Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review convened on July 10, 2019, at 101 East Vine Street Room 220, with Mr. Chair presiding over the session. The board reviewed five agenda items, all involving properties located within various historic districts throughout the city. During the meeting, the board took five votes and heard no public comments from attendees. All five applications presented to the board were approved, demonstrating unanimous support for the proposed architectural modifications and improvements across multiple historic neighborhoods including Woodward Heights, Aylesford, Western Suburbs, Northside, and South Ashland/Central Avenue Historic Districts.

Attendance

Present: - Felicia Snyder - Matthew Wills - Ralph Whitley

Absent: - Applicant for 334 East High Street

Late: - None

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included five voice votes on applications, all of which passed unanimously with one member voting.

Application 13020338-e for 338 Merino Street was approved with standard conditions 0:00. Mr. Chair made the motion, and the application passed by voice vote with 1 aye and 0 nays. The approval included the standard two conditions.

Application 09290334-f for 334 East High Street was approved with standard conditions 0:00. Mr. Chairman made the motion, and the application passed by voice vote with 1 aye and 0 nays. The approval included the standard two conditions.

Application 17170579-a for 579 West Short Street was approved with standard conditions 0:00. The application passed by voice vote with 1 aye and 0 nays, with Mr. Chair voting in favor. The approval included the standard two conditions.

Application 16840472-k for 472 West Second Street was approved with standard conditions 0:00. The application passed by voice vote with 1 aye and 0 nays, with Mr. Chair voting in favor. The approval included the standard two conditions.

Application 00710107-I for 107 South Ashland Avenue was approved with additional conditions 0:00. The application passed by voice vote with 1 aye and 0 nays, with Mr. Chair voting in favor. This approval included eight conditions total, comprising the standard two conditions plus additional design corrections.

All five applications were approved unanimously with no opposition or abstentions recorded. The voting pattern suggests a single-member decision-making process, with either Mr. Chair or Mr. Chairman serving as the sole voting member present for these applications.

338 Merino Street (Woodward Heights Historic District)

0:00

The commission reviewed an application for 338 Merino Street, located within the Woodward Heights Historic District, regarding a request to refresh a gravel driveway. This item was designated as Ordinance 1 on the meeting agenda.

The applicant was not present at the meeting, but the commission had received and reviewed the staff report for the project. Mr. Chair addressed the application during the proceedings.

The request involved refreshing an existing gravel driveway at the property, which required review due to the property's location within the historic district. No specific details about the scope of work, materials, or timeline were discussed during the recorded portion of the meeting.

The commission approved the application without recorded debate or concerns raised during the session. The approval allows the property owner to proceed with refreshing the gravel driveway as outlined in their application materials.

334 East High Street (Aylesford Historic District)

0:00

The commission reviewed an application for 334 East High Street in the Aylesford Historic District to construct a front yard fence. This item was designated as agenda item 2 and classified as an ordinance matter.

The applicant was not present at the meeting but had been notified by phone regarding the proceedings. Mr. Chairman led the discussion of this application.

No specific details were provided in the available materials regarding the fence design, materials, height, or other specifications of the proposed construction. The transcript does not indicate any debate or concerns raised by commission members about the application.

The application was approved by the commission.

579 West Short Street (Western Suburbs Historic District)

0:00

The commission reviewed an application for demolition of a sunroom addition at 579 West Short Street, located within the Western Suburbs Historic District. This item was presented as Agenda Item 3 and classified as an ordinance matter.

Felicia Snyder served as the key speaker for this application. The proposal involved demolishing an existing sunroom addition to the property. Staff had reviewed the application and developed specific conditions for approval.

During the presentation, the applicant indicated agreement with all conditions recommended by staff for the demolition project. No significant concerns or objections were raised during the discussion of this application.

The commission approved the demolition application for the sunroom addition at 579 West Short Street, with the applicant accepting the staff-recommended conditions as part of the approval.

472 West Second Street (Northside Historic District)

0:00

The commission reviewed an application for 472 West Second Street in the Northside Historic District to construct a front yard fence and install a backyard shed. This item was presented as Ordinance 4 on the agenda.

Matthew Wills served as the key speaker for this agenda item, likely representing either the applicant or staff presenting the proposal to the commission.

The application involved two main components: the construction of a front yard fence and the installation of a shed in the backyard of the property. As part of the review process, staff had developed conditions for approval of the project.

According to the meeting summary, the applicant was present during the discussion and expressed agreement with the conditions that staff had recommended for the project. This cooperation between the applicant and staff appeared to facilitate a smooth review process.

The commission ultimately approved the application for 472 West Second Street. The approval allows the property owner to proceed with both the front yard fence construction and backyard shed installation, subject to the staff conditions that were agreed upon during the meeting.

This approval represents a routine historic district review where the proposed improvements were found to be compatible with the historic character of the Northside Historic District, and the collaborative approach between the applicant and staff helped ensure the project met the necessary preservation standards.

107 South Ashland Avenue (South Ashland/Central Avenue Historic District)

0:00

The commission reviewed an application for 107 South Ashland Avenue, located within the South Ashland/Central Avenue Historic District. The proposal involved remodeling and expanding an existing addition, constructing a new garage, and building a brick site wall.

Ralph Whitley served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item. The applicant was present at the meeting and indicated agreement with the conditions recommended by staff.

The application represented a comprehensive renovation project that would modify the existing structure while adding new elements to the property. The proposed work included both building modifications and site improvements, with the brick site wall being a notable feature of the overall development plan.

Staff had prepared conditions for approval of the project, which the applicant accepted without objection. The willingness of the applicant to comply with staff recommendations appeared to facilitate the review process.

The commission ultimately approved the application for 107 South Ashland Avenue. The approval allows the applicant to proceed with the remodeling and expansion of the addition, construction of the garage, and installation of the brick site wall, subject to the conditions established by staff.

This approval represents another project within the South Ashland/Central Avenue Historic District, demonstrating ongoing development and renovation activity in this designated historic area. The commission's decision enables the property owner to move forward with their planned improvements while ensuring compliance with historic district requirements.