Historic District Commission

Meeting of the Historic District Commission June 12, 2025, 5:30 PM City Hall Room 101 & Zoom NOTE: The June 12, 2025 Historic District Commission meeting was held in person and online, with commissioners attending in person and online. Staff were present in person. Members: Chair Christine Myers, Vice Chair Julie Preddy, Meredith Mahan, Mark Harper, Cheri Coley, Jennifer Didway, and Tommie Flowers Davis City Staff: Kylee Cole – Long Range & Preservation Planner; Britin Bostick - Long Range Planning & Special Projects Manager Call to Order: 5:30 PM In Attendance: Chair Christine Myres, Cheri Coley, Jennifer Didway, Meredith Mahan, Mark Harper, Tommie Flowers Davis, Kylee Cole, Britin Bostick, and Councilmember Teresa Turk Approval of Minutes from the May 8, 2025 Meeting: Motion to accept by Commissioner Coley, second by Commissioner Didway. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote. Announcements: Unfinished Business: 1. Goals & Action Items Review: Cole reviewed Commissioner’s selections: the overall winner was downtown guidelines, others included an interest in pursuing Demo ordinance. Discussion followed about the HDC’s role in the downtown master plan process and Bostick provided an overview of the downtown plan project plan. Staff will provide a history on the current downtown design overlay district at the next meeting. 2. Update on Back Forty/St. John’s Historic Marker – Bostick asked the HDC to put Thursday, June 26th at 2:00 PM on their calendars for the unveiling of the newest marker. Meet on the West Ave. side near the pavilion. Myres asked if there was a picture or illustration on the marker. Bostick shared the revised plaque with the HDC. This project was done in partnership with NWA Equality. Councilmember Turk thanked the commission for their support with the project. New Business 1. Historic District Discussion – Councilmember Teresa Turk – Turk offered a recent history of project proposals, and three examples of other AR city’s approach to design overlays. Discussion followed about what regulations may be considered with a focus on Dickson St.’s historic fabric. Turk encouraged the commissioners to continue thinking about this issue and what possible actions could be taken. Bostick noted that there are two paths for creating a local historic district, including a petition signed by property owners or using the exact NRHP boundary for City  Council to establish. Another option is a design overlay, which downtown already has. The expectation currently is that buildings have more traditional building features. The Planning Commission has noted that this is overly detailed in some places, and not clear in others. The design overlay district is so large and deals with several building types: commercial, small homes, apartment buildings, etc. These standards could be revisited to improve them, and the HDC could offer to serve as the subcommittee for the Planning Commission and make recommendations about these. Bostick will follow up with background and information about the current DDOD, and discussed the opportunity of establishing a new Dickson St. specific OD. 2. Bylaws Amendments – Order of Business – Motion by Mahan to delay to the next meeting, second by Coley. Passed by voice vote. Other Business 1. Election of Officers – Motion to delay to the next meeting by Harper, second by Coley. Passed by voice vote. Adjourned: 7:28 PM 2