Design Review Board

Note: Members of the Design Review Board also serve on the Historic Preservation Commission. Please see the Historic Preservation Commission webpage for additional information. 

Purpose

The Design Review Board (DRB) interprets and enforces the design regulations contained in the Davidson Planning Ordinance. The Board reviews the building schematic design of all new commercial, civic/institutional and multifamily construction as well as additional structures as required by the Davidson Planning Ordinance.

Meetings & Rules of Procedure

  • Meets the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM, unless otherwise specified. All meetings are open to the public.
  • Davidson Town Hall Community Room 120
    251 South Street
    Davidson, NC 28036
  • Town Staff Liaison: Lindsay Laird, Senior Planner (llaird@townofdavidson.org) 

The Design Review Board conducts meetings in accordance with the DRB Rules of Procedure.

Agenda

The Design Review Board/Historic Preservation Commission will not meet in September. They will hold their next regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, beginning at 5:30 PM. The meeting will be held in person in the Davidson Town Hall Community Room 120.  

Meeting agendas may be found on the Board of Commissioners & Advisory Board Meeting webpage. Agendas are posted the week prior to the scheduled meeting. Please refer to our Development Projects page for major projects.
 
Meeting agendas prior to October 16, 2019 may be found on NOVUS Agenda. 

Upcoming Agenda Items

The DRB will not meet in September. At the October 18, 2023 meeting, the DRB will tentatively hear the following cases(s): 

  • N/A

Additional information, including a staff analysis, will be posted with the DRB meeting agenda on the Board of Commissioner & Advisory Board Meeting webpage the week prior to the meeting.

Additional agenda items will be posted as applications are received. If you have questions or comments related to an upcoming case, please email Design Review Board liaison, Lindsay Laird, at llaird@townofdavidson.org prior to the scheduled meeting date.

Applications

  • Design Review Board Application: A DRB application is required for for all commercial, civic/institutional and multifamily construction projects, including additions and adaptive reuse. See Section 14.10 of the Davidson Planning Ordinance for additional information.
  • Design Review Board Witness Application: A Witness Application should be completed by those who wish to testify as a sworn witness at a DRB hearing. Any testimony must be competent, relevant, and substantive to the issue before the Board. Complete Witness Application(s) shall be emailed to DRB Staff Liaison, Lindsay Laird at llaird@townofdavidson.org at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled hearing.  
  • Design Review Board Standing Application: A Standing Application should be completed by those who wish to participate in a DRB hearing as a Party with Standing. The DRB reserves the right to grant standing based on the contents in this form if a proper showing of standing is made, to deny standing if the contents of this form fail to show valid grounds for standing, and to make further inquiries regarding any standing issue at the hearing. Any party who is denied standing will be allowed to participate as a witness, however, any testimony given must be competent, relevant, and substantive to the issue before the Board. Complete Standing Application(s) shall be emailed to DRB Staff Liasion, Lindsay Laird at llaird@townofdavidson.org at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled hearing.

DRB Application Deadlines

  • The DRB application, fee and all required materials, drawings and documentation for new major projects and large-scale renovations must be received four weeks prior to the meeting date. An FYI review is encouraged for all larger projects.
  • All required materials, drawings and documents for cases that are continued from previous meetings or presented to the DRB for verification of conditions must be received three weeks prior to the meeting date.
  • Application, fee and all required materials, drawings and documentation for signs, minor renovations, consent items and informational review only items must be received three weeks prior to the meeting date.
  • Witness and standing applications are due at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled hearing date. 

Design Review Fees

Please contact Town staff to verify fees. The Town of Davidson Fee Schedule is located on the Finance and Budget webpage.

Membership

The Design Review Board, as appointed by the Board of Commissioners, are residents who have had special training or experience in a design field, such as architecture, landscape architecture, horticulture, planning, historic preservation or a closely related field. Members of the Design Review Board (DRB) also serve on the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). The DRB/HPC consists of citizens of the Town of Davidson and from the ETJ.

20230824 DRB_HPC Membership