Historic Preservation Commission

AGENDA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION June 14, 2021 at 6:00 PM Call to Order Welcome Approval of Minutes 1. March Meetings 2. April Minutes 3. May Minutes Old Business 4. Mid Island Historic Designation 5. Historic Signage Projects 6. Equity/Inclusion Initiative 7. Historic Building Maintenance 8. Special Districts New Business 9. Update of Mural Guidelines Permit Reviews Adjournment  TYBEE ISLAND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Meeting Minutes Date & Time: 3/8/21; 6:00 PM Present: Fidelia Fowler, Holly Grell-Lawe, Sarah Jones, Michelle Owens, Anthony Turpin, Marty Harrell Absent: Spec Hosti Guests: Rev. June Johnson, Forever Tybee; Mary Anne Butler, Tybee resident, Bob Ciucevich, Quatrefoil Consulting Location: Zoom Call Call to order Meeting was called to order by Fidelia Fowler at 6:00 PM. Minutes for Consideration – February 8, 2021 Fidelia Fowler moved to approve minutes. Marty Harrell seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Old Business Central District Designation – Bob Ciucevich gave an update on his work to apply for historic designation for the mid-island area. He is finalizing the application. The tentative boundaries for the new Central District will be: South of 6th Street; North of 11th / 12th Streets’ East of Strand; West side of Jones Avenue. This district presently does not include Memorial Park. Bob needs to supply more documentation to the State preservation office about the history of Memorial Park to try to get it included. The area near Venetian Terrace is not included due to too many intrusions. The new district will include nearly all of the raised Tybee Cottages, the Fresh Air Home and the former railroad station. Bob also shared that the City Hall is in the final stages of review for historic status. Story Board Signage Project – Michelle has applied for an $8,500 grant to help install all the story boards at once. If the grant is not received, we will revert to the original plan to do approx. 5 to 6 boards per year. Sarah has started the historical research for each story board. Equity/Inclusion Initiative - Michelle met with TYbeeMLK members Julia Pearce and Pat Leiby at the pier with a county representative. The county agreed to erect a historical sign at the pier denoting the civil rights wade-ins that occurred on Tybee. Michelle is working with the Tybee MLK organization to finalize Juneteenth Banners. The city IT staff is working on an equity and inclusion web page for the city’s web site. Special Districts – The commission agreed to hold a work session to examine pros and cons of various special districts that could help preserve local neighborhoods such as the North Campbell Subdivision. The meeting will be held March 22, 6 p.m. on Zoom. Historic Property Maintenance – Fidelia Fowler updated that the guardhouse was being landscaped and prepped for painting by the City. The city was waiting for the weather to improve before painting. Fidelia will visit the site to see if the painting has started. Board Member Application – Mary Anne Butler has applied to be on the commission. The board reviewed her application. Mary Anne was in attendance and introduced herself. Marty Harrell moved to approve Mary Anne’s application. Fidelia Fowler seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The application will be forwarded to city council for final approval. New Business Historic Preservation Month – Fidelia Fowler suggested we begin planning for Historic Preservation Month, which occurs in May. Sarah Jones will offer free admission to the lighthouse for locals and resident tours of the battery. The commission discussed sharing before and after photos of historic buildings on social media. Fidelia recommended also sharing stories of what happened in history on certain days in May. Fidelia will review old city council minutes to get content. Michelle will look into getting a commemorative magnet or other promotional item that can be given away during the month. Permit Reviews 3 Jones Avenue approved to replace a sliding glass door. Adjournment Fidelia Fowler moved to adjourn. Holly Grell-Lawe seconded. Meeting adjourned at 6:44 p.m.  TYBEE ISLAND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Meeting Minutes Date & Time: 4/12/21; 6:00 PM Present: Holly Grell-Lawe, Michelle Owens, Mary Ann Butler, Spec Hosti Absent: Anthony Turpin, Fidelia Fowler, Marty Harrell, Sarah Jones Guests: Rev. June Johnson, Forever Tybee; Nancy Quan, Savannah Morning News Location: Zoom Call Call to order Meeting called to order at 6:02 PM. Minutes for Consideration – March 8, 2021 Quorum not present. Minutes not approved. Old Business Central District Designation – Michelle reached out to Bob Ciucevich at Quartrefoil Consulting and asked for an invoice for work completed on the mid-island historic designation to date. She is waiting for his response. Story Board Signage Project – Storyboards for the historic Tybee Wade In have been installed near the Tybee Island Lighthouse. We did not get the grant to do all signage at once as we had hoped. We will follow our original plan to do at least five per year. Sarah is conducting research and design. Equity/Inclusion Initiative - Web page is completed. Juneteenth banners are ordered. Michelle met with TybeeMLK and county representatives to discuss placing a historic sign commemorating the Wade In at the entrance of the pier. Board Member Application – Mary Anne Butler has applied to be on the commission. The board reviewed her application. Mary Anne was in attendance and introduced herself. Marty Harrell moved to approve Mary Anne’s application. Fidelia Fowler seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The application will be forwarded to city council for final approval. The TybeeMLK Juneteenth celebration is planned for June 19. Special Districts – Original meeting was cancelled and needs to be rescheduled. Holly would like to make sure that North Campbell neighborhood residents are included in any discussions about options to protect the area. Michelle will find out more information about who worked on the conservation district for the Parkside neighborhood in Savannah. Historic Building Maintenance – The Guardhouse repainting is complete. Michelle coordinated a meeting for State Department of Community Affairs, a group of preservationists and Eldo Hartz, owner of Carbo House, to explore preservation options for the historic building. The group will put together a proposal for Mr. Hartz on ways to fund the preservation of the Carbo House. Mary Anne Butler expressed an interest in touring the Carbo House. Michelle shared that a trolley tour had been scheduled to view that building and other historic properties on the island. She will work on getting that rescheduled. New Business Historic Preservation Month – Sarah will be offering free tours of the battery and free lighthouse admission for residents. Members can attend a special Historic Preservation Month training offered by National Main Street program. Michelle will register interested members. Permit Reviews No permit reviews Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 6:25 p.m.  TYBEE ISLAND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Meeting Minutes Date & Time: 5/10/21; 6:00 PM Present: Holly Grell-Lawe, Michelle Owens, Sarah Jones Anthony Turpin Absent: Fidelia Fowler, Mary Anne Butler, Spec Hosti, Marty Harrell Guests: Rev. June Johnson, Pat Leiby Location: Zoom Call Call to order Meeting called to order at 6:02 PM. Minutes for Consideration – March 8, 2021 and April 12, 2021 Quorum not present. Minutes not approved. Old Business Mid Island Historic Designation Michelle Owens shared that the application for historic designation is still in progress with Quartrefoil Consulting and that hopefully the consultant can get Memorial Park included in the boundaries. Holly Grell-Lawe stated she observed roof repairs had started on the historic picnic pavilion at Memorial Park. Story Board Signage Project – Sarah Jones shared that Tybee MLK and Tybee Historical Society will host an unveiling of historic wade-in signage on May 19, 6.p.m in front of the history museum. Michelle Owens updated the board that the city council will decide at its upcoming meeting whether to enter a partnership agreement with TybeeMLK for the Wade-In marker planned for the county pier. The partnership will require the city assist with maintenance and repair of the marker. Equity/Inclusion Initiative - The equity web page on the city website is completed. Juneteenth banners have been ordered by the city for light poles. Michelle met with TybeeMLK and other partners to discuss a historical marker for Lazaretto area. Special Districts – Original meeting was cancelled and needs to be rescheduled, possibly in mid June. Historic Preservation Month – The Tybee Historical Society will be offering free tours of the battery for local residents on May 18, 9 a.m.; and free lighthouse admission for residents on May 16 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Permit Reviews No permit reviews Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 6:24 p.m.  MURAL GUIDELINES (in accordance with City of Tybee Island Ordinance 2014-34A) INTRODUCTION Thank you for your interest in having a decorative mural for your business in the City of Tybee Island. Mural projects are an investment in cultural capital that goes far beyond tourism, improved aesthetics, increased business traffic and building occupancy, and eradication of blight. Murals are an investment in a city’s unique identity and its cultural cohesiveness, and contribute to its public art. To effectively implement a successful mural program, which will ensure consistency and aesthetic value in the community; it is important that applicants adhere to the following guidelines, which will ensure the best possible results. The application process and guidelines that follow are intended to provide mural applicants with a reasonable process that will safeguard the interests of the community, as well as those of the individual property owner. Allowance of painted, decorative murals is intended to extend public art into commercial areas of the City of Tybee Island in order to enhance the cultural experience of the public. Applications for mural designs on privately-owned commercial buildings in the City of Tybee Island must be approved by the Development (Dev’l) Authority / Main Street Board of Directors through the Mural Design Review Application approval process described below. To make an appointment for reviewing the resource material, mural review for approval, and / or for further information, please contact the Tybee Island Dev’l Authority / Main Street Executive Director at (912) 472-5071 or cmorton@cityoftybee.org. COMMERCIAL BUILDING MURAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES 1) Theme / Design Criteria: a) Murals on privately-owned buildings must reflect the character, culture and history of the area/neighborhood. Murals will adhere to creative themes including: vintage / historic Tybee Island (photos for reference are available through the Tybee Island Historical Society and / or the Dev’l Authority / Main Street Office) Tybee beaches / ocean, nature scenes. An emphasis should be reflective of the specific area /neighborhood. b) Appropriate thematic and other relationships to the surrounding environment. c) Appropriateness of scale. d) No signage or subject matter that could be construed as advertising, copy, symbols or references directly promoting any product, business, brand, organization, service, cause, or political messages. 2) Site Selection Criteria: a) The building owner submits a letter of request with proposed mural details to the Dev’l Authority / Main Street Executive Director for consideration. The request must include the proposed idea or theme; a photograph of the wall on which the proposed mural will be created; and photographs of the surrounding area, including structures immediately adjacent to the building. The letter must include proof in writing that the required private funds and/or in-kind contributions are secured, as well as, a 5-year maintenance plan. b) The submittal must include a letter from the property owner (if different from applicant) confirming their approval of the proposed mural to be on their building and acknowledge they are responsible for upkeep.  The requirement of attaching plywood will be part of the $75 fee for the permit issued by the Planning & Zoning Department. Mural Guidelines: Main Street Board approved June 18, 2014; updated w/ Program name change March 2015. Page 1 of 3 3) Planning / Considerations: a) Once a mural is painted in an outdoor location, it becomes public art. There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration before a mural is started. b) The artist and the building owner should agree upon the content of the mural with an estimate of the cost. c) A written contract should be signed between all parties involved, i.e. artist, building owner or leaser) prior to work beginning. d) The contract should designate the lifetime of the mural (three, five, seven or other, agreed upon years) that the mural will be left undisturbed, after which the mural can be painted over without penalty. e) Consider the location of the wall in which to attach plywood for the mural to be displayed. Reasoning for plywood / maintaining the integrity of a building…For historic buildings and districts, careful consideration of the historic fabric and historic setting should be considered. Murals should not compromise the character defining features of a historic building or district, as this may compromise its eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places now and / or in the future. In some cases, attaching plywood to the exterior of buildings can help protect historic fabric, but can also cause other preservation issues if not maintained. f) Investigate the different paints available and strive for the most durable. g) Determine who will maintain the mural if the work is damaged and / or needs attention. h) Take into account the surrounding businesses and residents when planning the mural. 4) Mural Making Process: a) When painting a mural, it is important to choose an appropriate wall and location. Protecting the integrity of buildings on Tybee Island is of utmost importance; therefore, plywood* must be attached to the building for the mural to be painted. Water leaks and cracks in the plywood may have adverse effects on the mural and should also be avoided. Murals, which face direct sunlight during the daytime hours fade and peel much faster than those which do not get direct sunlight or are protected by overhanging architecture. Murals located in heavily trafficked areas will be subject to more smog, dirt and chemicals which may change the colors of the original paint. b) Before painting, it is highly recommended that the surface be cleaned thoroughly. The cleaner the surface is, the longer the mural will last. After the surface has been cleaned, a coating such as gesso should be applied to create a smooth and consistent surface to which the paint can bond. Surface preparation, materials, paint, and anti-graffiti coating should be compatible with each other as well as with the surface. Consult manufacturers of products for specific information. One type of paint that may be used is mineral paint because it bonds extremely well with the wall and should last many years. Paint should be applied thinly and evenly. Thick layers of paint take longer to dry and tend to peel quickly. c) It is recommended that a protective anti-graffiti coating be applied to murals to protect them from graffiti and vandalism. Several products that employ a sacrificial coat to the mural surface are on the market. Some coatings may crack, bubble, fog, yellow or otherwise alter the colors on the mural. Therefore, a layer of varnish may be applied to the finished mural first to isolate and protect the paint layer. d) Consistent maintenance is extremely important to the durability of outdoor murals. It is recommended that a regular maintenance plan be devised for each mural.  The requirement of attaching plywood will be part of the $75 fee for the permit issued by the Planning & Zoning Department. Mural Guidelines: Main Street Board approved June 18, 2014; updated w/ Program name change March 2015. Page 2 of 3 5) Mural Design Approval Process a) Mural proposals are initially reviewed by appointment with the Dev’l Authority / Main Street Executive Director. b) The complete mural submission will be reviewed at the next scheduled Dev’l Authority / Main Street Design Committee meeting for a recommendation to be considered at the next scheduled Board of Directors meeting. The applicant is encouraged to attend the meetings. i) The Design Committee meetings are typically held the 1st Thursday of each month at 6pm. The Board of Directors meetings are typically held the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6pm. Both meeting are held in the Tybee Island City Hall Auditorium at 403 Butler Avenue. c) A complete Mural Design submission must include the following: (1) Written description of proposed design, site, surface preparation, materials and processes to be used (including anti-graffiti treatment), individual/groups involved in the mural design, and/or preparation, and parties responsible for subsequent maintenance. Ideally, a separate maintenance plan should be included. (2) Written permission to proceed with the project, including any additional requirements, from the property owner. (3) Color scale rendering (no larger than 8-1/2” x 14”) of proposed design, including any text. (4) Photographs of the proposed site and physical surroundings (5) Timeline for completing the project (6) Documentation of finished work. Photographic documentation of completed projects is required for our records. PLEASE NOTE: Once the Tybee Island Dev’l Authority / Main Street Board has approved the proposed mural design, the artist may not make additional changes to the design without returning to the Design Committee for recommendation of Board approval of the changes prior to implementation of the mural. During the review process, Directors may make recommendations to meet the intent of the mural guidelines and better assist the applicant. In the event that the applicant fails to receive Dev’l Authority / Main Street Board approval for submitted mural design, s/he may appeal this decision to the City Council. 6) General Definitions: Gesso – A traditional mix of glue binder, chalk, and white pigment, used to coat rigid surfaces (e.g. wooden painting panels) as an absorbent primer coat substrate for painting. Sign – An advertisement through graphics or text identifying a specific business, product, or service. Mural – A singular hand-painted work of art with graphics related to artistic design for public display.  The requirement of attaching plywood will be part of the $75 fee for the permit issued by the Planning & Zoning Department. Mural Guidelines: Main Street Board approved June 18, 2014; updated w/ Program name change March 2015. Page 3 of 3