Board hears Weaver/Fisher Hill Barn report, discusses master plan data and grant timeline

Committee member (S5) summarized research from consultant Mark Polanyi on the Weaver (Fisher Hill) Barn and urged the board to include the findings in the parks’ master plan and pursue preservation grants.

S5 said the barn is “a tangible link to lived experience of ordinary farm families and the agricultural roots of the town of Pittsboro,” and noted that such structures are increasingly rare in the municipal boundary. The report will be circulated and S5 suggested the board link the research on the website and in outreach materials and to include it in future grant applications.

On the master plan process, S5 said consultant Sarah Durham has started a demographics and recreation trends analysis and has sent a data request to the town (contract was noted as sent to Aaron Kader). Board members discussed dividing data‑collection tasks and meeting with the consultant; S5 said the team wants a preliminary plan completed by October so the town would be positioned to apply for a spring grant from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Board members noted the master plan is a collaborative process that will require data review, a meeting with the consultant and possible special sessions. S5 and staff agreed to coordinate next steps and to bring the consultant back to present to the full board if needed.

What happens next: board members will help provide requested data to the consultant, schedule a follow-up meeting to review preliminary maps and consider the Weaver Barn material for inclusion in the master plan and grant materials.