Historic overlay explained at Bell Buckle meeting

The presentation was given in light of next Tuesday's meeting of the board of mayor and aldermen, when the planning commission will recommend a resolution creating an historic overlay district for the downtown area.

The changes to the town's zoning ordinance would create an "overlay" to the downtown historic district, which is zoned C-1, adding further restrictions to just what would be allowed to occupy the bottom floors of the main row of buildings.

"All businesses fronting Railroad Square and adjacent buildings in the historic strip shall have retail sales or retail service businesses (any business that generates sales tax) located on the first floor," the amendment reads. "This Overlay District intends to work seamlessly with the C-I Central Business District zone to allow and encourage the use of second-floor space for additional commercial uses ... As well as residential uses ..."

"I think this is the most important thing we can do to preserve the integrity of the downtown," said chairman Rodney Simmons.

A Historic Zoning Commission, separate from any other planning or zoning commission, would be needed and Crawford gave the town officials advice about how that HZC should function.

"The idea behind a local historic designation is to guide and control the change," said Crawford. "It can't stop the change. Change is going to happen, no matter what."

The most important aspect of an HZC, said Crawford, is to make sure the guidelines for the historic district are clear and the commission's decisions fair and above board. The rulings made by a local historic zoning commission are binding unless a chancery court finds them "arbitrary or capricious," said Crawford, in which case the HZC's decisions would be overturned.

The local HZC should include a member of the zoning commission, an architect (preferably one with an interest in historic preservation) and a member of a local historical society, said Crawford.

Crawford said the locally designated historic district could protect the area from demolition better than the national designation, which Bell Buckle's downtown already has.

Taps approved

The zoning commission also voted to recommend water and sewer taps for Dr. Bill Jones' property on Happy Valley Road. Bell Buckle Mayor Dennis Webb included in the recommendation the note that the water line is on the other side of the road and Jones would be responsible for the cost of going under it.

Michael Bauer and Wayne Neese approached the commission about Bauer's desire to divide a lot in the city limits.

"It meets the lot size requirements, so I don't see a problem with it," said Webb.

The Bauer plat was given conditional approval, pending some amendments to be made to it, including the removal of outbuildings on the property. Neese said the property will be auctioned April 25 and they wanted the buyer to pay the $3,000 in water and sewer tap fees, but they wanted to make it clear that the water and sewer were available.

Webb told Neese that getting a water and sewer tap shouldn't be a problem and there is water and sewer available.