HISTORIC & PRESERVATION PLANNING
OLD TOWN ROCKWALL HISTORIC DISTRICT
The majority of the properties within the OTR Historic District were platted in the late 19th and early 20th century as part of five (5) major subdivisions of land: (1) B. F. Boydstun Addition, (2) Farmers & Merchants Addition, (3) Foree's Addition [1913], (4) Griffith Addition and (5) Epstein Addition [1892]. The district's housing stock ranges from homes built in 1885 to present day, and represents a plethora of architectural styles. These include Folk 'L' Plans built in the late 1800's, Queen Anne Revivals built in the early 1900's, California Bungalows built in the 1920's, Minimal Traditional Houses ranging from the 1930's to the early 1950's, and many more.
In addition to the OTR Historic District, the City also has the North Goliad Corridor Overlay (NGC OV) District or Planned Development District 50 (PD-50), which is a corridor just north of the Historic District that contains many of the City's Local Landmark Properties as well as a diverse housing stock. This district is located within a transitioning corridor within the city and many of the existing historical homes are being transitioned from residential to commercial uses. In order to maintain the essential character of the corridor, the city has put in place zoning requirements through PD-50 and the NGC OV to assist in the transition while preserving the historical semblance of the structures' exteriors.
RESOURCES
SEC. 6.2, HISTORIC OVERLAY (HO) DISTRICT, ART. V, UDC | SEC. 6.2-1, NORTH GOLIAD CORRIDOR OVERLAY (NGC OV) DISTRICT, ART. V, UDC | APP. D, HISTORIC PRESERVATION GUIDELINES, UDC
HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY BOARD
The Historic Preservation Advisory Board is a seven (7) member board that is responsible for reviewing all development within the Old Town Rockwall (OTR) Historic District, and providing recommendations to the City Council concerning the designation of properties within the District. The bulk of the board's case load is related to Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) applications. A COA is a document awarded by the board certifying that a proposed action of a property owner (i.e. development or redevelopment) meets the intent of the preservation ordinances and guidelines stipulated for the OTR. Examples of actions that require a COA include:
Construction of a new building;
Demolition or removal of an existing building;
Alterations to the facade of an existing building (including additions and removals that will be visible from a public street);
New improvements to a property that could substantially obstruct the view of the main or front elevation seen from a public street;
Painting of a masonry surface not previously painted (other exterior painting is permitted by-right as long as it conforms to the design guidelines of the UDC).
HISTORIC CASE FILES AND DOCUMENTS
The following are links to pages that contain additional information concerning Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and Designation cases in the Historic District, and applications and documents for the various programs in the Historic District.
RESOURCES