Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on a Request by Owner Nancy Jennings for a Certificate of Appropriateness for Demolition of the Detached Shed Located at 1407 W. Louisiana Street
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Enhance the Quality of Life in Downtown McKinney
MEETING DATE: April 3, 2025
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Rayna Alam, Historic Preservation Planner
Cassie Bumgarner, Planning Manager
RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION:
• Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of the detached shed at 1407 W Louisiana Street.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The applicant requests approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of the detached shed located at 1407 W Louisiana Street.
• The applicant submitted numerous photographs documenting the deteriorated structural integrity. The Letter of Intent documented the safety concerns due to the poor condition of the shed.
• Both staff and applicant performed historic research on the property to determine a construction date of the shed; however, it was inconclusive. There are no accompanying photographs or documents to firmly date the structure. Sanborn Maps do not show this structure prior to 1965.
• The home was surveyed in the McKinney Historic Resource Survey of 2023 and built circa 1925. It is a Craftsman style home with a medium priority rating. Staff believes the removal of the detached shed will not change the priority rating of the residence.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• The Zoning Ordinance states that owners shall not construct, reconstruct, alter, change, restore, expand, or demolish any exterior architectural feature of a building or structure that is visible from a public right-of-way located in the H - Historic Preservation Overlay district without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness.
• The criteria for approval mandates that the following standards, guidelines, and criteria be used in a balanced evaluation of the project:
o Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings to assist in the consideration of all applications.
o Checklist of design elements to be reviewed and evaluated.
o Consideration of the preservation priority rating assigned to the property in question.
• The McKinney Historic Resource Survey of 2023 found the home at 1407 W Louisiana Street to be medium priority rating, built circa 1925.
• Definition of medium priority: Contributes significantly to local history or broader historical patterns, but alterations have diminished the resource’s integrity; is a significant example of architecture, engineering or crafted design; is an outstanding example of a common local building form, architectural style or type; is a modern or recent landmark not old enough to be judged in a historical context.