Historic Zoning Commission

COOKEVILLE HISTORIC ZONING COMMISSION AUGUST 14, 2001 5:30 P.M. The Cookeville Historical Commission met on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 45 East Broad Street, Cookeville, TN 38501. MEMBERS PRESENT: Anne Lowe, Don Prince, Vern Crabtree, Greg Stamps, and Calvin Dickinson. STAFF PRESENT: James Mills and Jayne Barns. OTHERS PRESENT: Tara Mitchell Mielnik and Lewis Jackson, Tennessee Historical Commission, and Mayor Chuck Womack. (See attached Record of Attendance for list of property owners present). James Mills shared a letter from the Tennessee Historical Commission that the old Board Street Church of Christ property located at 157 West Broad Street is being considered by the State Review Board for nomination to the National and Tennessee Register of Historic Places. CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL THE MINUTES OF JUNE 12, 2001, AND JULY 10, 2001. Greg Stamps made the motion to approve the minutes of June 12, 2001 and July 10, 2001. Ann Lowe seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. APPROVED. HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER FOR APPROVAL APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC OVERLAY ZONING FOR NORTH DIXIE AVENUE FROM BROAD STREET TO 7TH STREET. James Mills stated that a petition has been submitted requesting that the properties fronting North Dixie Avenue from East Broad Street to East 7th Street be designated as a Historic District. The requested district boundary includes 46 parcels of land. Staff has reviewed the application and the related submittals and it appears that all required information has been submitted. All property owners within the proposed district were notified by the Planning Department and invited to attend the Historic Commission meeting. The submitted petition indicates that the owners of 30 of the 46 parcels or 65.2 percent in the proposed Historic District are in favor of the Historic District zoning. This is slightly less than the two-thirds majority (66.6 percent) required by Cookeville Historic Zoning regulations. The Planning Department was notified by one of the 30 who signed the petition, Mrs. Wilma Brown of 30 North Dixie Avenue, that she was now opposed to her property being included in the Historic District. This would reduce the percentage in favor to 63 percent (29 out of 46). Staff stated that the required majority could be achieved if the approval of two or property owners was obtained or if three or more property owners not in favor of the COOKEVILLE HISTORIC ZONING COMMISSION 2 AUGUST 14, 2001 designation were removed from the proposed district. For example, 31 of 46 parcels equals 67.4 percent and 29 of 43 parcels equals 67.4 percent. Two property owners who did not sign the petition notified Staff that they were opposed to the Historic District overlay for their properties. These owners were Mrs. Caroline Lowe Brown, owner of property at 50 N. Dixie Avenue, and Mr. Dan Johnson, owner of property at 326 N. Dixie Avenue. Also, Staff was previously notified by Mr. Jerry Gaw that he was not in favor of the Historic District designation for his properties located at 640, 628, and 618 N. Dixie Avenue. As only 1 of 9 property owners south of East 1st Street has indicated that they are in favor of Historic District designation the removal of this area from the proposed district should be considered. A district boundary from East 1st Street to East 7th Street would include 37 parcels of which the owners of 28 parcels have indicated their approval on the submitted petition. This would provide a majority of 75.7 percent, which exceeds the required 66.6 percent. Additionally the deletion of the area south of East 1st Street would remove all commercially zoned property from the district. In fact all properties in the district would be zoned Single Family Residential, with the exception of one parcel located at the northwest corner of N. Dixie Avenue and East 7th Street which is zoned University. Staff stated that assuming that a minimum two-thirds (66.6 percent) majority is confirmed, Staff recommended approval with recommendation to the Planning Commission and City Council for the adoption of Historic District overlay zoning for properties fronting North Dixie Avenue from East 1st Street to East 7th Street. There was a lengthy discussion about the boundaries and where they should be located. It was the consensus of the residents of Dixie Avenue, and Tara Mielnik and Lewis Jackson of the Tennessee Historical Commission, that the old Whitson House owned by Caroline Lowe Brown was the cornerstone of the Historic Zoning for Dixie Avenue. The residents of North Dixie Avenue requested that the boundary be adjusted by removing the following properties: the First United Methodist Church, the First Presbyterian Church, and Whitson’s Funeral Home. The adjusted boundary includes 43 parcels of which 29 property owners or 67.4 percent have indicated their approval of the Historic District designation. Greg Stamps made the motion to approve the boundaries for the Historic Overlay Zoning from the south right-of-way of Freeze Street to East 7th Street. Calvin Dickinson seconded the motion. Votes: Greg Stamps-aye, Calvin Dickinson-aye, Anne Lowe- abstained, Don Prince-aye. APPROVED. James Mills stated that the Historic Zoning will be placed on the Cookeville Planning Commission agenda as a Study Item on August 27, 2001, and as an Action Item on September 24, 2001. He stated that tentative dates for Council approval were as follows: October 4, 2001, November 1, 2001, and November 15, 2001, and the Ordinance will become effective 14 days after the last reading. COOKEVILLE HISTORIC ZONING COMMISSION 3 AUGUST 14, 2001 ADJOURNMENT: 6:30 P.M. SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL SUBMITTED FOR RECORDING ___________________________ __________________________________ JAYNE BARNS CPS DON PRINCE, CHAIRMAN PLANNING ASSISTANT COOKEVILLE HISTORIC ZONING COMMISSION