NC govwatch

← All meetings

Board of Equalization and Review

Orange County · Board of Equalization & Review
Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Regular meeting Tax rate and revaluation

Agenda document Minutes Watch Meeting recap

What was decided

  1. Approved 1Appeal: M4 Property Management LLC, 2207 Leah Drive, Hillsborough Board accepted county's proposed value of $1,872,800, down from $2,170,600
  2. Approved 2Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, Yates Motor Company Alley (Lot 4) Board accepted county's proposed value of $120,000, down from $220,000
  3. Approved 3Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, 109 N. Basnight Lane (Lot 5) Board accepted appellant's value of $84,000, down from $220,000
  4. Approved 4Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, Lot 2, Basnight Lane Board accepted appellant's value of $94,000, down from $220,000
  5. Approved 7Appeal: Riddle Properties LLC, 147 E. Franklin Street Board accepted county's value of $992,900, no change

Read from the agenda's recorded outcomes. Where the board published minutes, those are the record — this is a pointer to them.

What's on this agenda

Orange County's Board of Equalization and Review hears eight appeals of commercial and vacant-land property tax values, in Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. The properties range from dirt lots assessed at $220,000 each to the Top of the Hill restaurant building on Franklin Street, assessed at $16.3 million.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Meeting recap

What happened, drawn from the records published after the meeting. Minutes

The board heard and decided all eight appeals on the agenda, all by unanimous vote. It lowered the value on seven and left one unchanged. Combined, the eight properties fell from about $25.05 million to about $18.66 million, a cut of roughly $6.4 million. One appeal, a flex building in Hillsborough's Old Mill Business Park, returned after the board continued it from a July hearing for a county equity analysis; it adopted the county's revised figure of $1,872,800, down from $2,170,600. Three dirt lots used for parking, each appealed on an independent appraisal, dropped from a combined $660,000 to $298,000.

Four properties on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill were argued on the income approach. The board split the difference on two office and parking-lot properties, setting both at $2,000,000. It left a restaurant building's value unchanged at $992,900. It cut the Top of the Hill restaurant building to $11.5 million from $16.3 million, below the county's own recommendation.

How the votes went

The board decided all eight appeals by unanimous vote, with Chair Leon Meyers, Saru Salvi and Richal Vanhook alternating as the motion's maker and second.

From the published minutes.

Speaking at this meeting

Orange County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Agenda items (8)

Public hearing · 8
  1. 1 Appeal: M4 Property Management LLC, 2207 Leah Drive, Hillsborough
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    Continued from a July 23 hearing so the county could complete an equity analysis of Old Mill Business Park properties, this appeal argued the assessment overstated comparable sales and land values. The county recommended regrading the property and cutting its value; the board accepted the county's figure of $1,872,800.
    Board accepted county's proposed value of $1,872,800, down from $2,170,600
    • 2207 Leah Dr · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9873180351 · M4 Property Management LLC · assessed $1,872,800
  2. 2 Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, Yates Motor Company Alley (Lot 4)
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The trustee sought a reduction on a small dirt lot used for parking, based on an independent appraisal. The county recommended a larger downward adjustment to $120,000, which the board accepted.
    Board accepted county's proposed value of $120,000, down from $220,000
  3. 3 Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, 109 N. Basnight Lane (Lot 5)
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The county recommended $80,000 based on the appellant's appraisal of another dirt parking lot; the board instead set the value at the appellant's requested $84,000.
    Board accepted appellant's value of $84,000, down from $220,000
    • 109 N Basnight Ln · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788166083 · Riddle Joseph P III Trustee · assessed $84,000
  4. 4 Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, Lot 2, Basnight Lane
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    As with the trustee's other dirt lots, the county recommended $100,000; the board set the value at the appellant's requested $94,000.
    Board accepted appellant's value of $94,000, down from $220,000
  5. 5 Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, 425 W. Franklin Street
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The appellant, who leases the site to the Town of Chapel Hill as a public parking lot, sought $450,000 using an income approach; the county recommended no change, arguing the highest and best use is development. The board split the difference, cutting the value to $2,000,000.
    Board set value at $2,000,000, down from $2,636,900
    • 425 W Franklin St · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788164037 · Riddle Joseph P Trustee · assessed $2,000,000
  6. 6 Appeal: Diane Harrell Trustee, 419 W. Franklin Street
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The appellant sought $1,560,000 for an office building using an income approach and an independent appraisal; the county recommended no change, citing strong retail exposure. The board again split the difference at $2,000,000.
    Board set value at $2,000,000, down from $2,268,000
    • 419 W Franklin St · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788165175 · Riddle Joseph P III Trustee · assessed $2,000,000
  7. 7 Appeal: Riddle Properties LLC, 147 E. Franklin Street
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The appellant sought $812,500 citing a struggling downtown restaurant market; the county pointed to new 2024 leasing activity, including a new tenant in the building, as evidence the assessment was supported. The board made no change.
    Board accepted county's value of $992,900, no change
    • 147 E Franklin St · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788378534 · Riddle Properties LLC · assessed $992,900
  8. 8 Appeal: Riddle Commercial Properties Inc., 108 E. Franklin Street (Top of the Hill)
    Public hearing Tax rate and revaluation
    The appellant sought $6,000,000 for the Top of the Hill restaurant building citing vacancy and net operating income; the county recommended $13,712,100 after applying an economic modifier. The board cut the value further, to $11,500,000.
    Board set value at $11,500,000, down from $16,324,000
    • 108 E Franklin St · no matching parcel on file
    • Pin 9788376242 · Riddle Commercial Properties INC · assessed $11,500,000

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

Other recent meetings of this board