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Historic District Commission

Town of Chapel Hill · Historic District Commission
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 6:30 pm · RM 110 | Council Chamber

Regular meeting Historic preservation

Agenda document Minutes Meeting page Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 2.208 Glandon Drive approved · Pass · Sean Murphy, property owner, explained that the application was for a hardscape and landscape project with no changes to the existing house. He presented an imag…
  2. Approved 3.209 N. Boundary Street approved · Pass · Sasha Berghausen, architect, presented the application. He explained that the house was built in 1920. He presented photos of the street and neighboring houses.…

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

The Historic District Commission considers two Certificate of Appropriateness applications: hardscape and walkway changes at 208 Glandon Drive, and a rear addition and window replacement at a 1920 house at 209 N. Boundary Street. Neither application proposes changing the footprint of the existing house.

The commission also reviews a staff report on five certificates of appropriateness approved administratively since the last meeting, and takes up two longer-running items: how to approach preservation education and outreach, and whether to build a reference "look book" describing the character of the town's historic districts.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

The commission approved both Certificates of Appropriateness unanimously, with no public comment on either. At 208 Glandon Drive, property owner Sean Murphy's plan to replace a slate walkway with brick, remove existing stone steps for two new stone stairs, and replace a wood step with a brick stoop drew a question about brick color but was found not incongruous with the Gimghoul Historic District. At 209 N. Boundary Street, architect Sasha Berghausen and contractor Jennifer Hoffman presented a rear-addition and full window and door replacement; commissioners asked about the addition's gable roof before finding the project not incongruous with the Franklin-Rosemary Historic District.

The commission also heard a staff report on five certificates approved administratively since March 27, 2026, covering a parking pad and walkway at 214 Glenburnie Street and fence, window and window-relocation work at three other addresses. It continued its education-and-outreach discussion to June and put off further work on a historic-district "look book" until after an April 30 special meeting.

How the votes went

Both Certificate of Appropriateness applications (208 Glandon Drive, 209 N. Boundary Street) were approved unanimously; no other votes were taken.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Town of Chapel Hill's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (18 on this agenda)
  1. Opening
  2. Roll Call
  3. Deaf History Month acknowledgement
  4. Secretary reads procedures into the record
  5. Commission Chair reads public charge
  6. Approval of Agenda
  7. Announcements
  8. Petitions
  9. Information
  10. 1.Administrative COA Approvals and Maintenance Work Report
  11. Old Business
  12. 2.208 Glandon Drive
  13. 3.209 N. Boundary Street
  14. Discussion
  15. 4.Education and Outreach
  16. 5.Design Standards
  17. Adjournment
  18. Order of Consideration of Agenda Items: 1. Staff Presentation 2. Appl…

Agenda items (18)

Procedural · 7Other · 5Discussion item · 5Staff or committee report · 1
  1. Opening
    Other
  2. Roll Call
    Procedural
  3. Deaf History Month acknowledgement
    Other
  4. Secretary reads procedures into the record
    Procedural
  5. Commission Chair reads public charge
    Procedural
  6. Approval of Agenda
    Procedural
    approved · Pass · Vice Chair Daniels moved, Gurlitz seconded, to approve the agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
  7. Announcements
    Procedural
  8. Petitions
    Other
  9. Information
    Other
  10. 1. Administrative COA Approvals and Maintenance Work Report
    Staff or committee report Historic preservation
    A routine staff report listing administratively approved certificates of appropriateness and completed maintenance work in the historic districts since the last meeting.
    • 214 Glenburnie St · no matching parcel on file
    • 513 E Rosemary St · no matching parcel on file
    • 220 Glandon Dr · no matching parcel on file
    • 310 Pittsboro St · no matching parcel on file
    • 208 Hillsborough St · no matching parcel on file
  11. Old Business
    Other
  12. 2. 208 Glandon Drive
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    A homeowner's request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace a slate walkway with brick and make other hardscape and landscaping changes at 208 Glandon Drive; no changes were proposed to the existing house.
    approved · Pass · Sean Murphy, property owner, explained that the application was for a hardscape and landscape project with no changes to the existing house. He presented an image of the property on a GIS map and on Orange County Real Estate map. He also presented photos of neighboring properties and a survey of the house. Murphy explained that the application included replacing a slate walkway with a brick walkwa…
    • 208 Glandon Dr · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788-77-6271 · Murphy Sean P · assessed $1,353,100
  13. 3. 209 N. Boundary Street
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior work, including a bump-out addition, at a house built in 1920 at 209 N. Boundary Street; presented alongside a historic Sanborn map showing the property's original outbuildings in the same locations.
    approved · Pass · Sasha Berghausen, architect, presented the application. He explained that the house was built in 1920. He presented photos of the street and neighboring houses. He also presented a photo of the property on the Sanborn Map. He explained that the site had not changed much and that the accessory buildings shown on the Sanborn Map were in the same locations. He said that a bump-out addition was also s…
    • 209 N Boundary St · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788-59-9170 · Burks Arvil Wesley Jr Trustee · assessed $1,426,500
  14. Discussion
    Discussion item
  15. 4. Education and Outreach
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    Discussion of how the commission could support historic-preservation education and outreach, including reviewing the state's preservation plan and recruiting new commission members; continued to June.
    Vice Chair Daniels said the commission should review the state’s preservation plan and discuss what the commission could do. The commission decided to discuss education and outreach in June. The commission discussed recruitment.
  16. 5. Design Standards
    Discussion item Historic preservation
    Discussion of a possible reference 'look book' illustrating the character of the town's historic districts; continued after an April 30 special meeting.
    The commission talked about creating a look book. Counsel Hornik mentioned creating something that mentioned the character of the districts. The commission agreed to continue the discussion after the special meeting on April 30, 2026.
  17. Adjournment
    Procedural
  18. Order of Consideration of Agenda Items: 1. Staff Presentation 2. Applicant’s Presentation 3. Public Comment 4. Board Discussion 5. Motion 6. Restatement of Motion by Chair 7. Vote 8. Announcement of Vote by Chair Public Charge: The Advisory Body pledges its respect to the public. The Body asks the public to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner, both with the Body and with fellow members of the public. Should any member of the Body or any member of the public fail to observe this charge at any time, the Chair will ask the offending person to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should decorum fail to be restored, the Chair will recess the meeting until a genuine commitment to this public charge is observed. Unless otherwise noted, please contact the Planning Department at 919-968-2728; planning@townofchapelhill.org for more information on the above referenced applications. See the Advisory Boards page http://www.townofchapelhill.org/boards for background information on this Board.
    Procedural

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