FAQs • McKinney, TX • CivicEngage

Is my property designated?: The city maintains the McKinney Historic Resource Inventory Survey that lists locally designated historic properties. This includes individually designated properties as well as historic districts. A property does not have to be in a district to be considered a historic property; however the property will not benefit from the overlay protection. You can check whether a property is in either the "H" Overlay District or the Commercial Historic District by accessing the Historic District Map Online or by contacting the City Historic Preservation Office at 972-547-7416.

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Historic Preservation

1. Does every change to my property require a Certificate of Appropriateness?: All proposed changes to the exterior of your property requires consideration by the Preservation Office and are regulated by the city’s Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Ordinance calls out the use of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. These standards are used to determine the appropriateness of treatments for historic homes. Maintenance to your property is not restricted as long as it does not involve any changes to the structure. Some examples of changes that are subject to city regulations include replacing windows, siding, exterior doors, adding shutters, removing masonry, adding or removing porches, railings, chimneys, removing historic architectural trims, and adding architectural elements not original to the house.

2. What is a historic property?: A historic property is a property that is designated or has been determined eligible for designation at the local, state or federal level. Properties eligible for local historic designation must either be important for representing broad patterns of history, for their association with the life of an historically important person, for conveying high architectural or artistic values or for archeological contributions.

3. How do I research the history of my property?: Places to help you research a historic property in McKinney and vicinity are the Helen Hall Memorial Library, North Texas History Center, Dallas Public Library and Collin County Clerk’s Office. Collections and contact information are available in the Guide to Historic Property Research section of this website.

4. Is my property designated?: The city maintains the McKinney Historic Resource Inventory Survey that lists locally designated historic properties. This includes individually designated properties as well as historic districts. A property does not have to be in a district to be considered a historic property; however the property will not benefit from the overlay protection. You can check whether a property is in either the "H" Overlay District or the Commercial Historic District by accessing the Historic District Map Online or by contacting the City Historic Preservation Office at 972-547-7416.

5. What does it mean to be designated?

A property can have numerous types of designations or no designation at all. Not having a designation does not mean the property is not historic.

National Register Property is a historic property which can be a site, building, structure or object significant in American history, architecture, engineering, archeology or culture. These properties can be associated with events that have made significant contributions to broad patterns of history, associated with lives of persons significant in our past, embody distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, work of a master, etc. or have yielded or be likely to reveal important information about our prehistory or history. (Excerpted from the National Register Bulletin.) National Register Properties may qualify for Federal Income Tax exemptions and Collin County exemptions.

A Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a State designation. You may get more information by reviewing the State of Texas RTHL booklet. Houses with a RTHL potentially qualify for a Collin County tax exemption.

A City of McKinney Historic Marker is a local designation awarded by the City of McKinney Historic Preservation Advisory Board. The owner of the house submits an application along with a documented history of the house and property. If the house is awarded a marker, then the house may qualify for a tax exemption for city and county property taxes.

6. Is there a requirement that I must restore my property located within the Historic District?: You are not required to restore your property. The property, however, should be maintained so as to not create a hazardous condition which, for public safety, would lead to the demolition of the property. The city does have a "Demolition by Neglect" provision in the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The provision states that no owner of real property that is designated as a landmark or located within a historic district shall permit the property to fall within a serious state of disrepair which would produce a detrimental effect upon the character of the historic district or the property and lead to the demolition of the property.