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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 5, 2015 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 7 -a <br />SUBJECT: Designation of the White Cross School as an Orange County Local Historic <br />Landmark <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment, Agriculture, Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) N <br />and Recreation (DEAPR) <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Proposed Ordinance Designating the White <br />Cross School as an Orange County Local Peter Sandbeck, 245 -2517 <br />Historic Landmark <br />PURPOSE: To consider and adopt an ordinance to designate the White Cross School as an <br />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 adoption of the attached landmark ordinance is the final step in the County's historic <br />landmark designation process, outlined in Article 3 of the County's Historic Preservation <br />Ordinance. The BOCC, at its March 3, 2015 meeting, held a required joint public hearing with <br />the HPC to obtain public input and comment about the proposed landmark designation for the <br />White Cross School. At the close of that hearing, the BOCC returned the draft landmark <br />designation ordinance back to the HPC to allow for final editing and review. <br />The attached final version of the proposed landmark ordinance has been approved by the HPC <br />and the County Attorney and is ready for consideration and adoption by the BOCC at this <br />meeting. <br />