ADVOCACY ALERT: Ask Council to Support the Future of Preservation in Austin
We did it!
Thanks to your support, full funding for Phase 2 of the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan was adopted into the City of Austin Budget for FY23! With these funds, Austin will see its first Preservation Plan in over 40 years.
Big thank you to Council Member Harper-Madison for introducing this funding to the budget, and to Council Members Pool, Kitchen, Tovo, and Renteria for co-sponsoring. If you contacted your Council Member, we hope you'll reach out to them to thank them for supporting this important funding.
In March, the Historic Landmark Commission recommended allocating $300,000 to fund an execution strategy for the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan. This funding was NOT included in the City Manager’s proposed budget. This is an existential moment for the plan. Funding this work is essential to ensuring a strong, community-oriented vision for the future of preservation in Austin.
ACT NOW! Council will vote on the FY23 Budget on August 17. Contact your Council Member and let them know you support FULL FUNDING for the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan.
READ MORE ABOUT THE PLAN AND HOW YOU CAN HELP BELOW
The request
Fund the Historic Landmark Commission’s budget recommendation of $300,000 to support the execution strategy for the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan
$160,000 one time to pay for a community engagement consultant and community ambassadors
$140,000 annually to fund one permanent staff position in the Historic Preservation Office to manage and implement the Plan
Why it matters
The City of Austin has not had a new Historic Preservation Plan in 40 years. Since its adoption, much has changed in Austin and in the field of historic preservation. Equity, sustainability, and cultural heritage are now leading factors guiding preservation efforts. Our city’s vibrant economy has contributed to Austin’s affordability crisis and the displacement of longtime residents from historic neighborhoods, most especially in East Austin. The need for a strong, community-oriented vision for preservation in Austin has never been greater.
The Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan seeks to create new, proactive tools to preserve our city’s heritage and empower the community to define what matters to them as Austin evolves and grows. We know based on our research that between 2010 and the end of 2021, residential demolitions per year rose from 271 to 622, an increase of 130%. We also know from a recent poll that Austinites of all ages believe preserving the character of existing neighborhoods should be a priority for managing Austin’s growth. The vision of the Plan needs these additional resources to ensure that the future of preservation in Austin is a proactive and collaborative endeavor accessible to all Austinites.
The community engagement focus of Phase 2 is an essential part of the process, and adequately funding this phase is essential to ensure that the Plan reflects the full range of Austin’s past and continuing heritage, and is grounded in public values and priorities.
The Plan
Austin’s Equity-Based Historic Preservation plan will provide a framework to protect our diverse built and cultural heritage. 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 will acknowledge past harms and strive to ensure all members of the Austin community, regardless of background or identity, benefit from its recommendations. It uses an equity lens to ask:
Who do designated historic properties represent, and what stories are missing?
Who benefits from preservation policies, programs, and incentives?
What are actual and perceived barriers to preservation?
How can historic preservation tools address essential issues like affordability?
Next steps
An implementation strategy will be developed beginning in fall 2022. It will be grounded in extensive engagement around the plan framework, which contains 109 draft recommendations. Community members and other stakeholders will be invited to:
Refine and prioritize recommendations
Identify gaps
Suggest potential partners
Outreach and engagement will prioritize groups that have been historically marginalized in public decision- making and underrepresented in historic designation. The proposed budget includes funding for community ambassadors to help with outreach, as well as an engagement consultant. The implementation strategy will also include development of a timeline, metrics, and cost estimates for implementation of priority recommendations.
VIEW THE PLANS RECOMMENDATIONS HERE
How you can help
Email your Council Member and ask them to vote in favor of this $300,000 FY23 budget request to fund an execution strategy for the plan. Download and attach Preservation Austin’s letter in favor of this request to your email and let them know that you support a strong, community-oriented vision for the future of preservation in Austin.
If you don’t know what district you live in, or who your council member is, you can look them up HERE.
Download Preservation Austin’s letter asking CouncIL to vote in favor of funding for Phase 2.
Locate your Council Member’s email below and let them know why you support funding for Phase 2. Using your own voice is best, or you can copy/paste our language below.
Attach our letter and SEND.
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Sample Language
Dear Council Member [Name],
I write today to ask you to vote to approve the Historic Landmark Commission’s FY22-23 budget recommendation for $300,000 to support the implementation of the Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan. This funding was not included in the City Manager’s proposed budget. The budget is tight this year, but the City and the community have already heavily invested in this process in Phase 1––both time and resources––and this funding is essential to securing this investment and ensuring the plan’s success.
The City of Austin has not had a new Historic Preservation Plan since 1981. Since its adoption, much has changed in Austin and in the field of historic preservation. The need for a strong, community-oriented vision for preservation in Austin has never been greater. The Equity-Based Historic Preservation Plan seeks to create new, proactive tools to preserve our city’s heritage and empower the community to define what matters to them as Austin evolves and grows. The $300,00 request will fund the development of an implementation strategy for the Plan that is grounded in community engagement, pay community ambassadors, and create a full-time position in the Historic Preservation Office to manage the plan. This funding critical to the Plan’s success, and adequate funding is essential to ensure that the Plan maintains momentum and is implemented.
It is for these reasons that I ask you to vote to approve the Historic Landmark Commission’s budget request to fund this important work. For more details on the Plan and this budget request, visit Preservation Austin’s website.
Thank you for your service,
[Your Name]
[Address]
Contact Information
Mayor - Steve Adler, steve.adler@austintexas.gov
District 1 - Natasha Harper-Madison, natasha.madison@austintexas.gov
District 2 - Vanessa Fuentes, vanessa.fuentes@austintexas.gov
District 3 - Pio Renteria, sabino.renteria@austintexas.gov
District 4 - Chito Vela, chito.vela@austintexas.gov
District 5 - Ann Kitchen, ann.kitchen@austintexas.gov
District 6 - Mackenzie Kelly, mackenzie.kelly@austintexas.gov
District 7 - Leslie Pool, leslie.pool@austintexas.gov
District 8 - Paige Ellis, paige.ellis@austintexas.gov
District 9 - Kathie Tovo, kathie.tovo@austintexas.gov
District 10 - Alison Alter, alison.alter@austintexas.gov
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Questions?
For questions or media inquiries, contact Policy & Outreach Planner Meghan King.