Monday, December 17, 2007

Proposed Geneva Street district on hold

Citizen communication turned into a public hearing Tuesday at an Opelika City Council meeting after countless comments were made in reference to a proposed “Geneva Street Opelika Historic District.“

June 20, 2007

Citizen communication turned into a public hearing Tuesday at an Opelika City Council meeting after countless comments were made in reference to a proposed “Geneva Street Opelika Historic District.“

Some had expected the measure to pass, but it quickly became apparent to council members that not all citizens were in favor of a third historic district housed in the City of Opelika.

Those in favor spoke of the importance of preserving historic structures not only now but for future generations.

“Historic properties are our natural resource,“ Preservationist John Marsh said. “It’s not something you can go out and get again. Once you tear it down, you can’t replace it.“

But longtime Opelika resident Joe Dean said it wasn’t right to have a body of people tell him what he could and could not do with his own property.

“If I want to tear down my house that should be up to me, not a commission that tells you that you’ve got to do this - you’ve got to do that,“ Dean said. “As for me and my property, I’d like to be left out.“

Andy Bell, community development administrator, said that no change in the exterior appearance of any building, structure or site within the district would be altered, erected or demolished unless first approved by the Opelika Historic Preservation Commission.

Dean warned that the historic commission of today may not be the same down the road. “What will it be like 10 years from now?“

Whether for or against the proposal, there was a palpable sense of pride felt from both sides. Some said restoration had long taken shape on the Southside of Opelika, and it didn’t take a commission to oversee it. Others pointed to the Northside of Opelika and regaled its historic district beauty while others said the charm of Northside was there all along and did not need a commission blessing to make it so.

It seemed like both sides were seeking protection of their properties, just in different ways. Some said historic districts keep crime at bay and help keep property value at a premium while others said it had no bearing.

For now, there’s no ruling on the proposed “Geneva Street Opelika Historic District.“ A public hearing on the subject was held June 7.

In other council news, a standing ovation was given to the men and women of the 206th Transportation Company, a U.S. Army Reserve unit headed to Iraq for a year. Of the more than 170 soldiers to be deployed to Iraq, approximately 80 are local.

On behalf of the City of Opelika, Council President Jerry Teel declared today, June 20, 2007, as “206th Transportation Company Day” in Opelika. A military ceremony will be held today in their honor at 1 p.m. at Opelika High School located at 1700 LaFayette Pkwy.

The public is encouraged to come out and show support. Those planning to attend the event, should be seated 15 minutes prior to commencement as soldiers are expected to start marching in at approximately 12:45 p.m.

Meanwhile a “memorandum of understanding” was approved between the City of Opelika and DeBartolo Development LLC in reference to the Shoppes at Capps Farm, a lifestyle and retail shopping center to be built near TigerTown.

Once the project is complete, it is estimated to stretch 821,971-square-feet and is expected to be $125 million capital investment.

“This will generate almost $7 million in sales tax for the City of Opelika,“ Economic Development Director Al Cook said.