is known by many different names, such as a secondary unit, garage apartment, or a granny flat. Traditionally these dwellings would be behind the primary house on a single-family lot and possibly accessed from an alley. ADUs are becoming increasingly popular in Austin in light of rising housing prices. Organizations are working with property owners to construct ADUs both as a means to increase a homeowner’s income and to provide more affordable rental housing to Austin’s growing population.
A City Council-appointed board that primarily hears cases regarding variances from zoning requirements, requests for special exceptions, and administrative appeals.
CVC: CAPITOL VIEW CORRIDORS
Geographic areas around the Texas Capitol where building height is limited to protect the Capitol building's views from various vantage points. View corridors ensure that significant buildings are not subsumed by new high-rise development.
CDC: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
These are nonprofit, community-based organizations that focus on community development in the areas in which they are located. They often work to promote economic development and increase opportunities for things like affordable housing or increased city services.
CLG: CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT
City and county governments participate in this federal program administered by SHPOs (SEE SHPO BELOW) and by the National Park Service. CLGs must establish and maintain preservation programs in their communities that meet the federal standards, including enacting a preservation ordinance and maintaining a landmark commission. In exchange, CLGs are eligible for grants and important technical assistance. Our SHPO in Texas is the Texas Historical Commission, which administers the CLG program.
COA: CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
This document states the outcome of an application to the Historic Preservation Office or the Historic Landmark Commission (HLC). When an application is submitted to the City of Austin’s Historic Preservation Office, it can either be approved by office staff or sent to the HLC for a public hearing. Once the application is heard, if an action is taken, a Certificate of Appropriateness may be issued stating what was approved. Typically, a COA is needed to pull permits for work on buildings with local historic landmark designation and buildings within local historic districts.
CRM: CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
This is the field of managing, identifying, surveying, and otherwise interacting with historically and culturally significant resources. The term applies to historic preservation as well as archeology. When referring to a consulting firm hired to perform a historic resource survey or assessment of an area or a specific property, you often see this term.
The Texas Commission on the Arts (see TCA) can designate cultural districts in cities across Texas. Cultural districts are special zones that harness the power of cultural resources to stimulate economic development and community revitalization. These districts can become focal points for generating businesses, attracting tourists, stimulating cultural development, and fostering civic pride.
Process of allowing a building to deteriorate to the point where demolition is necessary to protect public health and safety. The demolition by neglect procedure is found in chapter 25-11, article 4, division 1, section 217 of the Austin Land Development Code.
DSD: DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
This City of Austin department is responsible for reviewing construction plans and issuing building permits.
A legal agreement, recorded in a property deed, made between a property owner and a qualified organization to protect the distinguishing features of a property. Such an agreement may restrict changes or development to the property. These are specified as preservation easements or conservation easements.
HD: HISTORIC DISTRICT
A group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated historic by a governing body. There are local, state, and national level historic districts. For more information, see our page, “Historic Designations: What’s the Difference?”
At the local level in Austin and many other places, a historic district is designated by a zoning overlay of “HD.” This is typically the designation that comes with the highest degree of protection for the resources within it. Typically, changes to any building within a local historic district will require approval by the city’s Historic Preservation Officer or a commission such as Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission (see HLC below).
At the state level in Texas, historic districts are designated by the Texas Historical Commission and may come with some protection under state law (see RTHL and SAL below). State-level historic districts are rare—most state-level historic designations apply to individual buildings or properties. A description of state designation options is available through the Texas Historical Commission.
At the national level, historic districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), which involves both state and national review through SHPOs and the National Park Service. NRHP listing alone does not offer protection under the law. Still, some local authorities choose to review or regulate National Register districts, similar to regulating local historic districts (see NR/NRHP below).
HLC: HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION
This 11-person commission, appointed by City Council and the Mayor, reviews historic zoning applications; reviews certificates of appropriateness and tax exemption applications for city landmarks; and reviews all demolition permits in local historic districts, National Register districts, and for all buildings over 50 years old. Members typically have experience in fields related to historic architecture such as architectural history, history, architecture, archaeology, real estate, etc. See "Attending HLC Meetings.”
HPD: HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT
In FY21, the City departments of Neighborhood Housing & Community Development and Planning & Zoning merged into one department. The department regulates much of the development process through the Planning Commission and the Zoning and Platting Commission. These bodies vote on such requests as zoning changes and land subdivision. The Planning Commission also makes annual recommendations on capital improvements.
Often referred to as HOT Funds, the Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax Statute, Texas Tax Code 351.101 provides that Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenues may be used to fund nine eligible categories of expenditures that have been found to promote tourism and the hotel and convention industries. Historic preservation is number five in this list of nine categories.
HPO: HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER
A local or county employee who is responsible for historic preservation review in that community. In Austin, the HPO is within the City of Austin’s Housing & Planning Department.
HTC: HISTORIC TAX CREDIT
These are incentives designed to incentivize rehabilitation and preservation of historic buildings. Texas established the Texas Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program in 2015, which is intended to be used on its own or in conjunction with the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, which has been in place in its current form since 1986. Some cities and municipalities have established local tax incentives in addition to these state and federal programs.
INTEGRITY
A term that describes whether a historic resource is intact, considering whether it has maintained its historic location, design, setting, materials, craft, feeling (sense of place), and historic association.
The Land Development Code determines how land can be used throughout the city – including what can be built, where it can be built, and how much can be built.
Land trusts are charitable organizations whose mission is land and water conservation. Land trusts help acquire parks and protected areas, hold and manage their own nature preserves, and work to secure permanent conservation agreements on private lands. Texas land trusts have conserved over 1.7 million acres of forests and wetlands, farms and ranches, deserts and coastlines, hills and prairies.
NA: NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
A group of residents or property owners who advocate or organize activities within a certain neighborhood or geographical area.
NR/NRHP: NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
This list, authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, is managed by the National Park Service. It contains the properties in the US that are “worthy of preservation.” For a property to be added to the National Register, a nomination is submitted to the Texas Historical Commission (see SHPO below) for review. It is then sent to the National Park Service for additional review, and finally for listing by the Keeper of the National Register. A property must retain architectural integrity and meet certain criteria for significance to be eligible for the National Register. Listing alone does not guarantee the protection of historic resources, but local ordinances may govern how such properties are treated in some areas. (See HD above for information on Austin’s approach to NR-listed properties.)
NTHP: NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
A privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that advocates for historic preservation. The National Trust was founded in 1949 to help preserve the nation’s built heritage. In addition to advocacy efforts, they provide educational resources and an annual conference.
PID: PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
A designated geographic area organized by property owners and businesses and approved by City Council. Austin has three Maintenance and Operations Public Improvements Districts (M&O PIDs): Austin Downtown, East Sixth Street (also downtown), and South Congress. In addition to standard city services, these PIDs organize to provide security, common-area maintenance, minor improvements, beautification, and marketing. PIDs are intended to help businesses and support community efforts. This is similar to Business Improvement Districts (BID) or Community Improvement Districts (CID).
A proactive way to provide for the protection of a community’s historic resources and character. identifies and articulates community preservation goals, lets current and future property owners know how the community intends to grow, helps eliminate confusion about the purpose of the local preservation ordinance, educates the public about the community’s history and heritage, creates an agenda for future preservation work and creates a way to measure preservation’s progress
PRESERVATION
Focuses on the maintenance and repair of existing historic materials and retaining a property’s features that have achieved historic significance.
RECONSTRUCTION
The re-creation of a historic building that has been damaged or destroyed; the new building resembles the original and is constructed based on historical, archaeological, and/or architectural documents.
REHABILITATION
The act or process of making a compatible use for a historic structure through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features that convey its historical, cultural, and architectural values.
RESTORATION
A process that maintains or returns a property to a particular period of time in its history while removing later alterations from other periods
RTHL: RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK
A state-level designation for an individual historic building. RTHLs are properties determined to have historic and architectural significance. The Texas Historical Commission (THC - see SHPO below) designates them. This designation comes with a measure of protection under state law, meaning that any changes to a designated RTHL exterior require review by the THC. RTHLs are required to display a marker either on the building or on the property.
SAL: STATE ANTIQUITIES LANDMARK
A state-level landmark designation for both architectural properties and archaeological sites. SALs are designated by the Texas Historical Commission (THC - see SHPO below) and receive legal protection under the Antiquities Code of Texas. These are often—though not necessarily—publicly owned properties. Any work to a designated SAL may require that the THC issue a permit. This includes both interior or exterior changes.
SHPO: STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER
Under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), each US state, territory, and the District of Columbia has an appointed State Historic Preservation Officer. The acronym SHPO is also frequently applied to the office or agency that the State Historic Preservation Officer heads. In Texas, this is the Texas Historical Commission (THC). Each SHPO is responsible for carrying out the duties laid out in the NHPA and identifying historic properties in their state, providing public information, education, and assistance.
SOI: SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR
The Secretary of the Interior is a Cabinet position appointed by the President. This position oversees the Department of the Interior, including the National Park Service and National Register of Historic Places (see NR/ NRHP above). As pertains to historic preservation, the Secretary of the Interior has defined standards for treating historic properties, which are widely used as guiding principles by preservationists throughout the country.
TCAD: TRAVIS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT
TCAD is responsible for determining the value of all property within Travis County. As an advocacy tool, people can search the TCAD website to determine who owns a certain property, what the parcel’s zoning classification is, and the history of improvements on the property. See "Who Owns It, How’s It Zoned?" in our Advocacy Basics for more.
TCA: TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS
The mission of TCA is to advance our state economically and culturally by investing in a creative Texas. TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism, and artist sustainability initiatives.
THC: TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
See SHPO above.
TPWD: TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
The mission of TPWD is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Department operates and maintains all state parks, sells and enforces hunting and fishing licenses, oversees Texas Game Wardens and Park Police, regulates park uses including camping, hunting, hiking, and wildlife viewing, and facilitates a variety of outdoor educational programming.