Historic District Commission — Fayetteville, AR
Date: 2025-11-13
Time: 17:30

100 W. Rock St. Suite 246
 Fayetteville, AR 72701

 Historic District Commission Agenda
 Rock St. Meeting Room / Virtual Meeting Via Zoom
 Thursday, November 13, 2025
 5:30 PM


 Members
 Chair Christine Myres (Exp: 06/28)
 Vice Chair Cheri Coley (Exp: 06/27)
 Meredith Mahan (Exp: 06/26)
 Jennifer Didway (Exp: 06/27)
 Tommie Flowers Davis (Exp: 06/27)
 Mark Harper (Exp: 06/27)
 Karen Rorex (Exp: 06/28)

 City Staff
 Long Range and Historic Preservation Planner Kylee Cole
Long Range Planning and Special Projects Manager Britin Bostick
Historic District Commission November 13, 2025




Zoom Information

 Webinar ID: 840 2719 5015
 Registration Link: https://fayetteville-
 ar.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f7HGmAuqT-ipZ__Xsp5EzQ


Call to Order

Roll Call

Minutes
 Approval of the October 9, 2025 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes.


Unfinished Business

 Downtown Design Overlay District Review


 Citywide Survey Ph. 1 Update


 Oak Grove Local Historic District Update


New Business

 2025 Q3 Demolition Report


Announcements

 2026 CLG Grant Application


Adjournment




City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Page 2

Meeting of the Historic District Commission
 October 9, 2025, 5:30 PM
 City Hall Room 101 & Zoom

NOTE: The October 9, 2025 Historic District Commission meeting was held in person and
online, with commissioners attending in person and online. Staff were present in person.

Members: Chair Christine Myres, Meredith Mahan, Mark Harper, Cheri Coley, Jennifer Didway,
Tommie Flowers Davis, and Karen Rorex

City Staff: Kylee Cole – Long Range & Preservation Planner; Britin Bostick - Long Range
Planning & Special Projects Manager

 Call to Order: 5:30 PM

 In Attendance: Chair Christine Myres, Cheri Coley, Jennifer Didway, Mark Harper, Tommie
 Flowers Davis, Kylee Cole, and Britin Bostick.

 Approval of Minutes from the September 11, 2025 Meeting: Motion to accept by
 Commissioner Coley with a corrective amendment by Chair Myres, second by Commissioner
 Didway. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote.

 Unfinished Business:
 1. Downtown Design Overlay District Review: Chair Myres introduced the item and
 asked staff to give their presentation. Cole reminded the Commissioners of the
 discussion to date, including the Downtown Design overlay District boundary,
 which may or not change as the Downtown Plan project progresses. The focus to
 this point has been on residential architectural features, and Cole proceeded with
 the requirements for bay windows. She showed the current design standards,
 which prescribe depth, height, and length of projected bays, and provided details of
 that architectural feature type. She is proposing the removal of sections B and C as
 it is redundant with other sections of the standards.

 Chair Myres asked to define what we mean by “bay” specifically to address the
 distinction between a façade division and an architectural feature. Commissioner
 Coley agreed with the need for a definition. Commissioner Didway concurred.
 Whether this was actually better identified as an “oriel” was discussed. Cole will
 work on the language to improve the clarity of the language.
New Business:
 1. Oak Grove Local Historic District: Cole presented a proposal for a local historic
 district called “Oak Grove”, which had successfully been submitted by petition in
 accordance with the Arkansas Historic Districts Act. Cole shared the background of
 the proposal, a map of the proposed districts and the partial overlap with the Wilson
 Park National Register Historic District, and some of the attributes of the homes
 within the proposed district. The neighborhood is within some of the early platted
additions to the city after the turn of the 20th century. The development of the area
was primarily by Noah Fields Drake, namesake of the city’s Drake Field. Cole shared
biographical information for Drake and his involvement in the development of the
neighborhood, which is notable for the style and materials of the homes he designed
as they include native stone and often brick. His first home was a home that has
been recently remodeled in the neighborhood before he built a home himself with
some of the characteristics for which is style is now well known. Ten homes remain
in the neighborhood from his original eleven.

Other houses in the neighborhood are primarily Craftsman or Craftsman Bungalow
style, with a lot of consistency in the neighborhood. There is extensive use of stone
in both the buildings and landscaping. There are 31 historic-age properties within the
proposed district, with predominantly Craftsman style as was typical of the 1920s era
in which most of the houses were constructed.

Chair Myres asked how many non-contributing structures. Cole replied there are six,
one of which is not historic and the others have had significant alterations or
additions that have removed historic fabric to a great extent or altered the building
completely.

Cole instructed the commissioners that their role is to review the report and make
any changes as they will be issuing the report. Chair Myres had read the narrative
but would like to look at the individual structures. She stated her confidence in Cole’s
recommendation on non-contributing structures, and with a 72% buy-in from owners
she is in favor of moving forward. She noted the rationale for protection and the
overlap with the National Register District. She stated her support for protecting as
much of the city’s historic fabric as possible. She asked about taking the time until
the next meeting to review. Cole laid out the different options available to the
commissioners, including forwarding the report to the state preservation office and
the Planning Commission as a draft to provide them the 60 days to review, then the
commission would be able to take any comments into account in their final
recommendation to the City Council.

Commissioner Harper asked about the impact to any non-conforming properties.
Cole noted that non-historic or non-contributing structures can have more flexibility
as there is often not historic fabric to retain or protect. She has also been in close
contact with the neighborhood and there have been a lot of communication efforts to
neighbors about the proposal. Cole noted that the HDC will still need to hold a pubic
hearing once comments are received back and the neighborhood will need to be
formally notified for that public hearing. Cole clarified further that there is not an
expectation that individual properties will be able to “opt-out” as the district has been
proposed as a complete, closed boundary, but that the application of design
standards or guidelines can be successful, even with new construction as has
already been seen in the neighborhood with recent construction.




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 Cole presented a draft letter for the commissioners’ consideration, as letters would
 need to be sent to both the Planning Commission and the Arkansas Historic
 Preservation Program with the report to notify that the process has been initiated.

 Chair Myres asked if the timeline can proceed more quickly. Cole detailed the
 process for review by the Planning Commission as an administrative item. She
 additionally showed a slide detailing the process with a sample motion.

 Motion to forward the report to AHPP and the Planning Commission made by
 Commissioner Flowers Davis, seconded by Commissioner Harper. The vote was 5-0
 in favor.

 Chair Myres asked commissioners to review the report draft carefully for edits. Cole
 urged commissioners to contact her with any requests for details or information.
 Commissioner Flowers Davis asked for clarification on the inclusion of properties
 within both the Wilson Park National Register District and the Oak Grove local
 historic district. Chair Myres asked if the association with Noah Drake was clear in
 the report. Cole pointed out the notations where she was able to confirm the
 association and offer to make edits for better clarity. Commissioners are welcome to
 make edits digitally or on hard copies. Cole offered to add a statement about Noah
 Drake as additional background information in the report.

 Commissioner Flowers Davis asked about the design standards being used. Cole
 said that she had worked with the neighborhood on design standards, which she will
 email. The drafted standards meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and
 address many aspects of historic preservation. Bostick reminded the commissioners
 that to their knowledge this is the first time this process has been undertaken in
 Arkansas.

Other Business: None.

Announcements:
  1. Cole announced that the Wilson Park Apartments are being considered for listing on the
 National Register of Historic Places. She will scan the packet and email to
 Commissioners.
  2. Cole announced that Post Oak will be in town October 20-24 for the phase one survey of
 historic properties.
  3. Chair Myres announced a pancake breakfast 6-10am on Saturday, Oct 11 at the Lake
 Wedington Fire Station.

Adjourned: 6:21 PM




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