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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 3, 2015 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 -a <br />SUBJECT: Joint Public Hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission Regarding the <br />Proposed Designation of the White Cross School as an Orange County Local <br />Historic Landmark <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) Yes <br />and Recreation (DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1) Local Landmark Application and Report for <br />the White Cross School Peter Sandbeck, 245 -2517 <br />2) Letter from State Historic Preservation <br />Office <br />3) Minutes of the October 22, 2014 Meeting <br />of Orange County Historic Preservation <br />Commission Documenting Approval of <br />Proposed Landmark Application <br />4) DRAFT Proposed Landmark Ordinance <br />PURPOSE: To conduct a joint public hearing with the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) <br />to receive public comment on the application and proposed ordinance to designate the White <br />Cross School as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark. <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." In 1997, the County adopted the Local Landmark Program, a <br />voluntary program allowing the HPC to designate properties of local historic and /or architectural <br />significance, as authorized by NC General Statute 160A- 400.1- 400.14. One of the HPC's duties <br />is to recommend properties to the BOCC for local landmark designation. Properties must meet <br />a high standard of historic and /or architectural significance to be designated as an individual <br />landmark. The higher standard is appropriate since landmark property owners are eligible for a <br />50 percent property tax deferral as provided by state law, as long as the property is preserved <br />and retains its historic character. <br />The historic landmark designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the County's Historic <br />Preservation Ordinance, involves several steps culminating with the adoption of an ordinance by <br />the BOCC for each individual landmark. At its October 22, 2014 meeting, the HPC accepted a <br />Part 2 application from Ms. Danielle Sunde to consider her property, the White Cross School, for <br />designation as an Orange County Local Historic Landmark, thus initiating the application <br />process (Attachment 1). Ms. Sunde's application materials were submitted to the State Historic <br />Preservation Office (SHPO) for review and comment as required by state law. The HPC <br />received a favorable response from the SHPO staff (Attachment 2). The HPC concurred with <br />