Current Programs and Projects
Survey and Identification of Historic Resources
In July 2000, the Urban Design Commission began the Comprehensive Historic Resource Survey (CHRS) for the entire City. A comprehensive survey was last completed in the late 1980s and culminated in the publishing of Atlanta’s Lasting Landmarks in 1987. The current goals of the CHRS are:
- Produce tools that are valuable for current and future preservation work using formats that are responsive and accessible to multiple audiences.
- Be as comprehensive as possible in its coverage and include all relevant periods of history and prehistory; major historical events, trends, and people; and architecture and landscape resources.
- Be, as much as possible, inclusive in its process, responsive in its procedures, and up-to-date in its technologies.
- Uncover and address questions of significance, boundaries, coverage, and National Register of Historic Places (and other) systems that have not been previously explored even if they cannot be fully resolved within the terms of the CHRS.
The CHRS would synthesize all survey efforts since 1987 and at the same time resolve the above noted issues / topics. The
UDC expects this effort to take an estimated 3-4 4-5 years to complete. The UDC will provide the overall project management, with the bulk of the survey, identification,
research, and ‘document’ work being done by consultants and graduate historic preservation students.
To guide this effort, the Urban Design Commission staff formed the CHRS Advisory Committee (formerly known as the Steering Committee). The current Advisory Committee consists of individuals, from a variety of backgrounds, who have expertise in architecture, landscape architecture, Atlanta history, historic preservation, and preservation policy and planning, and public involvement, among others.
In addition, the Urban Design Commission staff continues to conduct an on-going program of examining written materials as well as field survey work to identify existing historic resources. This work is done in partnership with other City agencies, City-affiliated organizations, civic associations, private consulting firms, and other local, state, and national government entities. In addition, the Urban Design Commission received a grant to address two themes in the City’s history: agriculture/rural resources and post World War II housing.
Local and National Nomination of Historic Resources
The Historic Preservation Ordinance of 1989 establishes several categories of designation for both districts and individual buildings/sites in the City: Landmark; Historic; and, for districts only, Conservation. (A listing of designated properties can be found under “Current Conditions”.) Regarding designation under the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, in 2004 the Urban Design Commission expects: 1) to work with a few neighborhoods who are interested in becoming designated in the future under the historic preservation ordinance only if the Urban Design Commission can adequately support the nomination process and the subsequent regulation and enforcement activity, and 2) to possibly nominate individual buildings whose owners have prepared the required designation report and seek to utilize the City's economic incentives for historic properties.
Most of the Urban Design Commission’s National Register of Historic Places nomination work is described below in “Documentation of Atlanta’s Neighborhoods”. (A listing of properties in the National Register of Historic Places can be found under “Current Conditions”)
Review and Regulation of Historic Resources
The Urban Design Commission issues Certificates of Appropriateness before building permits for construction, renovation, or demolition can be approved and, in some cases, acts as a quasi-judicial board. This review and approval process is required for designated districts and buildings, as well as in several Special Public Interest (SPI) districts. The Urban Design Commission also provides advice or regulation as required by individual ordinances, such as the Subdivision Ordinance, and zoning applications (rezoning, variances, special use permits, etc.) involving historic resources. Further, it reviews and comments on projects that involve City capital funds, property (including parks), right-of-way or air rights, or public art.
The Section 106 process required by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, is undertaken by the Urban Design Commission when directed by other City agencies, particularly the Department of Planning and Community Development. The Section 106 must be completed for all City projects that have any federal involvement, such as funding, licensing, or other assistance. For more complicated or larger projects, the City may find it necessary to enter into a programmatic agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (in some cases), the involved federal agency and other concerned parties. These programmatic agreements provide the process and procedures that guide the project. Currently, the City is party to programmatic agreements for the Summerhill Urban Redevelopment Area, the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill project, In Rem Emergency Demolitions, and North Yards Business Park.
Economic Incentives
Another integral part of the City’s historic preservation program has been the adoption of various ordinances to establish economic incentives. These economic incentives include the transfer of development rights, the Landmark Historic Property Tax Abatement Program, the City/County Housing Enterprise Zone Tax Abatement Program, and the development impact fee waiver. Additionally, the Rehabilitated Historic Property Tax Abatement Program and the Federal Tax Credit Program are available through the Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Privately, facade easements can be donated to Easements Atlanta, a local non-profit, private corporation.
Public Outreach and Interpretation
Every year, representatives of the Urban Design Commission make presentations to neighborhoods and neighborhood planning units, civic and professional associations, and classes at all educational levels from elementary to graduate school. These presentations cover a variety of topics, including Atlanta’s history, its historic buildings and districts, the operations of the Urban Design Commission, past historic preservation projects, and historic designation types / procedures.
In addition to the brochures that have already been published by the Urban Design Commission, work continues by the Atlanta Preservation Center to find funding for the publication of the self-guided driving tour of Atlanta’s Civil Rights sites that had previously been developed with the Atlanta Preservation Center.
Operations and Information Technology
The Urban Design Commission staff continues to work on building its geographic information system capacity and increasing the amount of historic resource information available electronically. This includes adding maps, text, downloadable application materials, and pictures to the web site, digitizing current and former designation boundaries and sites, digitizing other historic resource–related information maintained by other public and non-profit agencies, and integrating into the City’s local area network.
Documentation of Atlanta’s Neighborhoods
Subsequent to the completion in 1992 of a National Register of Historic Places multiple property documentation form on historic African-American development in Atlanta, various National Register of Historic Places nominations have been completed or initiated. This past year, follow-up work was completed on the Reynoldstown, Lakewood Heights, and Oakland City nominations.
Buildings Worth Saving Committee
The Atlanta Preservation Center’s Buildings Worth Saving Committee, working together with the Urban Design Commission, normally
offers two workshops regarding the economic incentives available to the owners of historic property. “The Bottom Line” workshop
focuses on income-generating properties, while “Live in a Landmark” focuses on owner-occupied residential property. The Georgia
Institute of Real Estate has accredited these workshops for continuing education. A new component of the Buildings Worth Saving Committee is to publish a list of endangered buildings each year.
Awards of Excellence
The Urban Design Commission conducts an annual event to recognize outstanding projects, programs, individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the preservation of Atlanta's physical heritage or the enhancement of our urban environment.