Vidalia Proposes Historic Preservation Commission
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
During the Council’s meeting on Monday, June 9, the Vidalia City Council completed the first reading of an ordinance to create a Historic Preservation Commission to work to maintain the city’s historical charm.
According to the ordinance, city leaders are seeking to create a Historic Preservation Commission because they recognize that the historical, cultural, and aesthetic heritage of Vidalia is one of the city’s most valued and important assets. These leaders feel that the preservation of this heritage is essential to the promotion of the health, prosperity, and general welfare of citizens within the city.
The goals of this potential Commission are to stimulate re- continued from page
vitalization of the business districts and historic neighborhoods; to protect and enhance local historic and aesthetic attractions to tourists; to stimulate and promote business, to enhance opportunities for federal or state tax benefits under relevant provisions of federal or state law; and to establish a uniform procedure for use in providing for the protection, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of places, districts, sites, buildings, structures, objects, and landscape features having a special historical, cultural, or aesthetic interest or value.
The Commission would be made up of 5 members, appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council. These members must own a business in Vidalia or work in Vidalia, and have demonstrated special interest, experience, or education in history, architecture, or the preservation of historic resources. These members may serve on other city committees or commissions, and will serve 3-year terms. No member will serve more than two terms, and initial appointments will include 1 member with a 1-year term, 2 members with 2-year terms, and 2 members with 3-year terms. These members will not be paid for their involvement with the Commission but may be reimbursed for expenses related to the Commission.
The following outlines the powers of the Commission that are currently included in the proposed ordinance: The Commission will serve to prepare and maintain an inventory of all property within Vidalia that could be deemed as historic property, and will recommend districts, sites, buildings, structures, sites, and objects to the Vidalia City Council to be deemed as historic properties or districts. The group will also have the power to recommend properties to the Council to have their historic designation removed or revoked.
The group will then submit a list of designated historic properties and districts to the Department of Community Affairs, and will review and make comments to the Department’s Historic Preservation Division regarding the nomination of properties within its jurisdiction to be named to the National Register of Historic Places.
In addition to this, the Commission will also review applications for Certificates of Appropriateness, which document the Commission’s approval of property owners to make a material change in the appearance of a designated historic property or a property within a historic district. The changes that must be approved in this manner include any alteration that will affect the exterior architectural or environmental features of the historic property, or any building, structure, site, object, or landscape feature within a historic district. Examples of these changes are the relocation of doors and windows; removal or alteration of the architectural features or details; demolition or relocation of a historic structure, excavation for construction purposes; change in location of advertising seen from the road; erection, alteration, restoration, or removal of any buildings or structures from a historic property or district; paving; and fence or steps installation or alteration. Exterior painting will not require a Certificate of Appropriateness.
The group will have the ability to accept donations, gifts, grants, or funds of historic property, and will be able to acquire and sell property. They will work to restore or preserve any historic properties acquired by the City, and can seek local, state, federal, or private funding for the purpose of historic preservation. They will make recommendations to the Vidalia City Council for the expenditures of these funds, and the Council will vote on these purchases.
The Commission will promote the acquisition of façade and conservation easements by the city, which seek to protect historic structures and spaces. They will also investigate and study matters related to historic preservation, and will consult with historic preservation experts when the Council or Commission deems its necessary or appropriate. The group will also participate in private, state, and federal historic preservation programs. The Council will authorize the agreement for these programs.
The group will conduct educational programs on historic properties located within the city and on general historic preservation activities, which they will host throughout the city.
The Vidalia City Council will hear input from citizens regarding the creation of the Commission during a public hearing on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m. within the Council Chambers at the John Raymond Turner Municipal Annex, located at 302 E. First Street in Vidalia.
The ordinance is available for review by the public. To request a copy, email kmurray@vidaliaga.gov.
For more information, call (912) 537-7661.
