Architectural Commission & Historic Preservation Commission

City of Oconomowoc Architectural Commission Meeting Minutes April 6, 2022 Chairman Flint called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm. Members Present: Flint, Krogstad, Schultz, Schrang and Johnson Staff Present: Weber, Gallo, Hoeppner and Dehnert 2. Approve the March 2, 2022 Minutes: Gallo distributed an email from the resident who spoke at last month’s Architectural Commission meeting which requested that the minutes be revised to remove her name and amend her statement. Motion by Johnson to approve the March 2, 2022 minutes with an amendment to Item 5 to strike the name of the audience member who spoke and to amend her statement to be “The resident asked about the use of LEEDS and carbon-neutral standards in the building and in the rest of the development.”; second by Krogstad. Motion carried 5-0. Weber reported that the applicant of Item #8 pulled their item from the agenda this evening as it was not ready to move forward at this time. They intend to have it ready for the May agenda. 3. Village Green Restrooms – Consider/approve building plans at 104 E. Wisconsin Avenue: Weber explained this item was last discussed at the Architectural Commission meeting in February 2022. Updates to the current proposal include bathroom fixtures have been reduced from 4 to 3; the trellis size has been reduced along with the building size; the roofline has been extended above the trellis; can lights have been added on the north and south elevation along with 2 sconces on either side of the entry to the bathrooms on the west elevation; and a decorative “O” and wayfinding area have been included on the south elevation. Weber recommended additional lights be located around the building for safety; add one-way bronze glazing to the windows for privacy; members to confirm location and design of signage on the building; and the color and style of the public seating should match the seating on the boardwalk. Doug Pahl of ARO Eberle Architecture explained the sunshade wraps around 3 sides of the building and they plan to conceal lighting under it; they added sconces on both side of the doorway and will light the signs on the building; and windows will have a shiny smooth exterior with etching on the inside, however, he said they will try a variety of products in order to get it right. Members agreed with the proposal by the applicant with etching on the window and requested that they provide a sample to staff so it can be tested to make sure it will work. Pahl explained the signage will be a stone piece with the words carved in and painted, and utility piping will be coming into the building and they will try to limit its visibility. Members questioned the screening; suggested a masonry parapet as the proposed may cause a maintenance issue; and questioned the lighting. Pahl said the wall that they are proposing will be aluminum which wouldn’t cause much of a maintenance issue. Motion by Johnson to approve the building plans for the restrooms at the Village Green, 104 E. Wisconsin Avenue as presented; second by Schrang. Motion amended by Johnson to add that a sample of the window etching be provided to staff for review and approval; second by Schrang. Motion carried 5-0. 4. Sendik’s Food Market/Unisource Center - Consider/approve building façade update at 1408 Summit Avenue: Weber explained the applicant provided updated plans which include more windows on the east elevation with trellis’ above them; the roof line building elevation has been included and updated to be more visual; the north, west and south elevations are now shown as being painted; the dumpster enclosure is now included on the plans; they raised the EIFS to a minimum of 3’ from the floor; completed a visibility study on the rooftop to determine location of HVAC units; and included lighting spec’s in the submittal. Weber recommended approval with conditions listed in the background. Ken Krahe of MSI said they also changed the building material from a James Hardie product to a LP smart siding product; changed the window color to black instead of “Golden Gate”; stepped out the east elevation by 8” – 10” on different sections of the building; included up/down lighting; and is working on the signage package. Krahe hopes to have the HVAC units tucked behind the Sendik’s sign; otherwise, they will move them to be 1/3 of the way back on the roof of the building in order to avoid having to screen them. The members liked the updated proposal; questioned the step outs on the building; said the proposal was a great improvement; and the sign S:Clerk\Committees-Commissions\Architectural\2022\ACMin 4-6-22 has more prominence now. Motion by Flint to approve the building façade update for Sendik’s Food Market / Unisource Center at 1408 Summit Avenue as submitted; second by Schultz. Motion carried 5-0. 5. 137 S. Cross Street – Consider/approve building façade update: Weber explained the new owner of this property located in the downtown district wants to give the building a new look with blue/green siding; white trim; and black shutters, stair railings and base. Staff has no concerns and recommends approval. The property owner, Jacque Talaska explained she wants to make the building look more professional. She is also considering changing the roof color and adding a door to the left of the porch where there is currently a window in case they want to add a tenant. Gallo questioned the brick pillar color, and Talaska said it matches the roof color and is not red as it appears in the packet. The members suggested enclosing the porch so it is the entry vestibule which would make it look more commercial and be a transition space for people coming/going; and thought the update is a great improvement. Motion by Johnson to approve the building façade update for 137 S. Cross Street as presented; second by Schrang. Motion carried 5-0. 6. 307 N. Lake Road (Brisk Residence) – Consider/approve building plans for an after-the-fact accessory structure: Weber explained this for an after-the-fact approval of a children’s playhouse on property located in the Isthmus District. The Architectural Commission previously approved updates to the home and a carriage house on the property, and at that time the owners built the playhouse. The playhouse matches the colors and materials of the existing home, and Weber recommends approval of the structure. Property owners Joe and Kathryn Brisk explained they asked their builder about building the accessory structure when they built the carriage house. The structure sits on a gravel pad and was built using the same materials and colors as the home and carriage house. The members questioned if the structure was located in the shore yard setback and said children’s playhouses were very common in the area in the late 1800’s. Gallo explained this item is going to be on the Plan Commission agenda tonight for an after-the-fact approval also due to its location in the setback. Motion by Schrang to approve the after-the-fact building plans for an accessory structure at 307 N. Lake Road; second by Johnson. Motion carried 5-0. 7. 1360 Pabst Farms Circle – Consider/approve a Master Sign Plan at 1360 Pabst Farms Circle: Weber explained this item was on last month’s agenda and denied. The applicant made updates to it, and Weber noted some language is missing due to a technical issue and should be added back in. The sign locations have been noted on the updated plans for both tenants. Window signage has been updated to meet City code, and the ground sign has been removed at the applicant’s request. Weber added if they decide later on to add a ground sign, they will have to update their master sign plan. Atty Paul Jonas of Michael, Best & Friedrich explained the applicant’s desire to not have a ground sign at this time and the plan to change the location of the bike rack. Members explained their reasons for denial of the sign plan at last month’s meeting (missing information to make an accurate decision). Weber noted Starbucks only wants signage in 2 “circles” but staff has added 2 additional areas in case they want to add more signage in the future. She noted in this case, the signage could be administratively approved as long as it complies. Motion by Schultz to approve the master sign plan for 1360 Pabst Farms Circle subject to adding to the master sign plan under “Signage General Requirements” that “the total square footage of a single sign shall not exceed 50 sf” and that planning staff can administratively approve additional signage in the future; second by Johnson. Motion carried 5-0. 8. Momentum Early Learning Childcare – Discuss proposed Building Plans at 1610 Water Place: Weber explained this item has been pulled from tonight’s agenda at the applicant’s request. They plan to have their item ready for the May agenda. 9. You and Your Dog – Discuss proposed Building Plans at 1265 Corporate Center Drive: Weber explained this applicant requested direction from the members on the design of their new building due to the different styles used in nearby buildings. She added they will be required to have a master sign plan and that the garbage enclosure should include a man door. Renderings were included in the packet which included white and brown wood finish EIFS; a second floor located over part of the main building; metal awnings; painted CMU block; and large covered overhang by the entry. Cameron McFarland of MSI explained the business is expanding, and they want to have the S:Clerk\Committees-Commissions\Architectural\2022\ACMin 4-6-22 building reflect a unique style yet appear fun and appealing. One of the members explained the business model and the people who will use this training facility include nationally recognized dog trainers which may bring national attention to the facility. McFarland explained the building owner desires a modern, contemporary feel and wants to emphasize the hospitality side of the business and give it a resort feeling. Members comments included they think two columns at the main entrance are heavy - suggested only one or a “Y” column; love the contemporary look; suggested a “butterfly” roof and include an angle on the end; the building could have some very cool signage; likes the brown color with the white; would like the building to look cutting edge; thinks the 2nd floor is missing some windows; afraid signage could take over the building; suggested continuing windows along the roofline to make the roof appear to be floating; and this is a great start. Weber thought the explanation of the business really helped the members create a design and should be included in any future discussion of the project. No action was taken. 10. Reports and comments from the City Planning Department: None. 11. Reports and comments from the Architectural Commissioners: None. 12. Adjourn: Motion by Johnson to adjourn at 5:59 pm; second by Schrang. Motion carried 5-0. Chris Dehnert, Deputy City Clerk S:Clerk\Committees-Commissions\Architectural\2022\ACMin 4-6-22