Council OKs new AHRC members

The City Council approved three new members of the city’s Architectural and Historical Review Commission today and also set up the advisory body to consider one of its biggest cases, the proposed La Quinta Inn and Suites, off Seal Avenue.

Councilmembers OK’d Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich’s nomination of Wallace Barnes, Mary Wallace Boles and Anthony J. “Bo” Lamey to serve terms that run through July 2020.

In other issues, the council approved an agreement that will see $5 million in state money toward a new Keesler main entrance at Division Street, and tabled an affordable housing proposal for east Biloxi to seek more information.

The new AHRC appointments were required because an appeal of the La Quinta case revealed that the AHRC did not meet city requirements that call for seven of the nine members of the commission to live in an historic district of the city. Only four lived in historic districts.

The new AHRC will have its first meeting on July 28, when new members will receive an orientation and new officers will be elected. Biloxi Historical Administrator Bill Raymond said the La Quinta case is expected to be heard Aug. 4, along with 15 other cases that had been tabled until a properly constituted board could be seated.
See today’s AHRC resolution
See photos from today’s council meetings