Board of Historic & Architectural Review

Meetings

6:30 pm
3rd Tuesday of every month
Smithfield Center
220 N Church Street
Smithfield, VA 23430

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

Members

Of the BHAR’s seven members, no less than five shall be Town residents, three of which shall be residents of the HPO. One member must be an architect or contractor, one must also serve on the Planning Commission, and one must possess demonstrable knowledge of the architectural or historical development of the Town. Below is a list of BHAR members and their qualifications:

Trey Gwaltney, Chair
Town Resident & Historian
Term Expires: January 31, 2028
Julia Hillegass, Vice-Chair
HPO Resident and Planning Commissioner
Term Expires: January 31, 2027
Leigh Abbott Leaman, HPO Resident
Term Expires: January 31, 2029
Julie Hess, HPO Resident
Term Expires: January 31, 2027
Russell Hill, Contractor
Term Expires: January 31, 2029
Justin Hornback, HPO Resident
Term Expires: January 31, 2030
Judith Lally, HPO Resident
Term Expires: January 31, 2028

Overview

The Board of Historic and Architectural Review (BHAR) is composed of seven members, all of whom are appointed by the Town Council and sworn by the Isle of Wight County Circuit Court to serve staggered five year terms. The BHAR is enabled through Smithfield Zoning Ordinance (SZO) Article 3.M (PDF), to perform (in summary) the following duties:

Review and decide on all BHAR Applications (PDF) for exterior improvements located within the Historic Preservation Overlay (HPO), as outlined in SZO Article 3.M.
Review and decide on all appeals of the zoning administrator in his administration of SZO Article 3.M.
Review and decide on all changes to the HPO map and property inventory and interactive HPO Map.
Review and produce a recommendation to the Town Council on any changes to the HPO map and property inventory resulting in a change in historic classification.
Review and produce a recommendation to the Town Council on any changes to the Smithfield Historic District Guidelines (PDF).

The HPO is not to be confused with the Smithfield, Virginia National Register of Historic Places Historic District (PDF), which is an honorary district that imposes no restrictions on property owners unless they have accepted historic tax credits.

For information on the BHAR's previous and upcoming activities, please see the agenda packets and minutes links of this page.

Please remember that, in order to appear on a BHAR meeting agenda, Town staff must receive all necessary applications and other materials no less than three weeks prior to the date of the next scheduled BHAR meeting.

Contact

Please direct all inquiries concerning the BHAR to Mark Kluck, Planner – Mark is the designated staff member contact for the BHAR.