AGENDA #4h
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Notification of Chapel Hill Survey Manuscript Preparation Grant
DATE: June 9, 2003
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend that the Council authorize acceptance of a 2003-2004 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. This grant would be administered and financially managed by the Chapel Hill Preservation Society. The grant is for $17,500, with the Chapel Hill Preservation Society providing $9,000 in matching funds. No Town funds will be needed or used for this project.
The project will be accomplished under the supervision of the State Historic Preservation Office. The Town, as a Certified Local Government, will partner with the Historic Preservation Society in administering the grant; approve a qualified consultant, and assure that the designated administrative agent (the Historic Preservation Society) meets minimum standards contained in the grant application and has the capacity to provide the required non-federal matching funds (see attached letter from Wachovia Bank). As work is performed, materials are submitted by the consultant to the State, which then authorizes the Town to make payments.
A letter from the Preservation Society is included as Attachment 1 noting that the funds for the matching grant are currently available for its portion of the matching grant. Attachment 2 is a letter from Wachovia Bank verifying that the Chapel Hill Preservation Society has available funds to cover a $9,000 transaction.
GRANT DESCRIPTION
The proposed project involves preparation of a manuscript for a publication about the architecture and history of the Town of Chapel Hill. The proposed project is to include information compiled from architectural surveys, from existing National Register nominations for properties in the Town, and from additional research as necessary to provide adequate historical background and architectural analysis.
The proposed project is to consist of:
- drafting overall essays from the survey materials and nominations,
- editing/drafting property entries and brief neighborhood essays,
- preparing all front and back materials (introduction, acknowledgements, bibliography, glossary, photo credits, etc.), and
- compiling all illustrative materials necessary for printing.
It is not within the scope of this project to include the printing of the publication. We understand that the Preservation Society intends to work directly with a graphic designer and printer on production of final publication of a large format book. The book will consist of essays, individual property entries, neighborhood essays, and photos. Proceeds will go to the Preservation Society.
The Town was the recipient of a 2001-2002 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to conduct an architectural and historic survey. Due to failure of the consultant to meet deadlines, this grant was terminated in December 2002, at the request of the State Historic Preservation Office. The inventories and recordations of the survey were completed but the final report was not.
The 2001-2002 survey grant was funded with a $8,400 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office, $19,607 from the Chapel Hill Preservation Society, and $5,000 from the Town of Chapel Hill for a total of $32,607. Of that amount, $26,960 was paid to the consultant for work completed.
Last spring, Chapel Hill received a 2002-2003 grant for preparation of a manuscript. However, due to delays in work on the initial survey grant, the manuscript grant was deferred for a year. We re-applied for a 2003-2004 manuscript grant to pursue this project.
DISCUSSION
We believe that the publication, when produced, will be a useful documentation of many of Chapel Hill’s historic properties. All matching funds from this grant will come from the Chapel Hill Preservation Society, but the grant must be made to the Town of Chapel Hill.
NEXT STEPS
The next step would be for the Chapel Hill Preservation Society to solicit proposals for a qualified consultant to prepare the manuscript. The State Historic Preservation Office maintains a list of qualified consultants who have had experience in assisting North Carolina communities with such projects.
The consultant would prepare the publication manuscript with input and assistance from the State Department of History and Archives. The roles of the Historic District Commission and Preservation Society would be to facilitate the work of the consultant and communicate with neighborhoods about the process. It is anticipated that a committee, made up of Historic District Commission members and Preservation Society members would work with the consultant.
We believe that the work could begin by September 2003. The project must be completed by August 31, 2004.
1. Letter from Catherine Frank, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill Preservation Society (p. 5).
2. Letter from Wachovia Bank, N.A. (p. 6).
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A GRANT FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE (2003-06-09/R-8)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has applied for and received approval of a grant from the N.C. Historic Preservation Office, in an amount of $17,500; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the grant would be to fund consultant activity, to prepare a manuscript for a publication about the architecture and history of the Town of Chapel Hill; and
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Preservation Society has agreed to participate in this project and provide required matching funds of $9,000; and
WHEREAS, no additional local funds, beyond the contribution of the Chapel Hill Historical Society, will be needed to undertake this project;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes acceptance of this grant, and directs the Town Manager to work with the N.C. Historic Preservation Office and the Chapel Hill Preservation Society to arrange for implementation of this project.
This the 9th day of June, 2003.