Historic Preservation Commission

TOWN OF SWANSBORO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES June 18, 2024 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, Christina Ramsey, Lauren Brown, and ALT member Gregg Casper. Elaine Justice and Eric Young were not present. Approval of Minutes On a motion by Mrs. Ramsey, seconded by Mrs. Kingrey, the December 19, 2023, regular meeting minutes were unanimously approved. Business Preston’s Corner Bar & Grill Staff Approval Discussion Planner Brehmer reviewed that the owners of Preston’s Corner Bar & Grill had submitted a Staff Approval Application for the painting of a mural on the back concrete steps of the restaurant along the intersection of Moore Street and Front Street. Their item was brought for discussion due to the UDO not having any direction on murals. Planner Brehmer responded to the inquiries from the board: - The owners of Preston’s offered to paint the historic street marker if they were allowed to paint the mural. - The stairs were probably not historic or part of the original building but would be researched. - Usually, masonry surfaces were considered brick walls and surfaces in the UDO. - Some people considered paint to be temporary. - The owner’s idea was to be a focal point to have had a photo spot for tourists and to have drawn attention to the business. - The mural could be considered signage. - Concrete steps were researched and could be interpreted in different ways. If the board wanted to interpret §10.1, item 3, Paint and Exterior Colors, if it was the correct section for the concrete steps, the board could have denied the request. - Murals could be considered artwork or painted surface. The board decided the requested mural would violate §10.1 item 3, Paint and Exterior Colors and directed staff to deny the approval. Mrs. Kingrey shared that the Historical Association was contacted about a year ago about the seven (7) street markers that were in the backyard of a resident on Main Street Extension which needed to be retrieved, touched up/repainted, and installed. The signs were included on the National Registry. Planner Brehmer would contact Public Works to discuss the arrangements for picking up the street markers, have them stored, and painted until the markers were installed. The placement of the markers would need to be researched prior to being installed. Page 1 of 2 Review of Staff Approvals Planner Brehmer reviewed the following Staff Approvals: - 307 Church Street – Painted shutters pantone 2380C (navy blue). - 206 Walnut Street – Painted exterior of house white, painted porch roof light blue, painted shutters off white, and replaced wooden patio with brick in yard. - 119 Water Street – Installed 4 ft white picket fence around empty lot. - 228 Elm Street – Replaced HVAC unit in-kind, same location. - 106 Front Street – Installed new roof overlay over existing and new PVC single-ply membrane system. Not visible from the street. - Planner Brehmer responded to the board’s inquiry that 307 Church Street were vinyl shutters, since there were existing shutters, they were grandfathered in for compliance. Chairman/Board Thoughts/Staff Comments Planner Brehmer shared the following information: - The owners of a few empty lots on Walnut Street were interested in building cottage type houses. Setbacks were currently 25 feet along the front of the house. The Planner was allowed to grant an exception for the front setbacks as per §152.196. The research was done and the Planner allowed for the exception for the front setback line to be 12.5 feet. - The COA application was revised to address the requirement of samples and Compliance and Enforcement. - The town was recertified to be part of the Certified Local Government program (CLG). Planner Brehmer shared the next meeting may have a COA for a renovation project and details would be reviewed to begin the flood resilience process to adopt the standards. Planner Brehmer responded to the board that if the Building Inspector executed code enforcement, the information would be included as an agenda item in future meetings. Public Comments Citizens were offered an opportunity to address the board. No comments were given. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 6:05 pm. Page 2 of 2