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 Plans for the evening included opening the floor to the public for
questions about the proposed downtown historic district. The city
has a national historic district for the downtown area. The new
district follows the same borders, but would be established locally
for recognition by the city of Lincoln.
The meeting was also intended to conclude with a vote to
establish the district.
Two members of the public were in attendance to ask questions.
Lance Rainforth and Michael Jeisy own property on North Kickapoo
Street and Chicago Street, respectively. They were concerned about
how much control the historic district would have over renovation of
their property.
Doolin and commission member Ron Keller explained that the
historic district is only concerned with those parts of a historic
building that face the street and can be seen from the street. The
district does not address interior renovations or roofs as long as
the roof is not visible from the street. The historic district is
mainly concerned with maintaining the look of historic downtown
Lincoln.
Doolin also reiterated that tax incentives as well as grants may
be available to property owners who improve their buildings.
Rainforth commended the commission for their mandate of improving
the quality of downtown Lincoln without changing the look.
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After answering questions from the public, the next item on
the agenda was the final vote on establishing the district. Four
members of the seven-member commission were in attendance, which
constituted a quorum. However, two members in attendance, Doolin
and Bill Vinyard, own property in the proposed historic
district. So, they had to recuse themselves from voting.
Another meeting will be scheduled in the first two weeks of
January in order to have enough members of the commission in
attendance to vote without Doolin and Vinyard.
[By CURT FOX]
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