Historic Preservation Commission

TOWN OF SWANSBORO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING February 21, 2023 Call to Order The meeting of Swansboro Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 5:34PM. Those in attendance were Patrick Larkin, Christina Ramsey, Kim Kingrey, Ed Binanay, Jonathan McDaniel and ALT members Gregg Casper and Elaine Justice. Election of Chair and Vice Chair On a motion by Ed Binanay, seconded by Christina Ramsey a nomination was made for Patrick Larkin to remain as chair. All members were in favor. On a motion by Ed Binanay, seconded by Christina Ramsey a nomination was made for vice- Kim Kingrey to remain as vice-chair. All members were in favor. Approval of Minutes On a motion by Kim Kingrey, seconded by Ed Binanay, the December 20, 2022, regular meeting minutes were unanimously approved. Public Hearing Dock Walk Extension and Public Day Docks Planner, Andrea Correll reviewed that the Town of Swansboro had proposed to extend the existing Bicentennial Park public boardwalk, replace a deteriorated bulkhead with riprap per North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) requirements, and construct seven public day docks to serve visitors traveling by small boat to the historic downtown waterfront. The Town had received a North Carolina Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access grant for financial assistance for construction of the boardwalk extension and public day docks. NCDOT has agreed to provide some financial assistance for replacement of the deteriorating bulkhead with stone riprap. The project will be built in the riparian corridors of the Town-owned southern section of Bicentennial Park, the Mattocks House property owned by Swansboro Bridge Basin, LLC (107 Front Street), and Town-owned street-end at Moore Street. Work will also occur in the riparian corridor of the NCDOT right-of-way associated with the NC Highway 24 White Oak River Bridge under a recently issued encroachment agreement between the Town and NCDOT. The public hearing was opened. With no comments from the public, the hearing was closed. In response to inquiries from the board, Mrs. Correll and Town Manager Paula Webb clarified the following: - Mrs. Webb confirmed that the grant was for $142,350.00 and with the Town contribution of $16,000.00 this brings the total to $158,350.00. She also stated grant deadline was December 2024. - Mrs, Correll shared that it was important to note there would be railings present along the boardwalk, gangway, and other places as necessary for handicap accessibility and public safety. - Staff would reach out to the public works department about lighting under the walkway. Page 1 of 3 On a motion by Christina Ramsey and seconded by Kim Kingrey, COA 2023-01 was approved unanimously based on the following criteria from Appendix III Section 24. l Docks, Piers, and Boardwalks. All members were in favor. Appendix III Historic District Guidelines SECTION 24 DOCKS, PIERS, AND BOARDWALKS. 24.1 Docks, Piers, and Boardwalks-Guideline 1. Locate and construct docks, piers, and boardwalks to be compatible with the historic district in terms of design, materials, size, scale, and details. Must meet best engineering practices and blend with the overall waterfront plan. 2. Use a design that is simple, functional, and utilitarian. Traditional docks were built of post-and-lintel construction, using wood pilings, cross- members, and decking. Avoid the use of railings or other non-historic features that extend above the deck floor line, unless required by law for safety reasons. 3. Use unpainted treated wood for docks, piers, and boardwalks. 4. Built-in features such as benches or roofed structures such as pavilions, gazebos, or screened rooms, or other types of roofed structures such as boat sheds are not appropriate. 5. The design for any related bulkhead or other construction shall be submitted to the SHPC for review with the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a dock, pier, or boardwalk. Review of Staff Approvals Mrs. Correll reviewed the following staff approval items. - 107 Front Street: installed commercial grade clear plastic roll downs at the pavilion. - 119 S. Elm Street: repair and replaced existing front and rear deck and steps. - 116 Front Street: installed standing seam metal roof to match existing, no aesthetic changes. Staff Comments Mrs. Correll requested for another board member to take Kim Kingery’s place on the minor work committee for work Mrs. Kingrey was requesting for her property in the historic district. Mrs. Kingrey had a requested for two trees to be removed from her property located at 212 Elm Street. Therefore, she nee to recuse herself from the committee. Jonathan McDaniel agreed to volunteer. The committee would be reviewing the request on site. An invitation was extended to the board members to attend John Wood’s workshop scheduled on April 22, 2023, from 10:00 – 2:00, concerning window restoration. Board Comments Kim Kingrey recommended that the process to be recognized on the State Historic register be initiated for the Jonathan Green house located at 114 Elm Street and the Ringware house located Page 2 of 3 at 208 W. Main Street. Mrs. Correll stated she would consult with John Wood and present the findings to the board concerning National Register of Historic Places for the two properties. The board discussed concerns related traffic and speeding in downtown and suggested the concept speed bumps and possibly speed limit changes be looked into. Manager Webb shared that the concept of speed bumps or larger humps have been discussed in the past and they were not recommended due to them causing issues for the Fire Truck and emergency vehicles that could need to get downtown quickly at any time. Staff would share the concern with the police department on traffic and speeding in the downtown area. Public Comments None Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 6:14pm. Page 3 of 3