Page 49 - Reflect DSM (City of Des Moines, IA)

Iowa’s Comprehensive Statewide Preservation Plan have been drafted thus
Historic Preservation Plan far and focus on:
In addition to following planning guidance – Education and appreciation;
at a local level, the historic preservation – Under-represented histories;
program operates with input from the Iowa – Access to state and federal incentives;
State Historic Planning Office (SHPO). The – Enhancing preservation trades;
current Statewide Historic Preservation Plan,
Broadening Preservation’s Reach, addresses – Preservation and resiliency;
preservation at the local, regional, and – Enhancing local preservation planning;
state levels, and outlines key goals for 2013 – Engaging the public with Iowa’s
- 2022. The SHPO is currently working on archaeology;
updating this plan, to be published in 2023. – Cultivating preservation partnerships;
– Strengthening preservation advocacy;
Plan Goals
– Addressing barriers to proactive preservation
11 key strategic goals and objectives of planning; and
Iowa’s Comprehensive Statewide Historic – Implementing the plan.

Program Administration: Potential Planning Approaches

– While the existing Historic Preservation Ordinance soundly establishes the City’s historic
preservation program, an updated ordinance would benefit from the following:
▪ More clearly articulate the roles and processes of review bodies involved in the historic
preservation program;
▪ Expanded designation and review criteria to highlight intangible resources such as stories,
places and other culturally important locations in the city;

– A visualization of the COA process, available on the City’s webpage and through
neighborhood associations, would assist property owners in navigating the application
process.

– Considerations for updating the HPC composition and procedures should be discussed,
including:
▪ Administrative Approval for COAs: The HPC, a volunteer group, often experiences long
meetings due to the number of COA applications. Solutions to easing the burden of the
HPC should be considered and could include the creation of subcommittees or adopting
an expanded list of COA topics subject to administrative approval.
▪ Size of HPC: As future district designations are pursued, the current structure of the HPC
may result in an extremely large group. If this becomes the case, subcommittees may
need to be considered to reduce meeting length. It should be noted that this comes with
increased staff commitment as well.
▪ Vacant Seats: It is not uncommon to have one or more vacant seats on the HPC.
Educating community members about the role of the HPC to peak interest in new
members is needed.
– Consider structural improvements to the Landmark Review Board.
– Increase staffing capacity to continue existing program administration, while expanding
opportunities for outreach and other components of the preservation program.

Adopted Plan (September 2023) 43