Richard Starzak

Richard Starzak is an architectural historian and project manager who specializes in consulting on behalf of public agencies for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. As of 2020, he has conducted Section 106 studies or State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) consultation in 45 states for a variety of federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

His career highlights include serving federal agencies as the primary consultant author for studies to streamline Section 106 and Section 4(f) compliance for major transportation infrastructure, including the guidance and criteria for significant historic elements of the Interstate Highway System and the resulting list in 18 states; a congressional study on streamlining Sections 106/4(f) compliance for federally funded railroad infrastructure repair and improvement projects. In 2015, three of its four recommendations became law in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act); and the early development and agency outreach resulting in the “Program Comment to Exempt Consideration of Effects to Rail Properties within Rail Rights-of-Way” issued by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in 2019.

For economic and natural disasters, Richard has conducted Section 106 compliance for agencies seeking HUD or FEMA funding, including Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resiliency for Hurricane Maria recovery; New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection for Superstorm Sandy environmental and historic preservation reviews; and Michigan’s State Housing Development Authority for HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2.