Historic preservation debate intensifies in Southport as residents push for commission overhaul
SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WWAY) — A debate over Southport’s Historic Preservation Commission continued Thursday night as city leaders discussed changes to the body, prompting both applause and frustration from residents.
During the meeting, Mayor Joe Pat Hatem announced that the city’s Historic Preservation Commission would move toward becoming a voluntary advisory committee rather than a quasi-judicial board.
“Moving forward the historic preservation will be a voluntary advisory committee. It will not be a quasi-judicial board,” Hatem said.
The announcement was met with applause from attendees. However, the reaction quickly shifted after Hatem opposed adding an item to the Board of Aldermen’s agenda that would have formally enacted those changes. Some residents argued the decision delayed action on an issue they have been raising for months.
“I think they are pushing the can down the road, and they are not trying to deal with it,” one resident said during the meeting. “They are trying to make it something they want, and not something the people in the historic district want.”
The controversy centers on the Historic Preservation Commission, which the city established about three years ago to help preserve Southport’s historic downtown area and develop a proposed historic district.
Opponents of the proposal argue that a formal historic district could limit property owners’ ability to make changes to their homes and subject them to additional regulations or approval requirements.
Historic downtown resident Bonner Herring, who has been involved in the discussion, said his family’s home has been in Southport for generations. “My family’s house here was built in 1892. We have owned it ever since, and now they are telling us how we need to get it right. It doesn’t make sense,” Herring said.
Herring also expressed concerns about the commission’s composition, saying some members do not live within the proposed district but could influence decisions affecting those who do.
“There are members in the HPC that don’t even live in this proposed district. They have the ability to govern those that live on the inside, but yet they live outside,” he said.
Resident Mimi Gregory said she supports preserving Southport’s historic character but believes homeowners are already committed to maintaining the city’s identity without additional oversight.
“We are doing it in a way that’s loving and true to the real Southport and what it is to everybody that lives in this town,” Gregory said. “But yet this committee thinks they know better than us, and how we can do things, and how we have to ask permission to do these things.”
For many opponents, the primary concern is the pace of action by city leaders. Herring said the mayor has repeatedly stated that participation in the preservation program should remain voluntary but has not supported a formal vote to implement that position.
“The mayor promised this should always be voluntary, which he said tonight,” Herring said. “But I think a vote to dismantle it would prove his words. He chose not to do that, and that is very disappointing.”
The issue is expected to remain under discussion as city officials consider the future structure and authority of Southport’s historic preservation efforts.
