HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-11-2025 Fairhope Historic Preservation Commission Meeting MinutesFairhope Historic Preservation Commission
Meeting Minutes
June 11, 2025
24 N Section Street, Fairhope Museum of History
Members in Attendance:
Mara Kozelsky-Hunter, Chair, Amy Molyneux, Vice Chair, Ginger Golson,
Susan Stein, Gary Gover, Dannie Mixon, Skip Jones, and Erik Cortinas,
Building Official, City of Fairhope. Jay Robinson, City Council, was absent.
Mara Kozelsky-Hunter called the meeting to order at 3:30PM.
Approve Minutes: Mara asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the
meeting for May 14, 2025. Skip Jones made a motion to approve the minutes,
second by Ginger Golson and unanimously passed.
Chair’s Report:
Saving Places-Gary Gover has sent everyone the Saving Places which
requests support for the National Park Service and Mara hopes that everyone
will consider that and take whatever action they feel is appropriate. She
stated that the National Park Service is on the table to have it’s funding
completely cut, and it is the National Park Service that funds major historic
sites.
National Alliance of Preservation Commission-Mara Stated that Amy
Molyneux has advocated that the Commission join the National Alliance of
Preservation Commission. It is an excellent resource for Historic
Commissions and has good training videos on YouTube.
Insights from AHC-Mara stated that she, Amy, and Erik attended a zoom
meeting with the Alabama Historic Commission in order to gather information
about Historical Surveys. She said they were very helpful with information and
guidance.
IEBC – SHPO “Certification of Eligibility”: Mara stated that this comes out of
the Commission discussions of how to promote renovations using the
International Existing Building Code. She said that Erik shared the IEBC rule
book that states that a building is required to be listed on a Federal, State, or
local Register. If it is not listed, it also includes a provision for being certified
and eligible by the Alabama Historical Commission.
Historical Survey Discussion:
Mara asked Erik and Hunter Simmons, Planning & Zoning Director, if they had
heard anything about the CLG letter. Erik stated that he had heard that Chris
Williams, Attorney, was making changes to the letter to satisfy what the
National Park Service said. After the changes are made, it will have to go
before the City Council for approval. Erik said he would call Chris Williams in
the morning to check on the status.
Erik stated that the AHC survey office advised not to redo any of the existing
surveys, especially the downtown survey, and to focus on other areas that
have not yet been surveyed.
Mara asked Hunter if they could use ARC-GIS mapping to find where the
largest concentration of historic properties are located by year built. There
was a group discussion about what ARC-GIS can do and the information that
it can provide that will be helpful to the Commission.
Hunter stated that the Commission needs to narrow down geographically
what areas they want to focus on and the information they want the ARC-GIS
system to provide.
Mara said that the Commission members could look around different areas
and neighborhoods to help determine which areas still have fifty percent or
more contributing structures.
Erik stated that he could print maps of the City for the Commission members
to use when they are looking at the different areas of interest.
After further discussion, Mara stated that they could get maps by August and
in the meantime the Commission members could look around the City and
identify possible areas of interest to focus on as possible historic districts.
Demolition Review Proposal, Application Fee:
There was a group discussion about the deadline for the final draft of the
Demolition Review Proposal and Application fee. Erik stated that he would
need the final draft by the end of August or first of September so that he can
present it to the City Council on September 8th for the first reading, final
adoption on September 22nd with an effective date of January 1, 2026. Mara
stated that she would not be present at the July meeting, so Amy Molyneux
will be conducting that meeting. The Proposal should be their priority so that
any revisions they decide to make can be made before presenting the
proposal to a City Council work session for their comments. The final draft
would then be given to Erik for City Council approval.
Alan Samry: Presentation Banner & Shield:
Alan Samry from the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission gave
the members present an overview of the Banner and Shield Program and the
Historic Markers. After a group discussion, a motion was made by Skip Jones
to write a letter to the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission for
the most updated list of the Banner & Shields, second by Amy Molyneux and
unanimously passed. Susan Stein was asked to write the letter.
There being no further business, Skip Jones made a motion to adjourn, second
by Amy Molyneux and unanimously passed.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:51PM.
Submitted by Cynthia A Boothe
Building Department
City of Fairhope