City of Fairhope is considering an ordinance that would create a new framework to identify and designate historic properties and historic districts within city limits.

The proposed ordinance would amend the existing Ordinance No. 1797, Codified as Chapter 2, Article III, Division 8 of the Fairhope Code of Ordinances, which was the ordinance that created the Fairhope Historic Preservation Commission. The amendment would change the language of the pre-existing ordinance and create a new process to designate property and districts as historic, with city officials hoping it will help them obtain certified local government (CLG) status.

CLG status is designated by the National Park Service (NPS) on a case-by-case basis. If Fairhope were to receive CLG status, the city would be eligible for certain federal funding benefits and incentives such as grants.

City council established the Fairhope Historic Commission in 2024, but when the city applied for CLG status, NPS determined the ordinance lacked specific steps required to designate historic properties, despite recommendations and support from the Alabama Historical Commission.

City Attorney Chris Williams clarified that the ordinance would not designate or identify any specific property or district as historic, nor does it have any regulatory effect in terms of requiring anything from any property currently in the city, citing concerns from locals in previous years over how such a matter could affect local property rights.

The new ordinance would add an additional process where the city council would have to approve any designations or identifications, a process that would involve a historic survey, followed by a recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission and multiple public hearings. Williams said the hope is that having this process in place would help the city gain CLG status.

"We're really kind of in a multi-step process," Williams said. "Step one was the establishment of the Historic Preservation Commission. Step two would be kind of where we are today in terms of this proposal in this additional language, which would create the process for council to ultimately designate historical properties or historic districts. A property would not actually be designated as historic and have any type of regulatory requirements tied to it until we reach step three of the process."

City council put the ordinance on hold until the next meeting, which will be on Thursday, April 23, but the council has indicated support for the ordinance, including from council members Jack Burrell and Andrea Faust Booth, who said they should move forward with the proposed ordinance.