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80 <br /> • Increase efforts to promote the Local Historic Landmark program to eligible <br /> property owners, working in cooperation with the Lands Legacy Program, to <br /> generate at least two new landmark applications per year (No fiscal impact— <br /> funding already budgeted for this in the Lands Legacy program funding) <br /> What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming <br /> year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners' attention? <br /> • The HPC wishes to initiate a project to develop a long-range historic preservation <br /> plan to guide all future work on the Historic Old Orange County Courthouse. Such <br /> a plan will guide and inform current planning for technological upgrades and <br /> changes to needed to continue to accommodate court system requirements. This <br /> is the next logical step to follow the current project now underway to develop a <br /> master plan for the historic Courthouse square grounds and landscaping. The <br /> HPC believes it has a responsibility to protect one of the county's most significant <br /> historic structures—also one of the finest Greek Revival-style courthouses in the <br /> state. This project will be carried out in partnership with AMS, to develop a <br /> planning document for review and input from the BOCC, the courts and other <br /> stakeholders. (Note: the last major work was done in 1985, when the courthouse <br /> was renovated to improve fire safety and ADA accessibility. The tower and clock <br /> were restored in 2004 in partnership with the Town and private donors. <br /> • The HPC hopes to create a "rural heritage preservation grant program" to offer <br /> small incentive grants of approximately $1,000 to 3,000 to owners of endangered <br /> types of historic resources. The focus will be on the buildings that represent our <br /> agricultural heritage, such as diary barns, tobacco barns, silos, corn cribs, and <br /> livestock barns. Other eligible types of endangered resources include log houses, <br /> old schoolhouses and slave cemeteries. These are the resources help give <br /> Orange County its special historic character. Such a program will help owners <br /> afford modest repairs that could greatly extend the life of these resources, like <br /> new barn tin roofing or simple structural repairs. The protection and preservation <br /> of these historic resources will enhance the county's efforts to preserve its rural <br /> character and will help efforts to promote agri-tourism and heritage tourism. Any <br /> such incentives would require agreements with the property owner stipulating <br /> ongoing protection of that resource, similar to the agreements used for the VAD <br /> program. The HPC envisions seeking grants from foundations to match a small <br /> amount annually from the County, to be able to offer a total of about $10,000 per <br /> year in grants to multiple property owners. HPC staff would administer the <br /> program. <br /> • The HPC seeks to broaden the diversity of the Local Historic Landmark and <br /> National Register programs in the County, to encourage such historic <br /> designations for sites of significance to the County's African-American heritage, <br /> as well as archaeological sites representing the importance of the Indian culture of <br /> the area. <br />