Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on September 12, 2012, to review 50 agenda items. The board took 15 motions and votes during the meeting and heard 4 public comments.

Of the 50 items reviewed, 44 were approved, 2 were denied, 1 was postponed, and 1 was withdrawn. The approved projects included a wide range of architectural and property modifications across numerous addresses, such as chimney repairs and rebuilds, roof replacements, fence installations, window repairs, structure renovations, and various other property improvements. Two applications were denied: a proposal to paint masonry at 150 Forest Avenue and a proposal to install a gazebo at 372 South Mill Street. The board postponed consideration of a proposal to install an operable metal gate and wood fencing at 432 North Broadway. One application for fence, gate, and arbor installation at 838 West Maxwell Street was withdrawn. The board also approved the minutes from the August 13th Ashland Park Historic District (H-1) Designation BOAR meeting.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on September 12, 2012:

• Graham
• Ron
• Betty
• Lee Thomas
• Richard Rau
• Richard Hahn
• David Lafferty
• Mike Sage
• John Scott Durbin
• Bobby Friesberg
• Bill Tolliver
• Darren Taylor
• Connor Larkin
• Jeremy Reese
• Anton Giovanetto

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The Board of Architectural Review conducted voice votes on 15 matters during this meeting. All votes were conducted by voice vote.

Passed Applications:

• Window design change at 203 Dantzler Court [00:04:45] — approved with condition that existing brick mold be retained at the opening.

• Door and window openings and foundation wall refacing at 317 Clay Avenue [00:07:18] — approved with conditions including submission of veneering stone samples to staff, revised drawings of front and side elevations, painted exposed wood, and disapproval of antique leaded glass transom and window at rear.

• Paved parking area at 146 East 3rd Street [00:09:32] — approved as submitted.

• Elevation restoration and walkway installation at 341 Madison Place [00:11:43] — approved with conditions requiring final window, door, and stucco details submitted to staff or BOAR.

• Stairs, landing, and deck replacement at 160 and 162 Woodland Avenue [00:14:52] — approved with conditions for painted or stained exposed wood and final railing and skirting details.

• Addition construction at 171 Woodland Avenue [00:17:30] — approved with conditions for painted exposed wood and submission of any required changes from other LFUCG agencies to staff.

• Patio, pergola, and sidewalk material change at 317 Arcadia Park [00:18:40] — approved as submitted with no conditions.

• Opening changes and previously approved plan modifications at 431 Jersey Street [00:22:17] — approved with one abstention, with conditions for final window, stucco, and mechanical system details, and staff recommendation to postpone north wall plan review until September 26th.

• Metal railings at 507 North Broadway [00:33:12] — approved with conditions regarding 42-inch height requirement for front porch railing and anchorage details for roof deck railing.

• Site work and landscaping at 343 South Upper Street [00:44:30] — approved with conditions for permeable pavement in parking area and final grading plan submission.

• Minutes from August 13th Ashland Park Historic District Designation BOAR meeting [00:33:31] — accepted.

Failed Applications:

• Masonry painting at 150 Forest Avenue [00:12:50] — disapproved as submitted.

• Gazebo installation at 372 South Mill Street [00:43:23] — disapproved as submitted.

Postponed Applications:

• Operable metal gate and wood fencing at 432 North Broadway [00:48:11] — postponed with wood fence approved pending final details and gate approval contingent on acceptable infill material; chain link gate disapproved.

Adjournment [00:33:31] — meeting adjourned.

Public Comment

Four speakers addressed the board during the public comment period.

Bill Tolliver 1:37:49 spoke regarding painting masonry at 150 Forest Avenue. He presented a detailed case for using a lime-based coating to preserve the historic masonry, characterizing the work as a conservation effort. He argued that alternative approaches involving cleaning and repointing would be too costly and damaging to the structure.

Bobby Friesberg 2:22:36 expressed frustration about a gazebo proposal at 372 South Mill Street that had been denied. He criticized the board for not allowing flexibility, despite the gazebo being a temporary structure. Friesberg argued that the guidelines were being applied too rigidly and stated that the board was not listening to applicants.

Lee Thomas 2:40:42 spoke on behalf of the South Hill Neighborhood Association regarding the same property at 372 South Mill Street. Thomas stated that the association supported the renovation and upgrades to the property provided that proper legal channels were followed. He expressed no objection to the gazebo itself.

Richard Rau 3:20:00 addressed landscape design and grading at 343 South Upper Street. He argued that the project was a necessary response to changes in the neighborhood, including new construction that had altered the grade. Rau emphasized the importance of water management and garden design in situ, and stated that the design was not intended to be a permanent, pre-planned project but rather a living one.

Contested Items

Four items generated significant disagreement during the meeting:

Gazebo at 372 South Mill Street

The applicant expressed frustration over the denial of a gazebo proposal, emphasizing that the structure was temporary in nature. The applicant criticized the board for applying guidelines too rigidly and failing to allow flexibility in their decision-making process.

Painting Masonry at 150 Forest Avenue

A dispute arose regarding a proposal to paint masonry at this address. The applicant argued that painting the masonry was necessary as a conservation effort. Staff countered that the guidelines explicitly prohibited painting non-painted masonry, creating a conflict between the applicant's conservation goals and the established regulatory framework.

Operable Metal Gate and Wood Fencing at 432 North Broadway

The applicant and staff disagreed over the use of chain-link fencing for this application. The applicant raised practical concerns about cost and accessibility, arguing these factors justified the proposed material choice. Staff recommended alternative materials instead, indicating they viewed chain-link fencing as inconsistent with applicable standards.

Site Work and Landscaping at 343 South Upper Street

The applicant defended a proposed construction and landscaping project as a necessary response to changes occurring in the neighborhood. Staff raised multiple concerns about the proposal, including visual dominance of the proposed elements, potential damage to tree roots, and the obscuration of building foundations. This represented a fundamental disagreement about the project's compatibility with the surrounding area.

317 Clay Avenue: Rebuild chimney

1:33

Staff approved the request to rebuild the chimney at 317 Clay Avenue, located in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

403 East High Street: Renovate front porch

Staff approved the renovation of the front porch at 403 East High Street in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 1:33

348 East High Street: Replace roof

1:33

Staff approved the replacement of the roof at 348 East High Street, located in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

538 East High Street: Replace concrete stairs and landing

1:33

Staff approved the replacement of concrete stairs and landing at 538 East High Street in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

538 East High Street: Install side yard fence

1:33

Staff approved the installation of a side yard fence at 538 East High Street, located in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

417 East Maxwell Street: Repair windows

Staff approved the repair of windows at 417 East Maxwell Street in the Aylesford Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 1:33

147 Kentucky Avenue: Rebuild/tuckpoint chimneys

Staff approved the rebuilding and tuckpointing of chimneys at 147 Kentucky Avenue, located in the Aylesford Historic District. 1:33

The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

147 Woodland Avenue: Repair/replace decks and fencing

1:33

Staff presented a proposal for the repair and replacement of decks and fencing at 147 Woodland Avenue, located in the Aylesford Historic District.

The item was approved by staff without a hearing. No transcript details regarding specific discussion points, concerns raised, or individual speakers are available for this agenda item.

Outcome: Approved

154 East Bell Court: Re-flashing chimney

2:05

Staff approved the re-flashing of the chimney at 154 East Bell Court, located in the Belcourt Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

611 East Main Street: Install chimney caps and fence; remove dying tree

Staff approved a proposal for work at 611 East Main Street in the Belcourt Historic District 2:05. The approved work includes installation of chimney caps and a fence, as well as removal of a dying tree from the property.

The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: The proposal was approved.

621 Sayre Avenue: Replace sidewalk with stepping stones

2:05

Staff approved the replacement of the sidewalk with stepping stones at 621 Sayre Avenue in the Seven Parks Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

3017 Old Todds Road: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 3017 Old Todds Road in the Cadentown Historic District 2:36. The approval was granted without a hearing.

118 Constitution Street: Replace sidewalks/driveway apron

2:36

Staff approved the replacement of sidewalks and driveway apron at 118 Constitution Street, located in the Constitution Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

609 Elsmere Park: Replace/install fence

2:36

Staff approved the replacement and installation of a fence at 609 Elsmere Park, located in the Ellsmore Park Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

663 Elsmere Park: Repair chimney

Staff approved the repair of the chimney at 663 Elsmere Park in the Ellsmore Park Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

414 Fayette Park: Repoint masonry wall and porch

Staff approved the repointing of the masonry wall and porch at 414 Fayette Park in the Fayette Park Historic District 2:36. The approval was granted without a hearing.

353 North Limestone: Replace deteriorated window

2:36

Staff approved the replacement of a deteriorated window at 353 North Limestone in the Mulberry Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

218 North Broadway: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 218 North Broadway in the North Side Historic District 2:36. The approval was granted without a hearing.

506 North Broadway: Install fence

2:36

Staff approved the installation of a fence at 506 North Broadway in the North Side Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

119 Barberry Lane: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 119 Barberry Lane located in the 7 Parks Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

426 South Broadway: Replace door

Staff approved the replacement of a door at 426 South Broadway in the South Hill Historic District 2:36. The approval was granted without a hearing.

120 West High Street: Rebuild stone walls

Staff approved the rebuilding of stone walls at 120 West High Street in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

200 West High Street: Remove tree

Staff approved the removal of a tree at 200 West High Street in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

324 South Mill Street: Install fence and landscaping

2:36

Staff approved the installation of a fence and landscaping at 324 South Mill Street in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

381 South Mill Street: Remove deteriorated trees

2:36

Staff approved the removal of deteriorated trees at 381 South Mill Street, located in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

323 South Upper Street: Remove tree

2:36

Staff approved the removal of a tree at 323 South Upper Street in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

327 South Upper Street: Remove tree

2:36

Staff approved the removal of a tree at 327 South Upper Street in the South Hill Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

621 West Main Street: Replace door

Staff approved the replacement of a door at 621 West Main Street in the Western Suburbs Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

616 West Short Street: Repave rear parking area; relay brick patio

2:36

Staff approved the repaving of the rear parking area and relaying of the brick patio at 616 West Short Street in the Western Suburbs Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

852 West High Street: Replace fence

2:36

Staff approved the replacement of a fence at 852 West High Street in the Woodward Heights Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

331 Madison Place: Install side yard

2:36

Staff approved the installation of a side yard at 331 Madison Place, located in the Woodward Heights Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

341 Madison Place: Replace roof

2:36

Staff approved the replacement of the roof at 341 Madison Place, located in the Woodward Heights Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing.

Outcome: Approved

341 Madison Place: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 341 Madison Place in the Woodward Heights Historic District 2:36. The approval was granted without a hearing.

The item was approved as a staff decision.

320 Merino Street: Repair/replace roof

Staff presented a proposal for the repair and replacement of the roof at 320 Merino Street, located in the Woodward Heights Historic District. 2:36

The item was approved by staff without a hearing. No concerns or debate were documented during the discussion of this agenda item.

Outcome: The repair and replacement of the roof at 320 Merino Street was approved.

352 Merino Street: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 352 Merino Street in the Woodward Heights Historic District. The approval was granted without a hearing. 2:36

203 Dantzler Court: Change window design

An application to change the window design at 203 Dantzler Court in the Seven Parks Historic District was presented for consideration. 4:11

The application was approved with a condition requiring that the existing brick mold be retained at the opening. This condition ensures that certain historic architectural elements of the property are preserved as part of the window design modification.

317 Clay Avenue: Change door and window openings; reface foundation wall

5:51

The application to change door and window openings and reface the foundation wall at 317 Clay Avenue in the Aylesford Historic District was approved.

The approval included several conditions for the applicant to fulfill:

• Submission of veneering stone samples
• Submission of revised drawings

The applicant will need to provide these materials to satisfy the requirements before proceeding with the work.

146 East 3rd Street: Install paved parking area

8:25

An application to install a paved parking area at 146 East 3rd Street in the Constitution Historic District was presented for consideration. The application was approved as submitted.

341 Madison Place: Restore elevations; install walkway

An application to restore elevations and install a walkway at 341 Madison Place in the Woodward Heights Historic District was presented for consideration 10:05.

The application was approved with conditions. As part of the approval, final details for windows and stucco must be submitted to staff for review before proceeding with the work.

160/162 Woodland Avenue: Replace stairs; construct deck

13:49

An application to replace stairs and construct a deck at 160/162 Woodland Avenue in the Aylesford Historic District was presented for consideration.

The application was approved with conditions. The approval requires:

• Painting of exposed wood
• Submission of final railing details
• Submission of final skirting details

171 Woodland Avenue: Construct addition

An application to construct an addition at 171 Woodland Avenue in the Elspurt Historic District was presented for consideration 15:56.

The application was approved with conditions. The approval requires that exposed wood be painted and that any changes mandated by other agencies be submitted to staff.

317 Arcadia Park: Construct patio and pergola; change sidewalk material

The application to construct a patio and pergola and change sidewalk material at 317 Arcadia Park in the Seven Parks Historic District was presented for consideration 18:03.

The application was approved as submitted with no conditions.

431 Jersey Street: Change openings, and change previously approved plan

19:40

An application to change openings and modify a previously approved plan at 431 Jersey Street in the South Hill Historic District was presented for consideration.

The application was approved with conditions. Final details regarding windows, stucco, and mechanical systems were required to be resolved. Additionally, review of the north wall was postponed to September 26th to allow for further consideration of that specific element.

432 North Broadway: Install operable metal gate and wood fencing

23:21

An application to install an operable metal gate and wood fencing at 432 North Broadway in the Northside Historic District was presented for consideration.

The item was postponed to allow for further discussion and submission of alternative infill materials for the gate. No additional details regarding specific concerns or debate points were documented in the meeting record.

Outcome: Postponed

507 North Broadway: Install metal railing

24:59

An application to install metal railings at 507 North Broadway in the Northside Historic District was presented for consideration.

The application was approved with conditions. The front porch railing approval was made contingent on the applicant proving that the 42-inch height requirement is necessary. The roof deck railing was approved subject to the submission of anchorage details to staff for review.

150 Forest Avenue: Paint masonry

An application to paint the masonry at 150 Forest Avenue in the Forest Avenue Historic District was considered at this meeting. 26:36

Staff recommended disapproval of the application as submitted. The application was denied.

372 South Mill Street: Install gazebo

An application to install a gazebo at 372 South Mill Street in the South Hill Historic District was considered as an ordinance matter 27:40.

Staff recommended disapproval of the application as submitted. The application was denied.

343 South Upper Street: Construct site work and landscaping

28:44

An application to construct site work and landscaping at 343 South Upper Street in the South Upper Street Historic District was presented for consideration.

The application was approved with the following conditions:

• Final grading details must be submitted and approved
• Gate details must be finalized
• Fence details must be finalized
• Berms must be eliminated from the project
• The new gravel parking area must be removed

The project received approval contingent upon these modifications and the submission of additional specifications for the site work elements.

838 West Maxwell Street: Install fence, gate and arbor

The application to install a fence, gate, and arbor at 838 West Maxwell Street was withdrawn by the applicant. 32:29

Review of minutes from August 13th Ashland Park Historic District (H-1) Designation BOAR meeting

33:00

The minutes from the August 13th Ashland Park Historic District (H-1) Designation BOAR meeting were reviewed during this agenda item. The minutes were accepted without any changes or modifications requested by the board.

Outcome: The minutes were approved as presented.