HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC minutes 042419 Attachment 1
Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Approved Meeting Summary
April 24th, 2019
Old Orange County Courthouse
106 W. King Street, Hillsborough
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Ballard, Todd Dickinson, Art Menius, Steve Peck, Tom Loter
MEMBERS ABSENT: Bob Ireland, Paul Noe and Becky Paxton (excused)
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck GUESTS: Christina Deprez, owner of Bingham School
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: None
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for February 27th, 2019 (Attachment 1): Menius moved to
approve the minutes with a spelling correction; seconded by Peck; motion approved.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION: 108
a. Approval of Harvey's Chapel AME Church and Cemetery Landmark Application:
Staff reviewed the status of this landmark project and discussed the draft report, then
presented a powerpoint showing all aspects of both the 1940s present church and the
former site of the church and old cemetery. Menius moved that we proceed with the
Harvey's Chapel landmark application and forward it to the SHPO for their mandatory
review. Peck seconded. Members discussed the sites in detail. Motion passed.
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS
a. Bingham School: preservation of setting due to future development: Staff
introduced Ms. Deprez then provided a PowerPoint overview of the history and
architectural significance of the Bingham School, including aerial views showing
the property boundaries in relation to adjoining properties where development is
proposed. Orange County entered into an option to purchase approximately 13
acres of a larger 70 acre parcel just to the east that has been purchased for a new
site for the Steel String Brewery. The county-owned parcel is intended to provide a
route for the proposed Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), allowing the trail to be routed
through OWASA property along the Cane Creek Reservoir, then south to NC 54 to
allow it to cross and head south to Saxapahaw. At some future date, the county
may decide to build a small gravel parking area to consist of approximately 10
spaces, similar to the lot just completed over at the Seven Mile Creek Preserve
near Moorefields. Ms. Deprez explained that her concerns with the county parcel
included: proximity of the trail route to her property line, the visibility of the parking,
and issues of hikers wandering onto her property. The county plan does include
funding for appropriate fencing and screen plantings. The larger issue is going to
be the level of construction and activity at the Steel String operation, including: 18
wheeler trucks, operation of the brewery and bottling facility, a disc golf course,
noise from music events especially late at night, and patrons wandering onto her
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property and into her barn or silos. If the brewery property is classified as a bona
fide farm, then the owners don't have to get a Special Use Permit or other planning
permissions from the county. The HPC will not have any direct jurisdiction if it ends
up being farm use, but can express its position about the importance of the
landmark status, and weigh in more assertively if there is a special use permit
required. Noise will probably be the primary issue if there are concerts and
festivals that run late into the evening. Ms. Deprez noted that the previous owners
had found the location of the old clay pits and remains of the brick kilns used to
make the brick for the chimneys, near the proposed trail route. Staff explained the
various federal and state rules regarding the preservation of the historic setting for
a National Register property, provided there is federal or state money or permit. So
at this point, our powers are limited to persuasion, rather than any regulatory role.
The fact that the county will own the 13 acre parcel could end up being a plus, as
we will have control over what happens there. Other adjoining properties like the
Webb House, Lilymont and the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church are near this
intersection and will require future land preservation efforts to maintain the historic
character and setting of the school and the larger Oaks community. Members
agreed it would be helpful to make a site visit to view the property first hand; staff
will arrange this. Ms. Deprez also has in her barn a disassembled log house
moved from a nearby farm property. The Steel String folks might benefit by holding
a community meeting to intro themselves and answer questions. All water will
come from a well so that may be an issue down the road, as will the matter of DOT
rules about driveway locations and requirements for new turning lanes.
b. Brickwork Restoration Workshop at Burwell School: Staff provided an
overview of the historic brickwork workshop, scheduled for May 11. Wayne
Thompson will be leading the hands-on portion, while staff and Dickinson will lead
a walking tour to take participants downtown to see examples of historic brickwork
right there. Alliance handles registration online. We will limit to 15 attendees.
c. Follow up on Outside Agency grant application : Staff tallied up the various
scores by each member and shared those results and the written comments with
the appropriate county officials. We will share back the final monetary awards
when the county budget is passed.
d. Web site improvements: Staff explained that not much has been possible on this
project due to time limitations and the malware attack to the county's network.
e. Digital guide/map markers for rural historic structures: With Noe and Paxton
absent, this item was deferred until a later meeting
f. Annual CLG Training Workshop in Wake Forest: Staff reported that the SHPO
will be hosting a regional workshop for CLG preservation commissions on May 17,
in Wake Forest and handed out the agenda. This is a convenient location and a
great opportunity to let us send at least two members to meet our annual training
requirement. Ballard, Dickinson and Noe indicated they would like to attend.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS
a. CLG Staff Training at SHPO on April 5: Staff provided a brief summary of
the activities at that workshop and his presentation about our historic
preservation and woodworking demonstration at Blackwood Farm Park.
b. Piper-Cox Update: The State Construction team is obtaining bids from
contractors, using the list of qualified craftspeople from staff and Dickinson.
c. Book Project status/update: Author Laura Phillips continues to make good
progress and has completed 90 of the rural property written entries.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: Menius moved to adjourn, seconded by Peck; adjourned at 8:30
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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