Historic Preservation Commission

NEWPORT HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 9, 2023 6:00 p.m. Special Call Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Commission members present were Ken Clift, Mary Beth Crocker, Scott Fleckinger, Mike Kolb, Catherine McElwain, and Nick Miller. Scott Clark, Historic op Preservation Officer, Brian Steffen, Planning and Development Director, and John Hayden, City Attorney, were present. The meeting began at 6:04 p.m. The y meeting was held in person in conjunction with a live stream on Newport’s YouTube page. APPROVAL OF MINUTES lC Commissioner Clift moved to approve the minutes as revised from the January 25, 2023 meeting, seconded by Chair Miller. Motion passed unanimously with the exception of Commissioner Fleckinger, who abstained because he had not been at the January 25 meeting. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS ca 1. Certificate of Appropriateness (HP 2300556) ffi Location: 603 Monroe St. Requested By: Ramzi Nuseibeh O Second-Floor Addition, Roof Modification, Rooftop Deck Addition Mr. Steffen apologized for having to cancel the previous meeting and reschedule a Special Meeting; he said that the City is tightening up its An processes related to meetings and noticing. He also read into the record that “all parties, including the applicant, city staff, the board attorney, and those in support and opposition of the applicant have a right to give testimony and cross-examination.” Mr. Clark read the Staff Report and discussed the included materials. The ot applicant was not present but submitted a statement about the project. There was no comment from the audience. N Chair Miller asked whether there were any comments or questions from the Commission. He then asked about the project’s visibility, and a discussion about “readily visible” ensued. Mr. Steffen noted that there are two areas of potential visibility: 6th Street and Monroe. He noted that a property next door had had a similar project approved by the NHPC, which is also visible from 6th Street. He also noted that the City is currently working to address this issue as it reviews its guidelines.  Chair Miller moved that the COA be approved based on the findings of fact, lines of visibility, minimal visibility from the front, and consistency of the proposed rooflines with others in the neighborhood, and that Staff work with the applicant to mitigate visibility issues. Seconded by Scott Fleckinger. Motion passed unanimously. 2. Certificate of Appropriateness (HP 2300652) Location: 401 Monmouth St. Requested By: Strategic Franchising Systems op Two-Story Addition, Alteration of Two Window Openings, Addition of Steps to Courtyard y Mr. Clark read the Staff Report and discussed included materials. Ron Novak, owner and architect of Drawing Department, spoke in favor of the lC project, emphasizing that the goal is to respect the Guidelines and Secretary of Interior Standards while improving accessibility to create an event space to benefit the community at large. He noted that egress and fire safety concerns are a major impetus to the project. Chair Miller asked how the proposed project helps the building’s long-term viability; Mr. ca Novak responded that this project would make the space more vibrant and increase its use. Commissioner Crocker expressed excitement for the space’s use. Mr. Clark, Commissioner Clift, and Mr. Novak discussed changes to windows on the side of the building and the doors that will be ffi installed in their place. Mr. Novak said that he would review doors with Staff. O Chair Miller moved that the COA be approved based on the findings of fact, the lack of visibility from Monmouth, minimal visibility from Fourth Street, the sensitive way the applicant is approaching alterations, and that An the applicant work with Staff on doors and replacement materials. Seconded by Commissioner Crocker. Motion passed unanimously. 3. Chapter 32 Revisions (HP 231000) Requested By: City of Newport ot Mr. Steffen thanked the Commissioners for their time and asked the Commission to recommend the proposed changes to the Ordinance to the N City Board of Commissioners. He noted that the changes are largely housekeeping issues to bring our processes in line with state statute, CLG requirements, and to generally tighten up the ship. This stems from the process for designating the Buena Vista Local Historic District; Staff wanted to ensure that they were following the proper procedures and ultimately realized they needed to take a step back to devote more attention to the process. The goal is to integrate the historic preservation  process with zoning, which would incorporate historic districts into zoning maps as overlays, which is a recorded land use restriction with the County. He requested that grammatical or spelling errors be sent to Staff. He reviewed changes including clarification to the Historic Preservation Officer’s role and position within the City, the definition of a simple majority for voting purposes, and noticing requirements. He noted that with existing and future districts, the Planning and Zoning Commission will have to approve zoning map amendments to create historic district overlays, as required by KRS 82. He emphasized that pre-existing districts are not at op risk. The intent eventually is to take the Ordinance and Guidelines and incorporate them into the Zoning Code. Mr. Steffen also discussed the y projected timeline for changes to the Ordinance and Guidelines as well as the Buena Vista Local Historic District designation. He noted that Buena Vista will be subject to the Secretary of Interior Standards while the existing Guidelines are under revision. He also discussed intended lC changes to the Guidelines; the goal is to reduce the need for interpretation and achieve greater clarity. Chair Miller clarified that Staff are requesting that the Commission recommend the Ordinance changes to the Board of Commissioners. Mr. ca Steffen noted that the goal is to improve the process for current and future staff. Mr. Hayden noted how the City has reorganized Staff to better meet historic preservation needs in the City. ffi Commissioner Crocker expressed her gratitude for the City’s support for historic preservation as well as the proposed Ordinance changes; the O drafted Ordinance was better organized and easier to understand. She asked about the Historic Preservation Officer’s role in the new Ordinance; Mr. Steffen clarified that the Planning and Development Director is the manager who oversees the Historic Preservation Officer, who is their An designee to handle historic preservation in the City. A discussion about grammatical changes and minor issues ensued. Commissioner Crocker moved to recommend that the Board of Commissioners review and adopt the proposed revisions to Chapter 32 of the Newport Code of Ordinances. Commissioner Kolb seconded. Motion ot passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS N Mr. Steffen and Mr. Clark discussed the COA permitting system, which was recently updated to the iWorQ online system. Commissioners were provided with a screenshot of recently issued permits. Mr. Clark discussed the recently released NAPC Messaging Guide, which was distributed to Commissioners. He noted that the NAPC is also hosting a series of online workshops, which he can share with the Commissioners. Mr. Hayden discussed new changes to compensation for Commissioners. NHPC members will now be compensated $150 for each meeting, to be paid quarterly. If Commissioners wish to opt out, they should contact the City. COMMISSIONER COMMUNICATION op Chair Miller noted that the Commission needs to elect a Vice Chair. NEXT MEETING y TBD. ADJOURNMENT lC Commissioner Crocker moved to adjourn the meeting, and Chair Miller seconded. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting concluded at 7:40 p.m.ca ffi _____________________________ ____________ Nick Miller, Chair O Date _____________________________ ____________ Scott Clark, Preservation Office Date An ot N