Architectural Board of Review

VILLAGE OF CHAGRIN FALLS ARCHITECTURAL BOARD OF REVIEW APRIL 18, 2023 Meeting Called to Order 8:30 A.M. Members Present: Bill Childs, Phil Koepf, Janna Lutz, Wendy Naylor, (George Clemens and Steve King, Absent) Also Present: Dominic Cribari, Joan Andersen APPROVAL OF MINUTES Motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve the minutes from the April 4, 2023, meeting. Roll Call: Childs-yea, Lutz-yea, Naylor-yea. Motion passed. 1. Mompreneur Co. 100 North Main Signage Mark Bailin (Diamond Signs) presented these plans. He said that this is a multi-use building, and they want to add a sign for the second-floor entry on the East Orange side of the building. He said it is aluminum composite material with cast vinyl printed graphics. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve plans as presented. Roll Call: Naylor-yea, Childs-yea, Lutz-yea. Motion passed. 2. Two Foundation LLC 177 East Washington Exterior Alteration-Preliminary Tony Majc (Architect) presented these plans. He said that this is the old Euro Building and they want to remove the appendage on the front of the building and restore the remaining building. He said they are replacing the windows, new entry, awning, paint and clean up the site. He said they want to make it a beautiful building again. He said it is a mix use building with a café, retail, and offices. He said they have already been to the Planning and Zoning Committee and received approval. Childs asked about the façade and Tony said it is going to remain the same. He said there is some repair work but wants to bring it back to what it looked like before. The Board thought it looked great. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari said they needed an area zoning variance for a mixed-use building, and they received approval for that. He said they also needed a variance for their parking plan, and they received that too. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve plans as presented. Roll Call: Childs-yea, Lutz-yea, Naylor-yea. Motion passed. 3. Johnson 47 Maple Street Exterior Alteration-Final Tom Paul (Architect) and Darryl Durango (Project Manager) presented these plans. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari said that they do not need to get a zoning variance for the cupola because our code definition only measures the height from final grade to roof ridge line, so the architectural feature does not count against them. Childs thinks it looks great and not to use the vertical lines at the brackets and to adjust the architrave. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve plans for the cupola as presented with adjustment to the architrave and the removal of the vertical lines at the brackets. Roll Call: Lutz-yea, Childs-yea, Naylor-yea. Motion passed. 4. Johnson 47 Maple Street Exterior Alteration-Preliminary Tom Paul (Architect) and Darry Durango (Project Manager) presented these plans. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari said it does need a variance because the porch is connected to the building and needs to meet the required setbacks. Tom said that at the last meeting he took the Board’s recommendation, and he took the columns and got them on a base, lined them up and made them a little thicker. He said the bases are set that way because of where the driveway is. He said they thinned everything out and aligned the columns with the front porch. Childs said the did a nice job getting everything in proportion. He said he thinks what the Board is having a problem with is the context of the streetscape and they need to look at the scale of the porte cochere and Naylor agreed. Lutz said that she liked it and understands why the homeowner would want it. Koepf said that he does not think it should be there and destroys the cadence of the street and takes away from the architecture. Darryl asked in what way does it take away from the architecture of the home and he said that these houses were not designed to have porte cochere. He said they are tall, long, and steep. Tom asked why it was allowed to be put in another house and not in this one. Naylor said she is looking at the historic context of this neighborhood and the rhythm of the houses on this street and she feels that it is not compatible with this house on this site. She said she agrees with Childs and Koepf that it interferes with the architecture of this house and with the neighboring house. She said she thinks they already have a lot going on and that this adds a whole other element. Koepf said he does not get a vote, but he does not think this is appropriate and would not recommend the variances for this home. He said he does not know why the Board of Zoning Appeals would vote for something just because the homeowner wants it. He said it goes against zoning, encroaching and if we recommend that this is okay then the Board of Zoning Appeals is going to look at it and say it is okay. He said it is inappropriate for the type of homes we have in the Village. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari said that the porch exceeds into the nine-foot setback and that is where the variance is needed. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve plans for the porte cochere as presented. Roll Call: Childs-nay, Lutz-yea, Naylor-nay with the following comments for Board of Zoning Appeals. The porte cochere is not consistent with the Chagrin Falls historic building traditions: the variance is not justified based on the owner wants a porte cochere. ABR does not recommend approval of the variance just because the owner wants it. The porte cochere is not compatible with the rhythm and pattern, massing, and composition of the surrounding neighborhood houses. The Village Law Director instructed the Board not to discuss other previously approved projects. Motion failed. Building and Zoning Inspector Dominic Cribari told the applicant that they have ten days to appeal this decision with the Zoning committee. 5. Johnson 47 Maple Street Exterior Alteration-Preliminary Tom Paul (Architect) and Darryl Durango (Project Manager) presented these plans. Paul said that they are adding a new side porch entry. He said everything is smaller than originally proposed but gives the homeowner coverage when you pull up to the side. Childs said it fits with the massing, proportions, lines up, does not stick out and looks perfect. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz to approve plans as presented for the new side entry porch to match details of front porch. Roll Call: Lutz-yea, Naylor-yea, Childs-yea. Motion passed. 6. York 64 East Washington Exterior Alteration-Preliminary Becky Pantuso (Architect) presented these plans. She said they are adding a back screened in porch with a covered walkway to the house. Naylor said that the porch is tucked behind the house, and no one will see it from the street. Childs said they should do a metal roof instead of an asphalt shingle one. Koepf said that they should use some sort of metal on the roof. Childs said on the side elevation to pull up the architrave, so it does not look squashed and to add pilasters. Summation-motion by Naylor, seconded by Lutz for final approval of plans as presented for the side entry porch with adjustment to roof pitch and suggestion for metal or copper roof. Also suggested adjustment to architrave and adding pilasters. Roll Call: Naylor-yea, Lutz-yea, Childs-yea. Motion passed. Walk-In Raftus Residence 106 Church Street Gary Gottfried from 103 Church Street was there to represent residents on the street. He read a letter that was written and signed by several neighbors. Then read the letter as follows. Our new neighbors, J.B., and Amie Raftus have shown us the planned additions and renovations to their home at 106 Church Street Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022. We welcome these improvements and feel they will be a tasteful addition to the home and will enhance the overall character of the street. We fully support approval of the proposed project and variances required. We encourage the village to allow Amie and J.B. Raftus to improve this home, the street, and the surrounding walkable community. Becky Pantuso (Architect) said this is the second time she is coming in as a walk-in. She said she took the comments from the Board from the previous meeting and made some adjustments. She said they are proposing a small addition in the back that will fit the footprint of the property. She said they want to put a garage under the house in the back that would not go beyond the existing rear porch. She said the house has shingle siding and a triple window, is a lovely home and they want to keep it that way. She said what they have done since the last walk-in was to smash it down even more and keep it as usable space. She said she pulled the dormers down. She said they are going to clean up the rake detail and still maintain the bottom of the soffit and create a better detail there. Naylor asked about what is going on with the porch detail and Becky said that it is staying where it is at right now. She said if she would make the porch the whole area because it is tucked back. Naylor said she was wondering if the porch is running along the south elevation does it turn the corner and Becky said no. She said that there is an odd roof that looks like a story board or parapet wall on the side elevation there and they are trying to get rid of it since it is an unsightly little detail. She said they are taking what is the existing line and adding four and a half feet and tucking in a little office. Naylor said that was helpful from a massing standpoint and asked if Becky was also lifting the eaves. Becky said that those were just dormers and that the eaves are still being held down there. She said she pulled the height down about two feet and that they are still working on that because she is trying to give them usable space. Koepf said he thinks what Becky is trying to do with the house is admirable, but his issue is trying to put a garage under the house does not work. Becky said she is reducing the lot coverage by removing the existing garage. She said the porch already exists and she is removing the garage and creating a yard. She said she thinks the turn table is a clever way of making usable space out of the otherwise unusable Chagrin basement. She said she has reduced the lot coverage, stayed within the footprint outside of the four-foot addition and maintaining the same front elevation. Naylor said to work on the porch, roof line and shed dormer because there not consistent with the architecture. Childs said that Chagrin Falls in made up of a lot of great architectural styles and this house is Greek Revival and she is changing the elements, the architecture and what the house is meant to be. Naylor said she looks at the characteristic defining elements of the house and weighs that on what the owner is proposing. Naylor said that the Board’s job is to maintain the historic characteristics of Chagrin Falls and make that decision. Gary said that an important point for him is that what he is essentially looking at today with the house and from the drawings Becky is presenting is a much nicer form of the same thing. Meeting Adjourned 9:32 A.M. 5-2-23 _____________________________________________ Bill Childs, Acting Chairman Date