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OSU Historic Preservation Plan

The purpose of a preservation plan is to provide for the continued identification, evaluation, protection and enhancement of historic properties. Preservation of the built environment provides an opportunity to celebrate a diverse cultural heritage by focusing on its historic resources that include buildings, landmarks and landscapes, monuments, and archaeological sites. The goal of OSU’s historic preservation plan is the integration of preservation considerations and techniques in planning and development decisions in an effort to protect and preserve historic resources within the OSU Historic District. Click here for a full copy of the Historic Preservation Plan.

Historic Preservation Background
Historic Preservation became federal policy with the adoption of The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) on October 16, 1966. The Act generally supports preservation of prehistoric and historic resources for present and future generations. The National Register for Historic Places was created as a result of the NHPA, and is administered through the Department of the Secretary of Interior. The Department is responsible for expanding and maintaining an inventory of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and other significant objects on a national, state and/or local level. The U.S. Department of the Interior has issued three standards for preservation planning:

1. Preservation Planning Establishes Historic Contexts – Decisions about preservation activities are most reliably made when the relationship of individual properties to other similar properties is understood.
2. Preservation Planning Uses Historic Contexts to Develop Goals and Priorities for the
   Identification, Evaluation, Registration and Treatment of Historic Properties –
   Preservation goals are developed for each historic context to ensure that the range of properties representing the important aspects of each historic context is identified, evaluated and treated.
3. The Results of Preservation Planning Are Made Available for Integration into Broader Planning Processes – Make the results of preservation planning available to other governmental planning bodies and to private interests whose activities affect historic properties.

State of Oregon Historic Planning
The NHPA enacted policy for the establishment of a State Historic Preservation Office for each state in the U.S. The State of Oregon Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) was established in 1967 to manage and administer programs to protect the state’s historic and cultural resources.

In 1973, Oregon passed two bills that created statewide protections for land use and one of its first major tasks was to adopt 14 statewide planning goals to govern local land use plans.

One of the first goals to be developed is Statewide Planning Goal 5: Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces. The goal states:

“To protect natural resources and conserve scenic and historic areas and open spaces.”

Statewide Planning Goal 5 also stated that local governments should adopt programs to help protect these resources, as well as maintain inventories of its historic resources. The authority is also given to local governments implement this specific goal through zoning ordinances or requirements that promote preservation planning for the protection of downtown districts.

City of Corvallis Historic Preservation Policies
The City of Corvallis recognizes that historic resources located within its boundaries contribute to the character of the community and merit preservation. As the certified local government responsible for the protection and preservation of its historic resources, the City plays an integral role in ensure the preservation of its historic resources. Chapter 5.4 of the City’s comprehensive plan identifies overarching guidelines impacting development within the city’s urban growth boundary. The following policies that will drive the OSU Historic Preservation Plan include: (but are not limited to)

Policy number 5.5.1: The City shall continue to use the Corvallis Register of Historic Landmarks and Districts as the City’s official historic site listing. The intent of this inventory is to increase community awareness of historic structures and to ensure that these structures are given due consideration prior to alterations that may affect the historic integrity of the structure.

Policy number 5.5.2: The City shall encourage property owners to preserve historic structures in a state as close to their original construction as possible while allowing the structure to be used in economically viable manner.

Policy number 5.5.5: Special architectural review criteria for historic structures shall be maintained in the Land Development Code. [Chapter 2.9 Historic Preservation Provisions]

Policy number 5.5.7: The City shall continue efforts to inventory historic structures, archeological sties, and other potential historic sites.

Policy number 5.5.8: The first priority for historic inventory and preservation work shall be older neighborhoods, especially those bordering downtown and Oregon State University campus.

Policy number 5.5.13: The City shall develop a definition, criteria, and a process to formally identify historic residential neighborhoods.

Policy number 5.5.14: New dwelling and additions formally recognized historic residential

To ensure the goals of the comprehensive plan are met, Chapter 2.9 Historic Resources Provisions included in the City’s Land Development Code establishes procedures and standards for the review of development of properties involving Designated Historic Resources.

Chapter 2.9 was built around the guiding principles developed by the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Preservation. The Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation was written to address the most customary treatment of historic resources. The intent of the standards is to assist in the long-term preservation of a property’s significance through the preservation of historic materials and features. Oregon State University will adhere to the Secretary of Interior’s Standards as the guiding principles for its preservation treatments.