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TO: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
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FROM: |
J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director |
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Gene Poveromo, Development Coordinator |
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SUBJECT: |
Response to Petition Requesting Town Assistance with National Register Historic District Expansion in the Local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District |
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DATE: |
November 6, 2006 |
The purpose of this memorandum is to respond to a petition received on September 27, 2006 from residents of the local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District requesting that the Town provide assistance with a proposal to obtain a grant to expand one of the National Register Historic Districts. The purpose of the grant would be to provide funding for a consultant to work on an application to expand the National Register Historic District boundary to include all of the local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District boundary. This memorandum discusses the petitioner’s request, and outlines the grant application process.
Adoption of Resolution A would authorize the Town Manager to apply for a grant to hire a consultant to expand a National Register Historic District.
If the Council authorizes application for a grant, the following procedures would be initiated:
The “Chapel Hill Historic District” National Register district, which encompasses a portion of the local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District, was the first National Register district in Chapel Hill, listed in October 1971. Since then, the State Historic Preservation Office has listed two additional districts in Chapel Hill. Attachment 6 is a map of the current National Register districts.
The petitioner is requesting Town assistance in obtaining a grant in order to expand one of the National Register Historic District’s to include all of the local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District. Attachment 7 is a map of the local Historic Districts. Attachment 8 is a composite map of the National Register districts and the local districts. Attachment 8 also identifies the proposed extension of the National Register District.
Restoration projects for structures located within a National Register district are eligible for tax credits to the property owner. National Register listing also provides some protection to historic properties if a federal project (or state or local project which receives federal funding) is in conflict with the preservation of a National Register property/district. If a project that receives federal funding is in conflict with a National Register District, the North Carolina Historic Preservation Office will negotiate with the responsible federal agency in an effort to eliminate or minimize the negative effect on the historic property/district.
For additional information on National Register Districts please refer to Attachment 4. Please see Attachment 5 for more information on how a National Register district differs from a local historic district.
The application for expansion of the “Chapel Hill” National Register district was submitted to the State Study List by the petitioners in May 2006 and accepted by the State in June. The next step for the petitioners, working with Town staff, is to submit the full application for National Register listing. The petitioners can not submit the grant application without Town sponsorship.
The petitioners have contacted several consultants qualified to prepare the full nomination application, and expect the consultant’s total fees to be as much as $10,000. The petitioners are seeking a grant from the State and a matching grant from the Town to cover the cost of the consultant’s fee.
We believe that at this time the petitioners are requesting the Town’s assistance in applying for a grant from the State by:
If the grant is awarded, we understand that the petitioners are requesting that the Town provide the following assistance:
Based on discussion with a consultant familiar with this type of project, we anticipate that staff involvement would include: providing the consultant with resources (introduction to neighborhood and local historians), copies of previous work and files, a map that satisfies National Register standards, a meeting with the consultant, petitioners, and State contacts to establish proposed boundary, and help in organizing a public meeting. The staff would also serve as the point of contact for the consultant. If the grant is awarded, we will need to continue working with the petitioners to better understand the likely impact on staff resources.
The applicant has also indicated to the staff that as part of the grant process they would like the Town to help in notification of the property owners in the proposed National Register district expansion area. We understand this request and anticipate assisting the petitioners in holding a neighborhood meeting on November 14, 2006 in the Council Chambers, if the Town Council agrees to sponsor the grant application.
Grant applications are due to the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) at the end of January 2007 and grant awards are to be announced in March 2007. It should take the consultant approximately one year to complete the nomination application, with the final decision made by the National Register Advisory Committee in June 2008.
At the March 9, 2006 Historic District Commission meeting, the petitioners gave a presentation to the Commission on their efforts to expand the National Register District. The Commission expressed its support for the applicant’s proposal (Attachment 3).
Historic Preservation Fund Grants typically require a local match, with 60 percent from the State and 40 percent from the local government. We anticipate the total cost associated with the consultant’s fee to be between $5,000 and $10,000. We estimate that the Town share of the cost may be about $4,000 which would be paid out, if the consultant is available and all goes as planned, during the 2006-07 fiscal year.
We have not included local match funds in the Planning Department budget for 2006-07. If the State approves the grant application, we will return to the Council with a resolution which, if adopted, would authorize acceptance of the grant and authorize allocating the required matching funds. If the grant is awarded, we would work with the Town Manager to explore sources for the funding and to report on the impact on staff resources.
Resolution A would authorize the Town Manager to apply for a 2007 Historic Preservation Fund Grant and does not commit the Town to fund the grant if awarded by the State.
Historic District Commission’s Recommendation: On March 9, 2006, the Historic District Commission unanimously supported the petitioner’s proposal to expand the National Register Historic District boundary to include all of the local Franklin-Rosemary Historic District.
Staff Recommendation: That the Council adopt the attached resolution, authorizing the Town Manager to apply for a 2007 Historic Preservation Fund Grant.
