Public invited to shape historical preservation plans at open house

Residents will have another opportunity to help shape local historic preservation plans at a White County Historical Preservation Committee open house event on Thursday, Sept. 5.

Deemed a “community-wide conversation,” the event is set for 7:30 p.m. in the upstairs of the historic courthouse in downtown Cleveland. The gathering also will be part of the monthly regular meeting of the White County Historical Society.

Earlier this year, the White County Board of Commissioners formed the committee to study creating a “historic overlay” that could be applied to the county’s existing land-use map. This could help ensure that when a property is re-zoned, for example, its historical assets will be taken into account.

“White County’s character came to be because of the people and places that came before us,” says Will Wagner, who chairs the committee. “I hope we can organize together and protect those places, as well as promote commerce throughout our beautiful communities.”

The committee has met multiple times and held an open house focused on the Sautee Nacoochee Valley in June at the Hardman Farm State Historic Site. The public will be invited once again Sept. 5 to share their thoughts.

The historical preservation plan is a work in progress, but multiple suggestions have essentially been grouped into three main areas of discussion: zoning and design guidelines; viewshed, noise and light pollution ordinances (including setbacks and vegetative buffers); and creation of a reconstruction advisory committee.

Committee members also have talked about the balance of protecting properties’ historical value and interests of property owners. They discussed how communities within the county may have different wishes for historical preservation rules, possibly leading to having tiered levels of designations that perhaps allow more relaxed rules in consideration of business and real estate growth in certain areas.