Downtown Taylorsville approved as Local Historic District

By ANGELA FARR KING

The Taylorsville Town Council held their monthly regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.

The Town Council entered into a public hearing to consider designating the Downtown Taylorsville Historic District as a Local Historic District. According to legal documents reviewed at the meeting, the Alexander County Historic Preservation Commission has submitted a report, which describes the properties of Downtown Taylorsville as having “historical, architectural, and/or cultural significance, and the preservation of the properties in the local historic district should be encouraged.”

It is important to note that Downtown Taylorsville is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been since August of 2024. There are also two individual properties in Taylorsville that are designated as historic landmarks. According to Council documents, “Local Historic Districts are zoning overlay districts created to protect and conserve the heritage of Alexander County.” Council documents clarify the difference in the two titles in this way. “Local Historic Districts should not be confused with the National Register of Historic Places, which is a nationwide historic listing and functions primarily as an honorary designation. While the two often overlap, the Alexander Historic Preservation Commission only exercised design review over locally designated districts and landmarks.”

Amy Bucknum, the County Planner, presented the Council with information as to how this designation would impact business owners and residents who own property within the Downtown boundaries. She said as a Local Historic District, “there would be higher standards set” for properties within that overlay. She added that “all exterior changes and alterations to local historic buildings and sites, excluding maintenance and repair, must receive a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Alexander County Historic Preservation Commission.” In the Local Historic Designation Report, it is stated that “This is required to encourage design, whether contemporary or traditional, which is harmonious with the character of the historic district and to ensure, insofar as possible, that buildings or structures in the historic district be in harmony with other buildings or structures located therein.”

As far as zoning, Bucknum said this new overlay would still allow for commercial and residential as long as any new buildings meet the required standards.

During the Public Comment section of the public hearing, one property owner, Derrick Jones, asked if there is an option to “opt out” of being part of the Local Historic District and Mayor George Holleman answered by simply saying, “No.”

After closing the public hearing, Council Member Kim Brown made a motion to adopt the ordinance to designate Downtown Taylorsville as a Local Historic District and was seconded by Council Member Tamara Odom. The vote to adopt this ordinance was unanimous.

During the Public Comment section of the meeting, resident and former Councilman Edd Elliott spoke and said he was disappointed in the Council for “spending $52,000 of taxpayers’ money on the new Christmas tree. That is not a service in my book. That’s more than a lot of people make in this town in a year’s time. I hear a lot of people come to town bored and they want this and they want what other towns have. We probably won’t ever have the revenue. I don’t care what everybody else has got. I’m concerned about Taylorsville.”

Later in his Town Manager’s report, Nathan Hester noted that there has been $18,500 donated so far to cover the cost of the Christmas tree located in the center of Alexander County Courthouse Park.

In another matter, the council adopted a resolution on October 25, 2024, to re-establish a stand-alone ABC store within the corporate boundaries of the Town of Taylorsville. To do so means they must have an ABC Board. The Council voted unanimously on the following ABC Board members: Ronald Roseman, Benny Sharpe, Jr., and Jonathan Coley, with Roseman serving as chairman.

In budget transfers, Zach Greene reported that $3,424 has been transferred from the General Fund into Capital Outlay for the purchase of two new police radios.

The Council then had to consider the adoption of a resolution as to where sales profits from the Taylorsville ABC Board would be distributed. They voted unanimously on the following resolution: “Now, therefore be it resolved, that the presently serving Town Council intends those profits realized from ABC store sales, after deductions for costs of operations and state mandated distributions according to N.C. G.S. 18B-805, shall be restricted and distributed to the General Fund of the Town of Taylorsville.”

The Town Council received a petition from Eagle Engineering directing the City Clerk to investigate a petition for voluntary annexation of an 83 acre area located off NC Hwy. 16 South and Happy Plains Road. This petition was received by the Town Council on November 6, 2024. Mayor Holleman stated that this is for a proposed residential housing development. According to Council documentation, the proposed housing project is known as “The Woodlands.” The Council voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on this matter at their January meeting.

The meeting was then adjourned, with the next scheduled meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 7, at 5:30 p.m.