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Lenoir council reestablishes Historic Preservation Commission as separate five-member board
Summary
The Lenoir City Council voted June 16 to reestablish the Historic Preservation Commission as a separate five-member board to pursue certified local government status and associated preservation funding; the council approved the ordinance amendment unanimously.
The Lenoir City Council on June 16 approved an ordinance amendment to reestablish the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) as a separate five-member board, a change planners say is needed for the city to pursue certified local government (CLG) status.
Plan Director Hannah Williams told the council the amendments shift the commission from being composed of planning board members to an appointed five-member body. "These are just some amendments to change the structure of the commission from de facto planning board members to being a an appointed board," Williams said, and she read the five members willing to serve and their term expirations: John Arnaud (2027), Ed Terry (2027), Lucy McCarl (2027), Kyle Case (2029) and Sharon Bryant (2028).
Williams said CLG status "opens up some funding opportunities" for preservation studies and work to protect the city's historic resources. State law — North Carolina General Statutes 160D-303(b) — requires at least three members of a preservation commission to have demonstrated special interest or expertise in preservation-related fields such as history, architecture or anthropology; staff said the proposed reconstitution is intended to meet that requirement.
Mayor Pro Tem Perkins moved to approve the ordinance amendment "as presented," and the council voted in favor. The motion carried unanimously.
The ordinance amendment follows consideration by the Planning Board on May 11, 2026; the newly reestablished commission will carry terms as announced by Williams. The council took no additional action beyond adopting the amendment at the meeting.
