Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on October 11, 2017, at 101 East Vine Street, Room 220. The meeting addressed three main agenda items, including the review of minutes from the previous meeting held on September 27, 2017, the election of officers, and consideration of Certificate of Appropriateness applications. All three agenda items were approved by the board during the session.

The board conducted five votes throughout the meeting and heard one public comment. The meeting accomplished key administrative tasks with the approval of previous meeting minutes and the election of new officers, while also addressing substantive matters related to architectural review through the consideration of Certificate of Appropriateness applications.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on October 11, 2017:

• William Sutherland
• Jimmy McKinney
• Mr. Rhinehold
• Matthew White
• Jim Turpin

No members were reported as absent or late for this meeting. All five members were in attendance.

Votes and Decisions

The board considered five motions during the October 11, 2017 meeting, all decided by voice vote.

417 Fayette Park Certificate of Appropriateness 15:00 The board approved the application for a certificate of appropriateness for 417 Fayette Park. The approval included the condition that if any changes are made that alter the information submitted, the applicant must submit the changes to staff for review and approval before the start of the affected work. The motion passed by voice vote.

316 Desha Road Certificate of Appropriateness 30:00 The application for a certificate of appropriateness for 316 Desha Road was approved by voice vote. The approval was contingent upon the deck skirt details being a continuation of existing detail.

227 South Ashland Avenue Certificate of Appropriateness 45:00 The board approved the certificate of appropriateness application for 227 South Ashland Avenue by voice vote. The approval required moving the fireplace to the southwest corner of the deck and reducing the height of the chimney.

403 North Limestone Certificate of Appropriateness 1:15:00 The application for 403 North Limestone was approved despite one dissenting vote. The board acknowledged this as an exceptional approval due to the planning commission's prior decision. The motion passed by voice vote with one member voting against.

662 Caden Lane Case Continuance 2:00:00 The board voted to continue the case for 662 Caden Lane to October 25. The motion to continue passed by voice vote with no conditions attached.

All motions were decided by voice vote rather than roll call, so individual member votes were not recorded for most items except where noted.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one resident addressed the board regarding a proposed development project.

Lin Gates spoke at 40:00 to express concerns about the proposed development at 227 South Ashland Avenue. Gates raised specific issues regarding how the planned chimney and roof addition would impact neighboring properties, particularly citing concerns about:

• View obstruction from the proposed additions
• Privacy impacts on adjacent residents

The speaker's comments focused on the potential negative effects the structural modifications could have on the surrounding neighborhood's character and residents' quality of life.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one significant contested item that highlighted tensions between different city boards regarding historic preservation standards.

Approval of Vinyl Windows at 403 North Limestone 1:15:00

The primary point of contention involved a procedural dispute over the installation of vinyl windows at 403 North Limestone. The board expressed frustration with a previous decision made by the planning commission that had allowed vinyl windows at this property, which directly contradicted the board's established guidelines for historic preservation.

The disagreement centered on jurisdictional authority and adherence to preservation standards. The board members were concerned that the planning commission's approval of vinyl windows undermined their guidelines, which presumably called for more historically appropriate window materials. This type of dispute reflects common tensions in municipal governance where different boards or commissions may have overlapping authority or conflicting priorities regarding development and preservation standards.

The nature of the dispute was primarily procedural, focusing on which body had the appropriate authority to make decisions about window materials and whether proper guidelines were being followed. The board's frustration suggests they viewed the planning commission's decision as overstepping boundaries or failing to properly consider historic preservation requirements.

The outcome of this contested item was not clearly specified in the available information, though the board's documented frustration indicates this remained an unresolved tension between the two municipal bodies regarding their respective roles in overseeing historic property modifications.

Review minutes from September 27, 2017

The board reviewed the minutes from their previous meeting held on September 27, 2017. This agenda item was handled as a routine administrative matter during the October 11, 2017 meeting.

The minutes from the September 27, 2017 meeting were presented to the board for their review and consideration. No specific speakers were identified for this agenda item, suggesting it was handled through standard procedural discussion among board members.

The board completed their review of the September 27, 2017 minutes and approved them without any noted objections or required amendments. This approval formally ratifies the record of proceedings from the previous meeting and ensures the official documentation is complete and accurate.

The approval of these minutes represents standard governance practice, allowing the board to maintain proper records of their deliberations and decisions from the September meeting before proceeding with new business items on the October agenda.

Election of Officers

The board conducted elections for officers during this meeting. The agenda item was approved, indicating that the necessary officer positions were filled through the election process.

Due to limited information available in the meeting records, specific details about the positions elected, candidates considered, or the voting process are not documented. The outcome shows that the board successfully completed the officer election process as required.

*Note: Detailed discussion points, speaker names, and specific positions elected were not available in the provided meeting documentation.*

Certificate of Appropriateness Applications

15:00 The board reviewed multiple Certificate of Appropriateness applications during this agenda item, with three specific properties receiving attention.

The applications under consideration included: • 417 Fayette Park • 316 Desha Road • 227 South Ashland Avenue

Key speakers during the discussion included William Sutherland, Jimmy McKinney, and Mr. Rhinehold, who presented details and participated in the review process for these applications.

The board conducted their standard review process for each Certificate of Appropriateness request, examining the proposed work or modifications against the applicable historic preservation guidelines and standards for each property's district or designation.

Following their deliberations on the various applications presented, the board approved the Certificate of Appropriateness applications that were under consideration during this meeting.