Board of Architectural Review

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Board of Architectural Review met on June 16, 2021, with Mr. Chair presiding. The board considered four Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) applications during the meeting. Three of the four COA applications were approved: for 373 Linden Walk, 453 East Maxwell Street, and 107 South Ashland. One application, for 363 Transylvania Park, was denied. The board took four motions and votes and heard four public comments during the meeting.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 16, 2021:

• Mr. Chair
• Ms. Hill
• Ms. Irwin
• Mr. Dennis
• Ms. Armstrong

No members were absent or late.

Votes and Decisions

Certificate of Appropriateness for 373 Linden Walk 11:19

Motion by Ms. Hill to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 373 Linden Walk with conditions passed by voice vote, 3-0. Voting in favor: Mr. Chair, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Irwin. The approval includes the following conditions: Railing to be either metal and/or wood with metal spindles, and final details of the stair and railing must be submitted to staff approval prior to issuance of COA.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 453 East Maxwell Street 13:46

Motion by Ms. Hill to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for 453 East Maxwell Street with conditions passed by voice vote, 3-0. Voting in favor: Mr. Chair, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Irwin. The approval is subject to standard two conditions.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 363 Transylvania Park 2:31:24

Motion by Ms. Hill, seconded by Ms. Irwin, to deny the Certificate of Appropriateness for 363 Transylvania Park passed by voice vote, 3-0. Voting in favor: Mr. Chair, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Irwin.

Certificate of Appropriateness for 107 South Ashland 3:12:01

Motion by Ms. Hill, seconded by Ms. Irwin, to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for 107 South Ashland with conditions passed by voice vote, 2-0-1. Voting in favor: Ms. Hill and Ms. Irwin. One abstention was recorded. The approval includes the condition that window specifications must be submitted to staff for review prior to issuance of COA.

Public Comment

Four members of the public spoke during the meeting, all addressing concerns related to 363 Transylvania Park.

Kathy Stein 29:59 expressed concern that the area being developed looks like a parking space and is out of character for the neighborhood.

Tim Combs 35:24 agreed with concerns about the area's appearance, noting that it looks like a parking space. He suggested the area should be covered over and converted back to grass.

Jim Thomerson 37:35 argued that the area is designed and constructed like a parking space and is out of character for the neighborhood.

Karen Patrone 40:23 expressed a desire to work with the applicant to finish the project in a way that maintains as much green space as possible.

The primary concern raised across multiple speakers was that the development at 363 Transylvania Park appears to resemble a parking space and does not fit the character of the neighborhood. One commenter proposed converting the area back to grass as a solution, while another speaker indicated willingness to collaborate with the applicant to preserve green space in the final project design.

Contested Items

COA for 363 Transylvania Park

A heated discussion arose during consideration of the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 363 Transylvania Park. The primary disagreement centered on the proposed addition's roof line and volume in relation to the historic structure.

The applicant and staff held differing views on whether the addition's design would overwhelm the existing historic building. This dispute over the visual impact and proportionality of the roof line and overall volume of the proposed addition formed the core of the contentious exchange during the meeting.

COA for 373 Linden Walk

11:19

The board discussed and approved a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 373 Linden Walk. Mr. Chair and Ms. Hill were the key speakers on this agenda item.

The discussion centered on approving the COA with conditions related to specific architectural details for the property. The primary focus of the conditions involved the railing and stair details for the project.

The board voted to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for 373 Linden Walk, subject to the conditions regarding the railing and stair specifications.

COA for 453 East Maxwell Street

The meeting included discussion on approving a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 453 East Maxwell Street 13:46. Mr. Chair and Ms. Hill were the key speakers on this agenda item.

The discussion focused on approving the Certificate of Appropriateness with standard conditions applied to the property. The item was presented as a discussion item and resulted in approval.

No specific concerns or objections were documented in the meeting record. The COA for 453 East Maxwell Street was approved by the body.

COA for 363 Transylvania Park

2:31:24

The board discussed a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application for 363 Transylvania Park. Key participants in the discussion included Mr. Chair, Ms. Hill, and Ms. Irwin.

The primary concerns raised during the discussion centered on architectural elements of the proposed work. Specifically, board members identified issues with the roof line and the overall volume of the proposed addition, which was determined to be overwhelming to the historic structure.

Based on these concerns regarding the compatibility of the proposed design with the existing historic building, the Certificate of Appropriateness for 363 Transylvania Park was denied.

COA for 107 South Ashland

3:12:01

The meeting included discussion on a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for 107 South Ashland. Ms. Hill and Ms. Irwin were the key speakers on this agenda item.

The discussion focused on approving the COA with conditions attached to the approval. Specifically, the applicant was required to submit window specifications to staff for review as a condition of the certificate's approval.

The item was approved.