Erie historic commission ends landmark moratorium, contingent on council fee vote

The Historic Review Commission voted Aug. 4 to end its moratorium on accepting new landmark nominations, contingent on City Council’s upcoming adoption of a proposed schedule of fees for the city’s historic review process.

The move follows City Council’s passage of amendments to Article 7, the city’s historic-resources protection ordinance, which Planning Director Matthew Fekone said “will go into place 20 days after council’s approval, so later this month.” The commission’s action authorizes reopening nominations once the fee schedule is formally adopted by council.

Commissioners and staff framed the decision as the next step after a months-long update to the city’s preservation procedures. Fekone told commissioners the revisions were “very much informed by the past several years of the commission’s work,” and that the changes are intended to increase transparency in how nominations and certificates of appropriateness are handled.

Director Jenny Spry praised the staff work that preceded the vote, saying in the meeting that Fekone “has set a bit of a standard at City Hall in terms of process” and that the new forms and FAQs will help applicants. Spry and Fekone said the City Solicitor indicated applications could reopen as soon as the 20-day period ends.

The commission discussed several program updates at the meeting: a completed citywide historic resource survey will be uploaded into PA-SHARE, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission’s online database, with an executive summary and mapping to follow; a Request for Proposals for a State Street National Register historic-district study is expected to be distributed within one to two weeks; and the commission received a $13,000 Certified Local Government mini-grant to prepare a National Register nomination for City Hall.

Fekone said the CLG grant work is on a tight timeline: the RFP for a City Hall nomination closed the week of the meeting, and the city must provide a first draft to PHMC by September. He added that several out-of-area consultants had expressed interest and that no local applicants had yet responded.

Public comment at the start of the meeting focused on a stalled nomination for Saint Andrew’s Church and associated campus buildings. A public correspondent, who identified himself at the podium as Tom Clem of 1834 E. 30th Street, urged commissioners to visit the campus, saying “the campus speaks for itself.” In related remarks, the meeting record includes a written submission describing delays in review of an earlier nomination and a request that the commission consider the Saint Andrew nomination when nominations reopen.

The commission also moved forward with internal housekeeping: commissioners voted to satisfy a formal-notice requirement so they can consider revised bylaws, rules and procedures at a later meeting; the proposed bylaws remove language already codified in Article 7 and add procedural sections about conflict of interest and briefings. The commission agreed to schedule time at its next hearing to walk through nomination steps and commissioners’ roles.

Commission staff highlighted additional items for outreach and engagement. The city will host an Erie Outside parks, recreation and open-space engagement day on Aug. 16 during Celebrate Erie at the Boston Store; staff requested commissioners’ help staffing a preservation/history table and collecting public input. The commission also discussed its upcoming NAPC (National Alliance of Preservation Commissions) training day, scheduled for Sept. 26.

Commission leadership reported three current vacancies on the commission and described the appointment processes: one seat is appointed by council, one by the mayor, and one is a council or mayoral backfill as specified in Article 7. Staff said the commission is seeking applicants with expertise in architecture/architectural history, historic preservation or related fields, and a candidate with experience in real estate or economic development; commissioners must be City of Erie residents.

Votes at a glance - Approval of meeting minutes (June 2, 2025) as amended (to note minutes preparation): motion approved by voice vote; outcome: approved. - Motion to satisfy formal-notice requirement to allow consideration of revised HRC bylaws, rules and procedures at a future meeting: motion approved by voice vote; outcome: approved. - Motion to end the moratorium on accepting new landmark nominations contingent on City Council’s adoption of the schedule of fees: motion approved by voice vote; outcome: approved. - Motion to adjourn: approved by voice vote; outcome: approved.

What happens next City staff said the city’s PA-SHARE survey uploads should be complete by September and that the State Street RFP will be released soon with an anticipated 30-day selection process for a consultant. The commission plans a training/practice session at its next hearing to walk through nomination steps before the application intake reopens. Director Spry and Fekone encouraged commissioners to help with public outreach on Aug. 16 and at future neighborhood engagement events.