The Blytheville Historic District Commission is questioning the legality of the Historic Residential District designation that is threatening to stop the Highway 18 overpass project.
Tuesday night, exasperated commissioners said they were bypassed during the process, and the designation should have come through them.
Fearing the Residential District will kill the highway project, the board is attempting to revoke the historic status that covers about 55 homes. The board is drafting a letter to the State and National Historic Preservation programs, asking that the West Main Street residential area return to its original status.
There are four historic homes in the path of the proposed highway project, only one of which is occupied. Had the district stopped one block short of Division Street, the project would not have been affected, commissioners said.
"To be quite frank about it, the vast majority of people around town that know anything about it and are worried about it take the position that maybe it was sort of an intentional thing to block the overpass," resident Neil Burge told the Commission Tuesday night. "We've been trying to get an overpass for 30 years. We're lucky we have a highway commissioner (John Ed Regenold) here, and he took it on himself to try to complete that process. He's been working on it for three or four years."
Burge, a downtown business owner, said the project would "benefit Blytheville to no end."
Added Commission chairman Stan Parks: "This is something (Regenold) has worked for, for a long time, trying to get for Blytheville. It is badly needed."
The legal question stems from city ordinance 1645, passed May 15, 2007, that "creates the Blytheville Historic District Commission to oversee the creation and operation of historic districts within the city of Blytheville."
Commissioners also questioned the use of a $7,700 grant that helped create the Residential District.
"Anita Parrett, the previous Main Street director, wrote the grant to cover design guidelines for the commercial district," Commissioner Marcia Raeber-McClain said. "Then somehow that changed, and we started down the road into the residential district. So that same $7,700 was what was used to take care of (the designation) instead of design guidelines for the commercial district."
McClain acknowledged both the commercial and residential historic districts are important to Blytheville, but she said the residential designation was supposed to be made after the commercial status had been established for a time.
"What happened was, unbeknownst to us, the two got intertwined, and that left John Ed in a predicament, and that's leaving us in a predicament," McClain said. "We're trying to work through it together."
"I'm not going to say that I don't want it, but I had no knowledge of it," she added. "As one of the commissioners, I'm very angry that this bypassed our commission. I want to see something done."
Because the designation was made on a "fast track," they are in a mess, McClain said.
"I think one thing may have been the Taylor house," Commissioner Harley Bradley said. "I've got a feeling that may have been the thing that shoved it. Even on that, the commission never voted on any of their doing."
The Taylor House was purchased by Byron Carlock, who renovated it and allowed the Greater Blytheville Foundation to manage it.
In an e-mail to new Main Street director Matt Perkins, Parrett indicated Bradley is on the right track.
"When Byron Carlock purchased the Taylor House, (Blytheville mayor) Barry Harrison promised him the house would be in a historic district for him to receive tax credits for the repairs," the e-mail reads. "You could check with Byron about this and check his e-mails. The reason for the historic district was that Byron Carlock wanted to receive tax credits and Barry Harrison authorized establishing a historic district to meet Byron's needs. I seem to remember (That Book Store In Blytheville owner) Mary Gay (Shipley) and (Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce executive director) Liz Smith being in on the discussions. We moved the grant monies that were to be used to write commercial district guidelines to establishing a residential historic district. Correspondence would be at the office."
"Yes, I knew the designation had been received," Parrett continued in the e-mail. "Since I left last December, I do not know what has taken place with the residents, etc. I am sure Marcia Raeber-McClain or Barry Harrison would know. What has the city done to meet these qualifications?"
This morning, Harrison said the residential district was Parrett's project and had nothing to do with the city. He said he "was out of the loop" and never signed anything on it nor did it come before the City Council.
Even if he were in the loop, he couldn't guarantee Carlock any designation, the mayor added.
"The city of Blytheville had nothing to do with that," Harrison said.
Smith said Parrett applied for the National Registry of Historic Places, which is different from a district.
She said the area is not a "district," but a part of the National Registry of Historic Places, which allows individual homeowners to apply for the status for things like tax credits. Smith noted as competent as Parrett is, she would be surprised if Parrett didn't discuss the matter with all boards involved.
Smith had no knowledge of any promises made to Carlock.
Shipley said the effort was not done for Carlock or to prevent the overpass.
"I would be amazed" if the commission wasn't aware of it, Shipley said.
The residential designation was approved on the state level in April and on the national level this summer, McClain said.
Bradley, who lives on West Main Street, said he received a letter about the designation, only after it was approved.
He said commissioners were "blindsided."
"We shouldn't have to straighten out this mess that someone else created," McClain said.
At the very least, the board should have been forewarned, she said.
"We are completely in support of the historic district and the highway project, so let's work together on this," McClain said.
Burge said, "If it had been handled properly, there's no reason there should be a conflict ... unless someone wanted a conflict."
"That's exactly right," McClain responded.
She didn't want to dwell on the past, though.
"We have to know what happened in order to proceed, but we're not so concerned about the past, we're working in the present and in the future," McClain said. "We're hoping to make these modifications and move ahead with both projects if we can."
Commissioner Cliff Carver said there are those who are in favor of the residential historic district.
"There are people interested in this district and they think it's too valuable," Carver said. "The highway may be coming into play too. And I can't point a finger at anybody."
"We just want to revoke the district at this point," McClain said.
Carver said state officials weren't eager about doing that, but indicated it is a possibility.
Burge, meanwhile, said he has requested information from the state on how the residential district was created, which he says should arrive early next week.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com