City consultants present draft historic-property inventory identifying 36 newly eligible sites and one potential district

Wendy Tinsley Becker, principal of Urbana Preservation and Planning, presented a draft citywide historic properties inventory to the Kingman City Council on June 2.

"We photographed every single building that is at least 50 years old," Becker said, describing a six‑month survey that combined walk‑and‑drive fieldwork with archival research and targeted documentation for likely National Register candidates. The consultant said the team prepared a new historic context statement and submitted a draft report to state reviewers for comment.

The survey counted 2,757 properties at least 50 years old; 57 were already on the state or national register and Urbana identified 36 properties as newly recorded and potentially eligible for listing. Becker also described one potential historic district — the Pleasant View Addition — with roughly 54 contributing properties that represent early‑20th‑century historicist and bungalow styles.

Becker told council that, as is typical for citywide surveys, most properties were judged ineligible during preliminary field observations; she emphasized that only a small share are expected to meet register criteria. The draft report has already been submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office and Urbana said it would revise the draft based on those comments before a final submission.

Josh Noble, staff liaison, said the report will be distributed electronically in July or August and referred to the Economic Development Advisory Commission for deeper review before any formal recommendations return to council.

Why it matters: a current, citywide inventory updates decades‑old data, helps preserve Route 66‑era resources and gives the city a factual basis for preservation incentives and design decisions tied to downtown revitalization. Council asked no substantive follow‑up questions at the meeting; staff will return with a revised draft after state comments.