Fairhope council introduces ordinance amendments to pursue CLG status, stresses no immediate property designations
Loading...
Summary
City staff introduced changes to the Historic Preservation Commission ordinance intended to meet National Park Service requirements for Certified Local Government (CLG) recognition; officials emphasized the amendment only establishes a multi-step designation process and does not itself name or regulate specific properties.
Fairhope staff introduced amendments to Ordinance 17-97 on April 13 that would add procedural steps for identifying and designating historic properties and historic districts to permit the city to seek Certified Local Government (CLG) status from the National Park Service. Chris, the staff presenter, said the amendments draw heavily from the Alabama Historic Commission model language and are meant to create a process rather than to immediately designate any property.
"This ordinance as proposed does not identify or name any specific property or any specific district as historic," Chris said, adding that a separate step would be required before any property is given regulatory protections: a historic survey, a recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission, multiple public hearings, and then a city council ordinance to designate the site.
Council members reiterated that residents' concerns about property-rights impacts were heard during prior discussions. "Their concern was that ... their property would somehow be infringed upon and restricted in some way," said Councilman Robinson, summarizing earlier objections. Both staff and council stressed that designations would require additional, distinct actions and public notice.
Staff also described the background to the amendment: an earlier ordinance adopted in 2024 created the Historic Preservation Commission and was supported by the state Alabama Historic Commission for CLG nomination, but the federal National Park Service returned the nomination citing deficiencies in the ordinance language. The amendment aims to address that federal feedback so the city can qualify for CLG-related grants and technical benefits.
The ordinance was introduced at the work session and will be laid over to the next council meeting for formal consideration; no property designations or regulatory changes will occur without the subsequent public-survey and hearing steps staff described.
