Proposed Isle of Hope Historic District Update

A group of residents of Isle of Hope (IOH), headed by Lee Meyer, submitted an application for a portion of the island to become a local historic district. A requirement of the application is that more than 50% of the property owners within the proposed district must consent to the designation. Proof of consent is through the signing of a petition. Click here to read the letter accompanying the petition. Click here to read the Fact Sheet accompanying the petition. Originally, more than 50% of property owners supported the application. However, a subsequent petition objecting to the application circulated, and currently it appears that the majority of property owners do not support the application. The application is therefore not being processed.

A Design Guidelines Committee made up of property owners and technical experts was formed to draft the proposed IOH Design Standards. The committee completed a draft of the proposed standards to prevent the unnecessary demolition of historic buildings, ensure changes to historic buildings are compatible with the character of the district, and ensure that new construction is compatible with the character of the district. The proposed standards have not been presented to the wider neighborhood for comments and revisions.

What are the next steps?

Until the majority of property owners within the district support the application, it will not be processed.

Should the application receive majority property owner support, the design standards would be reviewed and revised by the neighborhood. The Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission (CCHPC) would review the application and Design Standards at a public hearing, and make a recommendation to the County Commissioners. The County Commissioners would review the application and design standards at two public meetings in the form of an ordinance, and decide whether to adopt the ordinance as proposed, adopt the ordinance with amendments, or deny the ordinance.

What are the IOH Design Standards?

Please click here for a draft of the proposed IOH Design Standards.

What are the boundaries of the proposed district? How do I know if I'm in the proposed district?

Please see the map of the proposed historic district boundaries.

What if I live in the proposed district but my house is not historic?

All structures within the historic district have been evaluated and determined to be "contributing" or "non-contributing." See the map to ascertain if a structure is contributing or non-contributing.

A contributing structure adds to the historic or architectural value for which the district is significant. Typically, contributing structures are older than 50 years.

Non-contributing structures do not add to the historic or architectural value for which the district is significant. Typically, non-contributing structures are less than 50 years old. Alterations to non-contributing structures do have some design standards to meet, but they are to ensure that changes are compatible with the character of the district and are significantly different from the design standards for contributing structures. For example, there are no restrictions on the demolition of non-contributing buildings, while there are restrictions on the demolition of contributing buildings.

What if something on my property did not meet the standards? Would I have to remove it?

No, the standards would only apply when you want to make a change to your property. They would not be retroactive and you would not have to un-do any changes already made.

What's the difference between a National Register Historic District and a Local Historic District?

A National Register Historic District is a federally-designated historic district. While it certainly prestigious to be designated as a National Register Historic District, the designation is more of an honorary title that does not provide any protection of historic resources on privately funded projects (if the project is federally funded, more protection is provided).

A local historic district provides real protection of historic resources. All exterior material changes must meet the design standards developed for the area before a building permit is issued.

For more information on the differences between National Register historic districts and local historic districts, click here.

What happens after an area is designated as a local historic district?

After the County Commission designates an area as a local historic district, all property owners will be notified. A Certificate of Appropriateness will be required for material changes before a building permit is issued.

What sorts of things would require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) and what things would be excluded?

All material changes visible from the public right-of-way to the exterior appearance of a structure, new construction, demolition, relocation of a building, and some site features (including new fences, significant paving, and signs) would require a COA.

Regular maintenance and repair would not require a COA. Color changes would not require a COA. Any changes not visible from the public right-of-way would not require a COA. Any changes to the interior which have no effect on the exterior would not require a COA. Signs less than three square feet would not require a COA.

What sorts of projects could be reviewed at Staff Level and what projects would go before the CCHPC?

Most projects could be reviewed at Staff Level. Only new construction, additions over 500 square feet, and demolition of historic resources would go to the CCHPC for review. This would give the public the opportunity to comment on major changes within the district.

Who is on the CCHPC? Does the IOH have a representative?

The CCHPC is a nine-member board appointed by the County Commissioners. Each member serves a three year term. Every year in April, three new appointments are made. Members are appointed to the board based on their qualifications, not by where they live. If you are interested in serving on the CCHPC, contact your County Commissioner. For a list of current members, please click here.

What if I signed the petition to become a historic district but now I've changed my mind? Can I remove my consent?

Absolutely. The decision to become a local historic district rests solely with the property owners within the boundaries of the Isle of Hope local historic district. If you signed the petition, but have changed your mind, send a letter to that effect to:

Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission
ATTN: Ellen Harris
110 East State Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401

Please be sure to include your name and address and your signature will be removed from the petition.

What other communities in Georgia have local historic districts?

As of September, 2006, 126 communities in Georgia have historic preservation ordinances. Many of these have multiple historic districts within their community. Please click here for a full list.

What are the economic implications of historic preservation?

Donovan Rypkema, an internationally known expert in preservation economics, recently gave a lecture entitled Preservation Economics in Coastal Georgia. You can link to a video of his 40 minute talk by clicking here:

http://www.coastalgeorgiardc.org/planning_rypkema_v2_small.html

I have heard Wymberly is going to become a local historic district too. Is that true?

The decision to become a local historic district is a decision for the property owners within the district to make. The MPC has not received an application from Wymberly nor been informed that an application is underway. Contact your local neighborhood leaders to find out if they are preparing an application.

How can I stay informed?

To be added to the email list to receive notices about upcoming meetings and progress on the local historic district, send an email to that effect to harrise@thempc.org. Also, check the website regularly for updates.

For more information or to comment, please contact Ellen Harris at harrise@thempc.org or 912-651-1482.