Preservation staff told the Syracuse City Preservation Board on Nov. 20 that the zoning administrator has referred a proposed tax text amendment back to the Common Council and requested State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) documentation to assess impacts on historic resources; until the SEQR materials are submitted the 60-day review clock for County Planning and the City Planning Commission does not start.

“Seeker reviews not only environmental impacts of projects, potential for environmental impact, but also, on cultural and historic resources,” staff said at the meeting, describing the procedural hold while the application is completed.

Nicole Fragnito updated members on PACNY activities: a recent five-county preservation summit that included SHPO representatives and local commissions, plans for homeowner workshops (window repair, paint removal, hardware restoration) and PACNY’s annual preservation awards scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5 at St. Paul’s on Montgomery Street, with Bob Yeager of Partners for Sacred Places as keynote speaker.