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Orange County Board of Equalization upholds most county assessments, reduces three Rogers Road residential values
Summary
At its Jan. 22 meeting, the Orange County Board of Equalization and Review largely upheld county property assessments for multiple Chapel Hill commercial parcels but approved value reductions for three residential parcels on Rogers Road after neighborhood reviews and depreciation adjustments.
The Orange County Board of Equalization and Review met Jan. 22, 2026, and left most commercial assessed values unchanged while approving reduced assessments on three residential Rogers Road parcels.
In the morning session the board heard a slate of appeals mostly related to Chapel Hill properties and student housing. County appraisers, represented by Real Property Appraisal Manager Roger Gunn, presented income approaches, comparable-sales analyses and consultant reports for each account. For a cluster of Chapel Ridge student-housing parcels (PINs 9789197059, 9789198723 and 9789292752), the county recommended no change; the board accepted the county's position and left assessed values at $2,291,600; $40,261,700; and $694,200, respectively. The motions were made by Richal Vanhook and seconded by Shannon Julian, with all BOER members present voting in favor.
Several Franklin Street and downtown parcels tied to a six-parcel Life Science Center redevelopment also were appealed. For a small (.14-acre) parcel used as parking (PIN 9788260736) and other downtown parcels (PINs 9788261802, 9788262823, 9788262905, 9788272090), the board accepted the county's analyses and maintained the assessed values ranging from $705,400 to $3,919,500. In one case (PIN 9788262798), county staff recommended applying 68% economic depreciation to a 2,856-square-foot branch bank building, producing a revised county value of $1,199,900; the board accepted that revised county recommendation.
The board also reviewed a contested downtown parcel where county staff stressed the site's "highest and best use" and a May 2021 sale; the assessed value of $5,018,800 for 101 E. Rosemary St. (Rosemary Chapel Hill Apartments LLC, PIN 9788372791) was retained. A large renovated office-and-retail building (Franklin Office Chapel Hill LLC, PIN 9788377517) was also upheld at $28,738,300 following the county's commercial appraiser analysis.
In the Glen Lennox shopping-center appeal (PIN 9798255743), county staff presented an income-based approach and recommended a revised value of $6,018,600 after applying a different economic modifier; the board approved that county recommendation.
The afternoon session considered three residential appeals on Rogers Road. For 7803 Rogers Rd. (PIN 9870349696), the board voted to change the assessed value to $177,500 by applying an additional 20% physical depreciation after staff and an ordered neighborhood review (motion by Leon Meyers; seconded Shannon Julian; unanimous of members present). For an adjacent vacant lot (PIN 9870441657) the board accepted the county's adjusted value of $63,000. For 7712 Rogers Rd. (PIN 9870451228), the county recommended changing the effective year built to 1962, downgrading condition to "Fair," and applying physical depreciation; the board set the final assessed value at $160,800.
Procedural notes recorded in the minutes show motions were made primarily by Richal Vanhook or Shannon Julian in the morning and by Leon Meyers in the afternoon, with Shannon Julian commonly listed as second. The minutes show the board recorded votes as "Voted For All BOER Members" for the morning batch and as unanimous among members present for afternoon motions; attendance lines list Leon Meyers, Richal Vanhook and Shannon Julian as present.
The decisions affect tax assessments and may affect tax liability for affected owners; county staff relied repeatedly on income approaches, comparable sales and consultant analyses in defending assessed values. The minutes were signed by Chair Leon Meyers and Recording Secretary Rob Teachout and dated Feb. 2, 2026; the morning session adjourned at 10:32 a.m. and the afternoon session at 2:30 p.m.
