The Dallas Morning News
By Haeven Gibbons
6:00 AM on Jan 2, 2024

For the first time in nearly two decades, McKinney conducted a Historic Resources Survey to evaluate undocumented historic resources as development booms.

The city has grown from a rich agricultural center to a thriving area of more than 200,000 residents. As population has more than tripled since 2000, development pressures have made preserving the city’s historic resources — which can be anything from a residence, neighborhood, commercial building, park, school, church, among others — all the more crucial.

The city hired Hicks & Company Environmental/Archeological Consultants with sub-consultants Mead & Hunt and Burns & McDonnell to conduct the historic resources survey, which will culminate in a report with preservation recommendations and highlights of potential districts for eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It really helps us to understand what historic resources we have here in the city and how we can be better stewards of those properties,” said Paula Nasta, historic preservation and downtown development planning manager with the city. “We have a lot of development going on, so it’s a good time to evaluate our historic resources, so we’re more aware of things we need to try to save and get an update on the condition of things.”

The area being surveyed is called the Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone which spans about 4.9 square miles and is generally the area east of U.S. 75, west of Airport Road, south of U.S. 380 and north of Wilson Creek Parkway and Industrial Boulevard. Some homes in the area date back to 1854.

The project team, along with some city staff and volunteers, participated in both the McKinney Oktoberfest on Sept. 22 and the Legacy Neighborhoods Fall Festival on Oct. 7 to answer questions from people within the community and encourage feedback. An online survey also enabled people to reach out with tips about historic buildings or neighborhoods within the survey limits. People can still share information about historic properties or neighborhoods via the city’s Historic McKinney Survey webpage until the report is done.

Further, the team conducted field work that involved taking photos of the historic structures and notes detailing the type of structure, when it was built and the characteristics that make it historic. Now they are in the process of finalizing their documentation and writing a draft report with recommendations to be ready in early 2024.

A long time coming

The last extensive survey, comparable to the one currently underway, was completed in 2005. It looked at about 4,200 properties in approximately the same area being surveyed today. The city first surveyed historic resources in 1985, which covered a slightly larger area than the Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone.

Previous surveys defined historic resources as anything approximately 50 years or older, therefore, the only historic resources considered during the 2005 survey were anything from 1956 or before. The 2023 survey looked at properties from 1975 or before.

“I’m so thankful that the city decided this was important to do because things are changing really fast,” said Betty Petkovsek, who serves on McKinney’s Historic Preservation Advisory Board and volunteered to help with survey field work. “Our [historic district] is thriving, but we want to [preserve it] in a way that 20 years from now we have been responsible with our historic properties and been open to providing new opportunities.”

While the survey itself won’t necessarily help to protect historic properties from being altered or demolished, it will give the city a better sense of the resources that exist, and with that information City Council could look at adding more protections, Nasta said. Additionally, people could use and build upon this research when seeking ways to finance or support preservation in the future.

“When you get funding for historic buildings, you have to prove that it has some kind of significance and maintains its history, so this helps inform the conversation,” Nasta said, noting that the survey will also provide a record of what historic resources look like, so if someone wants to repurpose or restore buildings in the future, there will be something to refer to.

What will the report include?

The report will include images of the properties, the styles, character and defining features of the buildings as well as any elements of historic significance such as important events or people connected to the property.

Beyond age, to determine if something is historic or not the city outlines levels of significance. For example, a historic resource is designated as “high priority” if it hasn’t been altered to a significant extent or may have some element of historic significance. The guidelines for designation of historic landmarks and districts are outlined in the city’s Unified Development Code.

Recommendations could include defining an additional area as a historic district, as the city currently only has one. Defining areas as a historic district can help protect the historic integrity of properties or allow the area to gain national recognition.

Once the report is ready, it will go to the City Council for review, and the public will have an opportunity to make comments.