Public Meeting – September 9, 2026

The Raleigh Historic Development Commission will conduct a public meeting on Wednesday, September 9 at 8:30 a.m. at the Raleigh Municipal Building, 222 W. Hargett Street in the City Council Chamber.

Public participation is available in person and remotely via voicemail. Visit the RHDC page for details on how to leave a public comment.

For questions about the meeting, please contact historicpreservation@raleighnc.gov

A.

Call to Order

 

B.

Consent Agenda

 

B.1

Approval of Minutes

 

The draft August 12 minutes are attached.

C.

Public Comment

 

C.1

Public Comments

 

This is an opportunity for the public to comment on items or issues that are otherwise not on the agenda. Please limit comments to 3 minutes per speaker.

C.2

Voicemail Comments

 

In accordance with City Council’s adopted recommendations, voicemail public comments are available to the public for RHDC. This option does not apply to the COA Committee and quasi-judicial hearings.

 

Residents may phone in ahead of the meeting and leave up to a three-minute voicemail message. Comments provided via the voicemail feature will be uploaded here the evening before the RHDC meeting.

 

The phone number is the same for City Council and all boards and commissions: 855-925-2801. RHDC’s unique code is 1887.

D.

Old Business

 

D.1

Historic Landmark Designation – George and Jessie Morris House / Lustron House (314 Haywood St)

 

Staff Contact: Collette Kinane, Senior Preservation Planner

 

On September 1, 2026, City Council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance designating the George and Jessie Morris House / Lustron House (314 Haywood St) as a Raleigh Historic Landmark (RHL). The property is currently available for sale, with historic preservation protective covenants attached by Preservation North Carolina.

 

Recommended Action: Receive as information. The Commission has already taken action on this application.

D.2

Demolition By Neglect – 508 Cutler St

 

Staff Contact: Collette Kinane, Senior Preservation Planner

 

508 Cutler Street is a contributing property in the Boylan Heights Historic Overlay District.  The property was discussed by RHDC at the August 13, 2025 meeting after being identified as possibly undergoing demolition by neglect by a resident during public comment at the July 9, 2025 meeting. The property owners were sent an advice letter in August 2025.  The 6 month period ended in February 2026. Staff conducted a site visit of March 9, 2026. No repairs to the property were completed at that time.

 

At the April 08, 2026 meeting, the Commission voted to conduct an investigation and assigned commissioner volunteers to the matter. Per the Demo by Neglect Procedure (attached), RHDC may conduct an investigation to determine if the property is undergoing demolition by neglect and refer the case to Housing & Neighborhoods.  Staff seeks new commissioner volunteers to serve as case liaisons. The commissioner liaison role includes preparing an investigation and documenting the status of exterior building deterioration. The liaisons also work with the property owner to explore preservation-minded solutions to address the documented issues.

 

Recommended Action: Assign new commissioner liaisons to conduct an investigation.

E.

New Business

 

E.1

National Register Historic District Application – Biltmore Hills

 

Staff Contact: Collette Kinane, Senior Preservation Planner

National Register Nominations are referred to the Raleigh Historic Development Commission / City of Raleigh as part of the City’s duties as a Certified Local Government (CLG). The nomination packet and review criteria are attached. Staff will make a brief presentation. The City of Raleigh is a CLG in North Carolina under the Federal historic preservation program. As a CLG, Raleigh plays an important role in a national initiative to preserve the unique and valuable historic character of over 2,100 communities across the country. One of the responsibilities of a CLG is to provide the opportunity for public comment on properties nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Biltmore Hills is a roughly 105-acre, single-family residential subdivision. Biltmore Hills was built exclusively for African American homebuyers of modest means in the waning days of Jim Crow, when their opportunities were still highly limited.  Biltmore Hills is significant as a purpose-built community for African Americans with significant participation by John Winters, an African American developer, in partnership with Ed Richards, a white developer, and with naming conventions specifically designed to engender ethnic and community pride. Streets named for famous African Americans reinforce the identity of the neighborhood as an unapologetically historically Black community. The Period of Significance begins in 1959 with the construction of the first houses in the neighborhood and ends in 1966 with the completion of the final houses.

 

Recommended Action: Open the floor for pubic comments.  Determine if the Biltmore Hills neighborhood meets the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as stated in Section 8 (beginning on page 71) of the report and if so, recommend that the property be submitted for listing in the Register.

E.2

Historic Preservation Plan

 

Staff Contact: Tania Tully, Historic Preservation Supervisor

 

The project to create a Historic Preservation Plan has begun.  Staff will provide an overview of the anticipated schedule as well as upcoming community engagement activities.

 

The plan will support a citywide vision for historic preservation support and initiatives by creating tiered short- and long-term goals and action items to support the continued growth and effectiveness of the program. It will build off of Raleigh’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan and work in collaboration with the goals and objectives outlined for the City.

 

The plan will bring together the various initiatives, programs, needs, opportunities, goals, and principles related to the preservation of Raleigh’s built environment and cultural heritage together into one comprehensive document. It will include key elements that stem from the City’s existing foundation of preservation advocacy for a more coordinated, inclusive, and sustainable program moving forward.

F.

Committee Reports

 

F.1

Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)

 

The Committee Chair will report on recent activity.

F.2

Community Awareness

 

The Committee Chair will report on recent activity.

F.3

Research

 

The Committee Chair will report on recent activity.

G.

Other Business

 

G.1

Report of Commissioners

 

G.2

Report of Historic Preservation Unit

 

The attached report includes the status of recent RHDC reviews, upcoming historic preservation related events, and CLG training opportunities.

G.2.a

Historic Design Standards

 

Staff will provide an update on the status of the Historic Design Standards Update project.

H.

Adjournment

The Commission typically meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. Upcoming meeting agendas for the RHDC can be found on our City Council, Boards and Commissions Agendas and Minutes page.

Raleigh Historic Development Commission public meetings will be broadcast live on RTN 11 and on our live streaming webpage. To watch past meetings, visit our video services page.

Agenda and Participation
Visit the RHDC webpage for additional information on how to participate in person or by voicemail comment.