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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 3, 2011 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. (D - C <br />SUBJECT: Murphey School Local Historic Landmark Designation <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) Yes <br />Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1) Designation Report - DEAPR Dave Stancil, 245 -2590 <br />2) Application - Owner Rich Shaw, 245 -2514 <br />3) Response from State Historic Preservation Tina Moon, 245 -2517 <br />Office <br />4) HPC Minutes - December 8, 2010 <br />5) Public Hearing Notice <br />6) Draft Designation Ordinance <br />PURPOSE: To receive public comment on the application and proposed ordinance to designate <br />Murphey School as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark and refer the designation <br />ordinance to the Historic Preservation Commission for its recommendation. <br />BACKGROUND: In 1991, Orange County adopted the "Ordinance Creating the Historic <br />Preservation Commission (HPC) of Orange County," also referred to as the "Historic <br />Preservation Ordinance ". A few years later, in 1997, the County adopted a voluntary program <br />to designate properties of local historic and architectural significance called the Local Landmark <br />Program. One of the HPC's duties is to recommend properties for local landmark designation. <br />Properties may be designated as individual landmarks or as part of historic districts. Properties <br />must meet a higher standard of historic and /or architectural significance to be designated as an <br />individual landmark. The higher standard is appropriate since, in North Carolina, landmark <br />property owners are eligible for a 50- percent property -tax deferral as long as the site retains its <br />historic character. <br />Most designation programs use a criteria system to evaluate the historic and architectural <br />significance of properties based on the National Register of Historic Places. The Orange <br />County HPC measures the "value" of potential Local Landmark and Local Historic District <br />properties based on seven criteria: resource type, age, historic significance, architectural <br />significance, environmental significance, contributing features and integrity. While each <br />property is unique, the systematic evaluation formula combined with a multi -step review process <br />ensures that all sites are assessed using a consistent approach, limiting the potential for <br />favoritism toward a particular owner. <br />The designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, involves <br />several steps culminating with the adoption of an ordinance for each individual landmark site or <br />historic district. At its October 27, 2010 meeting, the HPC accepted a formal application from <br />