New Braunfels, TX Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Sec. 66-54 makes landmark designation part of the city's comprehensive zoning plan: once designated, a property carries the letters "HL" in its zoning designation, though its site plans, uses, setbacks, and other development standards still come from its underlying zoning district rather than from the landmark status itself. Designation is owner-initiated only; the Historic Landmark Commission created under Sec. 66-52 will consider a property only after the owner files a written application expressly requesting the designation, and neighboring owners are notified before the Commission's hearing so they, along with technical experts, can testify about the property's historic, architectural, or cultural importance.

Sec. 66-56 sets the substantive bar: a landmark or district qualifies if it meets at least one of six criteria, including possessing significance in history, architecture, archeology, or culture; being associated with events that contributed to local, regional, state, or national history; being associated with a historically significant person; embodying a distinctive type, period, or method of construction; representing the work of a master designer or craftsman; or serving as an established, familiar visual feature of the neighborhood or city. A favorable Commission recommendation moves to the planning and zoning commission within 30 days, which must hold its own hearing within 45 days, before the city council schedules a final hearing and vote.

Once designated, the city council records the landmark in Comal County's real property records, the city's tax records, the Comal Appraisal District, and the official zoning maps.