Welcome to the Historic Preservation Commission meeting on Thursday, September 11th, 2025.

Hearings before the Historic Preservation Commission are quasi-judicial in nature.

This is a design review process to determine if the proposed project is congruous with the special character of the historic district or landmark.

Decisions of the commission are based on the record of these proceedings.

The Wilmington design standards for historic districts and landmarks and the Secretary of Interior standards for rehabilitation.

Evidence submitted to the commission for review becomes part of the record.

Appeals of commission decisions are made to the Wilmington Board of Adjustment and to the Superior Court and are based on the record.

Appeals must be filed within 30 days of the date of the commission's action.

Evidence is received during the evidentiary hearing portion of agenda item.

Those who want to address the commission are sworn as witnesses to present material and substantial evidence to the commission.

The chair recognizes that those who want to submit such evidence during the evidentiary hearing.

Evidence should be directed to the commission.

To ensure that the evidence is properly recorded, please come to the podium to address the commission, state your name and address, and speak clearly.

Members of the Historic Preservation Commission are appointed by the city council and serve at its discretion.

Our responsibility is to protect and preserve properties within the city's designated historic districts.

We adhere to the Wilmington design standards for historic districts and landmarks as well as the applicable North Carolina state law in order to assess whether exterior changes align with the unique character of the city's historic districts.

It is important that we deliberate the merits of each request in a manner that provides a record of the basis for our decisions.

Please remember that our deliberation should center on how a project meets the design standards and whether the proposed change is congruous or not.

Commissioners, if you have received or been made of aware of any outside evidence related to any of these matters, please recuse yourself.

And if you would all please turn off your cell phones or turn them to silent mode.

And thank you for that.

Gina Esse, Assistant City Attorney, Brian Chambers, assistant planning director, Ben Riggle, Historic Preservation Planning Manager, Hillary Taylor, planner, AB Bradshaw, Planning Coordinator.

And I would like the commissioners to introduce themselves, please, maybe uh stage left.

Uh Beth Rutledge.

Watts.

Joan Keston.

Christopher Yermal.

Ashley Wilson.

Stephen Salke, Ross Thomaselli.

And if the um I'm sorry, Amy, if you will swear in any uh witnesses who wish to speak this evening.

If I can have all staff, applicants, and members of the public who are planning to speak this evening, please stand up and raise your right hand.

Please note that you need to stand up and be sworn in in order to speak this evening.

Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Thank you.

Mr.

Chairman.

Yes.

Uh since today is the 24th anniversary of 9-11.

I was wondering if we could have a moment of silence.

I don't object to that.

Do we need a vote?

Any objection?

Let's just okay.

Thank you for that.

Um first order of business.

Um approval of the minutes from the last meeting, August 14th, 2025.

Any corrections there other than two I wanted to mention?

Anyone else?

No.

Um I just wanted to point out that uh 1419 Market Street.

There was a issue about uh waistline for plumbing being installed on the outside of the house.

The it states here that the motion to approve carried seven to zero, but that was seven to one six to one.

I was uh dissenting opinion on that.

And I did have a question, maybe for maybe it's a uh a Brian question.

Um just wanted to follow up on one thing.

I'm sorry, through item three, 1705 Chestnut Street.

It says in the minutes here, if the seven windows on the front or south facade of the house cannot be repaired, additional evidence shall be provided to demonstrate the deteriorated condition of the existing windows as well as more specific details regarding the proposed replacement window units.

Is that something that they're going to start on that work and and once they get started, they're gonna come back with to staff with this additional evidence or in front of the commission.

I'm just not sure where I may have the defer to Ben, but I believe that they were gonna provide that information before they started work.

That's the way I understand it as well, that they will be front providing us something once they make the decision if they're going to replace or repair.