Orange County NC Website
landmarks are proposed, as it can cause officials to become concerned about the <br />potential loss of revenue. A goal of two per year seems like a reasonable pace. Members <br />encouraged staff to push for three when time permits. Referring back to the Annual <br />Report, Ireland suggested that we make an effort to show the book as an activity in more <br />categories, so that it is clearly demonstrated as our primary project. Members offered <br />several suggested additions that were noted by staff. Staff asked for members to email <br />any other suggested changes. <br />ITEM #8: UPDATES AND INFORMATION ITEMS <br />a. Historic Resources Inventory Update Project status: <br />Staff reported that the consultants submitted their final products, consisting of 200 <br />properties, with photos, files, and data entry into the SHPO database. Staff completed the <br />required 50 additional properties. Discussion followed about the best way to sift through <br />the entire 750 resources to determine which make the first cut for inclusion in the book. <br />The first attempt made by staff consisted of showing members via PowerPoint programs <br />that featured every single property in the County. This was too time - consuming. Based on <br />guidance from the former chair, staff is now planning to review with members only those <br />properties that made the first cut, say 200 to 250. Making the next cut, to get down to 125 <br />or 150 to be included in the book, is the next challenge. Staff reviewed the past steps that <br />have been taken including a meeting almost a year ago between staff, Chair Dickinson, <br />and the Town H DC, at which time the Town agreed to support the concept of a joint <br />Town /County historic resources publication. Now that the Town HDC has had so much <br />member turnover, staff has arranged to speak to the new HDC at their January 6th, 2016 <br />regular meeting, perhaps with new chair Ballard present. Stephanie Trueblood, staffer for <br />the Town's HDC, is very supportive but indicated that the County will need to take the lead <br />role to make this happen. This might actually help move the whole thing forward and <br />make for a more unified, cohesive end product. Staff explained the current new phase of <br />our inventory project, to survey the ETJ of Hillsborough, outside the Town limits. We are <br />pushing the Town to move forward to complete their own inventory by undertaking an <br />inventory of the rest of the Town, outside of the National Register Historic District, which <br />they updated two years ago. Ms. Trueblood indicates that if the HPC reaffirms its support <br />for the publication, they will go ahead and apply for a 2016 CLG grant to help fund that <br />next phase. Members asked staff to proceed to prepare a new, updated book <br />timeline /budget/process document for their review. <br />b. Open Air Time: <br />Golan reported on his recent meeting with Frank Gailor who is involved in developing the <br />old Eno mill in Hillsborough; he also redeveloped the old Glencoe Mill in Alamance <br />County. Mr. Gailor offered to provide the HPC members with a guided tour of the mill <br />complex. Members expressed interest in such a tour this year. Golan then reported on <br />recent development activities at the old Halls Mill site on the Eno River just north of the <br />existing bridge. The owner of a vacant lot there has just finished clearing it for <br />development and has torn down the old chimney of the late 19th century miller's house. <br />Staff discussed the concept of some type of historic designation for that site, to include the <br />mill site and the Faucette House, owned by Golan, which is already on the National <br />Register. Such a designation could also include Little Ayr Mount, owned by Tom Rankin <br />and Jill McCorkle. This is a very important early 19th century brick house with some large <br />modern additions that would rule out the National Register individually, but it could be part <br />of a rural district that would deal with the standing resources plus the archaeological <br />resources for the mill, including the dam upstream. All this would have to be done with the <br />consent of the owner of the mill site. This raises the larger question for us, of how to <br />document and protect at least some of the dozens of early dams and mill sites all over the <br />county. Staff noted that we also need to pay attention to significant cemeteries. For <br />example a slave cemetery was recently threatened by a clearcutting timber operation up <br />3 <br />