HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC minutes 032515Attachment 1
Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Summary - Approved
March 25th, 2015
Old Orange County Courthouse
106 East King Street, Hillsborough
MEMBERS PRESENT: Todd Dickinson (Chair), Susan Ballard, Rob Golan, and Bob Ireland (Vice -
Chair), Grace White
MEMBERS ABSENT: Jaime Grant (excused)
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck
GUESTS: Rachel Eberhard, UNC CH graduate student in Planning Dept.
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: None.
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES (January): Golan noted several corrections, then moved to
accept the minutes corrected as noted; seconded by Ballard; motion passed.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION: None
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Results of HPC Review of Outside Agency Grant Applications:
Staff shared the final average scoring based on the evaluations forms filled out by
members. Overall, the HPC gave good marks to both organizations. These scores are
provided by all advisory boards for the applications that fall into the areas of responsibility
for the various boards. Discussion followed about the application calendar versus some of
the organizational calendars, making it hard for applications to convey the relevant
information for the time period. The "one- size - fits -all" sort of application format sometimes
makes it difficult to evaluate museum programs in the same way as one might evaluate a
human services program. Staff will share the comments and overall average scores with
his department head.
b. Review proclamation for Historic Preservation Month
Members suggested that staff try to make the wording lively and relevant so that it
conveys an interesting message when the chair reads it at the May 5th BOCC meeting.
This will be part of the overall effort to use Preservation Month as a time to get positive PR
for our programs. Staff will email a draft proclamation for members to review.
c. Publicity for survey update project:
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. Survey Project status:
Staff gave an overview of the progress to date. Right now, they are checking every road of
every township, checking over our current database to identify key properties that will
merit consideration for
b. Report on CLG training workshop in Greensboro:
Chair Dickinson reported on his attendance at the training workshop on March 19th in
Greensboro. Presentations were made by various staff members from the SHPO. Some
were informative despite the various IT problems that slowed things down. Staff reminded
members that one of the requirements of being a CLG is that at least 2 members and staff
must attend approved CLG training programs each year. It is great that Dickinson was
able to attend, thus getting us part way to the goal. There will be a second nearby CLG
training workshop in Wake Forest on May 15th. Staff encouraged members to consider
attending this. Anyone wishing to attend can hitch a ride in the County truck. These
always include interesting tours.
c. Update on BOCC Work Session (item added at start of meeting):
Chair Dickinson represented the HPC at the .
d. Blackwood Farm park Activities:
Staff gave a brief update of current work being done at the proposed park site. Perhaps
the HPC could meet there to view the property given that we are in daylight savings time.
We could take an outside tour at the beginning of our meeting. Ms. White reported that
she could not attend as she will be making her presentation in the UK. Golan was OK with
the extra driving distance. Ireland will miss the meeting too. Dickinson suggested that we
poll the group to see if we were going to have a quorum. If so, then let's have the meeting
at Blackwood; if not, then we will postpone meeting there until we are sure to have full
attendance.
e. Open airtime:
Golan reported on the current plans by the Presbyterian Church to expand Strudwick Hall
into an area of the Town Cemetery that is likely to have a high potential for burials. Brett
Riggs from UNC Archaeology has been called in by the church to investigate and has
located what appear to be multiple burials in the area that was being proposed for the new
addition. Brett indicated that there is fill there, over the graves. Ireland discussed the
ongoing speculation that the present Presbyterian Church was built on the foundation of
the original Anglican church; this is not true but the stones may have been reused. The
first church was used as a hospital during the Revolution and those who died in the
hospital were buried there, often without markers. Ireland says that there are stones even
in the back yard of the Brewer family home, adjacent to the cemetery. Golan reported that
over in Alamance County, there is a movement to re -open the old Glencoe Mill School as
a Charter School.
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ITEM #7: Staff Presentation: Members viewed a Powerpoint by staff as a follow up to earlier
presentations by staff showing the National Register and Study List properties all over the
county. This time staff showed properties in Bingham Township that might be worthy of
including in our proposed publication. This will cover half of the Bingham properties, due
to time. This is a test, to see if this is a useful way to share the properties with members,
sort of a winnowing process, or a first cut. Members agreed that they needed to see all the
properties in order to be able to make thoughtful selections for the publication. Staff
proceeded to go through the list of properties shown in the Excel table handed out to
members, starting with OR 3 (Bingham School) and ending with OR 1108 (Oak Grove
Church). Members will provide their notes back to staff.
ITEM #8: ADJOURNMENT: Golan moved to adjourn, seconded by Ballard. Meeting adjourned
at 9:07 pm
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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