Livingston officials want to hear directly from state experts before moving forward with proposed updates to the city’s historic zoning ordinance.
Livingston Mayor Lori Elder Burnett told Aldermen during Tuesday’s work session that state officials have agreed to attend a November work session to explain how historic zoning operates in other communities. They will discuss its potential advantages and disadvantages, and how it could affect tourism.
“What I would like is for you guys to table it until maybe even January for a vote,” Burnett said. “But let’s listen to what they have to say in November and study it some, give everybody time to kind of process it and then do that.”
Burnett also sought to clear up confusion about a map showing a potentially larger historic district. Burnett said that map was prepared by the development district to demonstrate what an expanded area could look like, but it is not part of the ordinance previously considered by the board.
“The ordinance that you guys passed the first reading on only has to do with updating us to where the state is right now with that law,” Burnett said.
Burnett said Livingston already has an H-1 historic district with boundaries encompassing portions of the downtown area. Any potential change to those boundaries would be a separate discussion after the city addresses its ordinance and determines how it wants to administer historic zoning.
“There are lots of moving parts to this ordinance and so, there’s committee, there’s the area, and then, once if this passes with the current zone, we would have to make a committee, talk and see if we want to change the district or keep it like it is,” Burnett said.
The discussion also focused on what oversight a historic zoning committee could have over changes to properties within the district. Burnett said guidelines could allow some requests to be handled administratively while questions about whether a proposed change is appropriate could go before a committee.
“We really have not had a committee to do that since I’ve been here and there’s not been one active for… for some time,” Burnett said.
No action was taken on historic zoning during the work session. Burnett said the city plans to continue the discussion with state representatives during a November work session before the board considers how to proceed.
