Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on September 28, 2011, under the direction of the Chair. The board considered 25 agenda items during the meeting, taking 5 motions and votes. The meeting included 4 public comments from attendees.

The board approved the majority of projects brought before it, including tree removal at 254 South Ashland Avenue, window renovations at 617 Boonesboro Avenue and 411 West Short Street, roof replacement at 663 Elsmere Park, and sign replacement at 429 North Broadway. Additional approvals included front porch renovation at 99 Hampton Court, driveway work at 454 West Second Street and 633 West Short Street, porch foundation reinforcement at 411 West Sixth Street, parking lot repaving at 120 West Maxwell, awning installation at 126 West Maxwell Street, structural renovation at 324 South Upper Street, satellite dish installation at 325 Madison Place, deck refurbishment at 453 East High Street, porch replacement at 607 North Broadway, and landscape and hardscape improvements at 280 South Ashland Avenue and 333 South Upper Street. A consent agenda item approving 16 additional items was also passed.

One item—construction of paved areas at 607 North Broadway—was postponed. Four items were withdrawn from consideration: garage door replacement at 625 East Main Street, roof replacement and chimney removal at 325 Aylesford Place, and two separate projects at 200 East Bell Court involving outbuilding construction and garage renovation with patio construction.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on September 28, 2011:

• Graham Pohl
• Ron Jackson
• Chris Yeager
• John Boardman
• Tony Barrett
• Martin Janocchio
• Amelia
• Mr. Hossfield

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included five votes, all conducted by voice vote.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 607 North Broadway — Porch Replacement 4:16

The motion to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for 607 North Broadway to replace a porch passed. The approval includes the following conditions: spacing between support posts must be equal; center lines of support posts must not align with edge of concrete base; and porch cornice must be omitted.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 280 South Ashland Avenue — Walk, Steps, and Retaining Wall 33:52

The motion to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for 280 South Ashland Avenue to replace a walk, steps, and retaining wall passed. Conditions of approval include: no brick edging on front walk; tree wells must be rectilinear; and final details of gate, steps, and water feature must be submitted to staff.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 333 South Upper Street — Paving, Fencing, and Landscaping 1:12:23

The motion to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for 333 South Upper Street to install paving, fencing, and landscaping passed. The approval requires: front walk must be concrete and brick with no brick edging; tree wells must be rectilinear; and final details of gate, steps, and water feature must be submitted to staff.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 607 North Broadway — Paved Areas 1:15:04

The motion to postpone the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 607 North Broadway to construct paved areas passed.

Meeting Minutes from August 10, 2011 1:17:07

The motion to approve the meeting minutes from August 10, 2011 passed, with one correction made to Mr. Hossfield's statement to read: "having the piers be part of the house rather than a freestanding new object that is a competing element is preferred."

Public Comment

Four speakers addressed the board during the public comment period.

John Boardman [00:05:54] disagreed with staff's recommendation to disapprove the replacement of brick walk and steps with cement pavers at 280 South Ashland Avenue. Boardman cited poor craftsmanship of the existing brick and argued that the proposed pavers are aesthetically compatible with the home's foundation.

Rob [00:21:39] spoke in support of using innovative materials in historic districts. Rob argued that cement pavers at 280 South Ashland Avenue are compatible with the neighborhood's character and should be permitted, emphasizing that innovation should not be restricted by historical precedent.

Tony Barrett [00:42:50] explained the design rationale for curved tree wells at 333 South Upper Street. Barrett stated that the curved design was intended to improve tree health, eliminate informal "cow paths" on sidewalks, and create a flowing pedestrian path while respecting the architectural fan of the doorway.

Mr. Hossfield [01:17:07] requested a correction to the meeting minutes to clarify that he had stated a preference for piers to be part of the house structure rather than a freestanding object.

Contested Items

The meeting included two items that generated significant debate between Board members and staff.

Approval of cement pavers at 280 South Ashland Avenue

The Board debated whether cement pavers were appropriate for this location, despite their absence from the neighborhood's historical record. Staff opposed the proposal, citing material incompatibility with the area's character. However, the Board overruled staff objections, basing their decision on guidelines that prioritize compatibility over strict historical precedent. The vote was split, reflecting the disagreement between the two positions.

Curved tree wells at 333 South Upper Street

A heated discussion arose over whether curved tree wells would disrupt South Hill's rectilinear streetscape rhythm. Staff objected to any intrusion into the sidewalk area, maintaining that the design conflicted with the neighborhood's established character. Despite these objections, the Board approved the design. Board members justified their decision by emphasizing the benefits of improved tree health and the value of innovative urban planning approaches, ultimately prioritizing these considerations over strict adherence to the existing streetscape pattern.

254 South Ashland Avenue: Remove dying tree

1:33

Staff approved the removal of a dying tree at 254 South Ashland Avenue. The approval was granted without requiring a public hearing.

Outcome: Approved

617 Boonesboro Avenue: Renovate windows

1:33

Staff approved the renovation of windows at 617 Boonesboro Avenue. This item was processed as part of routine staff approvals.

Outcome: Approved

141 Forest Avenue: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 141 Forest Avenue without requiring a public hearing. 1:33

The item was approved by staff as presented.

663 Elsmere Park: Replace roof

1:33

Staff approved the roof replacement project at 663 Elsmere Park. This item was processed as part of routine staff approvals during the meeting.

Outcome: Approved

429 North Broadway: Replace existing sign

1:33

Staff approved the replacement of an existing sign at 429 North Broadway. The proposal was processed as a staff approval item and did not require a public hearing.

Outcome: Approved

99 Hampton Court: Renovate front porch

1:33

The front porch renovation project at 99 Hampton Court was presented as part of the routine staff approvals on the agenda. Staff approved the renovation project.

Outcome: Approved

454 West Second Street: Replace driveway

1:33

Staff approved the replacement of the driveway at 454 West Second Street. The project was approved without requiring a public hearing.

Outcome: Approved

478 West Second Street: Prep for painting

1:33

Staff approved prep work for painting at 478 West Second Street. This item was processed as part of routine staff approvals and resulted in approval of the proposed prep work.

411 West Sixth Street: Reinforce porch foundation

1:33

Staff approved the reinforcement of the porch foundation at 411 West Sixth Street. The approval was granted without requiring a public hearing.

411 West Short Street: Renovate windows

1:33

Staff approved the renovation of windows at 411 West Short Street. This item was processed as part of routine staff approvals during the meeting.

Outcome: Approved

633 West Short Street: Repave driveway

1:33

Staff approved the repaving of the driveway at 633 West Short Street. The project proceeded without requiring a public hearing.

120 West Maxwell: Repave parking lot

1:33

The repaving of the parking lot at 120 West Maxwell was presented as part of routine staff approvals. The project was approved by staff.

126 West Maxwell Street: Install awning

1:33

Staff approved the installation of an awning at 126 West Maxwell Street. The approval was granted without requiring a public hearing.

Outcome: Approved

324 South Upper Street: Renovate structure and site

Staff approved the renovation of the structure and site at 324 South Upper Street as part of routine staff approvals 1:33.

Outcome: Approved

325 Madison Place: Install satellite dish

1:33

Staff presented a proposal for the installation of a satellite dish at 325 Madison Place. The item was considered for staff approval without requiring a public hearing.

The proposal was approved by staff.

453 East High Street: Refurbish deck

1:33

Staff presented a proposal for the refurbishment of the deck at 453 East High Street. The item was approved as part of routine staff approvals.

Outcome: Approved

607 North Broadway: Replace porch

3:07

The Board considered a certificate of appropriateness for the replacement of the porch at 607 North Broadway.

Chris Yeager presented the item to the Board.

The Board approved the porch replacement with specific conditions. The approval included requirements regarding post spacing and alignment, as well as a condition that the porch cornice be omitted from the replacement design.

280 South Ashland Avenue: Replace walk, steps and retaining wall

5:54

The Board considered a certificate of appropriateness for the replacement of the walk, steps, and retaining wall at 280 South Ashland Avenue.

Key Participants

The discussion involved Board members John Boardman, Martin Janocchio, Rob, and Graham Pohl.

Outcome

The Board approved the project, overturning the staff recommendation. The approval included specific conditions regarding the design of the replacement elements.

Conditions

The Board imposed the following conditions on the approval:

• No brick edging on the replacement walk and steps
• Rectilinear tree wells (rather than curved or other configurations)

333 South Upper Street: Install paving, fencing and landscaping

36:19

The Board considered a certificate of appropriateness application for site improvements at 333 South Upper Street, including the installation of paving, fencing, and landscaping.

Key Participants

The discussion involved Board members Tony Barrett, Amelia, and Rob, as well as Graham Pohl.

Decision

The Board approved the site improvements. However, the approval included specific conditions and modifications to the original proposal:

• The Board allowed curved tree wells, despite staff recommendation against this feature
• The Board required that no brick edging be used
• The Board required submission of final details for review before implementation

Outcome

The application was approved with conditions.

607 North Broadway: Construct paved areas

This agenda item concerned a certificate of appropriateness application for constructing paved areas at 607 North Broadway 1:15:04.

The application was postponed until October 12, 2011. The postponement was due to incomplete documentation and the need for further review of the proposal.

625 East Main Street: Replace garage doors

1:15:34

The application for a certificate of appropriateness to replace garage doors at 625 East Main Street was withdrawn by the applicant prior to discussion. No presentation was made and no debate took place regarding this agenda item.

325 Aylesford Place: Replace roof and remove chimney

1:15:34

The application for a certificate of appropriateness to replace the roof and remove the chimney at 325 Aylesford Place was withdrawn by the applicant prior to discussion.

200 East Bell Court: Construct outbuilding

1:15:34

The application for a certificate of appropriateness to construct an outbuilding at 200 East Bell Court was withdrawn by the applicant prior to discussion.

200 East Bell Court: Renovate garage to living space; construct patio

This agenda item concerned a certificate of appropriateness application for 200 East Bell Court to renovate a garage into living space and construct a patio 1:15:34.

The application was withdrawn by the applicant prior to discussion. No presentation was made, no debate occurred, and no concerns were raised during the meeting.

Outcome: Withdrawn

Consent Agenda: 16 items approved

1:33

The Board approved 16 staff-approved applications through the consent agenda process, allowing these items to be approved without individual public hearings.

The approved applications encompassed various property improvement projects across multiple historic districts, including:

• Tree removal
• Window renovation
• Roof replacement
• Driveway repaving

All items on the consent agenda had been reviewed and approved by staff prior to the Board meeting, streamlining the approval process for routine applications that met applicable standards and guidelines.

Outcome: All 16 items were approved.