Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on July 24, 2019. The meeting addressed four agenda items, all involving property reviews at various locations throughout the city.

The board took action on four motions during the session. Two properties received approval: 606 North Broadway and 558 Central Avenue. The remaining two items, 507 North Broadway and 591 West Short Street, were tabled for future consideration. No public comments were recorded during this meeting.

The session focused entirely on architectural review matters for specific properties, with the board making determinations on half of the cases presented while deferring action on the other half.

Attendance

The following members were present at the meeting on July 24, 2019:

• Lauren Fahey
• Michael H. Heitz
• Antongiovanetto
• Kelly Harris

No members were reported as absent or late for this meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included four motions, all of which passed by voice vote 0:00.

Certificate of Appropriateness - 606 North Broadway (02500606-g) The board approved the application for certificate of appropriateness at 606 North Broadway with conditions. The approval requires the applicant to provide gravel retention by the use of a concrete curb or landscape timbers around the perimeter of the parking area.

Certificate of Appropriateness - 558 Central Avenue (03630558-e) The board approved the application for certificate of appropriateness at 558 Central Avenue with conditions. The approval stipulates that any increase in height shall be submitted to staff for review and approval prior to the start of work.

Case Continuation - 507 North Broadway (02500507-m) The board voted to continue the case for 507 North Broadway to August 28. No additional conditions were attached to this continuance.

Case Continuation - 591 West Short Street The board voted to continue the case for 591 West Short Street to August 28, with the condition that a complete plan must be submitted by August 16.

All four motions were decided by voice vote, with no recorded individual vote counts or roll call votes taken. The specific board members who made and seconded each motion were not identified in the available records.

Contested Items

Two applications generated significant discussion and disagreement during the July 24, 2019 meeting.

507 North Broadway Railing Installation

A heated discussion arose over the proposed railing installation at 507 North Broadway. The primary conflict centered on disagreements between the applicant and staff regarding the design and placement of the railings. The applicant challenged the staff's recommendation, leading to extended debate about the appropriate specifications for the project. The nature of the disagreement involved fundamental differences of opinion about how the railings should be designed and where they should be positioned on the property.

591 West Short Street Shed Retention

The application for shed retention at 591 West Short Street became contentious due to procedural issues rather than design disagreements. The applicant encountered difficulties meeting the required submission requirements and deadlines established by the review process. These procedural struggles created complications that prevented the case from moving forward as scheduled. As a result of the applicant's inability to satisfy the necessary documentation and timing requirements, the case was continued to a future meeting date, allowing additional time for proper submission materials to be prepared and submitted.

Both contested items highlight different types of challenges that can arise during the review process - one involving substantive disagreements about design elements, and another stemming from administrative and procedural compliance issues that can delay project consideration.

606 North Broadway

0:00

The board reviewed an application for 606 North Broadway to refresh and expand existing gravel parking facilities. Lauren Fahey served as the key speaker presenting details of the proposal.

The discussion centered on the applicant's request to improve and enlarge the current gravel parking area at the property. Board members examined the specifics of the expansion plans and considered the impact on the surrounding area.

During deliberations, the board established specific conditions that would need to be met for the project to move forward. These conditions were designed to ensure the parking expansion would be implemented appropriately and in compliance with local requirements.

Following discussion of the proposal and the establishment of necessary conditions, the board voted to approve the application for the gravel parking refresh and expansion at 606 North Broadway.

558 Central Avenue

0:00

The board reviewed an application for 558 Central Avenue to install solar panels on the rear roof of the property. Michael H. Heitz served as the key speaker presenting this agenda item.

The discussion focused on the technical and aesthetic aspects of the proposed solar panel installation. The board examined the placement of the panels, which would be positioned on the rear portion of the roof to minimize visual impact from street view.

Following their review of the application materials and discussion of the project details, the board moved to approve the solar panel installation. However, the approval came with specific conditions that must be met during the installation process.

The application was ultimately approved, allowing the property owner to proceed with the solar panel installation on the rear roof section of 558 Central Avenue, subject to the conditions established by the board during their deliberation.

507 North Broadway

0:00

The board discussed agenda item 3 regarding proposed modifications to 507 North Broadway. The discussion centered on plans to install railings on the front porch and extend railing around the rooftop deck of the property.

Antongiovanetto served as the key speaker presenting details about the proposed railing installations. The modifications involved both ground-level safety improvements to the front porch area and additional safety measures for the building's rooftop deck space.

After reviewing the proposal, the board determined that additional time was needed to properly evaluate the project details. Rather than making an immediate decision, the case was continued for further review at a future meeting.

The agenda item was ultimately tabled, allowing board members and staff additional time to examine the proposed railing installations and their compliance with applicable building codes and design standards. No final determination was made regarding approval or denial of the proposed modifications during this meeting.

591 West Short Street

0:00

The board discussed a case regarding 591 West Short Street involving the retention of a shed on the property. Kelly Harris served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The discussion centered on whether to allow the existing shed to remain on the property. However, the case lacked sufficient documentation for the board to make a final determination at this meeting.

Rather than proceeding with an incomplete review, the board decided to continue the case to allow for proper preparation. A deadline was established for the submission of a complete plan that would provide the necessary details for the board to conduct a thorough evaluation of the shed retention request.

The agenda item was ultimately tabled, with the expectation that a comprehensive plan would be submitted by the specified deadline. This would enable the board to reconvene the discussion with all required information available for proper consideration of the 591 West Short Street shed retention matter.