Historic Preservation Commission Special Meeting

TOWN OF SWANSBORO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING November 28, 2023 Call to Order The meeting of Swansboro Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 2:31 PM. Those in attendance were Jonathan McDaniel, Elaine Justice, Christina Ramsey, Edward Binanay, and ALT member Eric Young. Kim Kingrey and ALT Gregg Casper were not present. Business Certificate of Appropriateness amendment/204 S. Walnut St The following individuals were sworn in and/or addressed the board. Rebecca Brehmer Norman (Brad) Phillips Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer presented the board with the owner’s request for new exterior alterations. The home, also known as the Abram Bell House, was zoned R6SF and was a contributing structure to the Historic District. The owners previously applied and were approved for exterior alterations that included a 6’x6’ addition to the house for a bathroom that would be off the rear west side of the home on a portion of the existing deck. The roof and siding used would be the same found on the rest of the house. Additionally, they had applied for a 12’x12’ screened porch framed with pressure treated lumber and painted white. It would be built on the rear deck of the home with matching roof line and metal roof material. They requested to make the 12’x12’ screened in porch into a fully enclosed sunroom with same siding used on the rest of the home. Also, to the right of the new sunroom, they requested to extend the original overhang leading to the laundry room entrance out to the existing deck footprint using existing material and creating a cased opening at the old doorway. The bathroom addition would remain the same. The public hearing was open at 2:36 pm On inquiries from the board, Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer clarified the following: - The massing study technically pertained to this, but since this addition was being built on the existing deck, the staff felt it would not trigger small additions per the new text amendment brought before the board at this meeting. - The addition would be in the back of the house and originally where the porch was located. The public hearing was closed at 2:38 pm On a motion by Mr. Young, seconded by Mrs. Justice, the amendment to COA 2023-07 was unanimously approved based on the criteria of Section 12, Additions to Contributing Buildings. Page 1 of 4 Review of Staff Approvals Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer reviewed the following approved items: - 105 N Front St: Repainted building white as existing, installed new canopy and paint shutters (pantone 5435), paint door (pantone 571), installed new sign decal (pantone 3242, 2376, 7660, 482, 7493, 7607). - 211 S Water St: Installed vinyl bulkhead to replace existing bulkhead. Historic District Stakeholder Survey Discussion Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer reviewed that staff was directed to coordinate with board member, Mr. Binanay, to update the previously used Historic District Stakeholder Survey and created an outreach plan to allow the community to participate in the survey. The board discussed that their purpose of the Stakeholder Survey was to gather information from the community, focused on what were the priorities for the town, and to gather opinions and preferences. In essence, taken the pulse of not just the historic district, but the whole town. The goal was to analyze the data, report back to the town, and provide recommendations on how to implement the results of the survey. On inquiries from the board Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer clarified the following: - The survey would be distributed via email to the residents in the Historic District. The link for the survey would be posted on the Town website, Facebook page, and included in the Town’s monthly newsletter. - The board needed to provide directions for the staff to request additional funds from the Board of Commissioners for mailings outside of the Historic District. There was money in the budget for only mailing to the Historic District and the rest would be handled digitally. It would be allowed for the Historic Association to place the link for the survey on their website and the survey would be allowed to be placed on the counter at Town Hall. - The provided deadline for returned surveys would be March 1, 2024, and if it needed to be extended for lack of results, the board would discuss closer to the deadline. - The final survey would be provided to the board prior to the survey being sent to the public. Text Amendment to Massing Standards in the Historic District Planner Correll presented at the board’s request, an amendment to the massing standards to exclude small additions or projects to the Unified Development Ordinance for review. Chairman McDaniel clarified that a massing study was an evaluation of the construction impact to the surrounding area and looked at all the factors like, survey work, topography, and architecture. Page 2 of 4 On inquiries from the board, Planner Correll clarified the following: - The sample massing study had to be compatible with only the block, not the whole district. The block would be designated depending on the street crossings. - Splitting the categories to Accessory Structures and Additions could be used for different square footage. Accessory Dwellings are not permitted in the Town. - The more stringent Town ordinances or regulations rules are followed. Comments from the public were permitted. Mr. Brad Phillips shared it was an excellent idea for 10% to be considered for the Massing Standards. Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer stated the Massing Study would prove to be inconvenient and required an extra step for residents for small projects. The board would have needed to study the numbers like the size of the lots in the district to help them come to a decision. On a motion by Mr. Binanay, seconded by Mrs. Justice, and with unanimous approval, the text amendment was tabled for further discussion. Text Amendment related to Landscape Standards in the Historic District Planner Correll shared the following review of landscape standards in Historic Districts, staff had prepared a draft amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance for review. Residents should be given an approved choice of plants and should not have used invasive species of plants. The list of plants allowed was obtainable from different nurseries. Included in the ordinance, residents would be allowed normal maintenance if the residents were staying within the new ordinance. On inquiries from the board, Planner Correll clarified the following: - Current nonconforming plants and trees in the district would have been grandfathered in and would not have been required to be removed. - Once the ordinance was codified, the information was available in the office. - If the board was given a request for a different plant or tree not on the list, the resident would be able to submit a staff approval for the same species not on the list or come before the board to be allowed to use a different plant not included in the list. On a motion by Mrs. Ramsey, seconded by Mr. Binanay, Section 152.479 Certificate of Appropriateness List subsection 43 and 49, with an addition to Appendix III Section 25, Historic District Landscape, was unanimously approved. Chairman/Board Thoughts/Staff Comments Mr. Binany shared with the board that it had been a pleasure working with them and had decided to resign from the board. The board thanked Mr. Binanay for his service to the Historic District. Page 3 of 4 Projects/Planning Coordinator Brehmer updated the board on the following: - Local Landmark Designation Workshop. Christy Brantly from the State Historic Preservation Office had agreed to hold a workshop at the Emmerton School. January 13, 2024, was decided upon for the workshop. Christy Brantly had a presentation prepared. Notification to the residents would be handed out to the board and residence within the district. Town Facebook and website were used as well to share information about the workshop. The Town Newsletter was usually completed by the Town Manager. The changes with the Town Manager had caused a delay in the newsletter. If a newsletter was provided by the town, they would include the workshop as an advertisement. - The mayor informed the Staff that a member of the Historic Board wished to request funds for future workshops and mailings. If the Historic Board requested more funds, a formal request would need to be brought before the Board of Commissioners. The Historic board had to provide a suggested amount for the request. The board decided to table the discussion at that moment until there was a specific request. Public Comments Citizens were offered an opportunity to address the board. No comments were given. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 4:00 pm. Page 4 of 4