DDA Keeps Preservation Ordinance Bottled Up for Over a Year

In contrast to its quick action to approve the Hedgewood Design Concept Development (DCD) site plans, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has kept the historic preservation ordinance bottled up for "study" for a year.

Without a local ordinance aligning with state and federal statutes, the City is missing out on federal grant money, tax credits up to 20 percent; and owners of historic property currently have no protection. Without the same kind of review the City currently requires for new commercial and residential property through The Design Guidelines, the city's historic houses are falling at an alarming rate.

In the February 2005 meeting, Member Doris Day reported her committee was unable to meet a March 1 2005 deadline for obtaining federal grant money because the city does not have a preservation ordinance allowing it to meet criteria for a Certified City. Citing too many missed opportunities, Day moved to send the ordinance to the City Council, with second by Member Webb. Her motion failed 2 to 5. A second motion was presented by Member Nau, seconded by Member Bare to send the ordinance for review to the architects who will be hired in March 2005, and to again entertain expert speakers from other cities who have historic districts. The motion carried 5 to 2.

Based on state and federal laws governing historic districts and developed from a model supplied by the state, the preservation ordinance would have a review commission composed of architects and community experts charged with reviewing certificates of appropriateness within the historic district. Designed to help, not hurt property owners, the ordinance is less restrictive than a subdivision covenant. Provisions are made for hardship cases with an appeal procedure to the City Council provided.

The Mayor and Council in a February private meeting at Simpsonwood with DDA members recognized the DDA has been ineffective because of being burdened with reviewing the certificates of appropriateness when their primary function should be economic revitalization. The certificate of appropriateness reviews will be placed under the architectural firm to be hired in March 2005. New Design Guidelines will be written. Ordinarily, the Design Guidelines should work in conjunction with a preservation ordinance.

113 Georgia cities with historic districts successfully use a similar preservation ordinance to enhance and protect their historic assets. The City of Norcross web site boasts of some 50 historic residential properties. However, since 1980, ten have been lost to growth. Another dozen or more may be lost within months because of rapid-fire re-zonings.

To view an excellent model illustrating how a preservation ordinance should work with Design Guidelines, visit the City of Monticello's web site:
www.monticelloga.org/site/page3401.html

FAQS:

• Why not spend the same amount of time studying the critical re-zonings that forever alter the direction and character of the city and preparing a Master Plan and a Land Use Plan?
• Why doesn't the City Council move to enact the historic preservation ordinance before going forward with any more re-zonings?
• During the 180 day DCD moratorium, should not the City Council define and prescribe restrictions for DCD before any contracts are approved to build under the concept?
• Should not a Land Use Plan and a Master Plan be in place before the City Council and DDA move forward with any more contracts? In its current form, the DCD concept removes all restrictions for building in residential areas.