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MOTTO: “SHALL I SAY ‘YES, I REMEMBER IT’, OR ‘HERE IT IS, I HELPED TO SAVE IT?’” Volume 54, No. 1 Fall 2017 Does IDZ mean “Infinite Density Zoning?” Vincent Michael ne of the major issues that growth by allowing developers to come up with President Susan Beavin has a project that would benefit the community even discussed while meeting with if it didn’t exactly conform to the underlying City Council members has been zoning. PUDs or PDs soon took over zoning IDZ, a zoning classification that maps. As with IDZ, when an exception becomes has taken over the city like kudzu. IDZ, or Infill the rule, it undermines the whole concept of ODevelopment Zoning, was added to the zoning comprehensive zoning. Every project comes in and makes up its own rules. There are no zones San Antonio Conservation SocietySan Antonio code in 2001 to address vacant lots in blighted inner-city neighborhoods. any longer, only sites. It eased parking, setback and site plan requirements, Fortunately, the City Council passed a resolution THE PRESERVATION ADVOCATE and required the buildings to be compatible with those to review and redo IDZ now around them, which was that it has strayed so far helpful in historic areas. and wide from its original Now, however, IDZ purpose. The City has has become the default created an Infill Task Force zoning application even in that had the first of five upscale neighborhoods, meetings in September and and many are using the site will recommend changes. plan, setback and parking Workshops on Infill giveaways to create dense were held at the Historic IN THIS ISSUE: projects that disrupt Homeowner Fair September neighborhood scale and 30, by the Urban Land Does IDZ mean “Infinite rhythm. Does IDZ mean Institute October 12, and Density Zoning?” ............... 1 “Infinite Density Zoning?” monthly by the City starting From the President ..............2 It seems every new project in October. Together From the Executive Director ...3 with our partners, the San Farm & Ranch Update ........4 within Loop 410 is coming NIOSA Update .....................4 in as IDZ rather than Antonio Conservation Landmark News .................. 5 regular zoning. And why Society will continue to Announcements & Events .... 6 not? The restrictions are press for reform so that Member Opportunities .... 7 looser and therefore you can make more money. our historic neighborhoods Building Awards News ..... 8 are developed in a compatible, equitable and New Associate Members ... 9 This is similar to what happened in various predictable pattern. Fall 2017 Memorials ......... 9 American cities with Planned Unit Developments Fall 2017 Donations ......... 9 in the 1980s. Again, the idea was to stimulate From the President Susan Beavin, President t is both a great privilege to hoods. This committee will provide ongoing training in survey serve as president of the San work and continue to work with the City’s Office of Historic Antonio Conservation Soci- Preservation towards the designation of historic properties. The ety and a challenge to carry Historic Farm and Ranch Complexes Committee, a Society fa- forward the prestigious repu- vorite, continues to add histories of rural properties to its won- tation of our organization. This un- derful website. Idertaking is only made possible with the support of a most conscientious Educating the Public Susan Beavin and patient staff, encouragement and Once again, the Steves Homestead and Yturri-Edmunds His- advice from former leaders of the Society, a very talented board toric Site house museums will have committee chairs. We are of directors, and a committed executive board. It truly takes a introducing several new committees: Steves Homestead Events; village. Marketing; Membership Opportunities; and Young Profession- My goals are to keep our membership informed about, and en- als. We hope these committees will provide novel experiences, gaged in, activities that further the Society’s mission to promote not only for our membership, but for the community at large. historic preservation and heritage education. This year, we are Our Membership Committees will be busy attending commu- sending out a weekly e-blast each Tuesday afternoon. These nity events, like the annual Historic Homeowner Fair at the e-mails list: local events in which members can participate, ways Pearl, further exposing the public to who we are and what we to advocate at the local and state level, and volunteer oppor- do. The Society’s Community Grants, Educational Scholarship tunities within the Society. Our website will have a fresh look and Grants, Teacher Education Seminar and Heritage Education with more emphasis on communicating through social media to Tours will continue as before. maximize our public exposure. I hope the redesigned site will Funding our Mission become a convenient way for members to keep up with the out- reach efforts undertaken by our various committees. Although NIOSA, our annual party for preservation, is our major funding source, we encourage everyone to consider becoming a Some of these committees have changed this year and a few new Capital Club member. The Capital Club has funded many of our ones have been introduced, expanding the ways members can most notable preservation projects, including a generous con- get involved. Here are just a few examples: tribution towards the Mission San Juan Spanish Colonial Farm. Preserving and Encouraging Preservation For a complete list of committees, Society advocacy statements, Our Neighborhood Liaison Committee continues to link with and membership details, please go to our website: www.sacon- neighborhood associations in historic districts to discuss areas of servation.org. mutual concern. However, a single Historic Survey Committee Be sure to join us at our General Membership meetings. Our now oversees the identification and documentation of historic members are the San Antonio Conservation Society! We always gas stations, Mid-Century Modern architecture, and neighbor- look forward to hearing from you. Mission Concepción Spanish Governor’s Palace Isabel Pruneda, Rose Moran, and Susan Beavin at the Conservation Society Susan with the Programs Committee at the September General Membership Membership table during the World Heritage Festival Meeting 2 - Volume 54, No. 1 Fall 2017 From the Executive Director Vincent Michael, Executive Director hen President Susan Beavin welcomed building codes treat every property participants to the Living Heritage the same, and like law, rely on Symposium on September 7, she talked of precedent and the idea that every how San Antonio remains on the cutting place is equivalent to every other edge of heritage conservation, and the place. Heritage conservation treats events of the next day and a half proved her point. Organized resources individually, with their Wby the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation, the own reasons for being, their own Living Heritage Symposium came out of a year of discussions significance, and their conservation Vincent Michael I had participated in as part of the Cultural Heritage Working must be individuated as well. Group led by OHP Director Shanon Miller and Cultural Historian Claudia Guerra. Following on the loss of the Malt In San Francisco, new non-architectural criteria have been House, a cultural landmark with limited architectural value, developed for cultural heritage, concerned with whether a our group investigated cities that had begun to address saving resources is “Significant” and whether it is “Long-Standing.” cultural heritage in a way not dependent on the traditional tools These criteria parallel Value and Integrity in our traditional of zoning and design review. models, but they also acknowledge that culture is constantly changing and that “long-standing” We brought in experts from San Francisco, traditions can be “active” or “inactive.” I think including Mike Buhler, Director of San good examples would be the Los Pastores festival Francisco Heritage, which did a citywide the San Antonio Conservation Society rekindled Living Heritage Survey, Tim Frye of the decades ago, or the Matachines celebrations of the City’s preservation office, which began Festival of the Virgin, reestablished in recent years. a Legacy Business registry in 2015, and Donna Graves, a heritage consultant who Other presenters included former US/ICOMOS Director Andrew Potts, who moderated the urged participants to value stories, and Andrew Potts speaking at LHS more importantly, places that can tell multiple symposium and has a knack for neatly summarizing stories from multiple points of view. Frye, a onetime student points made. Donovan Rypkema, the Crowninshield of mine, stressed the importance of understanding that data Award winning preservationist who focuses on economic collection is itself a form of preservation and more importantly, value, led off the second day by asking participants to focus on a potent tool of engaging community. Carlton Eley of the how cultural heritage can be an economic development tool, EPA discussed how social impact assessments not only engage something we have recognized in San Antonio since the 1920s. community, but provide more equitable development patterns He focused on issues of resilience and sustainability, critical to than those that come from outside. future growth. He also addressed affordability, noting simply: “You can’t build new and rent cheap.” Ester van Steekelenburg There were international experts as well, including Sharon provided insight from East Asia, where all