CITY OF MURFREESBORO HISTORIC ZONING COMMISSION 3:30 PM, Council Chambers, City Hall I. Call to Order, Roll Call and determination of a quorum II. Approve Minutes of the Regular Meeting on January 19, 2010 III. New Business: Proposal to Remove and replace existing concrete sidewalk on the east side of S. Highland Avenue from E. Main Street to E. Vine Street - City Engineer, Chris Griffith Implementation of The Maney Avenue Comprehensive Plan within the East Main Street Historic Zone City Engineer, Chris Griffith Proposal to Amend the Murfreesboro City Code Appendix A (Zoning Ordinance), Section 24, H-1 Historic District Historic Zoning Commission staff IV. Staff Reports and Other Business V. Adjourn
City of Murfreesboro Historic Zoning Commission Staff Comments III. New Business: Proposal to remove and replace existing concrete sidewalk on the east side of S. Highland Avenue from E. Main Street to E. Vine Street - City Engineer, Chris Griffith The City of Murfreesboro is preparing to replace the existing concrete sidewalk on the east side of S. Highland Avenue from E. Main Street to E. Vine Street as a maintenance project. The concrete sidewalk in this particular area is deteriorating and will be removed and replaced with the same type material as the existing concrete sidewalk that s currently in place. This project is located inside the City s historic zone, which is why the City Engineer is presenting it for your comments. As shown in the attached aerial photographs and drawings, once the project is completed no change in appearance to the city s historic zone will have been made. This type of routine maintenance project normally would not be presented to the Commission with the amendment proposed to the Zoning Ordinance, which will be discussed later during the meeting. The Administration, however, is making a good faith effort to move forward with these types of projects by presenting this particular project to the Commission. Mr. Griffith will be in attendance at the meeting to make the presentation and to answer any questions you may have regarding this project.
City of Murfreesboro Historic Zoning Commission Staff Comments Implementation of the Maney Avenue Plan within the East Main Street Historic Zone City Engineer Chris Griffith The City of Murfreesboro completed The Maney Avenue Community A Comprehensive Community Plan in 2003 to provide the city with a vision for the older more central part of the community. As with all comprehensive plans, this plan is designed to guide the decision making for the area of the community to be studied by providing goals, policies and strategies that identify specific initiatives then sets forth the tools used to implement this vision. The Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and City Council all utilize this plan to make zoning and land use decisions whenever it involves the area of downtown included in the Maney Avenue Plan area. Sometimes the Plan calls for physical improvements. The City Council then gets involved in the funding for such projects. City Engineer, Chris Griffith will be presenting the Commission with a project, which includes physical improvements to the Maney Avenue corridor as shown in the Plan. This particular project begins at Southeast Broad Street and ends at East College Street (see attached drawings). With the presentation of this project, the City Engineer is soliciting comments regarding its appropriateness to the City s East Main Street Historic Zone because a portion of this project is located in the City s historic zone. These proposed improvements are similar to the Main Street template that s currently being implemented as part of the Main Street Revitalization Plan, also located in the downtown area. The City Engineer will have larger boards and drawings to explain the project in more detail at the meeting.
City of Murfreesboro Historic Zoning Commission Staff Comments Proposal to Amend the Murfreesboro City Code Appendix A (Zoning Ordinance), Section 24, H-1 Historic District Historic Zoning Commission staff Over the past several months the Historic Zoning Commission has been working with the City Administration and Legal Department to come up with a way to allow the Commission to have more input on matters involving the appearance of public property within the City s East Main Street Historic Zone. The Administration has acknowledged that it is the City s intentions to focus on the future of the city s historic zone and will endeavor to include historic preservation in the planning process. The Commission, however, feels that it is necessary to propose the following amendment to the City s Zoning Ordinance in order to provide the protection that the historic zone deserves: Amend Murfreesboro City Code Appendix A (Zoning Ordinance), Section 24, H-1, Historic Zoning District. 1. Reletter subsection (I), Injunctive Powers and Penalties, as subsection (J); and 2. Insert as new subsection the following: (I). Consideration of changes to public property. In any non-emergency situation when the removal, alteration, or demolition of any public or utility improvement, infrastructure, or object (including landscaping) existing on public property or within a public right-ofway or easement within the Historic District is planned, or when the addition or construction of a public or utility improvement, infrastructure or object (including landscaping) on public property or within a public right-of-way or easement in the Historic District is planned, the government, utility, or person planning such removal, alteration, demolition, addition or construction shall afford the Historic Zoning Commission an opportunity to review and provide written comments on such proposed action prior to its initiation. Prior consultation shall not be required for maintenance or repair of an existing public or utility improvement, infrastructure, or object (including landscaping) which does not materially change its size, appearance, or function nor for changes below the surface of any public street or easement. Consultation may be requested or provided even if it is not required as herein specified