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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-09-08 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes BANGOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Third Floor, Council Chambers, Bangor City Hall Commissioners Present: Elizabeth Rettenmaier, Chairman George Burgoyne Matt Carter Wayne Mallar Reese Perkins Associate Members present: Al Banfield Tony Manzo Commission Consultant present: Mike Pullen City Staff Present: David G. Gould Paul Nicklas Peter Witham Chair Rettenmaier called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and asked Mr. Banfield and Mr. Manzo to alternate voting because Mr. Burgoyne would be absent briefly from the room. Mr. Burgoyne left the room. PROJECT REVIEW 1. 73 Central Street – House Revivers, contractor for Sandy Boyd Repair, and repaint first floor exterior wood panels and trim Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Great Fire District – Certificate of Appropriateness Bob Kelly of House Revivers presented the project application. Mr. Carter moved approval of the application and Mr. Banfield seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0 with Mr. Banfield voting. 2. 73 Central Street – House Revivers, contractor for Sandy Boyd Repair, and repaint first floor exterior wood panels and trim Chapter 71 Bangor Center Revitalization Area – Design Review Mr. Carter moved approval of the application and Mr. Banfield seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0 with Mr. Banfield voting. Mr. Burgoyne returned to the room. 3. 170 Park Street – Jodi Clayton/One Lupine Fiber Arts Replacement of first floor single pane windows and trim with energy efficient inserts Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Great Fire District – Certificate of Appropriateness Jodi Clayton of One Lupine Fiber Arts presented the project application. Page 1 of 6 Mr. Perkins moved approval of the application and Mr. Burgoyne seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 4. 140-142 Hammond Street – Community Housing of Maine After-the-fact replacement of roof shingles, front (Hammond St.) side of building Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – High Street District – Certificate of Appropriateness Brenda Sylvester, Program Director for Community Housing of Maine (CHOM), indicated she was present to explain their application to the Commission and that the roof contractor, John Karnes of R&K Construction, was also present. She explained that CHOM develops affordable housing projects and that when CHOM acquired the property in 2006 it already had both asphalt and slate roofing. After their recent work she indicated that the Bangor Code Enforcement Office notified her that the work needed review by the Historic Preservation Commission for Certificate of Appropriateness. Commission Consultant Pullen indicated that the record shows that in 1996 the HPC approved resetting the slate on the front of the roof. Mr. Pullen noted that the building at 140-142 Hammond Street is known as the Wadleigh-Richards Double House designed by Charles Bryant in 1830, one of his first known houses in Bangor. Based on an inquiry about permitting of past historic reviews, Mr. Gould noted that the Planning Office has files beginning in 2013 when it began to manage the Historic Commission and a limited files for a few years before that. Other older records would likely be found within the Code Office’s property files. It was stated that both the slate shingles and the substrate below them were removed. Member Burgoyne asked if the applicant had an estimate of the cost of replacing the slate roof. Ms. Sylvester indicated she did not. Member Carter indicated there were reproduction slate shingles which may prove an economic alternative to actual slate shingles. When asked, Mr. Pullen indicated that the slate roof was a distinguishing characteristic of this historic structure. Member Perkins indicated that the Secretary of the Interior’s standards 148-E(2) indicates that removal of original materials is not recommended. Ms. Sylvester indicated the building already had been approved for half of the roof to be replaced with asphalt shingles. There was some record of restoration of the (front) slate roof and approval to replace the rear roof with asphalt shingles. Tenants in the building had noted a hazardous condition where pieces of the slate roof were falling to the Page 2 of 6 ground, and at one point it started leaking. With rear of the building already having an asphalt shingle they undertook the work to fix the front roof. Mr. Karnes indicated that the roof is not visible from the front of the property. The shingles on the roof were in poor condition over cedar shakes and would crumble if weight were put on them. In addition he noted that the color could not be matched to repair sections. Mr. Pullen indicated that the roof was quite visible as indicated in the photographs from across the street that are in the application. Mr. Carter indicated that because there was evidence of earlier cedar shingles on the roof under the slate, they might be another option to propose. Mr. Burgoyne moved approval of the application and Mr. Perkins seconded the motion. The Commissioners did not approve the motion 0-5 and found that the application failed to meet the following standards: §148-13(E)(1)(b), concerning destruction of a distinguishing characteristic of the building; §148-13(E)(l)(c), concerning repairing rather than replacing deteriorated architectural features where possible, and, where not possible, matching the material being replaced; §148-13(E)(l)(d), concerning treating with sensitivity distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship; and §148-13(E)( l)(e), concerning recognizing and respecting changes which may have taken place in the course of time. Mr. Nicklas indicated that Staff would put together a draft Findings of Facts on the denial and asked when Commissioners could reconvene to review and approved them. The consensus was that the next day, September 9, 2016 at 5:00p.m., would be the most convenient time to meet and it would be sufficient time in which to generate a draft. 5. 28 Broad Street – Roy Hubbard To install 3 black aluminum gates across the 3 front alcove entrances of the building Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – West Market Square District – Certificate of Appropriateness Roy Hubbard presented the project application. Mr. Carter moved approval of the application with the conditions that: 1. 36” wide gates with 28” wide fence panels will fill 64” wide alcoves, to 54” height; 2. Gates, panels, and hardware will be black; 3. Gate sections will be directly in front of corresponding doors and swing outward; 4. Gates and panels will be attached to existing 1” x 6” trim pieces directly behind existing columns, and not attached to the ground Page 3 of 6 Mr. Perkins seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 6. 28 Broad Street – Roy Hubbard To install 3 black aluminum gates across the 3 front alcove entrances of the building Chapter 71 Bangor Center Revitalization Area – Design Review Roy Hubbard presented the project application. Mr. Carter moved approval of the application with the conditions that: 1. 36” wide gates with 28” wide fence panels will fill 64” wide alcoves, to 54” height; 2. Gates, panels, and hardware will be black; 3. Gate sections will be directly in front of corresponding doors and swing outward; 4. Gates and panels will be attached to existing 1” x 6” trim pieces directly behind existing columns, and not attached to the ground Mr. Burgoyne seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 7. 32 Main Street – Melissa Smith, Happy Endings Inc. Install one bracket for hanging sign with gooseneck lights Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Main Street District – Certificate of Appropriateness Melissa Smith presented the project application. Mr. Perkins moved approval of the application with the condition that: if any installations onto or wiring through metal occur that appropriate washers and sealing be used to protect against metal corrosion Mr. Carter seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 8. 32 Main Street – Melissa Smith, Happy Endings Inc. Install one bracket for hanging sign with two gooseneck lights Chapter 71 Bangor Center Revitalization Area – Design Review Melissa Smith presented the project application. Mr. Perkins moved approval of the application with the condition that: if any installations onto or wiring through metal occur that appropriate washers and sealing be used to protect against metal corrosion Mr. Carter seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 9. 10 Broad Street – Ipanema Alter façade of sign location for new flush sign; replace 3 large lights with 2 smaller lights Page 4 of 6 Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – West Market Square District – Certificate of Appropriateness Karyn Young presented the project application. Mr. Carter moved approval of the application with the condition that: the two proposed lights not be installed on the horizontal band, which is possibly granite, but on the wood panel a few inches below it Mr. Burgoyne seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. 10. 10 Broad Street – Ipanema Alter façade of sign location for new flush sign; replace 3 large lights with 2 smaller lights Chapter 71 Bangor Center Revitalization Area – Design Review Karyn Young presented the project application. Mr. Carter moved approval of the application with the condition that: the two proposed lights not be installed on the horizontal band, which is possibly granite, but on the wood panel a few inches below it Mr. Burgoyne seconded the motion. The Commissioners approved the motion 5-0. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS 11. Approval of HPC meeting minutes Mr. Burgoyne moved approval of the August 11, 2016 meeting. Mr. Carter seconded the motion. The minutes were approved 5-0 by Commissioners Burgoyne, Carter, Mallar, Perkins, and Banfield who attended the meeting. Because Commissioners Carter and Mallar were not allowed to be present for the discussion in Item 12, it was moved after the informational items on the agenda. 13. Discussion – Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program (CAMP) Workshop – National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Friday September 23, 2016 – 8:30pm – 5:00 pm – Gardiner, Maine The Commission will meet the next day, Friday September 9, 2016, at 5:00 p.m. to go over Findings of Facts as discussed in Item 4 above. rd The next regular HPC meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 13, 2016 – 3 floor Council Chambers. Mr. Carter and Mr. Mallar left the room. Page 5 of 6 12. Discussion – HPC right to appeal Mr. Nicklas discussed the possibilities of the HPC appealing a Board of Appeals decision, and specifically appealing the Board of Appeals decision to overturn the HPC’s decision on the demolition of the Engineers House. First there would have to be a decision of the HPC having the standing to bring a case to appeal and if that standing would have to be approved by City Council. Then the HPC would need to have the funds to retain an attorney and the funds to do so. And then there’s the question if the HPC as a quasi-judicial board should be initiating the case to appeal the decision of a court above them. He found in his research that it was generally not recommended that municipalities appeal decisions made by their boards. Mr. Banfield asked what the timeline is to appeal the decision. Mr. Nicklas indicated it would be 30 days after the Board of Appeals’ decision, which is in a week or two. Mr. Banfield indicated Mr. Kelly made a comment earlier that there might be a purchase of the Engineers House and he wondered if that might occur before the deadline. Mr. Burgoyne offered his opinion having been on the Board of Appeals that there may not always be all the information known of a decision made by another board. The consensus of the Commissioners was that their decisions were made, the Board of Appeals decision was made, and it was time to move on. The Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Page 6 of 6