Res 2026-017 Approving the City of San Marcos Historic Preservation Plan

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SUSTAI NABI LITY & RESILIENCY FINDINGS 4 San Marcos is committed to fostering a sustainable and resilient community through environmental conservation and resource efficiency. 2. The Design Manual addresses Sustainability. 3. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties generally prioritize preservation of material over salvage, which should be seen as mitigation. 2 4. Historic preservation policies can be updated to promote sustainability related to the built environment. In a study for the City of San Antonio, done as part of the process to establish their Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program (see the Case Study on the following page), PlaceEconomics determined that material reuse industries are anticipated to grow faster than the national economy as a whole. • Between 2009 and 2021, over $1.4 million of salvageable building materials were sent to the landfill in San Antonio. • Demolitions in 2020 could have resulted in salvaged framing for more than 600 houses. • Reuse and refurbishment create 300 jobs per 10,000 tons of waste, compared to 1-6 jobs created by the traditional landfill and incineration process for the same amount of waste. • A national survey showed that labor income from deconstruction is about four times as much as labor income from demolition. • Mechanical demolition presents health hazards to residents. SOLUTIONS Consider developing and adopting a deconstruction ordinance that would require building material salvage, recycling, and reuse when buildings are demolished or renovated. Implementation of this goal could include partnerships between private property owners and the City to store materials at a designated city facility or could include exemptions in the city code relating to the storage of historic materials. Consider charging higher fees (possibly scaled to square footage) for demolition permits to discourage demolition when preservation may be possible. 3. Explore partnerships with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and its ReStore program to spearhead architectural salvage and the reuse of historic building materials. 4. Educate property owners about the sustainability benefits of historic buildings, including the energy saved from reusing and rehabilitating older properties rather than demolishing them. Consider publishing a handout in English and Spanish with statistics and examples, and mailing it directly to property owners. 5. Consider featuring practical and affordable strategies for enhancing building energy efficiency in the Planning & Development Services monthly newsletter as well as on the City's website. POTENTIAL PARTNERS Hays County Historical Commission Heritage Association of San Marcos Habitat for Humanity SOLUTION SOURCES Galveston's Architectural Salvage Warehouse, which is operated by the non- profit Galveston Historical Foundation. 126 SAN MARCOS HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN (2026)