The first and second reading of this Ordinance was continued from the May 10, 2018 City Council Meeting. The Mayor and Aldermen approved this text amendment request following a zoning hearing at the April 26, 2018 City Council Meeting.  The action being considered now is the approval of an ordinance for the text amendment.

MPC staff, Petitioner (File No. 17-006200-ZA), has proposed text amendments to the Historic District Ordinance (Sec. 8-3030 of the Zoning Ordinance) that will serve to:

1) Correct typographical errors;

2) Clarify definitions;

3) Add/revise standards to address changing technologies;

4) Allow ‘R’ zoning districts outside the Landmark District to qualify for a bonus story;

5) Strengthen the bonus story criteria, particularly in regards to the ‘active use’ criterion;

6) Add additional standards for large-scale development;

7) Provide the Historic District Board of Review (HDBR) some flexibility in the strict application of certain standards;

8) Strengthen the standards applicable to monumental buildings to ensure the protection of the Oglethorpe Plan;

9) Revise the boundaries of the “Factors Walk Character Area” to reflect the historical boundaries of Factors Walk; and

10) Require that amendments to the Historic District Ordinance are reviewed by the HDBR in addition to MPC and City Council.

On December 12, 2017, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the proposed revisions.

Approval.