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HRAB 08-21-07 Meeting MinutesFrederick County Historic Resources Advisory Board (HRAB) August 21, 2007, 6:30pm Held in the Board of Supervisors Executive Session Room of the County Administrative Building at 1071:7. ;ent Street, Winchester, VA Meeting Summary (not official minutes) Members Present: Rhoda Kriz (Chairman), Elizabeth Fravel (Vice -Chairman), Mary Turner, Stacey Yost, Claus Bader, Virginia McClure, Gary Oates (Planning Commission Liaison). Via Conference Call: Maral Kalbian (Consultant) Members Absent: Martin Killingbeck Staff: Lauren E. Krempa, Planner I Agenda Items: June 2007 Minutes, Comprehensive Policy Plan update Other: N/A The meeting began at 6:33 P.M. The first item of the agenda was the approval of the June 2007 minutes. Ms. Fravel motioned to approve, the motion was seconded by Ms. Turner, and the minutes were unanimously approved. The second agenda item was a discussion of the history chapter of the County's Comprehensive Policy Plan. Staff asked that any changes to wording, grammar, or spelling in the chapter be submitted in writing rather than discussed at the meeting. Staff then reviewed the major changes to the chapter since the previous meeting. After providing the overview, staff asked members to provide suggestions and discuss further methods of preservation for the county's comprehensive plan. Ms. Kalbian suggested that members take a few afternoons to actually drive around the county and look at areas which may be possible for historic districts since the structures need to be of a certain standard in order to be included on a national register. Chairman Kriz asked if there would be an interest in that, members agreed that if they were provided with dates they could try to arrange a time to meet. Staff agreed to provide the dates and arrange a vehicle. Ms. Fravel suggested a County historic district, similar to the Agricultural & Forestal Districts, which Mr. Oates had mentioned at the previous meeting. Mr. Oates explained that these could be established in a program similar to the Ag Districts and could provide property owners of historic properties with higher setbacks or buffers in exchange for the property owner giving up the ability to develop their property in order to protect the historic resource. Mr. Oates said that people might be more willing to join something that is not permanent, such as an easement, since these districts could be reevaluated every five years. Ms. Kalbian said she worried that this program could cause the focus on historic structures to be lost since some of these properties do not qualify for national districts. Ms. Turner asked if there were property owners who don't know about national or state registers. Ms. Kalbian said she did and that many owners think that a national recognition means they can't do what they want on their property but that these designations are purely honorific. Mr. Oates said that the problem isn't the person with a historic house, it's the development of the property next to them. He said these districts would give an incentive to people who want to protect their house, like the added buffer or larger setbacks, from development next door. Ms. Kalbian agreed that incentives are a necessary element of the district and that there should be criteria for exception into the district so that the districts make sense, similar to the Plaque Program. Mr. Oates suggested that those structures with plaques could automatically enroll, as could properties listed on the state or national register. Staff asked the HRAB if there were any suggestions for preferred methods of historic preservation and treatment to add to the chapter. Ms. Turner suggested including industrial areas and businesses which were crucial to the development of Frederick County. Ms. Kalbian stated that landscapes were not generally considered for historic districts because the properties surrounding them are no longer historically accurate and that it would be difficult to include orchards or industry without actual buildings such as packing sheds. Ms. Kalbian suggested that there was a video available from her presentation of the Rural Landmarks Survey which could be distributed. Several members provided additional suggestions for the development of the heritage tourism suggestions including driving tours, a series of signs/markers along highways through the Department of Historic Resources, or providing maps with historic properties inside a ten mile radius with descriptions to encourage walking tours. Ms. Fravel mentioned that Bartonsville is a historic district but is not listed in the chapter. Ms. Kalbian confirmed that it is a district but was applied for as an individual property and should be included as a current district. Staff confirmed the update would be made. Ms. Kalbian suggested the inclusion of the African American communities to the "Reconstruction" section of the chapter to include areas like Cedar Hill, Freetown, and Leetown. Chairman Kriz suggested the inclusion of schools and churches in the chapter. Ms. Kriz also suggested that something could be done with the Gainesboro School site. Staff suggested that it could be included in a public park for that area. Ms. Kriz suggested that there was a need for a repository for historic memorabilia or perhaps a Patsy Cline museum and that the Gainesboro School might be an appropriate location. Mr. Oates suggested something be included on the Capital Improvements Plan in conjunction with the Handley Library's proposed branch on the Senseny Road Corridor. Members again reiterated the interest in driving through potential historic districts and decided that it would be appropriate to drive through the Rural Community Centers to see which, if any, would be appropriate for an overlapping historic district since not all of the Rural Community Centers will be appropriate. Staff told members that the draft would be updated with their suggestions in time for the next meeting and that dates/times would be provided to drive through the potential districts. There being no other business the HRAB adjourned at 8:10 P.M.