Historic Preservation Summit (May 14, 2009)
Issues of Mutual Interest
EDUCATION
- Increase/improve efforts to help property owners protect their buildings & associated landscapes through programs such as rehabilitation tax credits and conservation easements
- Expand technical assistance to preserve other historic features (gardens, cemeteries, old roadways)
- Educate non-preservation government staff on preservation topics
- Publish the planned book on Orange County architectural resources (countywide survey publication)
- Relate historic preservation to an event or theme
- Promote the importance of trees in historic districts
ENGAGING THE PUBLIC
- Put the Orange County Survey on the public GIS system; also any municipal surveys
- Notify property owners about the values of their historic resource (County/municipal inventories)
- Highlight local African American cultural heritage
- Locate and study traditionally African American farms and neighborhoods
- Use events like Last Fridays to share information
- Solicit photos from the community; scan to create on-line archival collection
- Expand annual photo contest (May / National Preservation month)
- Get churches involved to share their history
- Make historic preservation more inclusive (include rural communities)
- Promote the green aspects of historic preservation
- Create a countywide award for good preservation projects (not just houses)
COORDINATING & SHARING INFORMATION AMONG ORGANIZATIONS
- Develop centralized website for countywide preservation topics (with links to individual orgs.)
- Exchange design guidelines among jurisdictions
- Create an Orange County preservation listserv
- Use the existing preservation listserves, such as the one for preservation staff through the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)
- Use signs and plaques to recognize historic buildings/properties (e.g., Carrboro program)
- Pursue more training opportunities for the Historic Preservation/District Commissions that have training requirements as part of their Certified Local Government (CLG) certification
COMBINING FORCES
- Pursue standalone Heritage Center
- Do more to promote National Preservation Month (May)
- Promote new requirement for Phase I Cultural & Archaeological survey as part of development process
- Share resources (e.g., volunteers)
- Adopt a Local Landmark Program for extra-territorial jurisdictions (ETJs) of Hillsborough and Chapel Hill
- Coordinate preservation advocacy (countywide)
- Develop grassroots monitoring system for preservation concerns countywide
- Non-profits help with education and advocacy, since the Historic District Commissions and Historic Preservation Commission busy with certificate of appropriateness (COA) duties