The State Historic Preservation Office has rescinded an earlier opinion that the River John Conrad House has been altered too much to still have historic significance.
As a result, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 last night to postpone a decision on whether to repeal the 1981 ordinance that made the house on Conrad Road a designated historic property.
The owners of the house, Nadja Lesko and Kerry Link, want to expand the house but must have the historic designation removed to do so.
Commissioner Ted Kaplan and Dave Plyler, the board chairman, said after the meeting that they opposed postponing the decision because they favor letting the homeowners carry out their plans.
A consultant hired by the owners concluded that the house had been substantially changed during a 1983-84 alteration. On June 29, the county received a letter from the State Historic Preservation Office saying that officials there believed the house had "lost the architectural and historical integrity necessary for local landmark designation."
The letter reversing the state's stand came only yesterday.
In the letter, Peter Sandbeck, the state historic preservation administrator, said that his office had not thoroughly reviewed the house's historic status before issuing the earlier opinion.
State officials now say the alterations made to the house in the 1980s "were made under the guidance of local experts and certainly should be considered as acceptable treatment for this local landmark."
Although the county isn't required to follow the state's opinion on the house, County Attorney Davida Martin recommended last night that commissioners return the issue to the local historic resources commission. That board meets on Oct. 7.
About 30 supporters of keeping the house's historic status turned out last night.
"This afternoon something dramatic changed," said Catherine Hendren, the president of Preserve Historic Forsyth Inc., referring to the state's new letter.
wyoung@wsjournal.com
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