HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-11-2020 Fairhope Historic Preservation Committee Meeting MinutesFairhope Historic Preservation Committee
Monthly Meeting Notes
March 11, 2020 9:30 a.m. Fairhope Museum of History
Attendance: Gary Gover, Cooper Norman, Gabriel Gold-Vukson, Skip Jones, Mara
Hunter, Council Liaison Jimmy Conyers, and Jessica Walker -Committee members
NOT present -Andrew Ousley, Jill Godard, Jim Huggins
Call to order: 9:35 by Gary Gover
Old Business
Mayor and two City Councilors polled by Skip for feedback on establishing an
historical preservation ordinance. In sum, those polled expressed respect for
Fairhope's history, and understood the need to develop a plan for preserving
Fairhope's history for future generations. A request was made for the state wide
historical ordinance before giving it their full support. Skip believes the new state
ordinance, which provides numerous occasions for public input and city council
approvals, will appease their concerns. Subsequent discussion in the committee
revolved around the following recommendations:
1) Organize a workshop for the city council and the mayor and other integral
parties that lays out the ordinance with a substantial Q&A
2) Develop clear hypotheticals -e.g. take an historical property through the
process of approvals so that people better understand the autonomy retained
by property owners and the city in the new state ordinance.
3) Hold public lectures on the historical preservation, particularly someone
who can speak to economic impacts, along with a Q&A. Steve McNair, Cart
Blackwell raised as potential speakers.
4) Boost transparency of the HPC's activities [after Jimmy and Jessica departed,
the committee agreed to develop the HPC committee page on the city site
with an email, and other useful information TBD, publish meeting minutes
and agendas in the city as possible].
5) Take time to develop the workshop/education plan so that the public is fully
aware of what the HPC is proposing, and that it goes into the city council
calendar at the right.
New Business
Barnwell Landmark district: After assessing available information, the Committee
concluded it does not have a role in that discussion at this time.
End Meeting: 10:40
Minutes presented by MH
NOTE: April meeting cancelled due to pandemic. Next HPC meeting
provisionally set for May 13.