PC: Historic Preservation Ordinance?

Dear People:

NOTE: I will have my office hours tomorrow LATE in the afternoon--from 4-5 pm. Also, due to the start of the school term, I will have to alter my normal office hour time. I will let you know what time slot I'm going to commit to as soon as I've figured out what will work best for my class schedule this fall--it may be a very early morning time or a weekend time. (If you have a preference, feel free to let me know.)

Planning Commission Meeting Monday 8/11, 7 pm, Bryan Center.

Agenda:

1. Reports

• Council--focus will be on the Village Manager Search plan
  
• Bike Enhancement Committee--Management Action Items: the BEC is working with the Village on
  

--getting Xenia Ave. foliage cut back,
--making street surfaces safer for bikes (repairing pot holes, assessing grates/utility access covers, etc.),
--marking the "sweet spots" that allow bikes to activate traffic lights,
--improving bike rack quality/availability,

• Zoning Admin/Planner report
• Miami Township Zoning Commission

2. Communication: from Xenia Township Zoning Inspector sent us a letter explaining that the Xenia Township, located on our southern border, is creating a land use plan for the northern (and southern) section of the township; their next discussion (on August 21) will include a focus on well-field protection and mineral extraction.

3. The main agenda item: Historic Preservation Ordinance: Should we adopt an historic preservation ordinance? We need to decide whether it would be valuable for us, as a village, to enact an historic preservation ordinance (which would necessitate having a historic preservation board to oversee permit processes), and also whether we should (at some point) work towards being a Certified Local Government with regard to historic preservation.

Such an ordinance could require demolition and remodeling permits for any significant changes to any buildings or lands within the historic district, which includes a significant portion of the whole village. How strictly would we want to write these rules? I have sample guidelines, from Medina and Springboro, provided by Glenn Harper of the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office.

If you are interested in this issue--pro or con!--I would like to hear from you. Is it time for Yellow Springs to more proactively protect our village's historic legacy? (Can we do so and still "keep it funky"?) This is always the line we are walking.

Please write me with your thoughts and/or attend this meeting!