DEPARTMENT: Office of Historic Preservation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Shanon Miller, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
Potential amendments to the Unified Development Code relating to the establishment of Viewshed Protection Districts.
SUMMARY:
District 7 Councilwoman Ana E. Sandoval and District 2 Councilman William "Cruz" Shaw have submitted a Council Consideration Request to initiate the process to consider additional San Antonio landmarks for viewshed protection and to enable the establishment of potential Viewshed Protection Districts. The CCR also directs OHP staff to study additional views and vistas of historic places, landmarks, and cultural resources for consideration for viewshed protection.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The UDC provides designation criteria and a list of sites that are eligible for viewshed protection. The list currently identifies 15 historic sites that are eligible for a single Viewshed Protection District.
According to the UDC, the district area must lie within a major entrance or front door of the eligible site. Currently there is only one Viewshed Protection District of this type in place: the "VP-1" Alamo Viewshed Protection District. This district is designed to prevent a tall building or structure from being erected to the east of the Alamo which would impact views of the front fa?ade of the chapel.
This section also indicates that additional mission protection not within the major entrance or front door may be granted based on written descriptions, survey information, photos, maps or illustrations in accordance with the standards and process of this section. Such protection may be related to corridors, outward views and other visual links. This additional type of protection was accomplished in 2014 with the adoption of the Mission Protection Overlay Districts (MPOD's) and may be expanded for additional sites.
Viewshed protection districts and view corridors are a common tool used by cities to safeguard i...
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