2023 GRANT DRAFT PAPERWORK NOTES.pdf

ATTACHMENT

SCOPE OF WORK AND BUDGET

CITY OF VALDOSTA

SOUTHSIDE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Valdosta Southside Historic Resource Survey will consist of a comprehensive survey of an estimated 1,123 parcels within the southern portion of the city. The purpose of the survey is to identify and gather information about the community’s historic resources as a basis for making sound judgments in greater citywide planning. This project does that by defining the character of the community through background research, a field survey, and the development of an inventory of resources. The inventory includes the evaluation of these resources in terms of defined criteria for historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural significance.

The City will hire a qualified historic preservation consultant after soliciting competitive sealed proposals. Funding for the survey will be provided in part through a federal grant received from the Georgia Historic Preservation Division. The survey will be prepared in accordance with all state and federal standards and parameters for local historic resource surveys. All resources within the survey boundaries determined to be 40 years of age of older, regardless of integrity, will be surveyed.

The basic requirement of the survey includes the collection and recordation of information about all extant resources during fieldwork, including a minimum of two digital photographs per resource. This information includes an architectural description of each resource and its age, setting, location, and any history and/or significance. The information will be entered online using the Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources

Geographical Information System (GNAHRGIS).

In addition to GNAHRGIS entries, a final survey report and survey map delineating surveyed parcels will be required. The survey report will include, at a minimum, an executive summary, project description, summary of previous preservation projects, developmental history of the area, survey methodology, recommendations for future preservation activities, survey results and architectural analysis, and any relevant appendices. The map will be at a scale of 1’’

= 200 feet and shall include street names and tax parcel lines, as well as have a key explaining the boundaries.

City staff will oversee project management, including all financing, and coordinate project scheduling and execution with the consultant. GIS staff at the Southern Georgia

Regional Commission will provide the selected consultant with necessary maps and data. The

Lowndes County Historical Society and the Valdosta Heritage Foundation will assist with preliminary research and draft document editing. The Valdosta Historic Preservation

Commission (HPC) will help review the competitive sealed proposals and select a qualified historic preservation consultant.

DESCRIPTION OF SURVEY BOUNDARIES

The survey area is bounded by Savannah Avenue to the north, Bunche Drive to the east, Griffin Avenue to the south, and South Toombs Street to the west. (See Map).

ESTIMATED NUMBER OF RESOURCES TO BE SURVEYED

1,123

PROJECT NEED

Resource surveys provide a basis for using legal and financial tools to protect and enhance historic resources. Surveys also provide planners with a database from which to monitor and channel new development. In addition to these benefits, this survey addresses two specific local needs. First, to update obsolete historic resource survey data stemming from a countywide survey now nearly 20 years old. Second, to gather data to facilitate discussions about the possible expansion of the local historic district to include a historic African American community long omitted from the boundaries of local preservation planning.

In 2006, Catherine Wilson-Martin completed a 5-year survey of historic resources across

Lowndes County. Sponsored by the Valdosta Heritage Foundation and the state preservation office, the survey identified buildings, structures, objects, and sites dating to 1955 and before to recognize historic properties and areas of cultural importance to Lowndes County. However, continued growth and development have led to recent changes in the local built environment.

Material alterations and/or the loss of historic resources make a current inventory of extant cultural assets especially important for future land use policy and development planning.

One of those areas affected by recent changes in the local built environment is the

Southside of Valdosta. The Southside of Valdosta developed as a series of predominantly

African American neighborhoods from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century. This part of the city includes the Southside National Register Historic District, listed in 2007. The Southside

Historic District is significant in the areas of ethnic heritage, community planning, architecture, and commerce. At the time of designation, its 706 total resources included residential, commercial, industrial, and community landmark buildings, many of which contributed to the historic context of the district as whole.

However, the Southside of Valdosta, including the Southside National Register Historic

District, is not located within the Valdosta Local Historic District. Unlike a National Register

Historic District, which is mostly honorific, a local historic district protects a community’s historic properties through design controls and project review. Established in 1981, the Valdosta Local

Historic District contains approximately 2,000 parcels, including the City’s commercial downtown and several nearby neighborhoods to the north. A nascent preservation commission established the local district over 40 years ago to help preserve the character of prominent parts of town that were being harmed by urban renewal.

Meanwhile, property conditions in the Southside have been deteriorating over recent decades. Population loss, inconsistent economic investment, crime, and absentee ownership have taken a toll on local historic resources. Many houses have been demolished and many more, occupied or vacant, are dilapidated or condemned. Nevertheless, many others retain a high degree of integrity, and few have been drastically altered. Some of the oldest extant residences are strong examples of both high-style and vernacular architecture. Furthermore, the historic street plan, lot layout, placement of houses, and residential landscaping remain intact.

Community members, including some Southside residents, have expressed interest in expanding the local historic district to include much of the Southside area. The HPC and City staff have responded to this interest by exploring the requisite steps to facilitate a potential boundary expansion. A comprehensive resource survey of the area by a qualified preservation consultant is the necessary first step. The survey will identify the current state of the area’s historic resources and provide the basis for integrating Southside preservation into further community planning.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

June 2023 — Recipients Awarded

July 2023 — City of Valdosta Posts/Distributes RFP to Consultants

August 2023 — Valdosta HPC Reviews/Scores Submitted RFPs

August 2023 — Scores Tabulated and Consultant Selected

September 2023 — Contract Signed/Consultant Hired

January 1, 2023 — Approximately 25% of the data entered into GNAHRGIS database

February 1, 2024 — Approximately 50% of the data entered into GNAHRGIS database

March 1, 2024 — All data entered into GNAHRGIS database

April 1, 2024 — First Draft Report Submitted to City/HPD for Review/Comment

May 1, 2024 — Second Draft Report Submitted to City/HPD for Review/Comment

June 1, 2024 — Final Draft Report Submitted to City/HPD for Review/Comment

August 15, 2024 — Final Product Submitted to City/HPD

September 30, 2024 — Project Complete

PROJECT FUNDING & SUPPORT

Due to the size of the survey area and the number of resources, the project will not be possible without the City hiring a professional consultant. The City simply doesn’t have the staff or resources available to complete a survey, input the GNAHRGIS data in the state database, and write a final report on its own. Given the expected cost, funding assistance from the CLG and Planning Grant program will be necessary to support the City in contracting with a consultant to complete a project of this scale.

Because of the nature of the project, the public will not directly participate. However, the

City and several community members are prepared to support the project by volunteering significant time and labor. Through its Public Information Office, the City will provide support for both in-house government and independent private media coverage of the survey in progress and through development of the final product. This will include interviews and segments on local television stations and in newspaper articles, as well as the proliferation of information to the public via the City’s own social media outlets and television broadcast.

The Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission realizes the importance of this survey in citywide preservation planning. The HPC will review the Request for Proposals (RFPs) and be active in the selection of the contractor. As part of its monthly meetings, the HPC will work with

City staff during the term of the project and in the aftermath when filing for funding reimbursement. Other volunteers, including members of the Valdosta Heritage Foundation and the Lowndes County Historical Society, will assist City staff and the HPC in compiling information for report preparation and proofreading draft reports. Finally, the Southern Georgia

Regional Commission will provide the City and its consultant with maps and data.

PROJECT BUDGET & BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

Local Matching Share $45,010

Federal Share (CLG Survey and Planning Grant) $25,000

TOTAL PROJECT COST $70,010

Cost Breakdown

Income:

• City of Valdosta — Cash $31,150

• City of Valdosta — In-kind $9,000

• HPC Members — In-kind $3,800

• Trained Volunteers — In-kind $300

• SGRC — In-kind $760

• CLG Survey and Planning Grant — Cash $25,000

TOTAL $70,010

Expenses:

• Consultant — Survey, Report/Map, GNAHRGIS entry $56,150

• City of Valdosta — Project, Final Management $9,000

• HPC — Planning, RFP Review, Progress Reports $3,800

• SGRC — GIS Mapping and Data $760

• Trained Volunteers — VHF, LCHS $300

Budget Justification:

• Consultant — Survey 1,123 resources at $50 apiece $56,150

• City Staff — Project Management (225 hr. x $40 avg) $9,000

• HPC — Project Review (82 hr. x $46.34 avg) $3,800

• SGRC — Services (10 hr. x $76) $760

• Trained Volunteers — (10 hr. x $30) $300

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Valdosta was one of the earliest cities in Georgia to enact a preservation ordinance in

1981 following passage of the state historic preservation act in 1980. Since 1981, there has been an active local preservation commission reviewing projects for appropriateness and educating the community on the importance of historic preservation. That tradition continues today in a City that proudly supports seven National Register Historic Districts and realizes the importance of preservation as a means of downtown revitalization, neighborhood stabilization, heritage tourism, and job creation.

In 2020, Valdosta developed a preservation plan for the coming years to meet the goals of the local comprehensive plan and strengthen the preservation movement. The first part of the plan included a two-phase historic resources survey of the local historic district, which was completed late last year. These successful surveys of the local historic district were both funded in part by federal monies awarded to the City by the state CLG and Planning Grant program.

The Valdosta Southside Historic Resource Survey is the next step in the City’s ongoing efforts to secure the benefits of preservation as a focal point in future community planning.