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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2_14_2023_HPC_MEETING_MINUTESTybee Island HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMISSION Meeting Minutes Date &Time:February 13,2023 6:00PM Present:Holly Grell-Lawe,Cassidi Kendrick,Jackie Boiling,Marty Harrell,Sarah Jones,Mike Goldberg,Mary Anne Butler,Spec Hosti Absent: Observers:Diane and Corey Perkins,Tybee Shrine Club,Pat Leiby,Tybee MLK Location:Burke Day Public Safety Building,Conference Room,78 Van Horne Ave. Call to Order The meeting started at 6:00PM,a quorum was present. Approval of Minutes 1.Motion to Approve Meeting Minutes 12/12/22–Approved by a motion from Mary Anne Butler,and a second from Mike Goldberg. On-going Business 2.HPC Member Vacancy/Application Revision-Cassidi and Jackie updated the HPC Member Application.It will go live on the website soon so applicants can download it. Sarah asked permission to also post the opening on THIS website.Everyone agreed and thanked her.The deadline for these applications will be close of business,March 31. Mike and Mary Anne,along with Holly and Cassidi,will serve on the HPC Nominating Committee to review applications. 3.City Hall Renovation Update-Sarah shared updated photos of the renovation progress. 4.Results of HPC Annual Planning Meeting 1.Historic Preservation Month-Holly is looking for one or more commission members to be the HPC lead(s)for Preservation Month activities,working with Cassidi and Jackie to plan and implement activities.Mike G.volunteered to assist. Holly asked that this group review the brainstorming results and advisory voting and recommend what activities should be chosen for Preservation Month.The trolley tour is a definite event for this.Jackie is working on revising a survey form to be completed by homeowners who are willing to have their property on the tour.HPC is also considering selling “Preserve Historic Tybee”signage (production cost approx.$15/sign),but it is not known if HPC/Main Street can take in cash payments.Cassidi will check on this..Jackie volunteered to take a first cut at a possible historic markers/structures map.One idea put forward before the annual planning meeting in January was to clean historical markers on the island during Preservation Month.Holly suggested that this be considered for Preservation Month.More updates to come at the next HPC meeting. 2.HPC “Parking Lots-HPC discussed the top three topics from the advisory voting on the “General Parking Lot ”topics conducted at the annual planning meeting in January.(A)Mike G.volunteered to investigate the use of deconstruction ordinances in other municipalities,including success and failures.(B)In the discussion about determining the potential for a local historic district within the Fort Screven National Historic District,Marty H.suggested that completion of the Mid-Island Local Historic District would be a more immediate priority since it has been in the works for several years but was put on hold during COVID.Holly noted that completion of that study has been included in the draft budget request prepared by the HPC Executive Committee.See further discussion under “Budget Priorities”below.(C)A study on the economic impact of historic preservation on Tybee was discussed,including potential costs.Holly stated that the study would be similar to the “Beyond Tourism”study done for Savannah in 2015 in terms of taking a broad look at the impact of historic preservation across multiple economic and environmental metrics,beyond simply preservation-based tourism.The “Beyond Tourism”study for Savannah had very little information on Tybee Island.Spec Hosti suggested that perhaps the study could be combined with the tourism study currently underway for the City by Georgia Southern or combined with the workforce study that is being considered by City Council.Cassidi noted that the tourism study is not addressing historic preservation.Holly noted that there are examples of cities that are addressing affordable housing issues through the restoration/rehabilitation of historic properties and maybe that ’s an option that could be considered for Tybee. 3.Budget Priorities-Holly and Cassidi presented a draft budget request for HPC for the FY 23-24 City budget cycle.The possibility of Mid-Island District nomination in the current FY with current FY funds was discussed.Sarah agreed to contact Bob C about possible completion of the nomination by the end of June.Cassidi will investigate whether current FY funds would be available for this and get back to HPC.The presented budget submission request was approved by HPC with a motion from Marty H.and a second from Mary Anne.The vote was unanimous. 5.North Campbell Neighborhood Conservation District-HPC decided to postpone the community meeting to a later date,possibly in May,due to a schedule conflict with a previously planned Tybee MLK event (Lazaretto Day).The motion was made by Mike G and seconded by Marty H.The vote was unanimous. New Business 6.Saving Historic Cottages and Bungalows- 1.Impact of STVR Ordinance on Relocation &Restoration of Historic Houses-This discussion centered around the negative effects of the STR Ordinance on the restoration and relocation of historic houses on Tybee.The current STR Ordinance has the potential to negatively impact the restoration of historic houses located in R-1,R-1-B and R-2 zones.State tax incentives for the restoration of a historic house increase from $100,000 for non-income producing properties to $300,000 for income producing properties.The current STR Ordinance has stymied attempts to save a Tybee Raised Cottage (an architectural style put on the “Places in Peril”List in 2007 by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation)in the Back River Historic District by relocating it to a different lot in an R-1 zone.The potential buyer cannot recoup the cost of moving the structure without an STR permit.Sarah will draft the text for the proposed ordinance amendment and send it to HPC for review before sending it to HPC City Council Liaison,Spec Hosti,who will send it to the City ’s attorney for review. 2.Local Economic Incentives for Historic Preservation Mike G.proposed that HPC consider recommending that the City provide local tax incentives for historic preservation.He will prepare a draft. 7.Draft Elevation Guidelines-Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings will be ready for HPC approval in March.Holly ’s final editorial review of the document and the comments received on the draft determined that specific sections should be removed and placed into an Appendix or a “Companion Document”to the Guidelines,and some additional clarification language developed.The sections to be removed from the main document are concerned with permit reviews,historic preservation reviews,certificates of appropriateness (COAs),etc.Most of these requirements only apply in specific situations and how they were presented in the draft guidelines was confusing to readers. 8.Revisions to Tybee Historic Preservation Ordinance[HGL1]-Following up on the discussion at the HPC ’s annual planning meeting in January,Holly shared a copy of the proposed changes to the Tybee Historic Preservation Ordinance with documented justifications for the proposed changes.Cassidi is going to share this with Tracy,the City Attorney and see if Holly is able to reach out to Tracy on behalf of HPC.HPC voted to approve these changes and send them to the city attorney with a motion from Mary Anne B.and a second from Mike G.The vote was unanimous. 9.Revisions to HPC Administrative Procedures-As agreed to in the annual planning meeting,Holly presented a revised version of the former document “HPC Program Guidelines”.HPC voted to approve this document and send it to review by the City attorney with a motion from Marty H.and a second from Mary Anne B.The vote was unanimous. 10.Permit Reviews Announcements- 11.Lazaretto Coalition Meeting-Lazaretto Day planning details were shared. Commemoration at Memorial Park on March 25 (12pm-6pm)with a program at 3pm with a presenter. 12.Tybee MLK -Currently working on a website for Black History Trail,hoping to be done by Lazaretto Day (March 25).March 4th will be a “Fee Free Day”at Fort Pulaski,from 10AM-4PM. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 7:58PM.