Action Item

The County has money potentially available for additional funding for the Historic Landmarks Commission in the FY’20 Budget.  Staff believes that additional monies should be used for the following initiatives and requests approval by the HLC.

1.  Comprehensive Surveys.

State Enabling Legislation mandates that the Historic Landmarks Commission conduct surveys to identify properties that have the requisite special significance to warrant historic landmark designation.  The Commission proposes to conduct the following comprehensive surveys in FY’20 in the following ranked order:

1.  Beatties Ford Road Corridor from Johnson C. Smith University to Sunset Road. $12,000.

2.  Chadwick-Hoskins Neighborhood. $8,000

3.  Derita Community. $8,000

4.  Rural Landscapes. $8,000

Total: $36,000

 2.  Options To Purchase.

The Historic Landmarks Commission proposes to employ options to purchase as an important tool in controlling property for potential purchase and sale.  There are costs associated with options to purchase, specifically for due diligence and for fees to obtain options to purchase.  The Commission anticipates that it will obtain four options to purchase in FY’20.

1.  Fees For Options To Purchase. $12,000

2.  Due Diligence For Options To Purchase. $16,000

Total: $28,000

Information Items

1.  Torrence Lytle School, 302 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Letter from Laurel Street Developers

Tyson and Regina Bates, prospective buyers of the property have presented an offer to acquire the property for use as a private school.  The Projects Committee will make a presentation on this issue later in the meeting.  Also, the Design Review Committee will report on its actions regarding the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the wing building on each end of the original 1937 school building.

2.  Ingleside, 7225 Bud Henderson Road, Huntersville, N.C.

The HLC has received a Letter of Intent from a prospective buyer of Ingleside.  The Projects Committee will report on this issue later in the meeting.

Peter Wasmer, HLC Projects Manager, continues to oversee repairs to Ingleside.  

Stewart Gray continues to work with the Town of Huntersville to consider an amendment to the Huntersville zoning ordinance that would allow greater latitude for adaptive reuses of designated historic landmarks.  

3.  Patterson Grocery Store, 2515 Booker Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.  

Patterson Grocery Store

The HLC has placed the Patterson Grocery on the Study List of Prospective Historic Landmarks.  Staff will be contacting the owner to determine the owner’s intent regarding the preservation of the store building.

4.  Former Fire Station Number Ten, 2136 Remount Road, Charlotte, N.C., and the James C. Dowd House, 2216 Monument Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

Mecklenburg County continues to discuss strategies for the preservation of the properties.  

5.  McConnell House, 4009 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

McConnell House

Martin Marietta has stated that the McConnell House must be moved.  The Projects Committee has appointed William Hughes and Edwin Wilson to an ad-hoc committee to work with Staff to determine the cost of moving the house.  Staff believes that assertive action should be taken if the house is to be saved.

6.  VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte, N.C.

The prospective buyer of the VanLandingham Estate continues to perform due diligence.

7.  Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 412 Campus Street, Charlotte, N.C.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church

Johnson C. Smith University continues to consider preservation strategies.  The City Housing Board has granted a delay of its decision regarding demolition of the building until its March meeting.  The Projects Committee will have a recommendation regarding this issue later in the meeting.

8.  Excelsior Club, 921 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.

Excelsior Club

Negotiations continue to consider preservation strategies for the property.  The effective date of the Certificate of Appropriateness will occur in June 2019.

9.  Wallace House, 9425 Robinson Church Road, Charlotte, N.C.

The Due Diligence period for the HLC’s prospective purchase of the property has been extended until May 1, 2019.  Consideration of means to environmentally clean the refuse pit on the property continue.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Dan L. Morrill

1.  Torrence Lytle School, 302 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Letter from Laurel Street Developers

Tyson and Regina Bates, prospective buyers of the property, plan to bring an offer to the table in the near future.  Staff has asked them to submit a business plan for their intent to establish a school in the buildings.  The Commission Staff awaits the requested information.

A party has also expressed interest in acquiring the former Cafeteria Building.   Staff has shown the building to the prospective buyer, but has not received an offer.

As stated at the last HLC meeting, Staff believes that it would be prudent to demolish the two 1950’s wing buildings at the Torrence Lytle School.  Staff will be developing costs estimates and the potential impact upon the original school building of demolishing the wing buildings.

Action Item.  

Staff recommends that the HLC approve applying for a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the two wing buildings if the Projects Committee determines that the demolition will not adversely affect the physical integrity of the two wings and if the cost of demolition is acceptable to the HLC.

2.  Ingleside, 7225 Bud Henderson Road, Huntersville, N.C.

HLC Staff continues to pursue a deliberate process to determine the best strategy to assure the long-term preservation of the property.  

Stewart Gray is working with the Town of Huntersville to consider an amendment to the Huntersville zoning ordinance that will allow greater latitude for adaptive reuses of designated historic landmarks.  

A prospective buyer is seriously considering purchasing Ingleside and is now performing due diligence.  Staff anticipates that an offer might be forthcoming within the next month.

3.  Patterson Grocery Store.  2515 Booker Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.  

Patterson Grocery Store

Staff has contacted the owner of the Patterson Grocery to obtain an update on the status of the property.  The owner has not yet responded.  Staff will continue to endeavor to make contact.

The Survey Committee will consider placing the Patterson Grocery on the Study List of Prospective Landmarks at its meeting on January 16th.

4.  Former Fire Station Number Ten, 2136 Remount Road, Charlotte, N.C., and the James C. Dowd House, 2216 Monument Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

Mecklenburg County has requested that Staff meet with County officials to discuss strategies for the preservation of the properties.  The meeting will occur on January 22nd.

5.  McConnell House, 4009 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

McConnell House

Martin Marietta has stated that the McConnell House must be moved.  The Projects Committee has appointed William Hughes and Edwin Wilson to an ad-hoc committee to work with Staff to determine the cost of moving the house.

6.  VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte, N.C.

The prospective buyer of the VanLandingham Estate continues to perform due diligence.

7.  Mount Carmel Baptist Church, 412 Campus, Charlotte, N.C.

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church

William Hughes, Len Norman, and I met with City Code Enforcement staff and with University representatives to discuss the status of the property.  The University is obtaining a structural report on the building and will share that with the City.  A hearing before the City Housing Appeals Board is set for January 22nd.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Dan L. Morrill

1.  Torrence Lytle School, 302 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Letter from Laurel Street Developers

Tyson and Regina Bates, prospective buyers of the property, plan to bring an offer to the table in the near future.  Staff has asked them to submit a business plan for their intent to establish a school in the buildings.

A party has also expressed interest in acquiring the former Cafeteria Building. 

Staff believes that it would be prudent to demolish the two 1950’s wing buildings at the Torrence Lytle School.  Staff will be developing costs estimates and the potential impact upon the original school building of doing this.  This information will be presented to the Projects Committee and the Design Review Committee early next year.

2.  Ingleside, 7225 Bud Henderson Road, Huntersville, N.C.

HLC Staff continues to pursue a deliberate process to determine the best strategy to assure the long-term preservation of the property.  The PNC/HLC event on December 2nd and the Charrette/Workshop on December 4th were both successful.

It is the intent of Staff to seek an amendment to the Huntersville zoning ordinance that will allow greater latitude for adaptive reuses of designated historic landmarks.  Toward this end, Staff will be gathering information on successful adaptive reuse projects elsewhere in preparation for a presentation to the Town of Huntersville.  I plan to have Stewart Gray take a lead position in the preparation of this presentation.

3.  Patterson Grocery Store.  2515 Booker Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.  

Staff has contacted the owner of the Patterson Grocery  to obtain an update on the status of the property.  The owner has not yet responded.  Staff will continue to endeavor to make contact.

4.  Edgewood Farm.  11132 Eastfield Road, Charlotte, N.C.

The prospective buyer of the Edgewood Farm has requested that the HLC assist with the preservation of the property. It is currently for sale for $1.45 million. Staff, as directed by the Projects Chairman and the HLC Chairman, has responded that at this time, the HLC’s involvement with the Edgewood Farm property will be confined to design review of material alterations.

5.  Former Fire Station Number Ten, 2136 Remount Road, Charlotte, N.C., and the James C. Dowd House, 2216 Monument Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

Mecklenburg County will be evaluating proposals submitted by respondents to the Request For Qualifications. The HLC will have representatives on the Committee that reviews submissions.

6.  McConnell House, 4009 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

McConnell House

Martin Marietta has stated that the McConnell House must be moved.  The Projects Committee has appointed William Hughes and Edwin Wilson to an ad-hoc committee to work with Staff to determine the cost of moving the house.

7.  VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte, N.C.

The prospective buyer of the VanLandingham Estate continues to perform due diligence.

8.  HLC Facebook Page.

Upon request, the HLC staff has ceased making posts to the HLC Facebook Page pending the development of Guidelines.  Staff believes that the Facebook Page is a valuable tool for informing the public about the work of the Commission and hopes that guidelines will be forthcoming in the near future.  Staff will help as needed.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Dan L. Morrill

1.  Excelsior Club, 921 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

The Projects Committee has a recommendation regarding arrangements for conducting an adaptive reuse study of the property. This will be considered under the regular agenda.

2.  Pecan Avenue Duplex, 1437 Pecan Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

The property continues to be marketed by Edwin Wilson, Jr.  The option to purchase is in place.  The Commission will need to consider in December whether it will acquire the property if no assignee is identified.

3.  Former Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 412 Campus Street, Charlotte, N.C.

Johnson C. Smith University is conducting a study of prospective uses of the building.  Decisions regarding the future of the property will not occur until that study is completed.  A hearing before the Charlotte Code Enforcement authorities is scheduled in the near future.

4.  Torrence Lytle School, 302 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Letter from Laurel Street Developers

Dionne Nelson of Laurel Street Developers has submitted a report on the development potential of the property.  A multi-family development is not possible without a substantial subsidy.  The most likely scenario would be a single family development, but not in the near future.  I am checking with the Town of Huntersville to determine if commercial shopping exists within one mile of the property.  If so, the property might become competitive for multi-family housing subsidies.

5.  Ingleside, 7225 Bud Henderson Road, Huntersville, N.C.

HLC Staff is pursuing a deliberate process to determine the best strategy to assure the long-term preservation of the property.  Preservation North Carolina and the HLC will co-host a PNC fundraising event at Ingleside on December 2nd.  A design workshop is scheduled for December 4th, and Jennifer Coots is working with Staff on arrangements.

6.  Wallace Log House, 9425 Robinson Church Road, Charlotte, N.C.

City Council has approved historic landmark designation of the property.  Staff is awaiting the results of an environmental assessment of a refuse pit before closing.  The due diligence period has been extended until November 30th.  The property will be marketed by real estate agent, Eric Gamble.

7.  Charles E. Barnhardt House, 3217 Maymont Place, Charlotte, N.C.  

Several trees fell on the house in a recent storm and did some damage to the roof.  Peter Wasmer reports that the trees have been removed.  The carport was also demolished as requested by the developer of Cramer’s Pond.  Peter Wasmer is investigating what coverage is available from insurance.

8.  Former Fire Station Number Ten, 2136 Remount Road, Charlotte, N.C., and the James C. Dowd House, 2216 Monument Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

Mecklenburg County will be evaluating proposals submitted by respondents to the Request For Qualifications. The HLC will have representatives on the Committee that reviews submissions.

9.  McConnell House, 4009 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

McConnell House

Martin Marietta has stated that the McConnell House must be moved.  The Projects Committee has appointed William Hughes and Edwin Wilson to an ad-hoc committee to work with Staff to determine the cost of moving the house.

10.  Victor Shaw House, 2400 Mecklenburg Avenue, Charlotte.

The owner of the Victor Shaw House has submitted an Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to demolish the Victor Shaw House.  The Design Review Committee will consider this issue at its November meeting.  The essential issue will be whether the HLC will delay the effective date of the COA.

11.  VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte, N.C.

The prospective buyer of the VanLandingham Estate continues to perform due diligence.

12.  Designation of Historic Landmarks.

City Council voted in October to designate the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery and the Wallace House as historic landmarks.  It also removed historic landmark designation from a portion of the Hennigan Place.

13.  Certified Local Government Training.

Tom Egan, Garrett Nelson, Edwin Wilson, Diane Althouse, Peter Wasmer, and I attended the Preservation Training Workshop held in Greensboro in October.  It was a worthwhile endeavor, which fulfills this year’s training requirements for the CLG program.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Dan L. Morrill

1.  Excelsior Club, 921 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

The Board of County Commissioners did not approve the Option to Purchase the Excelsior Club which the Historic Landmarks Commission had negotiated with the owner.  The Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition of the Excelsior Club will become effective in June 2019.

2.  Pecan Avenue Duplex, 1437 Pecan Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

The property is being marketed by Edwin Wilson, Jr.  The option to purchase is in place.  Staff will be assisting with the marketing of the property.  Several agents and prospective buyers have visited the property.

3.  Former Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 412 Campus Street, Charlotte, N.C.

Johnson C. Smith University is conducting a study of prospective uses of the building.  Decisions regarding the future of the property will not occur until that study is completed.  Staff did meet with University officials to discuss the situation, and dialogue will continue. 

4.  Torrence Lytle School, 302 Holbrooks Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Staff has contacted Laurel Street Developers to examine potential uses of the property.  That study is underway.

5.  Ingleside, 7225 Bud Henderson Road, Huntersville, N.C.

Staff has met with the Huntersville Planning Director and the Huntersville Town Manager to discuss the possibility of amending the Huntersville zoning ordinance to provide greater latitude for uses of historic landmarks.  HLC Staff is pursuing a deliberate process to determine the best strategy to assure the long-term preservation of the property.  Preservation North Carolina and the HLC will co-host a PNC fundraising event at Ingleside on December 2nd.  The Projects Committee will have a recommendation about the hiring of a consultant to assist with preparing a design workshop at Ingleside later this year.

6.  Wallace Log House, 9425 Robinson Church Road, Charlotte, N.C.

City Council will vote this month on the prospective designation of the Wallace House as a historic landmark.  The Projects Committee will present a recommendation regarding conducting an environmental assessment of the refuse pit at the Wallace property.

7.  Charles E. Barnhardt House, 3217 Maymont Place, Charlotte, N.C.  

The architectural shingle roof is installed.  The Projects Committee will present a recommendation regarding seeking funds to make additional improvements to the property.

8.  Former Fire Station Number Ten, 2136 Remount Road, Charlotte, N.C., and the James C. Dowd House, 2216 Monument Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.

Mecklenburg County has distributed a Request for Qualifications to potential buyers of the two properties.  The HLC will have representatives on the Committee that reviews submissions.

9.  McConnell House, 4009 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, N.C.  

McConnell House

Martin Marietta, the owner, is considering whether it will allow the McConnell House to be preserved at its current location.

10.  Morgan School, 510 S. Torrence Street, Charlotte, N.C.   

Staff continues to discuss the future disposition of the property.  

11.  Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery, 3712 Monroe Road, Charlotte, N.C.  Dr. Reginald Hawkins House, 1703 Madison Avenue, Charlotte, N.C.  Wallace House, 9425 Robinson Church Road, Charlotte, N.C.  Hennigan Place, 3503 Tilley Morris Road, Charlotte, N.C.   

City Council will vote on the historic landmark designation of these properties this month.

12.  VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza, Charlotte, N.C.

The owner of the VanLandingham Estate holds Certificates of Appropriateness that legally will allow him to demolish the VanLandingham Estate in November.  HLC Staff is investigating the status of the property.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dr. Dan L. Morrill