Heritage Surveys and Context Studies

A resources survey will provide guidance on historically and culturally significant resources in the County that can be used for future policymaking. These surveys do not:

• Impose any restrictions or obligations on property owners
• Provide historic designation for any property
• Require access to the interior of any property or require being on private property
• Allow the County to use identifying information in public documents

A context study identifies and reviews the historical significance of places, events, and people to provide a mechanism to understand resources that are important to a community. A context study offers an opportunity, through research and collection of information, to understand the establishment of a community and the impacts that have seen it change over time. It's like a Historic Resource Survey in that it helps identify significant places. The primary difference is that a Historic Resource Survey generally focuses on a targeted geographic area, whereas a Historic Context Study seeks to engage with people and places associated with a specific theme or topic.