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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-10-19 Historic Preservation Commission Minutes HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BANGOR MEETING OF October 19, 2017 MINUTES Commission Members Present: George Burgoyne, Vice Chair Matthew Carter Wayne Mallar Reese Perkins Alfred Banfield, Associate Member City Staff Present: Sean Gambrel David Gould Paul Nicklas Vice Chair Burgoyne called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. PROJECT REVIEW 1. 73 Harlow St – City of Bangor Replace Light Well With Equipment Slab Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Great Fire District – Cert. of Appropriateness John Theriault, City Engineer, introduced the project. He stated that the wall of the existing light well was structurally unsound and that rather than repair the wall, the City would rather fill in the well completely. The existing window has been covered over, is unopenable, and serves a storage room. There currently is a grate over much of the well supporting a large air conditioning unit. This grate will be replaced with a concrete slab and the unit will be replaced in its exact location. The well also tends to collect trash, which is difficult to remove because of the limited access from the bottom and the equipment located over top. Commissioner Mallar asked if this modification was absolutely necessary. Mr. Theriault stated that something needed to be done sometime soon, and with the contractors on site for the retaining wall project, it made sense to address the issue now. Because the window serves no function and this area isn’t visible, the City would rather fill it in than repair it. Commissioner Carter asked for specifics related to drainage concerns that Mr. Pullen identified in his review of the project. Mr. Theriault states that the window would be bricked over and a moisture barrier installed over the wall before filling. Additionally a drainage structure will be installed here and connected to other drainage that is being installed with the retaining wall project. Finally, the alleyway will be regraded to direct stormwater away from the building, so hopefully very little moisture will end up in this location to begin with. Commissioner Carter asked if there was any way that the window could be salvaged, given its historic character. Mr. Theriault responded that he had not considered it, but would look into the possibility. Commissioner Perkins asked whether the large air conditioning unit could be hidden or screened so that it was not visible from the street. Mr. Theriault explained that the alleyway is too narrow to allow for any attractive screening, but that there may be an opportunity to screen the unit from the front of the building. Commissioner Perkins moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness for the application as presented. Commissioner Banfield seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 2. 36 Central St – Rock & Art Shop Install Exterior Lighting for signs Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Great Fire District – Cert. of Appropriateness Annette Dodd, owner of the Rock & Art Shop introduced the project, which is to install five gooseneck lights onto the façade of the building. Three of these lights will be directed to the large rectangular sign across the front of the building, and two will be oriented to illuminate the hanging sign over the doorway. Commissioner Burgoyne noted that the façade of the building was Terra Cotta tile and that installing the lights through the tiles would be difficult without causing significant damage. He suggested that the lights be installed into the tile joints. Ms. Dodd indicated that she had spoken with her contractor about this concern and believed that they would be able to accommodate that condition. Commissioner Carter asked what color the fixtures would be. Ms. Dodd answered that the lights and the associated conduit would be white to match the façade of the building. Commissioner Carter moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness with the condition that all attachments be placed into tile joints. Commissioner Perkins seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 3. 36 Central St – Rock & Art Shop Install Exterior Lighting for signs Chapter 71 – Bangor Center Revitalization Area (“Façade Area”) – Design Review Commissioner Carter moved to approve Design Review with the condition that all attachments be placed into tile joints. Commissioner Perkins seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 4. 20 South Street – Bangor Savings Bank Building Modifications / Information requested for Conditional Approval Chapter 71 – Bangor Center Revitalization Area (“Façade Area”) – Design Review Dan Miller of TAC Architectural introduced the application, which consisted of several parts:  Details on the cable rail system, as specified in the Conditional Approval of June 2017;  Details on the projecting window shades, as specified in the Conditional Approval of June 2017;  Details on the illuminated signs, as specified in the Conditional Approval of June 2017;  Proposed exterior lighting, which has not been reviewed previously;  Proposed pedestrian pathways, which have not been reviewed previously;  Proposed chiller retaining wall and screening, which have not been reviewed previously;  Proposed change to the roofline of the center portion of the building. Mr. Miller described each feature in detail in terms of material, finish, and dimensions. The Commission asked several specific questions as Mr. Miller presented the items. Vice Chair Burgoyne asked if there was any public comment on the proposal. Lloyd Leeman of 24 Pleasant St mentioned that he generally supported the project but had concerns about noise from the cooling unit, ambient light emitted from the site, and glare from the solar panels. David LaTulippe, another representative for the project answered that the lighting plan indicated no ambient light leaving the site, and that the solar panels would not be located on the side of the building which faced Mr. Leeman’s building. He also stated that the chiller unit would physically be very far from Mr. Leeman’s residence, so that sound should not be a concern. Commissioner Mallar asked about noise regulations and standards in the City. Assistant City Solicitor Paul Nicklas answered that the city ordinances only consider noise from three sources: Stereos, vehicles, and bars & taverns. Commissioner Perkins moved to approve Design Review for the application as presented. Commissioner carter seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 5. 187,193 & 213 Exchange Street – ANM Properties Building Façade Modification Chapter 148 Historic Preservation – Great Fire District – Cert. of Appropriateness James Strout of ANM properties presented the application to the Commission. This proposal is for several minor modifications to the approval from August 2017. These modifications are to make the building restoration more historically accurate and are being done in pursuit of a Historic Preservation Tax Credit. Changes include the transom height at 213 Exchange St being changed to match the rest of the building, retaining the design of the double doors located at the center of 193 Exchange and putting the side entrance door in perpendicular rather than on an angle, and restoring the original door at 191 Exchange, rather than replacing with new. Commissioner Carter noted that the bar for Historic Preservation Tax Credits was very high and exceeded the standards of the Bangor ordinance. Commissioner Carter moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposal as shown in the application. Commissioner Banfield seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 6. 187,193 & 213 Exchange Street – ANM Properties Building Façade Modification Chapter 71 – Bangor Center Revitalization Area (“Façade Area”) – Design Review Commissioner Carter moved to approve Design Review for the proposal as shown in the application. Commissioner Perkins seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. DISCUSSION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROCESS 7. Number of Votes Required for Design Review Approval Assistant City Solicitor Paul Nicklas presented the draft ordinance to the Commission, codifying the vote totals required for Design Review, as discussed at the September meeting. Mr. Nicklas is seeking a recommendation from the Commission that the Council adopt this ordinance change. Commissioner Mallar inquired why there was a $1000 threshold on a project, and was concerned that people might use that threshold to skirt the process. Mr. Nicklas replied that he was unsure why this was included but could check with the Code Enforcement office and make a change if necessary. Commissioner Carter stated that he shared Mr. Mallar’s concerns. Commissioner Carter made a motion to recommend the ordinance as presented to the City Council for adoption. Commissioner Perkins seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 8. CLG Grant / Street Sign Toppers City of Bangor Planning Staff Sean Gambrel spoke to the Commission regarding applying to the state’s Certified Local Government program to fund street sign toppers indicating the location of our Historic Districts. The size and scope of this project are well within what has been awarded through this program in the recent past. Mr. Gambrel provided the Commission with a few examples of signage and the specific locations where the signs would be located. Mr. Gambrel was looking for a vision and direction from the Commission as he started a more thorough design and budget for the project, and had a number of questions for the Commission. Generally the Commission members were in favor of the project and stated that they wanted to see as many signs put up as could be within funding constraints. The Commission favored signs that indicated the name of the district in addition to the words “historic district”. The Commission also directed Mr. Gambrel to provide a budget for a generic sign design so that the commission could consider both and choose whichever they preferred. ADDITIONAL BUSINESS 9. Amendment of Historic Preservation Commission Bylaws Mr. Nicklas reminded Commissioners to review the draft bylaws he presented at the last meeting and provide their comments directly to him. Mr. Nicklas will present the new Bylaws for adoption at the November meeting. 10. Review and Approval of HPC meeting minutes: Minutes from the September 14, 2017 meeting were unanimously approved with a minor correction to correct the spelling of Mr. Niclklas’s name. Meeting Adjourned at 8:35pm.