Historic District Commission

Town Hall TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Historic District Commission Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Meeting Minutes Chair David Schwartz Robert Epting Vice-Chair Sean Murphy Nancy McCormick Deputy Vice-Chair Diane Kunz Angela Stiefbold Tuesday, November 12, 2019 6:30 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Opening Roll Call Staff present: Anya Grahn, Liaison to Commission, Becky McDonnell, Liaison to Commission, Brian Ferrell, Counsel to Commission. Present 6 - Chair David Schwartz, Vice-Chair Sean Murphy, Deputy Vice-Chair Diane Kunz, Robert Epting, Nancy McCormick, and Angela Stiefbold Commission Chair reads public charge Secretary reads procedures into the record Secretary swears in members of the public Approval of Agenda Chair Schwartz asked that 707 Gimghoul be heard last on the agenda to provide the Commission time for discussion. The Commission unanimously agreed. Announcements Chair Schwartz reported that the Request for Proposals (RFP) to revise the Design Guidelines was available online. The Commission unanimously approved Commissioners Epting, Murphy, McCormick, and Stiefbold to represent the Commission on a committee that oversees the project. Brian Ferrell, counsel to the Commission, explained that the voting procedures required a motion to receive five out of the six Commissioners' votes in order to pass. He explained that the Town Council would be reviewing a text amendment to the Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) on November 20, 2019, to allow for a majority vote. If the Town Council were to adopt the proposed amendment, it would be in effect at the December HDC meeting. Petitions Page 1 of 6 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 12, 2019 Approval of Minutes 1. October 15, 2019 Meeting Minutes [19-0894] A motion was made by Epting, seconded by Murphy to approve the October 15, 2019 meeting minutes. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. HDC Candidate Interviews 2. Historic District Commission Candidate Interviews [19-0895] Candidate Neal Wolgin introduced himself to the Commission and explained his interest and experience in serving on an architectural review board. The Commission discussed the qualifications of the candidates they had met for the three vacant seats-- Kim Levell, Jennifer Hoffman, Madhu Beriwal, and Neal Wolgin. A motion was made by Murphy, seconded by Schwartz, to recommend Hoffman for consideration of appointment by the Town Council; the motion carried by unanimous vote. A motion was made by Schwartz, seconded by Epting, to recommend Wolgin for consideration of appointment by the Town Council; the motion carried by unanimous vote. Old Business 3. 500 North Street [19-0893] Josh Tallman, applicant, explained that the subcontractor had installed square-cut cement board siding that differed from the wavy shingle cement board siding that the HDC approved in April 2019. The Commission discussed the differences in dimension and appearance between the house's original wavy asbestos shingle siding, the wavy shingle cement board siding, and the proposed square cut cement board siding that was installed. The HDC discussed the need to replace historic materials in-kind. The HDC found that the depth of the shingle, material, and dimensions of the square-cut siding material were very different in appearance than the asbestos shingle siding that was originally on the house. A motion was made by Epting, seconded by McCormick, to deny the application as the installed siding was incongruous with the original siding materials and as the new replacement material did not match the original in design, dimension, pattern, detail, and texture. The motion carried by a Page 2 of 6 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 12, 2019 unanimous vote. New Business 4. 428 West Cameron [19-0896] Kyle Arnold, applicant, explained that the Board of Adjustment (BOA) had overturned the Planning Commission's denial of a subdivision at this property. The approved Resolution included a condition that Cameron Court be widened along the length of the property. Staff explained that the Fire Department had required this condition to ensure sufficient space for emergency vehicle access; the Town similarly would require additional street widening for any other redevelopment of properties along Cameron Court. Walter Mallett, neighbor, presented his objections to the project. He expressed concern about displacing parking along the street and preventing access to the homes at the end of Cameron Court during construction. He argued that the Town should widen the entire street at the same time rather than taking a piecemeal approach. The Commission discussed the need to balance safety requirements with historic character. A motion was made by Epting, seconded by Murphy, to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 5. 707 Gimghoul Road [19-0897] Ken Shelton, owner, spoke to the house's condition and discussed the need to address deferred maintenance such as water damage, poor construction methods, and outdated kitchen and bathrooms. He described his interest in repairing the house and some of the design challenges they had faced. Ben Johnson, designer, provided an overview of the project and history of the site. He discussed the proposed second floor addition on the rear elevation, which would entail removing two upper-level balconies and incorrect trim elements, making repairs to the siding and trim, as well as replacing the windows. He explained that the porch would be rebuilt with a pediment over the front entry and structural columns. He spoke to his client's need for a useable garage space and explained their intent to demolish the existing garage in order to build a three-car garage. The applicant explained how the design for the garage related to the house and the selection of its location in order to conserve old growth trees. He also clarified why he believed that the Page 3 of 6 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 12, 2019 National Register of Historic Places had incorrectly classified the existing two-car garage as having been built in 1920. Commissioner Murphy disclosed that he lived adjacent to this property. Shelton had invited the neighbors to review the plans prior to the meeting; however, Murphy had made it known that he would be unable to do so because he was a member of the Commission. He stated that he did not have any bias towards the project or the applicant. The applicant and commission agreed Murphy did not need to recuse himself. The Commission discussed the appropriateness of removing nonhistoric balconies and the improvements to the house. They also reviewed the number of new garages in the neighborhood and discussed that most were one to two-bays wide. They spoke of the design of neighboring garages in the district and the consistencies of the location of the proposed garage with accessory structures in the neighborhood. They discussed that the proposed garage's massing in relations to large expanses of open space characteristic of the residential neighborhood. They considered the setbacks between the house and proposed garage. They suggested that a simplified roof form above the bay of the third garage door could help reduce the mass of the building. They discussed the view of the garage on a double lot such as this. The Commission also discussed the historical significance of the garage. They asked the applicant to conduct further research and consult Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to determine whether or not the garage was original to the house. They asked for more information about the construction materials as a way to identify the date of construction. A motion was made by Schwartz to continue the item to the December 10, 2019, HDC meeting. The motion carried with a unanimous vote. 6. 119 Battle Lane [19-0898] Don Tise, applicant and homeowner, explained that the placement of mechanical equipment had not been included in the Certificate of Appropriateness granted in 2017 for the construction of his new house. The Board of Adjustment had granted a variance on November 7, 2019, for the location of the condenser units in the side yard setback. He described how an inconspicuous site was found for the equipment, next to the neighbors' mechanical equipment, to reduce noise and bamboo planted along the side property line would screen the equipment. Page 4 of 6 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 12, 2019 The Commission discussed the positioning of the house with two street frontages and the location of the mechanical equipment. The Commission found that the location of the mechanical equipment was not incongruous with the house and would not detract from the historic district. A motion was made by Epting, seconded by Kunz, to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness. The motion carried with a unanimous vote. 7. 370 Glandon Drive [19-0899] Jim Spencer, architect, explained that the HDC had approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a new house in May 2019. He presented site plans to explain the proposed changes to the shape of the patio east of the garage, and he proposed replacing the approved bluestone pavers with new Belgard buff-colored pavers, similar to those proposed on the driveway. He also discussed changes to the form of the garage dormer as well as modifications to window openings and patterns. The Commission discussed how double-hung windows were traditionally used in the historic districts, over the proposed casement windows. There was concern that driveways and patios in the neighborhood traditionally used brick or bluestone, not concrete pavers. The Commission found that the proposed changes to the window patterns and garage dormer were congruous with the historic district. They discussed the visibility of the patio area due to the topography. They concluded that brick was traditionally used in walkways in the historic district, but found that buff-colored pavers would also be appropriate for a patio and driveway as this was a new house and the patio would be located in the backyard. A motion was made by Epting, seconded by Murphy, to approve the application with the condition that the applicant could use either red brick or buff-colored pavers for the driveway and courtyard. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. Closed Session Next Meeting - DATE Brian Farrell, counsel to the Commission, informed the Commission that its decision to deny the concrete pavers at 313 E Franklin Street had been appealed to the Board of Adjustment. The Commission agreed that Farrell should represent them in the appeal. Page 5 of 6 Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes November 12, 2019 Adjournment Page 6 of 6