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August 15, 2005 - Regular Meeting Page 293 (E-4) Request by Piedmont Preservation Foundation for the County's Assistance to Move the Historic Cline and Propst Houses (G-4) . Presentation by Residents of Historic Concord, Inc. on the Jail and Jail Annex Project The Board by consensus agreed to move Item G-4 (Presentation by Residents of Historic Concord on the Jail and Jail Annex Project) to Old Business to be heard in conjunction with the presentation by Piedmont Preservation representatives. Rebecca Hannah Patten, a volunteer with piedmont Preservation Foundation (PPF) , asked the County to help save the historic Cline and Propst houses by joining a collaborative group to complete the purchase of these two homes without any alterations to their physical condition and to donate the structures to PPF. She reported the City's estimate for moving utility lines and stop lights was considerably more than was originally anticipated for several potential locations. To reduce project expenses, Ms. Patten proposed that the County donate a small piece of County-owned property adjacent to the historic Lutheran Cemetery on Corban Avenue and share in the cost for relocating these structures to that site. She estimated the cost of moving both houses to be $56,000.00, but stated PPF was not making a specific request at this time. Preservation covenants will be placed on the houses and proceeds from the sale of the houses could be used to reimburse the County. Ms. Patten responded to a variety of questions and comments from Board members concerning time constraints on the jail project and relocating the two houses. Issues addressed included the need for a detailed budget related to the project, parking issues, zoning requirements, participation by the City of Concord, etc. Chairman Carpenter reported she met with Ms. Patten on May 4 concerning the removal of the historic homes and advised her at that time of the extreme time constraints on the jail project. Further, she stated the County has already spent $219,000.00 towards condemnation of these two homes. Heath Ritchie, President of the Residents of Historic Concord, Inc. (RHC) stated he represented approximately 262 homeowners and property owners in the historic districts of Concord. He asked the Board to preserve the Tribune Building and remove it from the demolition list. He stated the building was not listed with the Historic Registry, but had a very good chance of being listed on the National Registry based on its merits and age. Mr. Ritchie acknowledged that expenses would be incurred to redesign the Jail and Jail Annex, but stated in his opinion a retaining wall issue associated with preserving the Tribune Building could be resolved within the scope of a $60 million project. Further, he said he did not know the cost to preserve the old Tribune Building but stated the building was in a good structural condition and should not be demolished. Mr. Ritchie suggested the building could be developed commercially or be used to provide space for a museum for the community. He suggested that the Concord Museum could relocate to the facility and expand to accommodate such things as an African-American exhibit. In addition, he stated there are no plans of what will be redeveloped on the property if the Tribune Building is removed. Also, he stated RHC's support of the efforts by piedmont Preservation to save the Propst and Cline houses. Pete Cayado of Ware Bonsall Architects addressed the following issues associated with Ms. Patten's proposal to relocate the houses to a site adjacent to the cemetery: an undetermined amount of parking spaces will be required for the homesi electricity, water and sewer services do not exist on that end of the property; the loss of 30 to 60 parking spaces for the Sheriff's office; and required State approval for the additional driveway permit. Mr. Cayado and Ms. Sifford responded to a variety of questions concerning demolition costs for the two houses, the current price of parking spaces, setbacks and potential problems of having a cemetery so near the houses. vice Chairman Carruth questioned the possibility of preserving the front historic part of the old Tribune Building. He reported he has been in the building on numerous occasions and the building is in poor condition. Mr. Cayado reviewed the proposed Jail Annex site plan, which he stated was previously approved by the Board, and pointed out the overlapping of the back portion of the Tribune Building and the Annex. He stated a portion of the building could be preserved but there would need to be a thorough structural engineering study performed along with the hazardous materials assessment.