Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on October 26, 2011, under the direction of the Chair. The board considered 21 agenda items, including 19 property renovation and modification requests, as well as the approval of meeting minutes from two previous sessions.

The board took 2 motions and votes during the meeting and heard 3 public comments. Of the 19 property-related requests reviewed, 17 were approved, 1 was denied, and 1 was withdrawn. The approved projects included renovations, structural repairs, and modifications at properties across multiple streets, such as front porch renovations at 241 South Ashland Avenue and 326 Woodland Avenue, tuckpointing work at 342 Aylesford Place and 343 Woodland Avenue, and structural renovations at 625 Sayre Avenue, 607 Elsmere Park, and 838 West Maxwell Street. The board also approved tree removals, paving installations, window installations, and various other architectural modifications. The request to replace a door at 450 North Broadway was denied, while a proposal to install paving at 607 Broadway was withdrawn. Additionally, the board approved the meeting minutes from July 10, 2011 and September 14, 2011.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 26, 2011:

• Zeph Maloney
• John Cox
• Phil Robinson
• Rob
• Amelia

No attendees were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included two votes, both of which passed by voice vote.

Demolition of Loading Dock Roof System at 615-617 West Short Street 5:32

The board approved demolition of the loading dock roof system at 615-617 West Short Street. The motion was made by Mr. Chair. A condition was attached to this approval requiring that care must be taken when separating the loading dock roof from the existing rear stair system. The motion passed by voice vote.

Door Replacement at 450 North Broadway 20:24

The board disapproved the door replacement at 450 North Broadway as submitted. The motion was made by Mr. Chair. However, the applicant was authorized to work with staff to find an appropriate replacement door. If no suitable resolution is reached through this process, the matter may return to the board for a hearing. The motion passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

Three speakers addressed the matter of door replacement at 450 North Broadway.

Phil Robinson spoke twice during the public comment period. In his first comment 9:19, Robinson expressed financial and security concerns regarding the replacement of the current door. He emphasized his long-term effort to restore the property and committed to consulting with staff on future work to avoid similar issues in the future.

In his second comment 10:56, Robinson noted that the current door provides warmth and light to the building. While he indicated openness to changes, he reiterated his concerns about the cost and security implications of installing a different door.

Rob also commented on the door replacement proposal 17:52. He emphasized that the door's glazing shape is inconsistent with the historic character of the building and expressed support for staff disapproval of the replacement based on applicable guidelines.

Contested Items

Door Replacement at 450 North Broadway

A heated discussion arose regarding door replacement work at 450 North Broadway. The applicant proceeded with the project without obtaining prior approval from the board, which sparked debate over process compliance.

Board members expressed frustration over what they characterized as repeated instances of the applicant bypassing the review process. Despite acknowledging the applicant's stated good intentions and understanding their financial constraints, the board emphasized the importance of following established procedures before undertaking such work.

The core disagreement centered on whether the applicant should have sought board approval before beginning the door replacement project, and the broader pattern of circumventing the required review process.

241 South Ashland Avenue: Renovate front porch and garage

Staff approved the renovation of the front porch and garage at 241 South Ashland Avenue in the Southland Historic District without board review. 2:37

The project was approved through the staff approval process, meaning it did not require full board consideration.

Outcome: Approved

342 Aylesford Place: Tuckpoint chimneys and install chimney caps

Staff approved tuckpointing chimneys and installing chimney caps at 342 Aylesford Place in the Ailesford Historic District without board review. 2:37

The project was approved as a staff decision, meaning it did not require full board consideration.

326 Woodland Avenue: Renovate front porch and remove tree

2:37

Staff approved the renovation of the front porch and removal of a tree at 326 Woodland Avenue in the Woodland Historic District without board review.

343 Woodland Avenue: Tuck-point chimneys

Staff approved tuckpointing work on the chimneys at 343 Woodland Avenue, located in the Woodland Historic District, without requiring board review 2:37.

The project was processed as a staff approval item, meaning it did not require full board consideration before moving forward.

Outcome: Approved

213 Bell Place: Replace sidewalk and porch steps

2:37

Staff approved the replacement of the sidewalk and porch steps at 213 Bell Place in the Bell Court Historic District without requiring board review.

The project was approved as a staff-level decision, allowing the work to proceed without additional board consideration.

625 Sayre Avenue: Renovate structure

Staff approved a structural renovation project at 625 Sayre Avenue located in the Constitution Historic District. The approval was granted without requiring board review. 2:37

The project was approved by staff.

118 East Third Street: Paint concrete block garage and repair fence

2:37

Staff approved a proposal to paint the concrete block garage and repair the fence at 118 East Third Street, located in the Constitution Historic District. The work was approved without requiring board review.

607 Elsmere Park: Renovate structure

Staff approved a structural renovation project at 607 Elsmere Park, located in the Ellesmere Historic District, without requiring board review. 3:09

The project was approved by staff and proceeded without additional board consideration or discussion documented in this meeting record.

Outcome: Approved

444 Fayette Park: Replace and install paving

3:09

Staff approved a proposal to replace and install paving at 444 Fayette Park, located in the Fayette Park Historic District. The project proceeded without requiring board review.

The proposal was approved by staff.

415 West Third Street: Renovate front entrance

3:09

Staff approved a proposal to renovate the front entrance at 415 West Third Street, located in the Northside Historic District. The renovation was approved without requiring board review.

Outcome: Approved

415 West Third Street: Remove tree

3:09

Staff approved tree removal at 415 West Third Street in the Northside Historic District without board review.

The item was approved.

358 South Mill Street: Remove tree

3:09

Staff approved tree removal at 358 South Mill Street, located in the South Upper Historic District, without requiring board review.

Outcome: Approved

362 South Mill Street: Tuck-point structure

Staff approved tuckpointing of the structure located at 362 South Mill Street in the South Upper Historic District without requiring board review. 3:09

The tuckpointing work was processed as a staff-level approval, streamlining the review process for this maintenance project on the historic structure.

324 South Upper Street: Renovate rear dormer

3:09

Staff approved the renovation of the rear dormer at 324 South Upper Street, located in the South Upper Historic District. The project proceeded without requiring board review.

The renovation was approved by staff as part of the regular approval process for this property improvement.

838 West Maxwell Street: Renovate structure

3:44

Staff approved a structural renovation project at 838 West Maxwell Street, located in the Woodward Heights Historic District. The renovation was approved without requiring board review.

Outcome: Approved

718 West Short Street: Install storm windows

3:44

Staff approved the installation of storm windows at 718 West Short Street, located in the Western Suburbs Historic District. The project proceeded without requiring board review.

The proposal was approved by staff.

615-617 West Short Street: Demolish shed roof

4:19

The board considered a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of a shed roof at 615-617 West Short Street.

Key Speakers

• Zeph Maloney
• John Cox

Outcome

The board approved the demolition of the loading dock roof system. The approval included a condition requiring the applicant to exercise care during the separation of the roof from the rear stair system.

Applicant Position

The applicant was present at the meeting and expressed support for the proposed demolition.

450 North Broadway: Replace door

6:32

The board reviewed a certificate of appropriateness application for a door replacement at 450 North Broadway. Phil Robinson and Rob participated in the discussion of this agenda item.

The board determined that the submitted door replacement proposal did not comply with historic guidelines applicable to the property. Based on this non-compliance, the board disapproved the application.

Rather than requiring the applicant to return for a second hearing, the board allowed the applicant to work directly with staff to identify an acceptable door replacement that would meet historic preservation standards. This approach enabled the applicant to address the board's concerns and move forward without additional formal proceedings.

607 Broadway: Install paving

The application to install paving at 607 Broadway was withdrawn prior to discussion 23:40.

Review of July 10, 2011 meeting minutes

24:15

The board reviewed the minutes from the July 13, 2011 meeting. During this review, one correction was identified and made to the record. The correction involved a measurement description of a green strip, which was changed from "two inch" to "two foot."

Following this correction, the board approved the minutes with no other changes requested.

Review of September 14, 2011 meeting minutes

25:17

The board conducted a brief review of the minutes from the September 14, 2011 meeting. No corrections were requested during this review. The board subsequently approved the minutes.

Outcome: Approved