Flat Rock council sets July 1 deadline for historic-district recommendations amid resident objections

Mayor Bard and councilmembers moved Monday to require the planning commission and the historic-district study committee to return formal recommendations by July 1, shortening the one-year window allowed under the city ordinance.

Mr. Zik, who reviewed the ordinance language for council, said the process is governed by Ordinance 2-175 and that the study committee previously submitted a preliminary report that council acknowledged on March 2 and referred to the planning commission. “This is all laid out … in our ordinance which is 2-175,” he told council as he walked members through subsections and the 60-day public-hearing step that followed the committee report.

Councilmembers said they wanted to avoid dragging homeowners through a year-long uncertainty while the committee worked toward a final recommendation. Councilman Martin argued that residents deserve prompt clarity: delaying for a year would be unfair to homeowners, he said, and urged a quicker timeline. Other councilmembers said one month would be tight if the committee elects to substantially redesign the proposed district, and they left the option of extension on the table.

The council also debated the presentation and outreach process used at the May 7 public hearing. Mayor Bard said he received complaints that a speaker used a term he found “disgusting” when addressing council and that the public presentation lacked clear written guidelines; several councilmembers agreed that any future submissions should include black-and-white, written criteria so homeowners understand potential conditions for changes to their property.

Council approved a motion to set July 1 as the target date for the planning commission and historical commission recommendations; the council noted it could consider extensions or modifications if the study committee requested more time to pare down the district.

The council also addressed related business: Mayor Bard asked the historical commission to resolve an ongoing issue about cats living in city-owned historic buildings and moved to send a letter asking the commission to vote on the matter; several members said they preferred to have the commission handle the issue directly. The mayor additionally nominated Steve Collins to the historical commission; the nomination carried after a recorded roll-call-style response in which one councilmember registered a no vote.

Residents who spoke to council at the meeting reiterated support for the historic-district proposal. Mary St. Peter, who said she attended the May 7 hearing, told council she hoped presentations would include a clearer visual (for example, a PowerPoint of affected properties) and expressed frustration that a local TV crew showed footage of houses near hers without notice.

What happens next: the city staff will accept the planning commission’s and historical commission’s recommendations when they return, and council can either vote on a final district or allow the committees to revise and return by the July 1 target. The council emphasized that any final designation would require homeowner participation and is subject to applicable state rules and the ordinance’s procedural timeline.