Preliminary design guidelines that could impact future preservation projects within Bristol, Tennessee’s three historic districts will be presented to the community by the Nashville consultant who is leading the process on Tuesday, March 31.
Phil Thomason of Thomason & Associates will present his preliminary recommendations during an afternoon session at 2 p.m. and again that evening at 6 p.m. in the conference room of the Ewell L. Easley Municipal Annex. Both sessions will be similar, so those interested in attending should choose the session most convenient to their schedule.
After reviewing Thomason’s draft recommendations, the public will be invited to provide feedback that can be incorporated into a final version of design guidelines. If adopted as part of a historic zoning program, the guidelines will direct preservation projects in the City’s Downtown, Fairmount, and Holston Avenue historic districts, said Planning Services Manager Cherith Young.
The process officially began in December when Thomason and members of the City’s planning staff held a series of workshops to outline the purpose of design guidelines and the ways established guidelines could benefit preservation projects within historic districts. Since establishing his firm in 1982, Thomason has assisted dozens of communities throughout the U.S. with similar projects. Additionally, he prepared National Register nominations for the Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia Commercial District and consulted on the Bristol Renaissance Center/E.W. King building renovation. He also prepared multiple National Register nominations in Bristol, Virginia, including the Solar Hill Historic District, the Bristol Warehouse Historic District, and the Virginia Hills Historic District.
The design guidelines project is being supported in part by the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, and the Tennessee Historical Commission. The federally funded matching grant is competitive, and the City of Bristol was one of 32 communities across the state who were successful in their bid for funding.
For additional information, please contact Young at (423) 989-5518.
