Friday, April 08, 2005

HDDRC snubs Deyer, picks new leaders

The Historic District & Design Review Commission picked a new chairman and vice-chairman Wednesday night in its first meeting since the appointment of two new members.

Gordon Rinschler was elected chairman, and John Henke was elected vice-chairman by a majority that included themselves and new members Robert Hewer and Shelli Weisberg. (Weisberg is an editor of the Buzz.)

Former Chairman Keith Deyer, who was absent from the meeting, had requested that the election be put off. Members Marcia Rowbottom and Jeff Sadowski obliged Deyer with a motion and second to postpone, but the motion was defeated and the election proceeded.

The change in leadership is significant because the reputation of the HDDRC suffered under Deyer’s leadership. The Board was often viewed as antagonistic by those who had to come before it. Deyer, Sadowski and Rowbottom formed a majority with former member Jan Stephenson. All were appointed by the former City Commission.

In addition to its duties regarding historic residential districts, the HDDRC reviews the site plans of all new or substantially reconstructed downtown buildings for architectural aesthetics in order encourage originality, flexibly and innovation.

Deyer, Rowbottom and Sadowski, along with former members had a tendency to micro-manage as they took control away from staff for items that were more properly in the realm of administration approval. Meetings were long and redundant as the Board often required applicants to come before them time and time again to satisfy the members’ highly subjective opinions.

The former majority had pushed hard for a $200,000 historic survey of Birmingham's housing stock, even though the ultimate goal was obscure. The new commission reined in the old majority on this and several other matters, including a push to outlaw neon "open" signs in retail shops throughout the city.