Commission discusses endangered-properties list, district surveys and Montgomery 2040 updates; staff reports ongoing surveys
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Summary
Staff reported progress on a South Hole district inventory, submitted a GRAMA grant application for a Cottage Hill survey update, and the commission discussed creating an endangered-properties list and participating in the Montgomery 2040 comprehensive-plan update.
Historic Preservation Commission staff updated members on ongoing survey work and planning tools, and the commission discussed criteria and goals for an endangered-properties list recommended in the Montgomery 2040 comprehensive plan.
Sean, the commission's staff member, reported that site-inventory forms for a proposed South Hole local historic district have been completed and that staff will draft a designation report, with a target date in early 2026 to present it to the commission for review and potential referral to city council. He also said staff submitted a "grama" application through the Alabama Historic Commission to support an updated survey of the Cottage Hill neighborhood, which was last substantially surveyed in the 1970s and 1980s.
Commissioners discussed an endangered-properties list referenced in the Montgomery 2040 plan. Members emphasized that the list should have a clear end game rather than simply noting buildings in poor condition; the commission debated whether owner consent should be required for inclusion. Sean and other commissioners said the Alabama Historic Commission maintains a comparable list and that precedents exist for annual "places in peril" publications. The commission agreed to develop criteria for inclusion, consider owner-consent requirements, and outline what city assistance — if any — would follow listing.
Other staff updates included a vendor change for marker production (previous company reportedly out of business), a draft revised ARB (Architectural Review Board) design guideline for the Holland/Highland Avenue local historic district, and planned community outreach: a newsletter blurb and participation in neighborhood events in early December. Staff asked commissioners to engage with the Montgomery 2040 update process and public outreach, saying the comprehensive plan is the forum to request city actions such as increased historic-designation efforts or funding tools.
No formal motions or votes were recorded on the endangered-properties list or the district surveys during the meeting; items were discussed as staff updates and planning directions. Commissioners asked staff to return with proposed criteria and a public-engagement plan for the endangered-properties list at a future meeting.
