FELLSMERE — The Fellsmere City Council Thursday night decided to delay a decision that would put in place new rules for historic structures until next month after receiving input from a historic specialist.
“We want to do some word-smithing,” City Manager Jason Nunemaker said while requesting the Council to postpone a decision until the April 17 meeting.
Community Development Director Mark Mathes said after the meeting that he needs time to revise the proposed ordinance to clarify the two designations defined in the rules – Historic and Historically Significant – and cleans up the criteria of what makes a property Historically Significant.
With the delay by the City Council to allow the changes to be written, the public will have one more opportunity to provide input prior to the Council’s final vote.
Thursday’s public hearing was the second of what should have been two. No public input was provided during this hearing or the previous one.
Under the proposed ordinance, there would be certain protections put in place for structures that were classified either historic or historically significant.
Such protections would include requiring alterations to be consistent with the style and period of architecture and mandates and Council approval for certain changes and for demolitions. Single-family homes would remain unregulated so long as they are kept as a single-family home.
The ordinance would also set up an appeals process for property owners to raise objections to Council decisions.
