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SARAH CAVACINI/Palatka Daily News Palatka resident and former city commissioner Allegra Kitchens addresses the Palatka City Commission about Hammock Hall's historic use Thursday night.
A South Historic District building will stay zoned residential after city commissioners unanimously voted Thursday to deny the proposed rezoning.
City staff’s recommendations for Hammock Hall, 429 Kirby St., had been to amend the future land use map for the property from high residential use to commercial and rezone the property from residential single-family to “commercial, neighborhood.”
In numerous motions, and after nearly an hour of conversation, commissioners voted to retain the residential zoning, the same zoning the building has had for decades.
While the staff members had recommended the building be rezoned to better align with being used as a business, Palatka’s Historic Preservation Board and the city’s Planning Commission previously recommended the zoning not be changed.
“This isn’t an us-versus-you type of thing,” said Allen Sheffield, who is a member of the South Historic Neighborhood Association and preservation board. “I want you to hear us. … Sit back and hear us on this because this is critical. We’re trusting you on this.”
The neighborhood association used to facilitate events out of Hammock Hall, which was previously a grocery store and laundromat, even though the property is now city-owned. However, city officials terminated the partnership earlier this year and planned to sell the building.
Sheffield spoke Thursday in favor of reestablishing a partnership between the association and the city in order to resume using Hammock Hall as a community center. He told commissioners he would like to sit down and negotiate terms.
“I would like to just see the (neighborhood association) … take over the building and utilize it for whatever purposes that benefit the community,” Commissioner Rufus Borom said.
Sheffield and other association members already have proposed ideas. One idea is to enter into a long-term lease agreement where the association would pay the city an annual fee equal to property taxes a family would pay if they owned and lived on the property. Another idea calls for the neighborhood association to cover general maintenance, all operating expenses, liability insurance and minor repair costs.
“The city is to maintain its normal property insurance typical of a landlord but cover no repair costs,” the association’s proposal states.
The neighborhood association listed eight suggestions in the proposal, but city commissioners did not discuss them Thursday night.
“I’m convinced that we’d be able to come away with something that all of us can be proud of,” Sheffield said.