Board of Architectural Review Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on February 25, 2015. During the meeting, the board considered 16 agenda items, took 9 motions and votes, and heard 3 public comments. The agenda included a mix of property improvement requests across various addresses in the community, ranging from tree removal and structural renovations to fence installation, signage, and additions. Of the items considered, 11 were approved, 2 were postponed, 2 were withdrawn, and the February 11, 2015 meeting minutes were approved. The postponed items included a pool installation request at 341 Madison Place and a red rock pebbles driveway project at 145 West Bell Court. The withdrawn items were a storage shed and opening modification project at 733 West Main Street and a demolition and site work project at 232 South Hanover Avenue.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on February 25, 2015:

• Alistair
• Amelia
• Graham
• Keith Bloomfield
• Robin Mickler
• Tom
• Rini

No attendees were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on by voice vote:

Certificate of Appropriateness for 446 East High Street — Approved to install signage 12:24

Certificate of Appropriateness for 145 West Bell Court — Postponed regarding installation of red rock pebbles in driveway 14:41

Certificate of Appropriateness for 436 West Third Street — Approved to construct garage with the following conditions 22:10: - Parking driveway to be tightened by mutual review between applicant and staff; if no consensus is reached, the matter will return to the board - Final paving details and grass details to be reviewed by the Board of Adjustments and returned to staff - Face of new garage must be flush with existing garage

Certificate of Appropriateness for 319 Clay Avenue — Postponed regarding installation of dormer and demolition of chimney 24:24

Certificate of Appropriateness for 328 Merino Street — Approved to construct new front yard fencing, addition, pergola, patio, and install door openings with the following conditions 27:03: - New windows in addition to be one over one instead of two over two - All changes to come back to staff for review and approval prior to start of work - Overhang of new addition to be extended adequately to protect wall below

Certificate of Appropriateness for 341 Madison Place — Continued to March 11, 2015 for more detailed drawings regarding pool installation 43:05. Applicant must submit more detailed drawings of dimensions of walled area and pool size, information on relationship of house to affected property, and details of beds and other elements in plan.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 319 Clay Avenue — Approved to install dormer with conditions and disapproved chimney demolition 1:06:12: - Roof line of dormer pulled a minimum of six inches off existing ridge line - Chimney demolition disapproved - Final details of dormer to come back to staff for review prior to issuance of Certificate of Appropriateness

February 11, 2015 Meeting Minutes — Approved 1:08:33

Meeting Adjournment — Approved 1:09:19

Public Comment

Amelia provided public comment on two separate properties during the meeting.

Pool Location and Design at 341 Madison Place 30:24

Amelia expressed concern about the proposed pool at 341 Madison Place, noting the lack of a detailed site plan. She stated that the scale of the proposed pool appears too large for the space and requested more accurate drawings and information clarifying the relationship between the house and the pool area.

Archaeological Requirements at 341 Madison Place 32:38

Amelia requested clarification regarding archaeological requirements for the pool project. She emphasized that archaeology must be conducted with an archaeologist on site during excavation to ensure proper review of findings.

Dormer Design at 319 Clay Avenue 55:32

Amelia raised concerns about the dormer design at 319 Clay Avenue, stating that the dormer is positioned only three inches off the ridge line. She indicated this distance is insufficient per guidelines and recommended a minimum of six inches to maintain architectural integrity.

Contested Items

Pool at 341 Madison Place

The board engaged in a heated discussion regarding a proposed pool at this address. The primary concerns centered on the size and design of the pool structure itself. Board members also noted the absence of detailed plans necessary for proper evaluation. Additionally, the board determined that an archaeological review would be required before proceeding. Due to these outstanding issues and the need for more comprehensive information, the board voted to postpone the case.

Dormer at 319 Clay Avenue

The board was divided in its assessment of a proposed dormer at this location. The central point of contention was whether the dormer's setback from the ridge line met acceptable standards. Some board members insisted on a minimum setback of six inches from the ridge line, while the applicant presented arguments against this requirement. The disagreement resulted in a split vote among board members, indicating they could not reach consensus on the proposal as presented.

291 South Ashland: Remove dying tree

9:34

Staff approved the removal of a dying tree at 291 South Ashland. The removal was approved without requiring a board hearing.

336 Lafayette Avenue: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 336 Lafayette Avenue without requiring a board hearing. 9:34

The approval was granted as a staff decision, meaning the matter did not proceed to a full board hearing for additional review or public comment.

219 Bell Place: Install fencing/gates and replace back steps

9:34

Staff approved the installation of fencing and gates and replacement of back steps at 219 Bell Place without requiring a board hearing.

216 North Limestone: Re-issue COA; install handrail, replace sign

9:34

Staff approved the re-issue of the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 216 North Limestone. The approval included authorization to install a handrail and replace a sign at the property. The board approved this item without requiring a full board hearing.

Outcome: Approved

632 West Main Street: Remove deteriorated tree

9:34

Staff approved the removal of a deteriorated tree located at 632 West Main Street. The approval was granted without requiring a board hearing.

731 West Main Street: Replace storage shed

9:34

Staff approved the replacement of a storage shed at 731 West Main Street. The project proceeded without requiring a board hearing.

328 Merino Street: Renovate structure

Staff approved the renovation of the structure at 328 Merino Street without requiring a board hearing. 9:34

The approval was granted as a staff decision, meaning the matter did not proceed to a full board hearing for additional review or public comment.

446 East High Street: Install signage

11:16

The board considered a certificate of appropriateness application to install signage at 446 East High Street. Robin Mickler presented the request to the board.

The applicant's proposal was approved based on staff recommendations. No opposition to the application was raised during the discussion.

341 Madison Place: Install pool

13:35

The board considered a certificate of appropriateness application for installing a pool at 341 Madison Place. The applicant was not present at the meeting.

Outcome

The board decided to postpone the case to March 11, 2015. This continuance was granted to allow the applicant to submit more detailed drawings and additional information regarding the pool's size and its relationship to the house.

145 West Bell Court: Install red rock pebbles in driveway

Item Type: Certificate of Appropriateness

Outcome: Postponed to March 11, 2015

The board considered a certificate of appropriateness request for installing red rock pebbles in the driveway at 145 West Bell Court. 14:41

At the request of the chair, the board postponed this case to allow for further review before making a determination. The case will be reconsidered at the March 11, 2015 meeting.

436 West Third Street: Construct garage

15:21

The board reviewed a certificate of appropriateness application for constructing a garage at 436 West Third Street.

Presentation and Concerns

Keith Bloomfield presented the proposal to construct a garage. During the review, the board raised concerns about excessive blacktop associated with the project.

Board Decision

The board approved the application with conditions. The approval required the applicant to:

• Reduce the amount of paving on the property
• Ensure the garage face is flush with the existing structure

The conditional approval allows the project to proceed while addressing the board's concerns about site design and the relationship between the new garage and the existing building.

319 Clay Avenue: Install dormer and demolish chimney

24:24

This agenda item concerned a certificate of appropriateness application for work at 319 Clay Avenue, specifically the installation of a dormer and demolition of a chimney.

Discussion and Disagreement

The applicant disagreed with staff recommendations regarding the proposed work. Due to this disagreement, the board determined that further discussion was necessary before making a final decision.

Board Action

The board postponed the case to allow for additional discussion and requested more information from the applicant before proceeding.

Final Outcome

Following the postponement and receipt of additional information, the board took the following actions:

• Approved the installation of a dormer with a six-inch setback requirement
• Disapproved the demolition of the chimney

Key Participants

Amelia and Rini were the key speakers during discussion of this item.

328 Merino Street: Construct new front yard fencing, addition, pergola and patio

24:58

The board considered a certificate of appropriateness application for 328 Merino Street to construct new front yard fencing, an addition, pergola, and patio, along with installation of door openings.

Tom presented the proposal to the board. The application was approved with the following conditions:

• Window style requirements must be met
• A review process must be followed
• The overhang for wall protection must be extended

The board's approval was contingent upon the applicant addressing these specified conditions in the final design and construction.

733 West Main Street: Change openings and construct storage shed

29:20

This agenda item concerning a certificate of appropriateness for changes to openings and construction of a storage shed at 733 West Main Street was withdrawn prior to discussion.

232 South Hanover Avenue: Demolish addition and site work

This certificate of appropriateness application concerning demolition of an addition and site work at 232 South Hanover Avenue was withdrawn prior to discussion 29:20.

No presentation or debate took place regarding this agenda item.

Outcome: Withdrawn

February 11, 2015 meeting minutes

The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the February 11, 2015 meeting without objection 1:08:33.