Historic Resource Commission

APPROVED March 13, 2017 Schenectady Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes February 13, 2017 I. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Britt called the meeting to order at 7:20 PM. The start of the meeting was delayed due to the lack of a quorum present. II. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Carrie Britt-Narcavage, Chair; Ben Wiles, Vice Chair; Dr. Dean Bennett; Patricia Yager EXCUSED: Jackie Craven; David F. Lowry; Mark Meigher STAFF: Rima Shamieh, Assistant Planner; Ryan Bailey, Assistant Corporation Counsel; Ashlynn Savarese, Assistant Corporation Counsel; Jennifer Mills, Secretary Assistant Planner Shamieh noted that Counselor Bailey will be leaving his position with the City and next month Counselor Savarese will be taking over as the attorney assigned to the Commission. III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST None. IV. ADOPTION OF MEETING MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Yager, seconded by Commissioner Britt, to adopt the January 19, 2017 Meeting Minutes as submitted. Motion carried unanimously. V. NEW BUSINESS - Applications A. Consideration for approval submitted by Jeff Morlang on behalf of Lofts II at Union Square, LLC to install two bronze plaques. The premise is located at 525 Union Street. Jeff Morlang appeared before the Commission. He explained that the proposed signs will be bronze with raised lettering, as shown in the application, and that they will be 18 by 24 inches in size. He stated that they will be attached below the lights at the entrance to the building. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 1 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Motion by Commissioner Britt, seconded by Commissioner Bennett, to approve the application to attach two bronze signs to the building, 18 by 24 inches in size, with raised gold lettering, as submitted. One of the signs will read, “Maddalone & Associates, Inc., Real Estate Development and Property Management,” and the other will read “Lofts at Union Square, circa 2015.” The font used will be Times Bold and the signs will be attached two stone blocks below the lights located at the front entrance of the building. The proposal is approved with the following condition: 1. Once commenced, the project will be completed within one year. Findings: 1. This is a Type II SEQRA. 2. The sign style and size matches other signs used on historic properties in the neighborhood. 3. The signs will not distract from the historic character of the neighborhood. 4. The building is a non-contributing structure, however the signs will not distract or detract from other surrounding contributing structures. Motion carried unanimously. B. Consideration for approval submitted by Mariann Schumann on behalf of Greg Cufari to paint the building. The premise is located at 150 Front Street. Mariann Schumann and Greg Cufari appeared before the Commission. Ms. Schumann explained that they would like to paint the body of the building Prairie Sage, with the trim and sashes Muslin White and Pacific Pine Sage used as an accent color, as explained in the application. Commissioner Yager asked if they plan to paint the door. Ms. Schumann replied that the door was repainted recently and it will remain as it is. Commissioner Yager pointed out an older picture of the house showing shutters on the windows. Ms. Schumann stated that there are no shutters currently on the house. Mr. Cufari stated that some of the shutters are in the basement, but that they are not all there. He explained that if he can find more matching shutters he would eventually like to put them back. Commissioner Yager asked if only the front of the building will be painted. Mr. Cufari stated that this was correct. Commissioner Bennett asked if the wood sashes and trim are in good repair. Mr. Cufari stated that they are. Motion by Commissioner Britt, seconded by Commissioner Wiles, to approve the application to repaint the front façade of the building as submitted. The body of the building will be Prairie Sage, the trim and sashes Muslin White, and the accent color Pacific Pine Sage. The front door will remain the current color. The proposal is approved with the following condition: 1. Once commenced, the project will be completed within one year. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 2 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Findings: 1. This is a Type II SEQRA. 2. The applicant is painting only the front façade of the building. 3. The applicant states that the front door was recently painted and is not in need of repainting at this time. He also states that the wood trim and sashes are in good repair. Motion carried unanimously. C. Consideration of approval submitted by Joshua Mackenburg to install a new sign. The premise is located at 611 Union St. Applicant failed to appear. Application was not considered. D. Consideration for approval submitted by Hank Kwon of a two-story porch rebuild that was undertaken without Commission or Historic Staff approval. The premise is located at 1109 Union Street. Hank Kwon and his building manager Robert Barnes appeared before the Commission. Mr. Barnes stated that when Mr. Kwon tried to renew his insurance policy on the building he was told that the policy could not be renewed unless the porch was repaired. He explained that the contractor received a building permit from the City and was not informed at that time that they would need HDC approval prior to beginning the project. Mr. Barnes stated that since the porch became a problem and Mr. Kwon was told that he was in error by doing the work without Historic Commission approval the contractor has walked away from the project and he will have to find a new contractor to do whatever work is agreed upon to bring the porch into compliance. Mr. Barnes distributed a sketch to the Commissioners showing a possible modified design that he and Mr. Kwon believe would be more historically appropriate. Commissioner Britt asked if the wrought iron railings were deteriorating, as well as the decking. Mr. Kwon stated that they were. Commissioner Britt noted that the building had been repainted several years ago. She asked Mr. Kwon if he had received approval from the Commission at that time; Mr. Kwon stated that he had. He explained that at that time when he had gone to the City to get a building permit they had directed him to the HDC and explained the process for approval, which he successfully went through. Mr. Kwon stated that when he went to the City to obtain the building permit for the porch no mention was made by city staff that HDC approval was necessary. Mr. Barnes noted that a city inspector visited the property many times during the construction of the new porch and no mention was made of HDC approval being required. He stated that Mr. Kwon had originally wanted only to replace the decks on the porches, but the city inspector insisted that Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 3 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 the porches must be reframed and completely replaced. Commissioner Britt asked what the original material of the floor was. Mr. Barnes stated that it was southern pine tongue and groove, which has been used on the new decks as well. Commissioner Britt asked Assistant Planner Shamieh what the goal of the Commission should be in their consideration of the project. Ms. Shamieh stated that it is their responsibility to decide if the replacement porch is appropriate, and if it is not the applicants must present a new design which will be acceptable. Commissioner Britt stated that she does not believe that the replacement porch is historically appropriate. The Commissioners concurred. Ms. Shamieh stated that the porch must then be remedied. She noted that she had done some research and attempted to find photos of the original porch on this house, but she was unable to do so. Commissioner Bennett noted that the neighboring houses of a similar style either have wrought iron porch railings, which are clearly a later replacement, or round columns. Commissioner Britt stated that she would feel better about the financial burden of the applicant if the Commission could find a way to approve a design that would require minimum new construction. Ms. Shamieh stated that the cost of the project cannot be part of the consideration of the Commission. Commissioner Britt stated that she understood this, but that if at all possible she believes that the Commission should try to find a sufficient solution by modifying what has been replaced. Ms. Shamieh stated that the Commissioners should first consider what would be most appropriate for this application; in other words, would square or round columns be most appropriate and what railing design would be the best choice, not what can be modified from what has erroneously been constructed. Ms. Shamieh noted that neighboring houses of a similar architectural design have round columns and turned balusters on the railings. Commissioner Yager stated that the location of the replacement railing, which bisects the front steps, is completely inappropriate in her opinion. Mr. Barnes stated that they did not modify the steps because it was not a part of the building permit, so they had to stay in their original configuration even though the porch railing was moved. Commissioner Yager asked if the middle column at the top of the new railing location is structurally necessary. Mr. Barnes stated that it is not. Commissioner Britt suggested that the middle posts be removed on both the first and second floor and that a newel post be installed on the first floor that would line up with the edge of the original steps and thus bring the railing back to its original location. She also suggested that the remaining six by six inch posts be trimmed out at the top and bottom to give them additional weight. Commissioner Yager stated that she is concerned that even with the trim the posts will appear very spindly. Commissioner Wiles stated that he believes that when viewing the porch from the street the six by six columns will appear sufficiently substantial. Commissioner Britt agreed. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 4 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Commissioner Britt asked Mr. Kwon if he had any specific plans for modifying the porch railings. Mr. Kwon replied that he did not. Commissioner Britt stated that since there is no photographic evidence of what the original porch looked like, perhaps the applicant and the Commissioners could work with what has already been done and make it more historically appropriate. She suggested that he investigate the stock railing offered at Home Depot or other big box stores, which has some interest and a layered-looking profile, as opposed to just a straight board. Commissioner Britt explained that he could use the existing spindles but set them in the channels provided by these railings. She noted that with the middle posts removed and newel posts installed and trim added at the top and bottom of the existing posts the porch would have an entirely different look. Commissioner Britt noted that the vinyl skirting and ceiling material must also be removed. Mr. Kwon stated that he would be willing to replace it with wood tongue and groove and lattice. Commissioner Britt stated that she believes that wood bead board would also be acceptable. Commissioner Yager felt individual beadboards for the ceiling are still available and preferred to beadboard panels. Mr. Barnes noted that several years ago there was a major fire on the property and before the fire the vinyl ceiling and skirting were there. Commissioner Britt asked when Mr. Kwon plans to start work on the porch modifications. Mr. Kwon stated that he will have to find a new contractor before beginning the work. Commissioner Wiles suggested that Mr. Kwon hire a new contractor and work with him to formulate a design based on the recommendations made by the Commissioners at the meeting, and then come back to the Commission with a final drawings and material specifics. The Commissioners concurred. Commissioner Yager commented that the applicant should also make sure that removing the center post is structurally appropriate (not knowing what changes had been made to the original porch above). Commissioner Britt stated that she is certain that it is, since the span of the porch is not long, but that obviously the final design will have to meet all code requirements. Mr. Barnes stated that he is concerned that the stock railing comes in eight-foot lengths and that they will not be able to span the ten foot width of the second-story railing. Commissioner Wiles stated that they could also install a newel post in the middle of the railing, so as to break up the span. Commissioner Britt asked Mr. Kwon if he felt that he had enough information to move forward with a new design. Mr. Kwon stated that he did. Mr. Kwon asked what the timetable would be for doing the work. Commissioner Britt stated that once his application is complete and approved the work must be completed within one year. Ms. Shamieh noted that the railing on the steps leading to the sidewalk is wrought iron. Commissioner Britt stated that it is in acceptable condition and she does not believe that it needs to be replaced at this time. The Commissioners agreed. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 5 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Motion by Commissioner Britt, seconded by Commissioner Yager, to table the proposal pending the submittal of more information about the proposed design, including the following: 1. A scale drawing of the new design showing the middle posts removed and newel posts added, with new railings as discussed, and trim added to the remaining posts at the top and bottom. 2. As discussed, the proposal will include the removal of the vinyl skirting and ceiling materials, to be replaced with wood tongue and groove board on the ceiling and solid wood or wood lattice for the porch skirting. 3. The proposal will include the colors and finishes of the new porch. Motion carried unanimously. Following the discussion of the application, Commissioner Britt asked Ms. Shamieh to explain how a building permit was issued for the porch without the applicant being informed that he needed Commission approval. Ms. Shamieh stated that there is a loophole in the computer procedure followed by employees in the building department which allows them to override the flagging of the application which indicates that the applicant must come before the Commission. She explained that in this case an employee was able to override the flagging and issue the permit, but she is working with city staff to close that loophole so that it will not happen again in the future. Ms. Shamieh noted that Counselor Bailey had done some research on the subject and that the case law is clear that the onus is on the applicant to make sure that he complies with all relevant codes and ordinances, regardless of the fact that he was granted a building permit. VII. MISCELLANEOUS A. National Register nomination report for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church Complex. The premise is located at 820-828 Eastern Avenue and 104 Irving Street. Assistant Planner Shamieh explained that the Commission is required to submit a report about the nomination because Schenectady is a Certified Local Government. She stated that she believes that a letter stating the Commission’s support of the nomination would be sufficient. Commissioner Wiles asked if once the property is designated to be on the Historic register it will be under the Commission’s purview. Ms. Shamieh stated that it will not. Commissioner Wiles asked if this is a recent change to the rules. Ms. Shamieh stated that in 2012 changes were made to the city zoning code removing the requirement that properties on the National and State Historic Registers be under the purview of the HDC, because this requirement had a chilling effect on the number of properties applying to be on the registers and put the city out of compliance with CLG requirements. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 6 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Commissioner Wiles asked if the proposal also covers the parking lot area of the complex. He stated that this could prove troublesome in the future if someone wished to develop the parking area, as it is the only vacant area of the complex. Commissioner Yager stated that she believes that this development would be unlikely since it is the only parking area for the concerned buildings. Commissioner Wiles stated that it might be unlikely but it could become an issue. Ms. Shamieh noted that the report does denote the parking lot and garages as part of the complex. Commissioner Wiles asked Ms. Shamieh why the Commission is asked to take a position on the nomination if they will have no say about the property in the future. Ms. Shamieh stated that the Commission is the historic authority in the city so their opinion is sought in any proposal involving an historic property, regardless of whether or not it is within a locally designated historic district. Commissioner Britt asked how the Commission should move forward. Commissioner Wiles stated that if the Commissioners feel that the report is complete and they support the historic designation the next step would be to write a letter expressing their support of the nomination. Commissioner Bennett stated that it struck him when reviewing the report that virtually any old building could be a possible nominee for historic designation, but that in this case he believes that this complex is unique because of the significance it had in the culture and lives of the Polish immigrants in the City. Commissioner Wiles stated that it is also unusual because it was an entire complex consisting of the church and school and rectory. Commissioner Britt asked if the Commissioners felt that she should write the letter of support. Commissioner Wiles stated that he believes that it is a staff responsibility. Ms. Shamieh disagreed, stating that she would be willing to review and edit the letter, but that it should come from the Commissioners. Commissioner Britt stated that she will have a draft letter finished prior to the March meeting. B. Draft copies of the Union Triangle and Morris Avenue Certification Reports Ms. Shamieh stated that the project is moving forward and final reports will be available soon. Commissioner Britt asked if the Commissioners will receive copies of the reports. Ms. Shamieh stated that the reports will be available online so that it is not necessary for many copies to be printed. C. The Commission’s SHPO training is set for Monday, February 27 from 7-9:30 p.m. City Hall Room 110 VIII. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Britt, seconded by Commissioner Wiles, to adjourn the meeting. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 7 of 8  APPROVED March 13, 2017 Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes –February 13, 2017 –Page 8 of 8