Selma mayor urges rapid action to restore historic districts, prioritizes placards and wayfinding

Mayor Kevin McAllister told the Town of Selma Appearance Commission on March 17 that the town is moving quickly to restore and display its historic resources and asked the commission to prioritize historic-structure placards, gateway signs and wayfinding designs.

“These aren’t going to be two- and three-meeting conversations,” Mayor McAllister said. “We’re moving at a rapid pace. We’re not moving at a normal government pace. We’re moving at a pace of getting business done.”

McAllister said the commission should consider ways to “quickly get our historic districts cleaned up” and to recognize notable buildings, including what he described as “the oldest surviving business building” on the east side of Railroad Street (Martin Luther King Jr. Way). He proposed installing “solid, sturdy, long lasting placards” throughout the downtown historic districts so visitors can identify and learn about historic structures.

Why it matters: The mayor framed the work as part of a broader effort to shape the town’s appearance as Selma grows and traffic increases. Commission recommendations on signs, placards and design elements could influence downtown aesthetics, tourism signage and future permit reviews.

Commission discussion and subcommittees

McAllister told commissioners he did not favor creating new formally recognized subcommittees, saying the town already struggles to fill appointed boards and commissions. “More formal committee stuff is not a conversation,” he said, adding that informal stakeholder gatherings—coffee-shop meetings or small working groups—were acceptable as a way to discuss ideas but should not be established as new, town-recognized advisory bodies.

Commission members raised procedural questions about how the commission would review rapid projects. Town staff later outlined several options for issuing findings or orders after quasi-judicial hearings, including a secondary motion authorizing staff or the chair to finalize and sign orders so applicants would receive timely documentation.

Context and next steps

McAllister listed gateway signs and wayfinding as upcoming, high-priority items that the commission will see in draft form and be asked to review on an accelerated schedule. He said the commission would typically receive materials, have roughly a month to review them, and then meet to provide formal advice. Staff reiterated that formal approvals and legal findings would remain subject to the commission’s existing procedures.

Speakers

- Mayor Kevin McAllister — Mayor, Town of Selma (government). First reference: 00:02:14 - Chair (unnamed) — Chair, Appearance Commission (government). First reference: 00:00:00 - Miss Rainer — Appearance Commission member (government). First reference: 00:00:49 - Dr. McCoy — Appearance Commission member (government). First reference: 00:00:49 - Miss Lacey — Appearance Commission member (government). First reference: 00:00:49 - Miss Smith — Appearance Commission member (government). First reference: 00:01:41 - Dalton — Town staff / planner (government). First reference: 00:11:38 - Megan — Town staff (clerical/attorney role; administered oaths) (government). First reference: 00:12:50 - Don Lloyd — Appearance Commission member (government). First reference: 00:36:56

Authorities

- policy: Selma Land Use Plan 2040 (referenced by mayor and staff; cited as guiding downtown design and historic-context goals). Referenced_by: ["historic-districts-placards-gateway-wayfinding-selma","coordinated-projects-107-west-anderson-coa"] - statute: "General Statute 168" (as cited in discussion of conflicts of interest by commission member Don Lloyd). Referenced_by: ["historic-districts-placards-gateway-wayfinding-selma"] - statute: "G.S. 160A / 160D" (described in meeting as the statutory framework for hearings; transcript noted that a 160A provision was repealed and built into 160D). Referenced_by: ["historic-districts-placards-gateway-wayfinding-selma"]

Clarifying details

- staffing constraint: Mayor and staff repeatedly noted the town has difficulty filling boards and commissions and therefore opposes adding formally recognized subcommittees. - review timeline: Mayor asked commissioners to expect accelerated reviews—approximately one month of review followed by one meeting for formal advice on gateway and wayfinding designs.

Community relevance

- geographies: Downtown Selma; historic districts along West Anderson Street and near Railroad St./Martin Luther King Jr. Way - impact_groups: downtown business owners, visitors/tourists, property owners in historic districts - funding_sources: not specified in the meeting

Meeting context

- engagement_level: speakers_count:9, duration_minutes:44, items_count:6 - implementation_risk: low - history: topic has been discussed in prior months and the commission conducted district field trips in 2024 (staff indicated prior field trips did not complete required assessments).