DEPARTMENT: Office of Historic Preservation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Shanon Shea Miller
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Districts 1, 2, 3 and 5
SUBJECT:
Resolution to initiate landmark designation for 29 historic gas stations and to provide a waiver of fees associated with the rezoning of the properties to include a historic zoning overlay.
SUMMARY:
The Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) approved a Finding of Historic Significance for 29 historic gas stations on August 17, 2016. This resolution requests direction from City Council to move forward with the historic landmark designation process for 29 historic gas station properties and a waiver of fees associated with the rezoning of the properties to include a historic zoning overlay.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
These properties were identified through a survey initiative led by a volunteer committee of the San Antonio Conservation Society. This initiative, begun in 2012, updated a 1983 gas station survey by not only revisiting the previously identified sites but also adding new survey areas and expanding the age range of gas stations to include those built between 1940 and 1970. From this survey, approximately three dozen gas stations were identified as potentially eligible for local landmark designation based on the criteria established by the Unified Development Code (UDC). Historic gas stations in San Antonio represent a dominant industry in our regional economy, a nationwide shift in transportation patterns to reliance on a personal automobile, and the growing emphasis on corporate branding through design, with the buildings themselves serving as advertisements for their parent company. Their often unique designs and building placement contribute to the unique character and authenticity of our City.
On May 3, OHP and the Conservation Society co-hosted a Preservation Month event titled "San Antonio or Bust: Historic Landscapes of the American Road Trip" celebrating the rich collection of historic r...
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