DEPARTMENT: Office of Historic Preservation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Shanon Miller, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
Briefing regarding potential amendments to the Unified Development Code relating to the establishment of Viewshed Protection Districts and public feedback regarding protection of views.
SUMMARY:
District 7 Councilwoman Sandoval and District 2 Councilman Shaw have submitted a City Council Resolution 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.
Viewshed protection districts and view corridors are a common tool used by cities to safeguard iconic and historic views and vistas. San Antonio has uses Viewshed Protection Districts as a development tool since 2003.
ISSUE:
The current provisions of the UDC limit the types and opportunities for viewshed protection. For instance, the provisions do not currently allow for more than one view to be protected from a single site. The UDC also does not consider natural views and requires that protected sites be buildings with a "front door". Other structures, such as bridg...
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