A review of the minutes of the City of Pensacola’s Architectural Review Board revealed the board tabled 72 agenda items from January 2012 through December 2015, proving the point made by the ARB board members that tabling items has a routine action for the board.
City code requires that the ARB take action on a request brought before it within 31 days, otherwise the request is approved. City attorney Lysia Bowling’s recently rendered an opinion that tabling of an item by the ARB does not constitute taking action on it.
Last Thursday, ARB voted passed a resolution reaffirming its position that tabling constitutes an action. Several items on the May agenda were then tabled to give applicants time to gather more necessary information.
ARB member Erick Mead told Inweekly, “It’s inefficient, and contrary to good government, to reject every application that isn’t complete. Our position has been to table those items and give the parties time to make the necessary corrections or provide additional information.â€
Otherwise, Mead said the developer would have to start over and pay another filing fee.
Mead invited Bowling to attend the May 19 ARB meeting, but the city attorney had another engagement.
Here is the breakdown of tabled items by year:
2012: 11
2013: 25
2014: 22
2015: 15
Note: Bowling’s opinion, which was not in writing as of May 19, led to the City granting a demolition permit for the John Sunday House on May 17. Elizabeth Schrey filed an appeal that stayed the demolition until the June 15 Zoning Board of Adjustments. We’ve been told that Bowling has been assigned to find a “work around” to get the demolition back on track. Stay tuned.