Fairhope, Alabama
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| Lewis house demolished in 2022. |
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MORE INCENTIVES TO PRESERVE
By a 3-0 vote (Robinson, Boone absent) the city council passed the city's first-ever historic preservation ordinance intended to allow participation in the state's Certified Local Government program that makes property owners eligible for additional grants and tax breaks to help preserve their historically-significant properties.
Council president Martin said the effort had been in the works for many years and credited past and current members of the city's Historic Preservation Committee as well as present city planning department attorney Chris Williams with final passage.
Martin: "Its a win/win for everybody ... a historic moment in itself ... did not come lightly ... lot of sweat equity and thought went into this."
Councilman Burrell called it "a fluid document ... work in progress ... doesn't go too far ... has benefits as well."
Councilman Conyers praised the committee's work too.
Mayor Sullivan said later: "Glad to see this ordinance pass and I think it is something that everybody is happy with."
Martin often uses the now-demolished home of a former slave's family at 309 Ingleside as an example of where such an ordinance may have been of use --if one had been in place at the time.
It is not clear yet how it may affect other historic buildings around town now in jeopardy, like the old Fairhope Hardware and American Legion buildings -- and the George Knowles house on Fairhope Avenue across from Knoll Park.
The city's entire downtown was placed on the state's "places in peril" list in 2003.
The current Historic Preservation Committee is to be replaced by a new seven-member Preservation Commission -- per the governing state legal code, possibly with some of the same members.
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| May 13, 2024 council meeting. |
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| Fairhope Hardware in jeopardy. |
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| American Legion in jeopardy. |
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