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2 <br /> recommendations, getting updates of the Perry Hills mini-park and the Blackwood Park. She said <br /> they will not be participating in outside agency funding review in 2025 and members are thankful <br /> for that. She said they have a youth representative on their council, and they find it to be a valuable <br /> perspective. She said their plans for 2025 include the council serving as the steering committee <br /> for the county trails plan. She said the Parks and Recreation Council hopes to provide input on <br /> the bicycle and pedestrian plan as well. She said that that the facilities for soccer fields are maxed <br /> out and there is very limited availability. She said that resources could be expanded at the <br /> Soccer.com center and the possibility of fields at the Millhouse Center. She said they are <br /> considering establishing a partnership with the schools for recreation facilities at the schools. She <br /> said they would like to work with the schools in using bond funds to build recreational facilities. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if the council had considered partnering with Chapel <br /> Hill Carrboro City Schools in addition to Orange County. <br /> David Stancil, DEAPR Director, said that both would be nice but most of their participants <br /> are in the Orange County district. <br /> Commissioner McKee asked if there had been any discussion with the schools because <br /> his impression is that it would be a difficult conversation. <br /> Natalie Ziemba said they have not gotten far in establishing a relationship with the schools, <br /> but they have reached out. <br /> Chair Bedford said the Board adopted a new school facilities policy that asks the school <br /> board to talk to other jurisdictions about shared facilities. <br /> Art Menius from the Historic Preservation Commission said they are in the final editing <br /> process of the historic resources book. He said they have had three different properties start the <br /> National Register of Historic Places process. He said that Ridge Road School was placed on the <br /> register in 2024. He said they submitted an application for the Strayhorn house in Carrboro. He <br /> said the Andrews-Earnhardt house outside of Carrboro was built by a student of Frank Lloyd <br /> Wright and much of the work on the house was performed by local African American masons, the <br /> Barbees. He said they have started their first historic preservation easement project in <br /> collaboration with the Lands Legacy Program at the Henry Calvin Andrews house. He said that <br /> they have revamped the local landmark application process to remove biases and prejudices. He <br /> said they have started working more closely with Hillsborough. He said that going forward, there <br /> is a lot of work that needs to be done around historic Black cemeteries. He said they are working <br /> on the Blackwood Farm Park project with the Human Relations Commission. He said Blackwood <br /> Farm Park has a cemetery where there is a burial ground of workers. He said that there is another <br /> very large Black cemetery of enslaved people off Terry Road and the developer set aside a couple <br /> of acres of that property for preservation. He said that the Ridge Road School is on the National <br /> Register, but it still needs to be preserved and maintained. He said it belongs to a church, but <br /> they do not have the funds to continuously do this, so they are seeking funding for a small-scale <br /> grant program for properties that merit preservation, but resources are few. He said they want to <br /> increase awareness of archeological sites and are working on a digital marker program. He said <br /> that a physical marker would be much more expensive. He said that if the Commissioners would <br /> like to have a physical marker program, they can make that happen. He said that they are working <br /> with the Old Courthouse too. He said it is America's 250t" ongoing and they are following the lead <br /> of the tourism commissioner. <br /> Chair Bedford said she appreciates the marker that is being installed at the Blackwood <br /> Farm for the Black cemetery. <br /> Art Menius said that he hoped to see some of the commissioners at the old courthouse <br /> where three Orange County residents who were lynched will be remembered. <br /> Michael Hughes of the Agricultural Preservation Board said that the Board had heard <br /> about the state of agriculture in Orange County at their retreat the previous month. He said that <br /> there are no surprises: loss of farmland to development and decreasing economic viability of <br /> farming. He said in 2022, the Agricultural Preservation Board formed a farmland protection <br />