Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on February 26, 2020, at 101 East Vine Street, Room 220, with the Chair presiding. The board reviewed five agenda items involving proposed modifications to properties within various historic districts throughout the city. During the meeting, the board took five votes on applications ranging from solar panel installations to structural modifications and parking lot improvements. Three applications were approved, including solar panel installation at 194 North Limestone in the Constitution Historic District, chimney removal at 394 Linden Walk in the Aylesford Historic District, and balcony infill work at 356 South Mill Street in the South Hill Historic District. Two applications were deferred for further review: a rear stair construction project at 118 Desha Road in the Ashland Park Historic District and gravel parking lot refresh at 132 East Third Street in the Constitution Historic District. No public comments were recorded during this meeting.

Attendance

The following members were present for the meeting on February 26, 2020:

• Jamie Clark
• Justin Denton
• Tammy Copeland

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

Votes and Decisions

The board considered five applications during the February 26, 2020 meeting, approving three and postponing two.

Case 11660194-2 - The board approved by voice vote an application for 194 North Limestone to install solar panels. The approval included conditions requiring resubmission if the roof height exceeds six inches, and that any changes must be reviewed by other LFUCG divisions and resubmitted to staff or the board prior to starting work.

Case 134150-3561-C - A motion by Mr. Chairman was approved by voice vote for 356 South Mill Street to infill the front balcony and courtyard and change openings. The approval was granted with two standard conditions.

Case 11720394 - The board approved by voice vote an application for 394 Linden Walk to remove a chimney. Mr. Chairman made the motion for approval. The board noted that the property came into the neighborhood without the chimney and determined it was not a substantial architectural feature.

118 Desha Road Application - The board voted by voice vote to postpone an application for 118 Desha Road to construct a rear stair. No case number was provided for this application.

132 East Third Street Application - An application for 132 East Third Street to refresh a gravel parking lot was postponed by voice vote. No case number was provided for this application.

All approved motions passed by voice vote with no recorded individual vote counts. The specific members who made motions and provided seconds were not consistently recorded in the meeting data, with only Mr. Chairman identified as making motions on two occasions. Transcript timestamps were not available for any of the votes in the provided meeting records.

Contested Items

The meeting featured one contested item that resulted in the board overriding staff recommendations.

Removal of chimney at 394 Linden Walk

The primary point of contention involved a proposal to remove a chimney at 394 Linden Walk. Staff had recommended disapproval of the chimney removal request, creating a procedural dispute between staff recommendations and the applicant's proposal.

During board discussion, members examined the historical context surrounding the chimney and evaluated its current physical condition. The deliberation focused on balancing preservation concerns with practical considerations regarding the structure's state.

Despite the staff's recommendation for disapproval, the board ultimately voted to approve the chimney removal after weighing the historical significance against the chimney's condition and other relevant factors discussed during the meeting.

This decision represented a departure from staff guidance, highlighting the board's independent evaluation of the merits of the case based on the evidence and arguments presented during the public hearing process.

194 North Limestone (Constitution Historic District) Install solar panels

The commission reviewed a proposal to install solar panels on the roof of the Lower School building at 194 North Limestone, located within the Constitution Historic District.

Jamie Clark presented the application for the solar panel installation project. The discussion focused on the proposed placement of solar panels on the building's roof and how this modern addition would impact the historic character of the structure and surrounding district.

Following review and discussion of the proposal, the commission determined that the solar panel installation could proceed with certain conditions attached to the approval. The specific conditions were designed to ensure that the installation would be compatible with the historic nature of the building and district while allowing for the renewable energy improvement.

The commission voted to approve the application for installing solar panels at 194 North Limestone, with the understanding that the applicant would need to comply with the specified conditions as part of the approval process.

This decision reflects the commission's approach to balancing historic preservation requirements with modern sustainability initiatives, allowing property owners in historic districts to pursue environmentally beneficial improvements while maintaining the architectural and historical integrity of the area.

394 Linden Walk (Aylesford Historic District) Remove chimney

The board considered a request to remove a chimney at 394 Linden Walk in the Aylesford Historic District. The chimney in question had been previously blown out, creating the need for its removal.

Tammy Copeland served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item. The application involved a property located within the historic district boundaries, requiring board review for any exterior modifications.

Staff had reviewed the proposal and recommended disapproval of the chimney removal request. However, following board discussion, the members reached a different conclusion than the staff recommendation.

Despite the staff's recommendation for disapproval, the board voted to approve the removal of the chimney. The approval allows the property owner to proceed with removing the damaged chimney structure from the historic district property.

The decision represents one of the cases where the board exercised its discretion to override staff recommendations, ultimately determining that the chimney removal was appropriate for this particular property and circumstances within the Aylesford Historic District.

356 South Mill Street (South Hill Historic District): Infill open balcony and co

The Historic Preservation Commission reviewed an application for modifications to 356 South Mill Street, located within the South Hill Historic District. The proposed work involved infilling an existing open balcony and courtyard area, as well as making changes to building openings.

Justin Denton served as a key speaker during the discussion of this agenda item. The application addressed alterations to the historic property that required commission review due to its location within the designated historic district.

The proposed modifications included: • Infilling the front balcony structure • Infilling courtyard space • Changes to existing building openings

The commission evaluated the proposal against historic preservation standards and guidelines applicable to properties within the South Hill Historic District. The discussion focused on how the proposed changes would impact the historic character and integrity of the building and its compatibility with the surrounding historic district.

Following their review and discussion, the Historic Preservation Commission approved the application. The approval came with standard conditions typically applied to historic district projects, which likely included requirements for materials, construction methods, and compliance with preservation guidelines.

The approval allows the property owner to proceed with the infill work on the balcony and courtyard areas, as well as the proposed changes to building openings, subject to meeting the specified conditions and obtaining any additional required permits.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this agenda item.*

118 Desha Road (Ashland Park Historic District) Construct rear stair

The application for constructing a rear stair at 118 Desha Road in the Ashland Park Historic District was briefly addressed during the meeting. This property is located within the historic district boundaries, requiring review for any exterior modifications.

The agenda item was postponed without substantive discussion. The application was deferred until the March 11, 2020 meeting to allow for additional review time or to accommodate scheduling conflicts.

No specific details about the proposed rear stair construction were presented during this meeting, and no speakers addressed the item. The deferral suggests that either the applicant requested additional time to prepare materials, the review board needed more information to properly evaluate the proposal, or there were procedural reasons requiring the postponement.

Outcome: The application was postponed until March 11, 2020.

132 East Third Street (Constitution Historic District): Refresh gravel parking lot

The application to refresh the gravel parking lot at 132 East Third Street in the Constitution Historic District was scheduled for review but was not discussed during the February 26, 2020 meeting.

The agenda item was postponed until the March 11, 2020 meeting without any presentation or debate taking place. No speakers addressed this item, and no concerns or comments were raised regarding the proposed gravel parking lot refresh project.

The outcome was a deferral to allow for consideration at the next scheduled meeting.