Historic Preservation Commission

TOWN OF SWANSBORO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES DECEMBER 19, 2023 Call to Order The meeting of Swansboro Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 5:30 PM. Those in attendance were Jonathan McDaniel, Kim Kingrey, Elaine Justice, and ALT members Eric Young and Gregg Casper. Christina Ramsey was not present. There was a vacant position on the board. Business Historic District Stakeholder Survey Update Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer presented the board with the update on the final edit of the Historic District Stakeholder Survey that was sent to the Swansboro Historic Preservation Commission on December 6, 2023. Mrs. Brehmer reviewed that the survey was posted on the Town’s website and Facebook page on December 13th. A mailing to the residents of the historic district was handled on December 14th and an article would be published in the Tideland News on December 21st. The survey would close for responses on March 1, 2024. In response to inquiries from the board, Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer clarified the following: - Confirmed with the Town Clerk if the survey link would be able to be placed on the town website. - The first question would capture the relationship of each person who filled out the survey’s information to the Swansboro Historic District. - The survey information would be analyzed by Survey Monkey, and then the staff would provide the information to the board. - Residents were allowed to visit town hall to have access to a physical copy of the survey. - Assessing a Historic District Endowment fund was not allowed in the statutes, and it was very specific and did not include a Historic District. - The Town Clerk would send out a reminder about the survey to the residents via mass email. There was no funding available for another postal mailing available. - Displayed signs with the link for the survey would need to be brought before the Town Manager. - The survey was posted at the Visitor’s Center. - An update or request for extension would be provided to the board at the regular meeting in February 2024. Local Landmark Designation Workshop Update Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer reviewed that the Local Landmark Designation Workshop was scheduled for January 13, 2024, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am with a presentation by Kristi Brantley from the State Historic Preservation Office. The workshop would be held at the Emmerton School with refreshments to follow. RSVPs were due by January 8, 2024. On inquiries from the board, Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer clarified the following: Page 1 of 3  - Confirmation with Mrs. Brantley would be requested to make sure she brought examples of what was eligible to be designated as a Local Landmark. - Mrs. Brantley would be discussing tax deferments for the workshop. She would provide a little information for tax credits. Text Amendment to Massing Standards in the Historic District Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer reviewed that at the regular October meeting, a request was made to amend the massing standards to exclude small additions or projects. A draft text amendment was brought to the November meeting, and it was tabled for more review. The updated draft ordinance proposed to amend Appendix III Section 11. 1 New Construction Standards that if a small outbuilding is 150 square feet or less or if an addition of a home is 250 square feet or less or not visible from any street, a massing study is not required. On inquiries from the board, Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer clarified the following: - The staff were not telling residents they cannot construct an accessory structure based on size, there could be an extra step. - The statement “not visible from any street” could be removed for transparency. - The standards provided consider the neighbor’s property and how it would affect them. - The heated square footage was not added since a big porch or Florida Room could be 250 square feet. - The Massing Standard requirements were used as a tool to be implemented to protect the district from having huge additions that were not in character with the district or the house. This amendment allowed residents to complete a small addition or place a little shed without having to do that extra step. - The amendment was simple and would not require an attorney to review. On a motion by Mrs. Ramsey, seconded by Mrs. Kingrey, the proposed amendment to Appendix III Section 11.1. New Construction Standards to the Unified Development Ordinance with removal of “or not visible from any street’ was unanimously approved. Historic Resilience Workshop Update| On December 7, 2023, two SHPC members, Kim Kingrey and Elaine Justice, and the Projects/Planning Coordinator attended the Historic Resilience Workshop held by the NC School of Government in New Bern. Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer summed up the conference. The school of government partnered with three new resources for historic resilience regarding flooding, hurricane damage, and wind. It was broken into three steps of how more historic communities can implement more resilience standards in their ordinance. The first resource defined issues. The second was a step- by-step plan for communities to do community involvement and gauge what the largest problems were as far as implementing. The third step was design standards which were ready to be implemented to the ordinance. It would be the board’s decision on what integrity would mean to the historic district. For example, does keeping a house the way it was but being raised a few feet on the brick foundation jeopardized the integrity of the district. Page 2 of 3 Mrs. Kingrey shared that the National Historic District currently looked at things differently than previously. The problem was along the coast and some inland, there was flooding taking place. There were some towns who had flooded three times in ten years. Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer shared with the board the following: - There are copies of the books available from town hall or available online. There were a lot of options available for books online. - Once the resources had been studied, they would educate the board on what the issues were and what had been identified. - There was a book on the steps to help identify the issues in your community. Broken it down to nine steps to help make it clear. - Design standards had already been written, such as elevated buildings in an appropriate way, doing proper roofs, windows, and storm protection. Further details provided options to protect the districts resources. - The board needed to decide what was worth implementing and fine tuning to ultimately adopt some of the design standards into the ordinance. On a motion by Mrs. Ramsey, seconded by Mrs. Kingrey, and with unanimous approval, the Historic Resilience discussion was tabled for further discussion until the February 2024 regular meeting. Chairman/Board Thoughts/Staff Comments The board requested the staff to add a discussion about the current roof and window standards for the February 2024 regular meeting. The focus would be on standing seam roof designs. On a motion by Mrs. Kingrey, seconded by Mr. Young, review for the standards on roofs and windows and to begin the discussion for what to implement and change, was unanimously approved for addition to the February meeting agenda. Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer discussed with the board the request for more funding for the 2024/2025 Budget year. She reviewed that the Board of Commissioners budget workshops would begin January and that budget deliberations lasted a couple of months. The board would need to provide specific details for a funding request to be considered. Staff would include discussion on the matter at the January 2024 meeting. Public Comments Citizens were offered an opportunity to address the board. No comments were given. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 6:18 pm. Page 3 of 3