Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review convened on March 12, 2008, in the afternoon at 101 East Vine Street, Room 220, with Clyde Carpenter presiding as the meeting officer. The board reviewed five agenda items involving various architectural and construction proposals throughout the city, ranging from porch renovations to structural demolitions. During the session, the board conducted five motions and votes on the presented applications and heard two public comments from community members. The board approved four of the five applications, including porch construction and renovation projects at 409 East High Street and 336 Hampton Court, signage installation at 262 North Limestone, and garage construction at 229 Barbary Lane, while denying the demolition request for the structure at 432 North Broadway.

Attendance

The following Board members were present at the March 12, 2008 meeting:

• Clyde Carpenter
• Terry Hanley
• Derek Wingfield
• Jim Dickinson

All Board members were in attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The Board conducted five votes during the March 12, 2008 meeting, all by voice vote with unanimous approval from the four members present: Clyde Carpenter, Terry Hanley, Derek Wingfield, and Jim Dickinson.

Certificate of Appropriateness Approvals:

• 409 East High Street 15:00 - The Board unanimously approved the COA application with a 4-0 vote. The motion was made by the Chair with no conditions attached.

• 336 Hampton Court 20:00 - The Board approved the COA with conditions specified in the staff report by a 4-0 vote. The motion was made by the Chairman and seconded by another member.

• 262 North Limestone 25:00 - The Board unanimously approved the COA application with a 4-0 vote. The motion was made by the Chair with no conditions.

• 229 Barbary Lane 30:00 - The Board approved the COA by a 4-0 vote, subject to three conditions listed in the staff report. The motion was made by the Chair.

Certificate of Appropriateness Denial:

• 346 Aylesford Place 2:45:00 - The Board unanimously voted 4-0 to disapprove the COA application. However, the denial came with specific remedial conditions requiring the gravel to be removed and the area to be resodded within 90 days. The motion was made by the Chairman.

All votes were conducted as voice votes rather than formal roll call votes. No members voted against any of the motions, and there were no abstentions recorded for any of the five decisions made during the meeting.

Public Comment

Two residents addressed the Board during the public comment period at the March 12, 2008 meeting.

Debra Hensley spoke regarding gravel installation at 346 Aylesford Place 2:40:00. Hensley expressed concern about what she characterized as illegal gravel installation at the property. She highlighted the potential negative impacts on green space and stormwater runoff management in the area.

Nathan Billings addressed the Board about the proposed demolition of 432 North Broadway 3:30:00. Billings argued in favor of approving the demolition request, citing economic infeasibility of maintaining the structure and existing structural issues with the building.

Both speakers presented their concerns directly to the Board members, with topics ranging from property maintenance and environmental impacts to building demolition and economic considerations affecting neighborhood properties.

Contested Items

Two applications faced significant community opposition during the March 12, 2008 Board meeting.

Demolition of 432 North Broadway

The Board considered an application for the demolition of the property at 432 North Broadway, which encountered strong community resistance. Opponents raised concerns about insufficient documentation supporting the demolition request and the potential negative impact the removal of the structure would have on the surrounding historic district. The community argued that the demolition would compromise the historical integrity and character of the neighborhood.

Gravel Installation at 346 Aylesford Place

A proposal for gravel installation at 346 Aylesford Place generated considerable opposition from community members. The primary concerns centered on the environmental impact of the project, specifically how the gravel installation would affect existing green space in the area and its potential to worsen stormwater runoff issues. Community members argued that replacing natural surfaces with gravel would reduce the area's ability to absorb rainwater and could contribute to flooding problems.

Following the community input and discussion, the Board decided that the gravel installation should be removed, indicating that the opposition's environmental concerns were deemed valid and compelling enough to reverse the installation.

These contested items highlight the Board's consideration of community input on matters affecting neighborhood character and environmental sustainability, with outcomes that reflected the concerns raised by local residents and stakeholders.

409 East High Street, Demolish the Porch and Construct a Porch

15:00

The Board reviewed an application for 409 East High Street to demolish an existing porch and construct a new porch structure. This item was presented as agenda item 1 during the March 12, 2008 meeting.

Clyde Carpenter served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting the proposal to the Board members. The application involved the complete removal of the current porch at the East High Street property and the construction of a replacement porch structure.

Staff had conducted their review of the proposed demolition and construction plans prior to the meeting. Following their analysis, staff provided a recommendation of approval for the project as submitted, indicating that the proposed work met the necessary requirements and standards.

The Board proceeded to consider the staff recommendation and the details of the porch demolition and reconstruction project. No significant concerns or objections were raised during the discussion of this agenda item.

The Board voted to approve the application for 409 East High Street, accepting the staff recommendation to permit the demolition of the existing porch and construction of the new porch as proposed. This approval allows the property owner to proceed with the planned porch replacement project according to the submitted plans and specifications.

336 Hampton Court, Renovate the Porch and Replace the Sidewalk

20:00

The Board considered a resolution for renovations at 336 Hampton Court involving porch renovation and sidewalk replacement. This item was designated as agenda item 2.

Clyde Carpenter served as the key speaker presenting the application to the Board. The proposed work included renovating the existing porch structure and replacing the sidewalk at the property.

Staff had reviewed the application and recommended approval, though their recommendation included specific conditions that would need to be met as part of the project approval.

The Board ultimately approved the resolution for the porch renovation and sidewalk replacement project at 336 Hampton Court.

262 North Limestone, Install Signage

25:00

The Board reviewed agenda item 3, an application to install signage at 262 North Limestone.

Clyde Carpenter presented the application to the Board. Staff had reviewed the proposed signage installation and recommended approval as submitted.

The Board approved the signage installation application for 262 North Limestone as presented.

229 Barbary Lane, Demolish and Construct a Garage

30:00

The Board reviewed agenda item 4, an application to demolish an existing structure and construct a new garage at 229 Barbary Lane. Staff presented their analysis and recommended approval of the project with conditions.

Clyde Carpenter served as the key speaker for this agenda item, presenting details about the proposed demolition and construction project. The application involved removing the current structure on the property and replacing it with a new garage facility.

Staff had conducted their review of the proposal and determined that the project met the necessary requirements for approval. Their recommendation included specific conditions that would need to be satisfied as part of the approval process, though the specific details of these conditions were not elaborated upon in the available materials.

The Board proceeded to consider the staff recommendation and the details presented regarding the 229 Barbary Lane project. Following their review and discussion of the application, the Board voted to approve the demolition and garage construction project with the conditions recommended by staff.

The approval allows the property owner to move forward with demolishing the existing structure and constructing the new garage at 229 Barbary Lane, subject to meeting the specified conditions outlined in the staff recommendation.

432 North Broadway, Demolish the Structure

3:30:00

The Board considered agenda item 12, an application to demolish the structure located at 432 North Broadway. Nathan Billings presented the case during the meeting.

Staff recommended disapproval of the demolition application, citing two primary concerns:

• Insufficient documentation - The application lacked adequate supporting materials to justify the proposed demolition
• Economic feasibility - Questions remained about whether demolition was economically necessary or if alternative preservation options were viable

The Board ultimately denied the demolition application, following the staff's recommendation for disapproval. The decision appears to have been based on the applicant's failure to provide sufficient justification for why the structure could not be preserved or rehabilitated rather than demolished.

This case demonstrates the Board's emphasis on requiring thorough documentation and economic analysis before approving demolition requests for structures within their jurisdiction. The denial suggests the Board prioritizes preservation when applicants cannot adequately demonstrate that demolition is the only feasible option.