On behalf of the Isle of Hope Historical Association Board, we are pleased to report a successful hearing on July 6th regarding the Historical Association’s application to designate a portion of Isle of Hope’s Bluff as a local historic district under the Chatham County Historic Preservation ordinance. This hearing was before the Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission (“the Historic Preservation Commission”). One of the primary responsibilities of the Historic Preservation Commission is to review applications for local historic district designations in Chatham County. The applications for a local historic district designation in Chatham County are first sent to the staff of the Savannah-Chatham County Metropolitan Planning Commission (“the MPC”), who reviews the application and makes a recommendation regarding approval to the Historic Preservation Commission. The Historic Preservation Commission then holds a hearing and makes a recommendation to the Chatham County Commission. The County Commission then rules on the application after a public reading and a hearing.
On July 6, the Historic Preservation Commission voted 3-1 in favor of recommending approval of our historic district application to the Chatham County Commission. We thank those of you who were able to attend the hearing in person, write letters in favor of the district, or spoke in support at the hearing. Notably, the Historic Savannah Foundation and The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation supported our effort with letters and the Historic Savannah Foundation spoke at the hearing in favor of the district. We were grateful for everyone’s support. It made a difference.
Leah Michalak, Director of Historic Preservation of the MPC, began the hearing with the MPC’s staff report of the application with recommendations of a few minor modifications, including renaming the proposed historic district from the Isle of Hope Bluff Historic District to the Isle of Hope Historic District. The MPC was not recommending a change in the boundaries of the proposed district, only a name change. The MPC also requested additional information from the Historical Association regarding African American contributions to Isle of Hope during antebellum times and Reconstruction.
Dan Willoughby, President of the Historical Association, spoke in favor of the application, giving a history of the Bluff, an overview of buildings to be protected, and the benefits of the proposed district. He informed the Historic Preservation Commission that the Historical Association agreed to the MPC staff’s recommendations. He then presented a history of African American contributions to Isle of Hope, which had been submitted to the MPC staff in written form before the hearing. Mr. Willoughby’s presentation noted the overwhelming support for the application by property owners within the proposed district. Several other individuals spoke in support of the application, including Noel Wright, Spencer Lawton, Christopher Melroy, and Barbara Portman Meyer.
Several individuals spoke in opposition to the application. It should be noted that the majority of the speakers against the designation do not own property in the proposed district. Attorney Robert McCorkle, representing several Bluff Drive homeowners, some who live in the proposed district and some who do not, spoke against the district being approved. Mr. Willoughby was given an opportunity to respond to the opponents’ arguments.
Following public comment, the Commissioners voted and recommended that the Historical Association’s application be approved. This is not the final stage of the process. The application must still be reviewed and approved by the Chatham County Commission. The schedule for that review, which will include a public hearing with an opportunity for public comment, has not yet been set.
We appreciate your continued support. Your support in all forms, attending future hearings, writing letters to County Commissioners, and making public comments at future hearings, will be even more crucial going forward. The next hearings will be at 9:30 am at the Chatham County Commission Headquarters on the 2nd floor of 124 Bull Street on August 26 and September 9. Thank you again and we look forward to continued success in our goal to preserve and protect your beloved Bluff.
Sincerely,
The Isle of Hope Historical Association Board of Directors