Urban planning consultant talks historic preservation at Georgetown library

Winter, who worked with the city to complete the Downtown Master Plan and the Downtown and Old Town Design Guidelines, spoke about the importance of historic preservation to the city’s economic development and character.  

During his talk, he gave examples of how other cities throughout the United States have adopted and enforced master plans and design guidelines, including Boulder, Colo.

“It’s the community who has to make who they want to be; they have to believe in the tools that we can help them develop, but they have to own them. They have to maintain them, and they have to be certain they are always being considered,” Winter said.

He added that the benefits of preservation include links to the city’s heritage and enhancing the community’s quality of life and livability.

“It’s really exciting what’s happening in the core, and certainly what’s happening when you head up to the river,” Winter said, adding that there is still work to be done at the southern entrance to downtown at the intersection of University and Austin avenues.

In 2001, the city developed its design guidelines, which were updated and adopted by City Council on Aug. 14. The city’s Downtown Master Plan, adopted in 2003, could be updated in 2013, according to a news release from the city.