Subject
title
FY26 Historic District Commission Annual Report
end
Department
CPDS - Comprehensive Planning
Recommendation
Staff recommend the Mayor and Council review the Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report of the Historic District Commission and hear a brief presentation from Pete Fosselman, Chair of the Historic District Commission, summarizing the activities that took place in FY2026.
Discussion
The Historic District Commission (HDC) is pleased to present its Annual Report to the Mayor and Council. This Annual Report covers accomplishments from Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026) and the objectives and goals looking forward to Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027). The HDC approved this annual report at their July 16, 2026 meeting.
As a quasi-judicial commission, the HDC is tasked with acting on Certificates of Approval (COA) and Evaluations of Significance (EOS), as well as conducting courtesy reviews for the benefit of applicants. The HDC also reviews Historic Preservation Tax Credit applications through a program administered by Montgomery County.
The HDC conducts monthly public meetings that allow for testimony from staff, applicants, and any member of the public who wishes to testify. HDC meetings are held in a hybrid fashion so that members of the public may participate in person at City Hall or virtually via Webex.
Major accomplishments for the HDC for Fiscal Year 2026 include:
• Conducted 12 Certificate of Approval reviews.
• Conducted 10 Evaluation of Significance reviews.
• Conducted 2 Courtesy Reviews for the benefit of the applicant.
• Received 7 Montgomery County Tax Credit applications for processing.
• Transitioned all HDC applications into the My Government Online (MGO) platform.
• Revised the historic preservation sections of the Zoning Ordinance as a part of the broader Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time the Mayor and Council are receiving a presentation of the FY26 Annual Report from the Historic District Commission. The Mayor and Council will continue to receive a special presentation on the Historic District Commission’s annual report each year.