Town of Bluffton Historic Preservation Commission Meeting, August 05, 2026 at 6:00 PM

The Town of Bluffton Historic Preservation Commission held a meeting on August 5, 2026, primarily discussing historic preservation naming conventions and potential amendments to window regulations within the Old Town Historic District. The commission reviewed a proposal to update the names of contributing historic resources to use their historic names rather than common or street address names, aiming to align with National Park Service standards and reduce future confusion. This update, including corrections and name changes for 86 resources, will be presented to the Town Council for adoption. Additionally, the commission discussed the adequacy of current window standards in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), considering moving from encouraging to requiring true or simulated divided light windows to better preserve historic character. The discussion included considerations of window materials, design authenticity, and potential text amendments to the UDO ahead of the Old Town Master Plan update. No formal votes were taken, but there was consensus to pursue further work on the window regulation amendments. The meeting concluded with a brief update on recent historic district activities and an adjournment.