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Staff delays final historic preservation plan; consultants to return in June
Summary
City staff told the Middletown City Historic Commission that consultant revisions require more time; the consultant will present a revised draft in June and the city is targeting July for adoption. Commissioners discussed scope, inclusion of potentially designated properties and photo resources.
Middletown, Ohio — City staff told the Middletown City Historic Commission on May 15 that the consultant preparing the city’s historic preservation plan needs more time to process commission edits and will return with a revised draft at the June commission meeting, with adoption targeted for July.
The announcement follows the commission’s detailed review of the draft and a list of requested edits. Staff asked commissioners to forward recommended property types or addresses for photo documentation and said the city’s communications manager, staff and an assistant director will gather images the consultant requests.
City staff said the consultant concluded that the volume of revisions meant a later delivery date; staff recommended giving the consultant adequate time to incorporate comments and offered to work to provide draft materials to commissioners at least a week (with a preference for two weeks) before the June meeting. Staff also said the consultant will attend both the June and July meetings to address questions.
Commissioners raised whether the plan should identify specific properties for potential historic designation. One commissioner requested that the consultant include examples of properties not currently designated but that might be appropriate. Staff cautioned that listing property addresses in the plan can raise privacy concerns and cause the plan to age quickly; staff recommended citing general areas or property types rather than exact addresses, and said the city generally seeks property-owner willingness before committing city resources to pursue a contested designation.
Staff briefed commissioners on the practical implications of pursuing new designations: the city typically contacts property owners to gauge interest, and if a property owner contests designation, the city could incur significant legal and consultant costs to defend the action. A commission member suggested expanding the South Main Historic District as part of the plan recommendations; others said they wanted to see the consultant’s revised draft before finalizing suggestions.
Staff also noted administrative steps related to adoption: depending on timing and procedure, the plan’s adoption could require referral to the planning commission and then to the Middletown City Council, with public notices (staff said 30-day notices may apply) before council action.
No formal vote to change scope or inclusion criteria was recorded at the May meeting; commissioners and staff agreed to review the revised draft in June and consider adoption in July if the draft meets the commission’s expectations.
