Panel OKs Taliesin West preservation plan

The Scottsdale Historic Preservation Commission has approved a historic preservation plan for Taliesin West. The plan sets forth preservation guidelines for the "historic core" of buildings and open spaces that make up 10.6 acres within famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright's 491-acre north Scottsdale campus.

"It's a great moment for the city of Scottsdale and Taliesin West. For the first time, there is a consensus about the methods and materials used to preserve this historic landmark," said Mark Lynch, a spokesman for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which owns and oversees Taliesin West and Taliesin in Spring Green, Wis.

The 36-page preservation plan approved last week is a collaborative effort between representatives of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Scottsdale's Historic Preservation staff.

It has been in the works since the historic core of Taliesin West was placed on the Scottsdale Historic Register two years ago.

The preservation plan is required of all properties listed on the Scottsdale Historic Register, said Don Meserve, a planner with the city's Historic Preservation Office.

The purpose of the guidelines is not to prohibit alterations to existing buildings or bar any potential future construction, according to the historic preservation document.

Rather, the preservation plan focuses on protecting and maintaining "character-defining" features of the property regarding restorations, renovations and any future construction.

Taliesin West is located north of the intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Cactus Road, at the foot of the McDowell Mountains.

Its historic core includes buildings constructed from 1937 until Wright's death in 1959.

These buildings are typically featured at the Taliesin West visitor tours and include Wright's studio and personal living quarters, the cabaret theater and music pavilion, as well as outdoor spaces such as the citrus grove.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation will follow the preservation plan when making restorations or designing new construction on the property.

The city, according to the document, will use these guidelines when reviewing the "appropriateness" for any exterior work done at Taliesin West that requires a building permit and in "evaluating the appropriateness of any city public works project or capital expenditures within and adjacent to this historic district."