Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on the Request by Kelsey Larson for Approval of a Historic Marker for the Property Located at 416 W Virginia
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Enhance the Quality of Life in McKinney
MEETING DATE: August 1, 2024
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Cassie Bumgarner, Historic Preservation Planner II
Jennifer Arnold, AICP, Director of Planning
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Staff recommends approval of this Historic Marker application.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The applicant requests approval of a Historic Marker under the HNIZ Program for the property at 416 W Virginia.
• To be eligible for a historic marker under the HNIZ program, residential properties must meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the program, provide specific information with the historic marker application.
• Specifically, the applicant must provide the following with an application for a historic marker:
o A written documented history.
o Verification that the building is a minimum of 50 years of age.
o Verification that the residential property is located within the HNIZ boundary.
o Photo documentation of all four elevations using black and white or color photographs and copies of any available historic photographs.
o Legal description of the property with a location map.
o A site plan of the property shall be provided, if available.
o Additional information as deemed necessary by the Director of Planning or their designee.
• Staff has reviewed the request and has found that it meets the minimum eligibility requirements of the HINZ program for a historic marker.
• The home is listed as a low priority building in the 2023 Historic Resources Survey. Low priority buildings contribute to the local history but alterations have diminished the resource’s integrity. A structure qualifies for this category by age alone and cannot be disqualified by alterations. Such alterations can be reversed and do not prevent the historic structure from being restored to a condition that would qualify it for one of the other categories.
Construction and alterations to the property:
• Henry C. Miller House was constructed in 1913. The home was originally a one-story, five-room home on a pier-and-beam foundation with a hipped roof and a recessed porch.
• In the 1920s, a second story was added, which included a bedroom and sleeping porch.
• In 1941, the sleeping porch was enclosed and a concrete porch was built onto the home. Above the porch were iron columns with wrought-iron railing running between them.
• In 2020, a major rehabilitation project added new rooms to the second floor and rear of the home. The iron columns on the front porch were changed to square, wood columns. The second story windows were changed as well.
History of the home and people associated with the property:
• William Jordan Higgins was the building contractor; a popular builder, during his 30 years in the building industry he was credited in the newspapers with over 36 private residences in McKinney.
• The initial owner of the home, who had contracted Higgins, was William Abernathy. Abernathy had contracted Higgins to build them a “rent house” at 416 West Virginia Street. Abernathy and the namesake law firm represented many high-profile cases, including a case in 1915 where Abernathy represented the Cheeves Brothers & Company after the Mississippi store collapse that killed several people.
• Henry C. Miller bought the home from Abernathy in 1919. The Millers lived in the home from 1919 until 1970, making them the longest owners of the property. Henry Miller was elected as the Mayor of McKinney in 1921. He was the McKinney City Attorney for more than a decade.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• The Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone (HNIZ) Program was established in 2008 for the purpose of preserving the city’s unique and historic neighborhoods while encouraging property owners to maintain and/or rehabilitate residential properties and structures.
• The HNIZ Program includes a three-tiered incentive structure whereby residential properties that meet specified criteria are eligible to receive ad valorem tax exemptions on city taxes for a designated period.
• To be eligible for an HNIZ Program incentive, the following minimum general requirements apply:
o The property shall be located within the HNIZ Program area.
o The property shall be owner-occupied and shall maintain a homestead exemption from the Collin Central Appraisal District for the life of the incentive period.
o Verified, eligible improvements shall have received all necessary permits and approvals, including COAs.
o The structure, accessory structures, grounds, property elements and building elements with their materials and finishes have been maintained in good repair and in operable condition.
o There are no pending code violations.
o The total ad valorem taxes owed to the city must be current and paid on time.
• The historic marker is one of the requirements for the Marker Level incentive of the HNIZ program.
• Under Ordinance #2022-03-036, if the HPAB approves the Marker, the applicant will be responsible for purchasing and displaying the Historic Marker.