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7 F; 37 <br />U v'i5 Q <br />North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources <br />James G. Martin, Governor <br />Patric Dorsey, Secretary <br />March 6, 1991 <br />Mr. Marvin Collins <br />Orange County Planning Department <br />306F Revere Road <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />Division of Archives and History <br />William S. Price, Jr., Director <br />Re: Proposed Historic Preservation Commission Ordinance <br />Dear Mr. Collins: <br />Thank you for sending me the draft of Orange County's Historic <br />Preservation Commission Ordinance. I have reviewed it and offer <br />the following observations. <br />- The ordinance is well- written and includes all of the necessary <br />provisions to empower the commission and direct its role in <br />carrying out a local preservation program in orange County. It <br />should serve the commission and the county well and I hope very <br />much that it will receive a favorable response from the Planning - <br />Board at its upcoming meeting. <br />My only regret about the way this will be set -up is the fact <br />that the commission will not be allowed to initiate potential <br />designations. -As I read it, only properties for which the owner <br />approaches the commission about designation can be considered. <br />Although this, in itself, is not necessarily a disadvantage, the <br />restriction could ultimately work against the preservation of <br />endangered or highly significant properties whose owners have no <br />interest in designation. I assume the commission will be free to <br />approach owners to explain the designation program in cases where <br />it feels that is necessary and in the hopes of persuading the owner <br />to voluntarily apply. If so, this may not be a problem. I am also <br />assuming that the commission will have some discretion in deciding <br />if proposals brought in by owners are even eligible for possible <br />designation. <br />I also noted some technical questions throughout the ordinance <br />which I would like to mention. In Section 2.10, it is stated that <br />the waiting period set forth in section 4.9 of the ordinance shall <br />be observed prior to the demolition of any building, structure, <br />site, area or object in a historic district. In the statutes (see <br />109 East Jones Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 -2807 <br />