FAIRHOPE — Fairhope City Council approved a new ordinance that creates a new process for identifying and designating historic property and districts within the city.

The ordinance was approved on Thursday, April 23, during the council meeting.

The ordinance amends 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. It also adds 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.

The measure was first introduced during a city council meeting on Monday, April 13, but was laid over until the next meeting, where it was approved unanimously. The ordinance is part of an effort by city officials to obtain certified local government (CLG) status, which they believe they will receive with the new ordinance.

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. The city council applied for CLG status after establishing the Fairhope Historic Commission in 2024. However, NPS told city officials that the ordinance lacked specific steps required to designate historic properties, despite the city receiving recommendations and support from the Alabama Historical Commission.

City Attorney Chris Williams said during the April 13 meeting 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.