Courthouse Area Design Review Board

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Courthouse Area Design Review Board met on June 20, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the LFUCG Center, with Mayor Jim Gray presiding. The board addressed six agenda items during the meeting, including approval of previous meeting minutes, consideration of two design cases, and updates to design guidelines. The board took four votes and heard one public comment. All items brought to a vote were approved, including the November 15, 2017 minutes, Case No. 1-2018 regarding 115 Cheapside, Case No. 2-2018 regarding 131-133 N. Limestone, and approval of Design Guideline updates on removing Chapter 6: Signs.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting:

• Jim Gray
• Jim Duncan
• Betty
• Marty
• Scott Guyon

No attendees were recorded as absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Case No. 1-2018, 115 Cheapside – Storefront Renovation and Outdoor Furnishing Updates 56:24

Motion by Marty. The motion to approve Case No. 1-2018 for storefront renovation and outdoor furnishing updates at 115 Cheapside passed by voice vote. All five members voted in favor: Jim Gray, Jim Duncan, Betty, Marty, and Scott Guyon. No votes were cast against the motion.

The approval includes the following conditions: - Review officers shall be present during demolition to verify and document the existing condition underneath the covered awning and recommend items to remain based on design guidelines if historic character-defining features are discovered. - Final design of the elevation with and without awning shall be reviewed and approved by the design review officer prior to construction. - The new awning mounting location shall be finalized with the design review officer after existing conditions are confirmed. - If an awning is desired, the applicant will work with staff on location, color, and final material. - Per historic preservation recommendations, if no historic value is discovered above or behind the current canopy, the applicant will revise the elevation to align with the existing door transom. - The applicant will work with staff to design a solution for the transition of the current ledge to a step, including consideration of a click-in handrail or warning strip.

Case No. 2-2018, 131-133 N. Limestone – Storefront Update and Retractable Awning Installation 1:09:47

Motion by Jim Gray. The motion to approve Case No. 2-2018 for storefront update and retractable awning installation at 131-133 N. Limestone passed by voice vote with all five members in favor and no votes against.

The approval includes one condition: If the applicant decides to move forward with site furnishing, a site planning scale shall be submitted for staff review.

Design Guideline Updates 1:10:50

Motion by Jim Gray. The motion to approve design guideline updates to remove Chapter 6: Signs and add a note on the Table of Contents passed by voice vote with all five members in favor and no votes against.

Adjournment 1:13:02

Motion by Jim Gray. The motion to adjourn the meeting passed by voice vote with all five members in favor.

Public Comment

Jim Duncan addressed the board during the public comment period 1:11:22. He thanked the board members for attending the special meeting and spoke about the staff's preparation of the report on a compressed timeline. Duncan emphasized that while the staff was able to prepare the report at the last minute due to exceptional circumstances, this level of expedited preparation should not be expected as a standard practice going forward.

Contested Items

Conditions on Case No. 1-2018

The board discussed and voted on multiple conditions related to Case No. 1-2018, which involved detailed design specifications. The contested matters centered on three primary areas: awning removal, alignment of horizontal lines, and step transition.

The discussion reflected differing perspectives on how to balance historic preservation requirements with design flexibility for the project. Board members engaged in a collaborative process to develop conditions that would address preservation concerns while allowing reasonable design modifications.

The board ultimately added multiple conditions to the case through a split vote, indicating that not all members were in complete agreement on the final set of requirements. The conditions addressed:

• Awning removal specifications
• Alignment of horizontal lines
• Step transition details

The outcome resulted in a set of conditions that the board determined would appropriately govern the project, though the split nature of the vote demonstrates that some board members held reservations about certain aspects of the final conditions imposed.

Approval of the November 15, 2017 minutes

5:56

The minutes from the November 15, 2017 meeting were presented for approval. Jim Gray presented the minutes to the body.

The minutes were approved by voice vote without opposition.

Postponements and Withdrawals

During this agenda item, Jim Gray reported that there were no postponements or withdrawals to discuss 6:29. The item was presented as informational, with no further discussion or action required.

Case No. 1-2018, 115 Cheapside

7:09

An application to renovate the storefront at 115 Cheapside was presented for consideration. The proposed work includes renovating the storefront, replacing the existing awning with a retractable cloth awning, and updating outdoor furnishings.

The building is a rare federal-style commercial building dating to approximately 1810.

Staff recommended approval of the application subject to six conditions:

• Verifying the condition of the structure under the awning
• Aligning horizontal lines with adjacent buildings
• Resolving the step transition

Key speakers during the discussion included Jim Duncan, Sean Ebbitt, Betty, and Marty.

The application was approved.

Case No. 2-2018, 131-133 N. Limestone

59:17

An application to update the storefront and install a retractable awning at 131-133 N. Limestone was presented for consideration. The building is historically significant, and the applicant proposed a contemporary design approach intended to preserve the structure's key character-defining features.

Jim Duncan and Scott Guyon presented the application to the board. Staff recommended approval of the project with one condition regarding site furnishings.

The application was approved.

Approval of Design Guideline updates on removing Chapter 6: Signs

1:10:19

Jim Gray presented the approval of design guideline updates to remove Chapter 6 on signs from the guidelines. The presentation noted that signs are no longer reviewed by the CADRB, a practice that has been in place since January 2012. To reflect this change, a note was added to the Table of Contents indicating the removal of the signs chapter.

The board approved the design guideline updates as presented.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned following a final motion to adjourn presented by Jim Gray. The motion passed without opposition 1:13:02.