Subject
title
Presentation of the Historic District Commission FY25 Annual Report
end
Department
CPDS - Comprehensive Planning
Recommendation
Receive the Annual Report and engage with Historic District Commission members, as desired.
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 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025) and the objectives and goals looking forward to Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026).
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. In FY25, the HDC moved from virtual meetings to hybrid meetings, allowing commissioners and members of the public to participate in person at City Hall or virtually via Webex.
Major accomplishments of the HDC for Fiscal Year 2025 include:
• Conducted 10 meetings.
• Reviewed and approved 5 Certificate of Approval applications.
• Conducted 3 Evaluation of Significance Reviews for the purpose of demolition.
• Submitted 1 Map Amendment Application to Mayor and Council for historic designation consideration.
• Received 10 Montgomery County Tax Credit applications for processing.
Notable Activities
The HDC held a ribbon cutting ceremony for new historic signage honoring an African American Civil War soldier, Zed Thompson, in March 2025. The sign was installed as part of a partnership with Civil War Trails, Inc., a nonprofit organization that tells stories of the generals, soldiers, citizens, and the enslaved who found themselves in the midst of the Civil War through interpretive signage throughout the mid-Atlantic. This sign is the first Civil War Trails sign in Montgomery County to tell the story of a formerly enslaved person’s role in the Civil War.
In celebration of Historic Preservation Month, the HDC hosted an event called the “Sustainability in Historic Preservation” on May 17. In addition to the City’s Historic Preservation staff, a representative from the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Department and historic property owners gave presentations in the Historic Courtroom of the Grey Courthouse. Members of the public learned how various energy systems can be used on historic buildings, the resulting financial savings, and the available tax credit advantages. At the end of the event, the attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions of the guest speakers. This was the HDC’s second event honoring Historic Preservation Month and was deemed by all to be a smashing success.
As a Certified Local Government (CLG), the HDC members and staff are required to attend at least one Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) approved educational training per year, pertaining to the work and functions of the commission or to historic preservation generally. Approved trainings include those offered by the Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions (MAHDC), Preservation Maryland, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC). The HDC is a quasi-judicial board, and the members are proactive about increasing their knowledge. The HDC staff and members attended an average of five trainings during FY2025. In addition to the Preservation Month event, the HDC members also attended the “NAPC Virtual Summer Short Course” (NAPC Webinar “Creating and Updating Historic Preservation Guidelines,” and NAPC 2-part webinar “Managing Window Replacement: Lessons from Local Preservation Programs.”
The City’s Preservation Planner, Sheila Bashiri, was invited to share her knowledge with other Maryland historic preservation professionals at two statewide events. Ms. Bashiri was a guest speaker and panel moderator for a joint Montgomery County and State of Maryland Tax Credit Open House. Ms. Bashiri was also invited by the Executive Director of the Maryland Historical Trust to moderate a roundtable and be a guest speaker at another historic preservation event, which focused on preservation and underrepresented communities in Maryland.
Throughout the second half of the fiscal year, preservation staff worked to transition Certificate of Approval, Evaluation of Significance, Courtesy Review, and Historic Property Tax Credit applications into the city’s My Government Online Connect (MGOC) portal. MGOC has already been used for many types of permits and licenses issued by the Department of Community Planning and Development Services. HDC applications went live in the system on July 1, 2025. Previously, applications were submitted to staff via email. The new system will allow for better tracking by the applicant of the status of the project review, as well as streamline workflows and communications for staff.
Looking ahead into Fiscal Year 2026, beyond conducting the standard quasi-judicial review expected from the Historic District Commission, the HDC will focus much of its time on continuing implementation of the Historic Preservation Work Plan, which was endorsed by the Mayor and Council in May 2023.
The actions set forth in the Work Plan will help to update and improve Rockville’s preservation programming. Some of the proposed amendments to the historic preservation section of the Zoning Ordinance outlined in the Work Plan include:
• Administrative Approvals;
• Evaluation of Significance Reviews;
• Demolition by Neglect;
• Historic Property Maintenance; and
• Historic Property Delisting.
Through the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite process, currently underway, staff and the HDC will be assessing potential changes to the Zoning Ordinance to address these topics.
Mayor and Council History
This is the first time the Mayor and Council are receiving a presentation of the FY25 Annual Report from the Historic District Commission. The HDC Chair, Anita Neal Powell, presented the FY24 Annual Report on September 30, 2024.
Boards and Commissions Review
The Historic District Commission reviewed the FY25 Annual Report at its July 2025 meeting.