City Council put temporary moratorium on controversial third party designation
May 17, 2019 - St. Petersburg City Council member Amy Foster put forward two new business action items at Thursday's City Council Meeting regarding the city's controversial historic preservation process. The city's ordinance has come under fire in recently months because it allows any citizen or organization based in St. Petersburg to submit an application for historic designation against the property owner's wishes. Foster's first item requested a special meeting of City Council and the Community Planning and Preservation Committee (CPPC) to discuss potential changes to the historic preservation ordinance, third party designation, and the potentially eligible historic landmark list. The second item requested a six month moratorium on third party historic designation applications against property owner wishes until City Council and CPPC have a chance to meet. Both items passed the Council unanimously, with Council member Brandi Gabbard being absent.