HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Minutes 120920 Attachment 1
Orange County
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Approved Meeting Summary
December 9, 2020 at 6:30 pm
Virtual Meeting via GoToMeeting
MEMBERS PRESENT: Susan Ballard, Todd Dickinson, Art Menius, Paul Noe, Steve Peck
MEMBERS ABSENT: Tom Loter
STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck GUESTS: Fred Stewart
ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER
Chair Dickinson called the meeting to order at 6:34 pm.
ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: None
ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for Oct. 28, 2020 (Attachment 1): Menius moved to approve
the minutes, seconded by Ballard; motion approved.
ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION
a. Application for Certificate of Appropriateness for Chatwood (Attachment Q
Staff provided members with an overview of the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)
application for Chatwood. The project architect, Fred Stewart, was present to
represent property owners Alexandra and PJ Heller. Staff explained that this was a
public meeting and that letters had been sent to adjoining property owners within 500
feet. No property owners responded to the letter with any comments or questions.
Staff gave a PowerPoint presentation showing location maps, site plans and historic
and modern photos of the Chatwood property, along with the floor plan and elevation
drawings depicting the proposed work. In brief, the project consists of constructing a
new bathroom addition to the east of the c1845 rear wing, rebuilding and
enlarging the existing rear sun porch to create a kitchen, installing a new stone
terrace and constructing a separate free-standing screened room or pavilion at
the west end of the house. The proposed work is shown in detail on plans
submitted by architect Fred Stewart, dated Nov. 17, 2020. Staff reviewed how
each work item meets or does not meet the official HPC Design Standards. Staff
pointed out that most of the proposed work was approved by the HPC in 2014-15, with
a subsequent submittal approved by the HPC in 2018 for a modified version of the
2014-15 work. Discussion followed. Dickinson pointed out that the majority of the work
being done here is focused on the 1940s addition and not affecting the main house.
Mr. Stewart explained that the only real change from the last submittal was the
addition of the screened room. Members agreed that the COA should include mention
of archaeological monitoring during construction, as was done for the previous COAs
for this project. Concern was also expressed regarding the gardens, to make sure that
site work for this project does not have an adverse impact on the historic plantings and
landscaping. Members expressed their appreciation for the architect's efforts to modify
the design to significantly reduce the visual impact of the new porch room.
Based on the information presented and items raised during discussion, Menius
moved to approve the COA for the proposed work at Chatwood as presented, based
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on the findings of fact presented in the staff report, with the additional condition that
archaeological monitoring and recording be performed if any evidence surfaces during
the work. Noe indicated he would be happy to make a site visit(s) as needed during
construction in the event that discoveries were made; motion seconded by Peck;
discussion followed. Menius offered a revised motion to accept the staff
recommendations to approve the COA with the landscape and archaeological
conditions as written, seconded by Noe; motion passed.
b. Approval of HPC Calendar for 2021 (Attachment 3): Staff reviewed the proposed
calendar for 2021. Members discussed and agreed on the proposed dates for
meetings, on the last Wednesday of July as has been our tradition. Menius moved to
approve, seconded by Ballard; motion passed.
ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS:
a. Annual Report and Work Plan for 2020 (Attachment 4): Dickinson asked staff to
present the updated draft report for discussion. Staff noted that Commissioner Greene
expressed special interest in having the HPC renew efforts to plan for a future local
historical/cultural marker program, with the understanding that this project will require
some funding as well as the creation of a process for vetting marker proposals for
content and accuracy. One goal of such a program will be to allow the county to
commemorate people and events of local significance, especially marginalized and
overlooked people/topics. Menius suggested that we go ahead and add this to our
work plan for 2021. Menius, Noe, Peck and Ballard volunteered to serve on a
subcommittee to look into a marker program. There can also be a digital component to
this project. Pricing for a standard high quality marker for a county program will cost in
the range of $2,400. Similar markers can be seen along the state's highways for the
Civil War Trail marker.
b. Possible cancellation of February 26t" meeting due to lack of business. We might need
to meet is if we are required to review the applications for outside agency funding by a
certain deadline. Members agreed to cancel unless we are required to review those.
ITEM #6: UPDATES AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
a. Dendrochronology Project: Staff provided an update on the status of the fundraising for
this project. We have the $5,000 from the Covington Foundation, plus a county
contribution of$2,000 matched by the Alliance with another$2,000. The Preservation
Fund has agreed to add $5,000 to our budget. We will include the courthouse in the
project and utilize some of the funding from our research project for that. We'd like to
invite Moorefields to be included in the project, but not clear if they can help with the
funding. The owners of the Burnside Great Barn would like to get that building dated and
are willing to help with financial assistance. Staff will provide a list of potential properties to
include in the project.
b. Book Project Update:
We obtained feedback from the Alliance board attorney regarding the proposed contract
for the book design firm, so are reviewing those now to see if we can adjust the contract
wording to be satisfactory to all properties. The author has finished all the county and
town entries with the exception of approx. 10 for the town, which she'll work on while she
starts of the writing of the historical and architectural essay. She will utilize all the existing
reports and essays where they are accurate and will credit appropriately. We need to get
the designers under contract so that they can work on the promotional visuals we need to
use with our fund raising letter. Catherine Bishir has been incredibly helpful through her
work on editing the property entries. Peck reminded members of the importance of
including a full representation of properties relating to people of color.
c. Oaks Community Preservation: Staff participated in a zoom meeting with the newly-
formed preservation group called HOSTA (Historic Oaks Stewardship Alliance. They wish
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to move forward to pursue a possible National Register Rural Historic District nomination
for the rural community that surrounds the area around the Bingham School and the
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.
d. Occaneechi Village: We did host another workday to continue work on the large hut; we
now have the frame for that finished and ready to cover with thatch this spring. Staff will
work to make sure you get invitations to future work days.
e. Hughes Academy repairs and Cameron Ice House roof repairs: Staff showed photos
of the Hughes Academy, a very intact 1860s vintage schoolhouse that was moved to
county school board property on Cameron St. The rear door needs repairs so staff is
working on getting estimates to present to the board of ed. HPC support will help get
some funding released for this project. The former Ice House will need some roof repair
soon, as some wood shingles are rotted or missing. The late Dean Ruedrich, who
restored this in the early 2000s, left some of the original shingles stored in the ice house
that we can use. We also need HPC support for a current effort to create and build an
interpretive sign for the ice house. The Preservation Fund has agreed to help pay for half
of the cost of a new sign, now being developed by a local Eagle Scout, Issac Trost. The
Alliance is willing to match that funding, so this should happen by this summer.
ITEM #7: ADJOURNMENT: the meeting was adjourned at 8:31.
Meeting summary by Peter Sandbeck, DEAPR staff
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