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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-06-11 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BANGOR MEETING OF June 11, 2015 MINUTES Commission Members Present: Sonia Mallar, Chair Reese Perkins Marie Grady Derek Mitchell (associate) Andrew Saucier (associate) Consultant to the Commission: Mike Pullen City Staff Present: Jen Boothroyd Chair Mallar called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. NEW BUSINESS Item No. 1: Approval of HPC meeting minutes from the April 9, 2015 and May 7, 2015 meetings Chair Mallar initiated the reading of the April 9, 2015 meeting minutes for review. Secretary Perkins began to read the minutes. Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to forego the reading of the minutes and approve them as written, which was seconded by Commissioner Grady and approved unanimously. Chair Mallar initiated the reading of the May 7, 2015 meeting minutes for review. Secretary Perkins began to read the minutes. Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to forego the reading of the minutes and approve them as written, which was seconded by Commissioner Grady and approved unanimously. Item No. 2: Consider a request for Certificate of Appropriateness and Design Review approval for window replacement at 74 Harlow St.; SNR Builders, applicant Byron Ogden, owner of SNR Builders, approached the podium and summarized the proposal for the Commission. The applicant proposes to replace two basement windows in the building at the corner of Harlow and Central Sts, one of which is broken and one inoperable. The replacement windows will be made of pine, and will be white. The applicant is requesting to use window glass with some opacity to provide privacy for the offices inside. No other exterior changes or removals are being proposed. 2 Commissioner Perkins asked for clarification of the proposed color. Mr. Ogden stated that it will be white; either painted or with white aluminum cladding. Commissioner Perkins noted his preference that the replacements match the existing windows in color. Commissioner Perkins asked if only these two basement windows were being proposed for replacement. Mr. Ogden confirmed that only these two were proposed. He also added that the window glass in the replacements would be tempered, due to the location so close to the ground. Commissioner Perkins made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness and Design Review for window replacement at 74 Harlow St., with the condition that the trim of the replacement windows be painted to match the existing windows. Commissioner Grady seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with Commission members Mallar, Mitchell, Grady, Perkins, and Saucier voting. Item No. 3: Consider a request for Certificate of Appropriateness approval for replacement of a generator at 41 Thomas Hill Rd.; City of Bangor Fire and Police, applicant Bangor Fire Chief Tom Higgins and Captain Brian Higgs, approached the podium and summarized the proposal. The applicant proposes replace a 30+-year old generator on the Thomas Hill Standpipe property. The generator is essential to operations of the City’s Fire and Police Departments. The generator is sound-attenuating, and will be placed outside an existing shed building, buffered by shrubs and plantings. The project was previously approved by the HPC in 2011, but funding for the project fell through and the approval lapsed. Chair Mallar asked if the LPG tank shown in the photos would also be placed in the same area. Mr. Higgs confirmed this. Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for generator replacement at 41 Thomas Hill Rd. as submitted. Commissioner Grady seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with Commission members Mallar, Mitchell, Grady, Perkins, and Saucier voting. Item No. 4: Consider a request for Certificate of Appropriateness approval for a new window at 455 Harlow St.; Porterhouse LLC, applicant Jean Deighan, owner of the property proposes to install a window in a wall on the north side of the building at 455 Harlow St. The applicant provided historic photos of the property and pointed out that the wall used to abut another building separated by a small alley; the other building has been long since removed. Ms. Deighan stated that a window on that side of the building will allow her to create usable office space. She proposes a plain window that matches other windows in the building, framed with brick and incorporating a white lintel. The window itself will be a pane-over-pane double-hung window painted white. Maine Masonry has confirmed that they are able to use original brick from the interior of the building to do the framing. 3 Commissioner Perkins asked if the window could be placed in a different part of the wall, to provide better balance with the existed window. Ms. Deighan answered that the location cannot be changed; it’s the only area on the wall where a window will create a usable office space. Commissioner Perkins made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for window placement at 455 Harlow St., Commissioner Mitchell seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with Commission members Mallar, Mitchell, Grady, Perkins, and Saucier voting. Item No. 5: Consider a request for Certificate of Appropriateness approval for replacement of a garage at 69 Highland Ave; Carter Architectural Design, applicant Matthew Carter of Carter Architectural Design approached the podium and summarized the project for the Commission. The homeowners at 69 Highland Ave, the Grata Moore House, are proposing to demolish an existing garage and build a new garage which is the same width, but deeper than the existing. The project also involves widening the driveway. The new garage will be sided and trimmed with cedar, and the width of the siding will match that on the house. The trim boards around the moldings, eaves, doors, and windows have also been selected to match the house. Mr. Carter provided samples to the Commission of the cedar siding and trim. The proposed garage will also incorporate roll-up carriage-style garage doors. He noted that these doors are a design that is well- suited to withstanding Maine winter conditions. Mr. Carter provided a manufacturer’s brochure detailing the proposed doors. The garage will be slab-on-grade construction, whereas the existing garage has a wooden floor. A wood exterior door and Marvin double-glazed, double-hung wooden windows with divided lights are also proposed, and will be painted to match the house. Commissioner Perkins disclosed that he is a next-door neighbor to the property at 69 Highland Ave. None of the other Commissioners present felt that Commissioner Perkins had a conflict of interest in reviewing the project. Mr. Pullen asked if asphalt shingles are proposed, and if there are asphalt shingles on the existing garage. Mr. Carter noted that while the main house has slate shingles, the garage has asphalt, and the proposed garage will have architectural shingles in a tone selected to match the slate on the house. Mr. Pullen asked for clarification on the proposed windows, noting that the application states one- over-one windows will be used, but in the presentation Mr. Carter said simulated divided windows are proposed. Mr. Carter said that since he prepared the application, he has noted some windows on the main house that have divisions, so he plans to match those, with a two-over-one light pattern. Chair Mallar noted that page 3 of the application shows a second-story window on the house that doesn’t match the rest. Mr. Carter said that that one window has with a grill and six divisions, and is an anomaly. Commissioner Perkins asked if the existing fence will need to be moved to accommodate the new garage. Mr. Carter said that it will need to be adjusted, but noted that the fence is not old or original. Chair Mallar noted that the proposed garage has been designed based upon the house, not on the existing garage which it will replace. Mr. Carter stated that this was done partly because it was 4 necessary to create a larger garage with more space. He also said that his goal was to create a new, harmonious building, not simulate the old structure. Chair Mallar asked if doubling the width of the driveway will require fill to be brought in. Mr. Carter stated that the driveway will be more tapered, and will have a gradual slope. Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for garage replacement at 69 Highland Ave., as proposed. Commissioner Grady seconded the motion. The motion was approved unanimously with Commission members Mallar, Mitchell, Grady, Perkins, and Saucier voting. Item No. 6: Consider a request for Certificate of Appropriateness and Design Review approval for a roof deck at 25-27 Broad St; 25-27 Broad Street LLC, applicant Ms. Boothroyd handed out additional photos of the project to the Commission. Matthew Carter, representing the applicant, summarized the proposal for the Commission. The applicant is applying for after-the-fact approval for a roof deck on the top of the building at 25-27 Broad St. The contractor, Robert Perry Builders, designed and built the structure last year, which is only accessible from the owner’s personal residence on the top floor. Mr. Carter stated that the owner did not realize that the roof deck had not been part of other HPC approvals that had been received for the building. Mr. Carter added that the deck is only visible from a distance. A member of the public, Wayne Mallar, asked what was on the deck. Louie Morrison, Property Manager for the building, stated that there were four black chairs, a grill with a black cover, and a black bench on the deck. Mr. Carter noted that, at the time of the project, the applicant chose not to use various roof-mounted equipment when it might have been used, and that, from the deck, other similar decks are visible throughout the city. Mr. Pullen noted that Portland has struggled with the issue of rooftop structures on historic buildings in recent years, and that Bangor might want to research how they have dealt with it. Mr. Pullen wondered how far back from the edge of the building. Mr. Morrison stated that the deck is set back four to five feet from the edge of the building. Mr. Pullen asked if it could be placed further back. Mr. Carter said that it could not go much further back because of the location of the access by roof hatch. Chair Mallar stated that she considers the deck to be an addition, since there was no deck in that location previously. She added that she has safety concerns about the deck and asked if it had been reviewed by the fire department for safety and access. The applicant’s agents stated that they did not know, but noted that the entire building project had received a Certificate of Occupancy. Chair Mallar stated her preference that the owner of the building had attended the meeting to answer questions. Ms. Boothroyd reminded the Commissioners to keep their review of the project based on the review criteria set forth in the City’s ordinances and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. She added per a discussion with the Director of Code Enforcement, the roof deck does need a building permit, which should be applied for by the applicant as soon as possible. She also added that is not uncommon for representatives of an applicant to represent an applicant or owner at an HPC meeting. Mr. Carter 5 clarified the Mr. Morrison is an employee of Telford Allen, the building’s owner, and manages the property for him. Mr. Morrison stated that the applicant has no concerns about the safety of the deck, and is that he and his family are the only people who have access to it. Mr. Carter added that the railings were high enough to meet code standards. Commissioner Perkins acknowledged that this project represents a bigger issue that the Commission will have to deal with more in the future. He noted that the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Properties allow for health and safety considerations when considering changes to a historic building. He added that, in his opinion, the railing is the worst part of the project, and that a railing that was more in line with the character of the building would have been preferable. He did note that he appreciates that the railing has been painted black. Chair Mallar reiterated that the after-the-fact nature of the project represents a lost opportunity to have designed a structure that the Commission would be fully supportive of. Associate Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness and Design Review for a roof deck at 25-27 Broad St., as proposed. Commissioner Grady seconded the motion. The motion was to approve the project was then voted upon, and was approved with Commission members Grady, Mitchell, Perkins, and Saucier voting yes, and Mallar voting no. Other Business: Commissioner Mitchell made a motion to adjourn the meeting, which was unanimously approved. The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.