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Orange County <br /> HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION <br /> Approved Meeting Summary <br /> October 23rd, 2024 <br /> Bonnie Davis Center, 1020 US 70 West, Hillsborough <br /> MEMBERS PRESENT: Eric Deetz, Rob Golan, Carol Ann Lewald, Art Menius, Anne Whisnant <br /> MEMBERS ABSENT: Todd Dickinson, Cecelia Moore <br /> STAFF PRESENT: Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator <br /> GUESTS: None <br /> ITEM #1: CALL TO ORDER: Chair Menius called the meeting to order at 6:33 pm and welcomed <br /> newly appointed members Carol Ann Lewald and Eric Deetz <br /> ITEM #2: CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA: Staff wished to add the matter of approving <br /> the HPC calendar for 2025 to the agenda. Discussion followed. <br /> ITEM #3: APPROVAL OF MINUTES for August 28t", 2024, meeting: <br /> Whisnant moved to approve, seconded by Golan; motion carried. <br /> ITEM #4: ITEMS FOR DECISION: <br /> a. Approval of HPC meeting calendar for 2025: Staff presented the draft calendar for <br /> meetings in 2025. Discussion followed. Whisnant moved to approve, seconded by Deetz; <br /> motion carried. <br /> ITEM #5: DISCUSSION ITEMS <br /> a. Landmark Evaluation Form revisions: review of preliminary staff suggestions: Staff <br /> provided a brief overview of the landmark evaluation process for the benefit of the new <br /> members, then handed out a newly revised version of the landmark evaluation form that <br /> reflects the HPC's ongoing concerns that the existing form (ca. 2010) doesn't contain <br /> criteria that address the significance of non-traditional and underrepresented properties. <br /> The existing scoring system is heavily weighted to favor properties that are 100-plus years <br /> old and that are listed on the National Register, and as a result, our landmark process <br /> tends to disfavor other types of historic resources, often ones associated with <br /> underrepresented communities. To start the conversation, staff suggested that we <br /> eliminate the entire first two sections, which will remove the heavy emphasis on National <br /> Register status and property/site age. Discussion followed, with a focus on ways to better <br /> evaluate archaeological sites. The HPC is not bound to factor in National Register status. <br /> Perhaps we can look at National Register as an additional bonus scoring category or just <br /> assume that any property that is on the NR could qualify as a local landmark <br /> automatically. This has been customary among most local preservation commissions, <br /> where it's common to take an existing NR nomination and submit that as a landmark <br /> report. We want to get away from just using old age as a criteria. Often more modern or <br /> recent sites can be ephemeral due to their very nature. For example, in Hillsborough, <br /> there was McPherson Field, which was a family-built, informal local baseball field with <br /> stands, or the former Daniel Boone Village—both now gone but these were sites of major <br /> importance to the town. There was general consensus in favor of eliminating the top two <br /> categories, for NR status and age. There can be bonus points added under the mitigating <br /> 1 <br />