Historic Preservation Commission

Please view the Town of Boone Planning and Inspections Meeting Calander to review meeting dates and associated deadlines by clicking on the following link: 2023 Town of Boone Meeting Calendar (PDF)

In order to view the agendas or minutes of upcoming or past meetings of the: Board of Adjustment, Community Appearance Commission, Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA), Historic Preservation Commission, Human Resources Commission, Planning Commission, Town Council, and Sustainability Committee,  please select the following link, which will take you to the Town of Boone Meeting Portal.

Town of Boone Meeting Portal Link

Meetings

• Advisory Meeting: 3:00 p.m., First Tuesday of the Month
• Quasi-Judicial Meeting: 3:00 p.m., Second Tuesday of the Month
• The HPC is currently meeting virtually through WebEx, a video-conferencing software.  Please contact the Planning & Inspections Department by email (planning@townofboone.net) or by phone (828-268-6960) for more information on how to watch or participate in the HPC meetings. 
• Please view the Town of Boone Meeting Calander to review meeting dates and associated deadlines by clicking on the following link: 2023 Town of Boone Meeting Calendar (PDF)

Rules of Procedure

The HPC's Rules of Procedure, together with the provisions of the Town of Boone Unified Development Ordinance ("UDO"), govern the operation of the Historic Preservation Commission. The HPC shall conduct its meetings in accordance with its duly adopted rules of procedures so long as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of the UDO or State law, and the Commission shall comply with the requirements of the UDO Article 8.  The Commission shall conduct its meetings so as to obtain necessary information and to promote the full and free exchange of ideas. When exercising authority over any individual property in accordance with Sections 8.03 and 8.06 of the UDO, it shall conduct itself in a quasi-judicial manner.

These rules also are designed to answer questions from people who are unfamiliar with the Commission’s processes in order to provide more predictability and, therefore, more timely processing of applications. They are an attempt to make the procedures more predictable and understandable, to address certain details of the Commission’s operation, to create uniform methods for dealing with recurring questions which arise during hearings before the Commission, to provide guidance to people who appear before the Commission so they can better prepare for Commission hearings, and to facilitate the efficient administration of matters which come before the Commission. 

The Town Council has given the Commission the power to adopt these rules, and they are binding on participants in cases before the Commission. However, if there is ever a conflict between the provisions in these rules and the UDO or state law, the UDO and state law always control.   Please click on the links below to view the Historic Preservations Commission Rules of Procedure or the Legal Representation Guidance. 

Historic Preservation Commission Rules of Procedure (PDF)

Historic Preservation Commission, Certificate of Appropriateness - Legal Representation Guidance (PDF)

Membership

The HPC consists of five (5) members appointed by Town Council for 3-year terms.   All members shall be residents of the Town of Boone.

To the extent qualified persons can be found, the majority of the Commission shall have demonstrated special interest, experience, or education in history, architecture, archaeology, or related fields, and to the extent persons may be found with the stated qualifications, the Town Council shall seek to appoint two persons with significant experience or knowledge in historic preservation, one person with significant experience or knowledge in building construction, and one person with significant experience or knowledge in architecture.

One membership position on the HPC shall be designated for an Appalachian State University student, provided that more than one Appalachian State University student position may be appointed at the discretion of the Town Council. The designated Appalachian State University student member shall serve a term of one (1) year.

Please click on the links below to submit either a Student Board Application or a regular Board Application for consideration for a board opening: 

Student Board Application

Board Application

Current Roster

Please note HPC members are not allowed to discuss any Certificate of Appropriateness case before them outside of the hearing (what the courts' term ex parte communication).  An ex parte communication occurs when a Commission member discusses with any other person, including another Commission member, party, or staff of the Planning Department, the substance or merits of a case outside the hearing and before the decision in the case is announced.

HPC Powers and Duties

1. Undertake an inventory of properties of historical, prehistorical, architectural, and/or cultural significance; and
2. Recommend to the Town Council areas to be designated by ordinance as "Historic Districts;" modification of Historic District boundaries; and individual structures, buildings, sites, areas, or objects to be designated by Ordinance as "Landmarks”; and
3. Recommend to the Town Council criteria and procedures for the protection and preservation of Historic Districts and Landmarks; and
4. Recommend to the Town Council that designation of any area as a Historic District or part thereof, or designation of any building, structure, site, area, or object as a Landmark, be revoked or removed for cause; and
5. Conduct educational programs with respect to historic properties and districts within its jurisdiction, including but not limited to programs of recognition for significant historic properties and programs to educate landowners of possible tax benefits associated with historic designation; and
6. Cooperate with the State, federal, and local governments in pursuance of the preservation and protection of areas and properties deemed to be of special significance in terms of their history, prehistory, architecture and /or culture, and contract, when authorized by the Town Council, with the State of North Carolina or the United States of America, or any agency of either for that purpose; and
7. Enter, solely in performance of its official duties and only at reasonable times, upon private lands for examination or survey thereof, provided that no member, employee or agent of the Commission may enter any private building or structure without the express consent of the owner or occupant thereof; and
8. Prepare and recommend the official adoption of a preservation element as part of the municipality's comprehensive plan; and
9. Review and act upon proposals for alterations, demolitions, or new construction within historic districts, or for the alteration or demolition of designated landmarks, and identify and propose preservation alternatives to owners; and
10. Perform any other related duties that the Council may direct.

Please review the Town of Boone Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to read more about the Historic Preservation Commission's role in the development process, specifically, Article 2 Administrative Mechanisms (Sections 2.02 & 2.05), Article 6 Quasi-Judicial Hearings,  and Article 8 Historic Preservation Standards, and Appendix D Downtown Boone Local Historic District. The link below will take you to the Town's page dedicated to the UDO:

Town of Boone Unified Development Ordinance

Helpful Documents

The HPC references several documents within the Commission's work within the Downtown Boone Local Historic District. Other documents guide the Commission's procedures and operations, and additional resources include recent project information. 

HPC Documents for the Downtown Boone Local Historic District

• Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Appendix D Downtown Boone Design Guidelines and Handbook (PDF)
• Comprehensive Architectural Survey of Downtown Boone, North Carolina (2021) (PDF)
• Report and Recommendation for the Designation of the Downtown Boone Local Historic District Boone, North Carolina (PDF)

HPC Documents for Procedures and Operations

• Historic Preservation Commission Rules of Procedure (05.25.2022) (PDF)

HPC Documents for Recent Project Information

• Guidelines for Cemetery Designation (Dec. 8, 2021) (PDF)
• Town of Boone - Cemeteries Map (Dec. 6, 2021) (PDF)