Historic Preservation & Architectural Review Board Agendas and Minutes

MINUTES OF THE COHOES HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD MEETING HELD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 AT 6:30PM MEMBERS PRESENT: Daniele Cherniak, Chairperson Barbara Hildreth, Vice Chair John Frainier Evan Lamb ALSO PRESENT: Sharon Butler, Administrative Assistant Josh Giller, Assistant Planner Chairperson Cherniak called the March meeting of the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board to order at 6:30PM. All members were present CONSIDERATION OF THE FEBRUARY 15, 2022 MEETING MINUTES Chairperson Cherniak; first item on the agenda is consideration of the February 15th meeting minutes. Has everyone had a chance to look at the minutes? Do I have a motion to approve? Vice Chair Hildreth; I make the motion to accept 2nd by Member Frainer all in favor; AYE motion passed YES NO ABSTAIN Daniele Cherniak X Barbara Hildreth X Evan Lamb ABSTAIN John Frainier X CONSIDERATION OF WINDOW REPLACEMENT AT 170 REMSEN STREET Chairperson Cherniak; our next item on the agenda is 170 Remsen Street, could the applicant say a few words about what you plan on doing? Cindy Martin; we just replacing a couple of very old dilapidated windows on the side in between the 2 buildings on the second floor. I’m surprised they haven’t blown out yet. We’ve owned that house for 50 years and lived there for a long time along with my sister and brother, we’re looking to own it a little bit longer. Chairperson Cherniak; ok, do board members have any questions? Vice Chair Hildreth; so when you did the windows you did the front but never did the side windows? Ms. Martin; yea, honestly that was Mom’s choice when she was still here. I took pictures, and they’re in bad shape, they’re worse than I thought. We’ve already asked Window World to come and replace them. They’re actually not taking on any new clients but because we’re already a client they are going to take care of us. Chairperson Cherniak; so just the windows you’re not replacing the lentils or anything else? Ms. Martin; we’re not changing anything around the windows, just inserting new windows. Chairperson Cherniak; any other questions? Do I have a motion to accept this application? Member Frainer made the motion 2nd by Member Lamb all in favor the motion carried. YES NO ABSTAIN Daniele Cherniak X Barbara Hildreth X Evan Lamb X John Frainier X CONSIDERATION OF EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS TO 45 JOHNSTON AVENUE Chairperson Cherniak; our next item on our agenda is 45 Johnston Avenue would you like to say a few words? Sharon; please introduce yourselves Peter Tryon and partner Ron Stein Mr. Tryon; we are looking to revitalize restore 45 Johnston Avenue which is the former St. Agnes school. Looking to preserve as much as we can, point re-sure the brick, replace the windows with Anderson Historic windows refurbish all the wood doors and bring life into this building that is much needed. Vice Chair Hildreth; are these apartments? Mr. Tryon; yes we’re converting the interior to apartments the plan is for 16 residential dwellings 2 – 2 bedroom and 14 – 1 bedroom. Mr. Stein; I’m going to jump in. On the rendering that we proposed, the one thing that we couldn’t get done right away was the front. We’re keeping the, as much as possible the look and feel, we’re keeping the statue and keeping the placard Chairperson Cherniak; so you will, that was a concern Mr. Stein; oh yeah we will be keeping it all Chairperson Cherniak; ok Mr. Stein; I was going to write it in but I thought it would be easier to just discuss it Chairperson Cherniak; ok because that was a question I had Mr. Tryon; and the placard will be keeping the name and date as well and the statue all staying Chairperson Cherniak; ok Mr. Stein; and the top which is there, we’re going to keep exactly the top (shown on the picture in boards packet) Those, what I call the top pylons they weigh to much for anybody to handle so we’re going to have a crane come and lift them up clean up underneath and reset them. Which is much more work but is better than putting new caps on. They don’t make them like that anymore. And the only change that we are making on the outside is the other side where the garage is because we want to make a door entrance for the basement apartment to make is accessible. It just in such bad shape (applicant showed board on the pictures) we are keeping this the front entrance, keep the back side entrance. What we’re going to do here, is make it more usable for the ADA, there will be a ramp and then a ramp down where that driveway is. Chairperson Cherniak; an you will be redoing those windows, because that happened before anyone came to this board Mr. Tryon; yes exactly what you see there. We assumed those were put in without coming before you. Chairperson Cherniak; that’s excellent to restore that so it matches with the other ones. Mr. Stein; what I found out this morning was 10 months wait for the windows and 120% cost increase. We’re doing 3 other historical projects, one is ground up so that is a lot of planning and dealing with historical board in Albany. The old Ralph’s in Albany Red’s on Madison that one we just did. There’s apartments above and we are restoring that back to the 1930’s, it’s an 1870 building. And then we did a couple of other buildings on Madison so we’re working with the City the State and the Federal on a lot of these. We are trying to develop a relationship here and this building has been sitting there for so long and that neighborhood…I look at it as you fix it, it goes this way you don’t fix it, it goes the wrong way. I think it’s a great project, it’s not cheap and we came before the IDA and we need help Chairperson Cherniak; and we want to preserve these buildings, it’s just to bad you weren’t here several years ago when Keaveny was vacant. Mr. Stein; we are looking at doing some other projects here in town, so we’re open Chairperson Cherniak; the Baptist church at the end of White Street Mr. Stein; one project at a time… One of the benefits we have, is we have experience with these projects, we understand the cost to it and the time it takes. The interior we’re trying to keep the walls where we can. Vice Chair Hildreth; yes that would be good Mr. Stein; we’re looking at doing jut outs, putting steel at the top but keeping the whole wall in order to add amenities like we want each unit to have a washer and dryer Vice Chair Hildreth; wow that will be nice Mr. Stein; we want these to be nice and the rents aren’t crazy, they’ll be about $1,200 to $1,300 for the one bedroom and $1,600-$1,800 for the two bedroom. There’s only 2 – 2 bedroom and that’s in the basement. We’re hoping, what we found is on the ADA side that is accessible because you don’t have to go upstairs and we found that single people have been taking those 2 bedrooms like that because they work from home and they want in and out of the building easily. So we’ve seen this before and we’re trying to make it happen here. Vice Chair Hildreth; what are you doing for parking? Mr. Stein; so we’ve worked with the City quite a bit. We had 3 proposals, well 2 proposals. We had 1 proposal that we could put 16, we’re supposed to put one for one according to the code, we designed outside on the street to put 16 parking spaces, with that said the street size shrinks and across the street they would lose parking spots, so that didn’t really help. So then City asked us to go ahead and propose no parking but fix the curbs to make it look like Remsen Street, now we have a design where it looks like that with the trees and the brick. We presented that last night, with that said we’re open to a 3rd design that’s a hybrid and trying to figure it out where you get some spots but not cut off the street, we can’t change the, on the corner there a drain that the DEC doesn’t want to change. We were going to add 2 new ones but they didn’t like that because it collects to much water. So last night the planning board is in favor of the option of no parking but they want to see if there is a hybrid where we can get a little bit of positive out of it, so we’re going to work with planning and figure out what’s right. If there’s not parking we know how to market that, if there’s one for one that obviously better for us and everybody else but not if it takes away spots across the street. Vice Chair Hildreth; and right on the corner is a CDTA bus stop Mr. Stein; with other Cities you don’t have to do one for one, but I think here it was looked at it more holistically and what’s right for everyone. And there are, we’ve been there many, many times, day, night, right after work, those spots aren’t used right now. There’s almost 11 or 12 spots right out front. So if we utilize out front and make nice lines and if there’s 12 spots for 16 units, I think it will be fine. You always have 60-70% that have cars at most so there’s still 30% that don’t. Chairperson Cherniak; and there’s spaces up the street too. Mr. Stein; yes up street there’s spots and at the church lot, there’s nobody at the church lot. I guess it’s busy when they have activities. Vice Chair Hildreth; well, the dance studio, when they have dance people park there. Mr. Stein; right, but I’m saying at this time, so I think it’s pretty manageable. We’re open to a 3rd hybrid option but we’ll find out. Vice Chair Hildreth; this is going to be exciting, I’m really happy about this. Chairperson Cherniak; so you’re going to keep the same… Mr. Stein; everything is going to look like this Chairperson Cherniak; what about this door (on picture) what is that Mr. Stein; it’s a double door that looks like sort of same carving of the windows, it’s going to match the windows. Both doors are going to open so you can get furniture in there, but then one will be permanently locked with the interior lock. We have security, it’ll be key fob entry and cameras everywhere. Every building that we do, has a security cameras and they are accessible by the police, they have straight access to the cameras 24/7. And the cameras outside can pick up license plates. Chairperson Cherniak; it can definitely be a selling point for people. So with this door what are you going to be doing with it? Mr. Stein; we’re going to restore it. Chairperson Cherniak; so you are going to make it look like … Mr. Stein; I think what we’re going to do is probably have a door like this (on picture) because I don’t like a door without any glass that you can see through. And this may or may not open but we don’t need it to, I think just one solid door with a look and feel like this, make it the same color but just have a window, not big just a window to see out. Chairperson Cherniak; it should be something compatible because that is obviously not original to the building. Mr. Stein; we’re waiting to see what we can get and we can come back Chairperson Cherniak; that will be good for you to come back and show us what you’re getting. So you’ll be doing work on all the brick, I mean there’s places where…. Mr. Stein; you think it’s bad? Yes we’ll repoint and repair brick where needed. We’re ready to go with this. Chairperson Cherniak; ok any other questions from the board? Ok do I have a motion to approve the project? Member Lamb; I make the motion Chairperson Cherniak; so there’s a stipulation that the St. Agnes church sign and everything at that entrance will remain Mr. Stein; it will all remain Chairperson Cherniak; do I have a 2nd? Vice Chair Hildreth; I’ll 2nd all in favor, motion carried.  YES NO ABSTAIN Daniele Cherniak X Barbara Hildreth X Evan Lamb X John Frainier X Mr. Stein; thank you and we will come back and show you the door, I don’t think it’s going to be very different. It’s just going to be a smaller window. Chairperson Cherniak; ok Vice Chair Hildreth; this is exciting Chairperson Cherniak; do we have anything else for discussion for this evening? If not I guess we can adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 6:48PM