From staff reports
As it turns out, three weeks didn’t change anything.
Just as it did at the first reading on August 22, the Beaufort City Council passed the second reading Tuesday, Sept. 12, to amend the city ordinance that gives the Historic Beaufort Foundation (HBF) the ability to recommend one of the five members of the Historical District Review Board (HRB).
With no change from the first vote, the motion to strike the sentence from the city’s Code of Ordinances 10.7.3(a) carried 3-2 with Beaufort Mayor Stephen Murray, Councilman Josh Scallate and Mayor Pro Tem Mike McFee voting to remove the sentence and Councilman Neil Lipsitz and Councilman Mitch Mitchell voting against.
The sentence to be removed is the last sentence of this ordinance, which addresses the number and make-up of the HRB board members.
The HRB shall consist of 5 members with an interest, competence, or knowledge in historic preservation. All HRB members shall be residents of the city, own property in the city, or own or operate a business in the city. To the extent that such is available in the community, 2 members shall, be professionals in the disciplines of historic preservation, architecture, landscape architecture, history, architectural history, planning, archaeology, or related disciplines. Three of the members shall either live or own property in the Historic District. One of the 5 members [of] the Historic Review Board shall be recommended by the Historic Beaufort Foundation.
Nine speakers spoke during the public comment period of the meeting in support of the HBF keeping its seat on the board, citing HBF’s importance to the preservation of downtown Beaufort’s historical district and their status as a national historic landmark.
The non-profit HBF has been around since the 1940s, according to Executive Director Cynthia Jenkins, t and has been involved in helping to advise local governmental bodies and committees in matters of preservation since the first zoning ordinance in 1972.
Maxine Lutz, a former member of the City of Beaufort Design Review Board and current HRB member, had been HBF’s choice for reappointment, and the Council had been expected to fill the HRB’s two vacant seats Tuesday night.
But that’s now up in the air as Council tabled the appointment of two members, which has already been on hold for the past several months. Including Lutz, there are six candidates for the two seats.
At the first reading, several speakers and Jenkins suggested Council’s actions may be retaliation for the HBF’s involvement in the lawsuits been brought against the City of Beaufort regarding the approval to build a parking garage, hotel and apartments in downtown Beaufort.
“There is currently, on my part, no retaliation against HBF,” Councilman Mike McFee said at the Aug. 22 meeting.
Instead, supporters of the motion all shared similar sentiments – it is not fair for one group to receive preferential treatment over so many other organizations that partner with the City of Beaufort who are not given the same opportunity.
