City considers historic district, faces pushback

The Wimberley City Council has continued to consider the creation of a local historic district encompassing the Wimberley Square, much to the chagrin of some of its property owners.

The city first hired Post Oak Preservation Solutions in the spring of 2022 to look at preservation solutions and potentially define the requirements and boundaries of a future historic district. A historical designation would allow the city to set certain architectural guidelines and offer incentives to follow those guidelines within the district. The initiative is part of a larger preservation project that includes ordinances to establish a LHD, design guidelines and a National Register of Historic Places historic district nomination.

Following the hire of Post Oak, the city underwent a series of town halls and hearings to receive public input while the firm itself conducted surveys and research to figure out what an LHD might look like in Wimberley.

“Wimberley is a very different community than other towns nearby,” Post Oak’s Izabella Nuckels told The View last year. “There are some opportunities to assist with guiding and managing architectural and site features through the future. There are a lot of preservation tools that can provide financial incentives to maintain, preserve and rehabilitate existing historic buildings as well as tools that can help identify ways to develop and build in a way that is compatible with the community.”

The city underwent a thorough process of town halls and hearings to receive public input on the district, while the firm itself conducted its own surveys and research. City meetings included topics such as a brief overview of the proposed guidelines, a proposed ordinance that would regulate Historic Properties and Districts and the procedure for the designation of Historic Landmarks and Historic Districts.

However, when Post Oak came to present its latest findings to the city council on June 15, there still seemed to be some confusion as to what counted as a historic building and why some properties were included in the district’s recommended boundaries.

“Anything built prior to 1973 — anything 50 years or older — with minimal changes to the original structure will be included,” Post Oak’s representative explained. But multiple property owners pointed out that their buildings under 50 years old had still been included in the district’s latest plan.

Marcilia Anderson- Bishop, a property owner on Oak Drive, said her property only went back to 1980 and that significant renovations had been made, tripling the square footage, but her property was still included in the LHD. Her concerns were echoed by Joyce Webb Tate, who said she also has a building from the 1980s that was designed to look older. In response, Post Oak said it would “double- check dates.”

Local resident Bill Johnston said this confusion was an example of “arbitrary and capricious rules” and questioned whether the city had the authority to pass such an ordinance in the first place.

Mayor Pro Tem. Rebecca Minnick said she is confident the city is able to do so, according to Texas’s local government code.

Still, multiple property owners have threatened to take legal action, should they be included in the LHD. Johnston said that including property owners in the LHD was a “taking, an inverse condemnation of the property,” by the city and that inclusion in the district would lower property values.

A 2014 study from Texas State University found the opposite.

“A review of the literature indicates that generally historic districts increase the value of properties within the historic district and can increase the property value of homes in close proximity to the historic district,” author Bryce Cox stated. “This will ultimately affect the design and layout of the city and aid in the integration of single family housing into business commercial areas, thereby encouraging a walkable community and public transportation, which are desirable concepts in current urban planning. Historic neighborhoods also help anchor community identity and promote tourism.”

Minnick said the Wimberley City Council will continue to discuss and consider the LHD, its guidelines and proposed boundaries moving forward.

The city council’s next regular meeting is July 6 at the Wimberley City Hall.