Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on June 13, 2012, under the presiding of Mr. Chairman. The board considered 28 agenda items during the meeting, which included architectural review requests for residential and commercial properties throughout the jurisdiction. The board took 8 motions and votes and heard 1 public comment during the session. Of the 28 items on the agenda, 26 were approved, including structure renovations, roof replacements, tree removals, front entry repairs, landscaping changes, and construction projects. Two items—the fence and gate installation at 347 South Mill Street and the garage structure and paved area construction at 321/323 Arcadia Park—were postponed for further consideration. The board also approved the meeting minutes from April 11, 2012.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 13, 2012:

• Mr. Chairman
• Steve Albert
• Mary Beth Tolson
• Martin
• Paul
• Nathan
• Senator Roberts

No members were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Demolition of Garage at 234 Kentucky Avenue 4:21 Motion by Mr. Chairman. Passed by voice vote. The board approved demolition of the garage with a condition that the applicant must submit a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application for a proposed fence extension to secure the rear yard prior to demolition.

Awning Concept at 205 South Limestone 12:44 Motion by Mr. Chairman, seconded by Senator Roberts. Passed by voice vote. The board approved the awning concept with a condition that the owner must work with staff to develop a material solution acceptable to staff. If agreement is not reached, the application must be resubmitted to the board.

Construction of Townhouses at 203/205 West 4th Street 1:09:23 Motion by Mr. Chairman, seconded by Senator Roberts. Passed by voice vote. The board approved construction of townhouses with revised siding and fenestration, subject to multiple conditions: siding must use horizontal hardy plank or similar on side elements and gridded panel system on central portions; all exposed wood (except floor, porch, and deck) must be painted; corrugated metal siding is denied; and the final location of HVAC, electrical, phone, water service, and screening must be submitted to staff for approval. Revised elevations must be submitted to staff for final review.

Postponement of Case at 347 South Mill Street 1:09:54 Motion by Mr. Chairman. Passed by voice vote. The case was postponed to June 27, 2012.

Postponement of Case at 321/323 Arcadia Park 1:10:26 Motion by Mr. Chairman. Passed by voice vote. The case was postponed to June 27, 2012.

Approval of April 11, 2012 Meeting Minutes 1:14:52 Motion by Mr. Chairman, seconded by Senator Roberts. Passed by voice vote with one abstention.

Online Posting of Meeting Materials 1:18:10 Motion by Mr. Chairman, seconded by Senator Roberts. Passed by voice vote. The board resolved that agendas, applications, staff reports, and supporting materials be posted online. The Commissioner of Planning is directed to have staff develop an implementation plan and report back to the board on feasibility and timeline.

Adjournment 1:19:11 Motion by Mr. Chairman, seconded by Senator Roberts. Passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

1:15:30

Mr. Chairman addressed the board regarding online posting of meeting materials. He requested that agendas, applications, staff reports, and supporting materials be made available online to the public. He specified that copyrighted architectural plans should be excluded from online posting.

Mr. Chairman asked the Commissioner of Planning to develop an implementation plan for this online posting initiative and to report back to the board with recommendations.

Contested Items

Front Door Placement and Fenestration at 203/205 West 4th Street

A heated discussion arose during the meeting regarding the design of the building at 203/205 West 4th Street, specifically concerning two architectural elements: the placement of the front door and the window pattern on the side elevations.

The primary disagreement centered on the front door's location on the side of the building rather than on the front facade. Additionally, board members raised concerns about the horizontal, small window pattern proposed for the side elevations of the structure.

Several board members argued that the proposed design was incompatible with the neighborhood character, expressing concerns that the unconventional door placement and window configuration did not align with local architectural standards and precedents in the area.

The applicant defended their design choices, emphasizing the practicality and functionality of the proposed layout. They explained the reasoning behind their architectural decisions in response to the board's concerns.

Resolution

The contested items were resolved through compromise. The parties agreed to modifications involving the siding and window design, allowing the project to move forward with adjustments that addressed the board's concerns about neighborhood compatibility while maintaining the applicant's functional requirements.

342 Aylesford Place: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 342 Aylesford Place was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome

The proposal was approved by staff.

234 Kentucky Avenue: Replace roof

1:33

The roof replacement project at 234 Kentucky Avenue was approved as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

Outcome: Approved

315 Oldham Avenue: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 315 Oldham Avenue was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome: Approved

319 Oldham Avenue: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 319 Oldham Avenue was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a routine staff approval.

The proposal was approved by staff without debate or concerns being raised during the meeting.

368 Transylvania Park: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 368 Transylvania Park was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. No discussion or public comment was required for this item.

The proposal was approved by staff.

148 Woodland Avenue: Remove pine

1:33

The removal of pine trees at 148 Woodland Avenue was approved as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

Outcome: Approved

607 Boonesboro Avenue: Renovate chimneys

1:33

The chimney renovation project at 607 Boonesboro Avenue was approved as part of the consent agenda. No discussion or public comment was required for this item.

Outcome: Approved

509 Russell Avenue: Repair front steps

1:33

Staff approved the repair of front steps at 509 Russell Avenue as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was approved without further deliberation.

Outcome: Approved

704 West Short Street: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 704 West Short Street was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome: The renovation project was approved.

724 West Short Street: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 724 West Short Street was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

The proposal was approved without objection.

338 Hampton Court: Repair front entry way

1:33

The repair of the front entry way at 338 Hampton Court was approved as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

Outcome: Approved

445 West Sixth Street: Renovate front entry way

The front entry renovation project at 445 West Sixth Street was approved by staff as part of the consent agenda 1:33. No discussion or public comment was required for this item.

Outcome

The renovation was approved.

453 West Third Street: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 453 West Third Street was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome

The proposal to renovate the structure was approved.

318 Arcadia Park: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 318 Arcadia Park was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome

The renovation project was approved by staff.

321-323 Arcadia Park: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 321-323 Arcadia Park was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. No discussion or public comment was required for this item.

Outcome

The proposal was approved.

128-130 Barberry Lane: Renovate structure

1:33

The renovation of the structure at 128-130 Barberry Lane was approved as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

Outcome: Approved

212 Dantzler Court: Re-landscape yard

1:33

The re-landscaping of the yard at 212 Dantzler Court was approved by staff as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome: Approved

146 Shawnee Place: Remove trees

Staff approved the removal of trees at 146 Shawnee Place as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed without debate.

Outcome: Approved

148 Shawnee Place: Remove trees

1:33

Staff approved the removal of trees at 148 Shawnee Place as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a routine staff approval.

Outcome: Approved

423 South Upper Street: Renovate structure

1:33

The renovation of the structure at 423 South Upper Street was approved as part of the consent agenda. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed with staff approval.

Outcome: Approved

802 West Maxwell Street: Renovate structure

The renovation of the structure at 802 West Maxwell Street was approved as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a staff approval matter.

The proposal was approved by staff without debate or concerns being raised during the meeting.

368 Merino Street: Renovate front porch

The front porch renovation project at 368 Merino Street was approved by staff as part of the consent agenda 1:33. This item required no discussion or public comment and was processed as a routine approval.

Outcome

The renovation project was approved.

234 Kentucky Avenue: Demolish garage

An application to demolish the garage at 234 Kentucky Avenue was presented for consideration. 3:10

Staff recommended approval of the demolition with a specific condition. The applicant was required to submit a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application for a fence extension to secure the rear yard before proceeding with the demolition work.

The item was discussed by Mr. Chairman and Steve Albert. The application was approved with the condition regarding the fence extension COA submission.

205 South Limestone: Install awning

5:27

An application to install an awning at 205 South Limestone was presented for consideration as a certificate of appropriateness matter.

The application was approved in principle, contingent upon the applicant working with staff to develop an acceptable material solution for the awning. The approval included a condition that if the applicant and staff cannot reach agreement on the materials, the application must be resubmitted for further review.

Key speakers on this item included Mr. Chairman and Mary Beth Tolson.

The motion to approve the application passed by voice vote.

203/205 West Fourth Street: Construct townhouses and paved area

An application to construct two townhouses and associated site work at 203/205 West Fourth Street was presented for review 13:17.

Application Details

The proposal involved constructing two townhouses with site improvements at the specified location.

Key Speakers and Discussion

The agenda item was discussed by Mr. Chairman, Steve Albert, Martin, Paul, and Nathan.

Conditions of Approval

The application was approved with the following conditions:

• Corrugated metal siding was denied for the project
• Horizontal hardy plank or similar siding material must be used on side elements
• A gridded panel system must be used on central portions
• All exposed wood (except for floors, porches, and decks) must be painted
• Final locations of utilities and screening must be submitted to staff for review
• Revised elevations must be reviewed and approved by staff

Outcome

The application was approved with conditions.

347 South Mill Street: Install fence and gate

An application to install a fence and gate at 347 South Mill Street was presented as a certificate of appropriateness matter. 1:09:54

The application was postponed to the June 27, 2012 meeting at the applicant's request.

321/323 Arcadia Park: Construct garage structure and paved area

This agenda item concerned an application for a certificate of appropriateness to construct a garage structure and paved area at 321/323 Arcadia Park. 1:10:26

The application was postponed to the June 27, 2012 meeting at the applicant's request. No discussion of the proposal's merits or specific concerns was documented in the available materials.

Review and approval of meeting minutes from April 11, 2012

The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the April 11, 2012 meeting. 1:11:21

Mr. Chairman presided over this agenda item. The minutes were presented for board consideration and approval. One board member abstained from voting on the approval. The minutes were ultimately approved.