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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 05-07-2013 - 4a 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 7, 2013 Action Agenda Item No. 4-a SUBJECT: Local Historic Landmark Designation for Captain John S. Pope Farm DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No and Recreation (DEAPR) ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 1) Draft Ordinance Designating the Rich Shaw, 245-2514 Captain John S. Pope Farm as an Peter Sandbeck, 245-2517 Orange County Local Historic Landmark PURPOSE: To consider and adopt an ordinance to designate the Captain John S. Pope Farm in Cedar Grove as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. BACKGROUND: In 1991 Orange County adopted the "Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) of Orange County", also referred to as the "Historic Preservation Ordinance". A few years later, in 1997, the County adopted a voluntary program to designate properties of local historic and architectural significance called the Local Landmark Program. One of the HPC's duties is to recommend properties for local landmark designation. Properties may be designated as individual landmarks or as part of historic districts. Properties must meet a higher standard of historic and/or architectural significance to be designated as an individual landmark. The higher standard is appropriate since landmark property owners are eligible for a 50 percent property tax deferral as long as the site continues to retain its historic character, as provided by NC General Statutes under 160A-400.1-400.14. The adoption of the attached landmark ordinance is the final step in the County's historic landmark designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the County's Historic Preservation Ordinance. The BOCC, at its March 7, 2013 meeting, held a required joint public hearing with the HPC to obtain public input and comment about the proposed landmark designation for the Captain John S. Pope Farm. At the close of that hearing, the BOCC returned the draft landmark designation ordinance back to the HPC to allow for final editing and review. The attached final version of the proposed landmark ordinance has been approved by the HPC and is ready for consideration and adoption by the BOCC. At present, five historic properties in Orange County have been designated as Local Historic Landmarks: Moorefields (south of the Eno on Moorefields Road, near Hillsborough); Bingham School (Mebane Oaks Road); the Faucette House and Mill (or Chatwood, on Faucette Mill Road); Rigsbee's Rock House (US 70A East at Lawrence Rd.); and the Murphey School (Murphey School Road). 2 FINANCIAL IMPACT: The designation of the Captain John S. Pope Farm as a Local Historic Landmark will make the owner of the property eligible for a 50-percent property tax deferral as provided by State law and County ordinance, as an incentive to maintain the property in its historic condition for the public benefit. The 50 percent property tax deferral for historic landmarks will apply only to the valuations of the historic house and a few outbuildings, along with the immediate lot around the house. The working acreage of the Pope farm (over 70 acres) is already assessed as farmland under the County's present use valuation program. The valuation change is as follows, according to County's Tax Administration Office: Valuation of property before landmark designation: $181,747, for a tax of$1,693.16 Valuation of property after landmark designation: $104,647, for a tax of$974.89 Tax reduction = $718.27 RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt and authorize the Chair to sign the attached ordinance to designate the Captain John S. Pope Farm as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark, and thank Mr. Robert Pope for his outstanding efforts to preserve his family farm and the County's agricultural heritage. 3 Attachment 1 ORD-2013-013 AN ORDINANCE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DESIGNATING THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE CAPTAIN JOHN S. POPE FARM IN ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AS A LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK Whereas, all of the prerequisites to the adoption of this ordinance prescribed in Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A (Historic Districts and Landmarks) of the General Statutes of North Carolina and an Ordinance Creating the Historic Preservation Commission of Orange County (the "Historic Preservation Ordinance")have been met; and Whereas, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has taken into full consideration all statements and information in the application and the designation report prepared by the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission and presented to the Board of County Commissioners on the 7t' day of March, 2013, on the question of designating the property known as Captain John S. Pope Farm as a historic landmark; and Whereas, the property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm, located in Cedar Grove Township in the County of Orange and more particularly described in Exhibit A attached hereto, is one of the best preserved historic tobacco farm complexes in the northern part of the county; and Whereas, the original farmhouse built between 1870 and 1874 remains largely intact and retains virtually all of its original interior woodwork and room finishes, including its distinctive ornamental mantels and stair; and Whereas, the Captain John S. Pope Farm also retains a significant collection of historic outbuildings dating from the 1860s to the 1960s; and Whereas, the Captain John S. Pope Farm with its farmhouse and collection of historic outbuildings exemplifies the small and mid-sized tobacco farms that once prospered throughout Orange County and the northern Piedmont section of the state; and Whereas, the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission has recognized the 4 historic, architectural and cultural significance of the property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm and has recommended that the property be designated a"historic landmark" as outlined in Article 3 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance; and Whereas, the State Historic Preservation Office, an agency of the Office of Archives and History of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, has reviewed and commented on the findings of the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission, and has approved the Captain John S. Pope Farm for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Now, therefore, be it ordained by the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina that: Section 1. The property known as the Captain John S. Pope Farm, located in Cedar Grove Township, Orange County, North Carolina jurisdictional area, consisting of the entire 75.34 acre parcel more particularly described in Exhibit A, is hereby designated a historic landmark pursuant to Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina and the Orange County Historic Preservation Ordinance. Section 2. The owner(s) and occupant(s) of the property known as Captain John S. Pope Farm be given notice of this ordinance as required by applicable law, and that copies of this ordinance be filed and indexed in the office of the County Clerk, Orange County Register of Deeds, Orange County Tax Supervisor and Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, as required by the applicable law. Section 3. In accordance with Part 3C, Article 19, Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina and the Orange County Historic Preservation Ordinance, the exterior and site features of all historic landmarks are always under the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission's Certificate of Appropriateness provisions. For the Captain John S. Pope Farm, this will include the historic outbuildings enumerated in Exhibit B. The jurisdiction of the Historic Preservation Commission may also extend over interior spaces with the consent of the owner. The Historic Preservation Commission shall include in its jurisdiction for the Captain John S. Pope Farm the preservation of the following interior features of the farmhouse that it finds to be unique and important to the property, and to which the owner has agreed: the original hand-planed wall and ceiling sheathing boards; original mantels; the stair including newel posts, handrails, treads, risers and associated woodwork; original two-panel doors and associated door trim woodwork; original window trim woodwork; and wood floors throughout. The HPC shall determine Certificates of Appropriateness for the Captain John S. Pope Farm based on approved design standards, with reference to the designation ordinance, the application materials and the designation report. Section 4. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict. Section 5. Any part of this ordinance determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be in violation of any law or constitutional provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity of the remainder. Section 6. This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. 5 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby officially designate the Captain John S. Pope Farm as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. This the 71'day of May 2013. Barry Jacobs, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners Attest Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board EXHIBIT A The Captain John S. Pope Farm is located at 6909 Efland-Cedar Grove Road in Cedar Grove Township and is referenced in Orange County Land Records as Parcel Identification Number (PIN) 9859-01-9289, containing 75.34 acres more or less. The property is owned by Mr. Robert Pope, 608 Polk St., Raleigh, NC 27604. (see attached parcel map/aerial photograph) EXHIBIT B The landmark designation for the Captain John S. Pope Farm includes the historic outbuildings (described in more detail in the National Register nomination and the Landmark Designation Report), enumerated in the attached list and as illustrated in the attached site maps (Map 1 and 2) showing the location of each outbuilding on the list. EXHIBIT A 6 Captain John S. Pope Farm: Local Landmark Designation Map 6909 Efland -Cedar Grove Road, Orange County PIN: 9859019289 Approximate Acreage: 75.34 Note: This map is not a certified survey and has not been reviewed by a local government agency for compliance with any applicable land development regulations 7 EXHIBIT B: CAPTAIN JOHN S. POPE FARM LIST OF OUTBUILDINGS INCLUDED IN LANDMARK DESIGNATION ORDINANCE Note: numbers after each building on this list are keyed to location numbers on attached maps (Map 1 and Map 2) Map 1 Well House (3) Wash House (4) Garage/Smokehouse (5) Flower House (6) Corn Crib #1 (8) Feed Barn (9) Ordering/Stripping House (12) Stick Shed (15) Map 2 Tobacco Barn #1 (16) Tobacco Barn #2 (17) Tobacco Barn #3 (18) Tobacco Barn #4 (19) Tobacco Barn #5 (20) Corn Crib #2 (22) Workshop (23) Log Building (24) Wood Shed #1 (25) Wood Shed #2 (26) EXHIBIT B MAP 1 8 Captain John S.Pope Farm Captain John S. Pope Farm 6909Efland-Cedar Grove Road Local Historic Landmark Ordinance Cedar Grove Vicinity Orange County,North Carolina Site Flan Orange County Landmark Map 1 of 2 Not to Scale __.... . North' ` (1 [ L ! 2 U3 Qil ?ONO !l Q 8 Zr l.. Captain John S.Pope House r 2. Picnic Shelter # 3. Well House ! 4. Washhouse l0 5. Garage/Smokehouse 6. Flo 'er House I 7. Garage 8. Corn Crib I 7-8 9. Feed Barn # 10. Pre-fabricated Shed 1 11. Outhouse . { 12. OrderinglStripping House 13. Metal Bulk Curing Barn I 4 j 14. Metal Bulk Curing Barn H 15. Stick Shed �* 16. Tobacco Barn I _ 28. Well House II 29. House Ruin 30. "ara.ge II% EXHIBIT B: MAP 2 9 — Captain John S. Pope Farm Local Historic Landmark Ordinance ti Captain John S.Pope Farm 6909 Efland-Cedar Grove Road r Cedar Grove Vicinity 16. Tobacco Barn.I Orange County,North Carolina 17. Tobacco Barn II: � 18, Tobacco Barn III Site flan 19. Tobacco Barn IV �f Orange County Land 24. Tobacco Barn V �)Landmark 20. Spring-fed Well Map 2 of 2 , _.s Corn Crib II Not to Scale 23. Workshop 24. Log Building 25. Wood Shed I Northt 26. Wood Shed.II } . ( I 23 E G,,,- I$ 1 (�1(0 i� � _ ri j• POND