Mayor C. L. “Buster Brown” opened the town hall meeting with a call for passage of the new law.  “It’s important that we put this (legislation) in place,” he said, citing communities such as Southlake and Granbury, who have created historic-looking downtowns and shopping areas, mimicking the look that Beaton Street has in Corsicana.

Sam Martin of Martin’s Music Hall acted as spokesman for a large number of downtown business owners who have concerns about the proposed “guidelines.”  Members of this group have been meeting with Malinda Payne Sharpley, Corsicana’s Main Street Director, over the past several weeks, including Friday evening’s meeting at the Visitor’s Center.  These discussions have led to a series of changes in the guidelines, including a rewrite separating new construction guidelines from alterations and additions of existing property.  Another recent change requires the Landmark Commission to issue a “Certificate of Appropriateness” for any “exterior construction, reconstruction, alteration, restoration, or relocation,” instead of the planning and zoning department for the city.   

In written comment, Martin’s group objected to this section of the guidelines.  “We object to this on the basis that it gives the Landmark Commission, a non-elected body which does not answer to the tax-paying public, control over all construction (alterations, additions, repairs) on existing privately owned buildings which will, in effect, also give the Landmark Commission the authority to affect property values.  

Other objections include the size of the district and the vague wording in some of the guideline requirements.  “This whole thing has been written for Beaton Street,” Martin adding that the guidelines were “too clumsy for the city to deal with,” and asked that the council delay passing the ordinance to allow for additional changes.  While Martin had the floor, Mayor Brown interrupted. 

“Are there any regulations you would agree with?” he demanded.

Gerald Nichols, who owns property on Second Avenue, within the historic district, explained that five or six businesses had already been denied permits for metal buildings with glass and brick storefronts. “We need a little help from the city,” he said.  “I would like to see (the guidelines) loosened up.”  He also requested that 9th Street, which is primarily industrial businesses, be removed from the guidelines. 

Darrell Olsen of Olsen Feed on Collin Street questioned wording of the Parking provisions.  According to the proposed ordinance, a semi-trailer or 18-wheeler “is prohibited from parking on any public street, public right-of-way, private lot, parcel or easement within the Historic Downtown District.”  Olsen uses semi-trailers for hay and feed storage, which are parked on his property next to his store.  Sharpley assured him that his property as it exists now would be “okay,” although the guidelines do not have an express “grandfathered” clause.  New businesses could get around these requirements through Special Permits approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. 

Nathan Wollard, who owns the Whiteselle Lumber property on 3rd Avenue and 9th Street, also requested that 9th Street be excluded from the guidelines, because the area is zoned for industrial use and most of the buildings have metal construction and brick and glass storefronts. “We don’t look ... like Beaton,” he said. 

The city already has a Downtown Building Incentives Program, as well as a voluntary Historic Preservation Commission, whose mission statement is to “protect and preserve places and areas of historical and cultural importance” and to “regulate and restrict the construction, alteration, reconstruction, or razing of buildings and other structures to maintain heritage and property values.”

Other aspects of the proposed Historic Downtown District Overlay Design Guidelines:

-encourages decorative landscaping through pots and planters, provided it does not encroach more than three feet into the sidewalk.

-allows for sidewalk restaurants, and outdoor sandwich board signs.

-limits outdoor retail displays to “visually appealing items” limited to a 4 x 8 foot display area per business, regardless of the size of the store. 

-requires a permit for overnight business and residential parking. 

-permits loading and unloading only during off-peak hours (typically mid-morning and mid-afternoon) 

-prohibits storage buildings.

On existing buildings, storefronts should be maintained “as found,” with canopies, lighting, color palette and signage meeting certain pre-approved restrictions.

New construction requires the use of traditional building materials and design elements.  Storefronts walls must be 100 percent brick. The color pallete ranges from “the rich dark reds in the late 1890’s and lighter tan bricks in the early 1900’s.” 

All construction requires a “certificate of appropriateness” from the Landmark Commission, before other building permits can be issued. 

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