Historic Resource Commission

Schenectady Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes July 23, 2020 I. CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Yager called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Due to the closure of City Hall because of the Covid-19 Virus, the meeting was conducted online via WebEx. II. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Patricia Yager, Chair; Ben Wiles, Vice Chair; Shaun Andriano; Dr. Dean Bennett; Christopher Marney; Matt Smith, Senior Planner; Jennifer Mills, Secretary ABSENT: Frank Gilmore III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST None. IV. ADOPTION OF MEETING MINUTES Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Wiles, to approve the June 25, 2020 Meeting Minutes as submitted. Motion carried unanimously. V. APPLICATIONS A. Consideration for approval submitted by Angelo & Patricia Rella to replace the roof. The premises are located at 1163 Avon Road in the GE Realty Plot Historic District. Angelo and Patricia Rella presented the application. Mr. and Mrs. Rella briefly reviewed the application and explained that the existing roof is 97 years old and was original to the home. They stated that they are unable to get replacement concrete tiles, and thus have chosen the Brava composite tiles that they believe very closely resemble the original tiles, as evidenced in a photo included in the application. The Commissioners briefly discussed the application and concluded that the roof replacement meets the criteria required by the Secretary of Interior’s Guidelines and Standards for Historic Preservation Standard 6. They agreed that the Brava Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 1 of 6 tiles in the color Terra Cotta would be a very close match to the existing concrete tiles. There were some questions from the Commissioners regarding whether or not the applicants had considered a partial or staged replacement of the roof, i.e. completing the garage first to ensure that they liked the results or possibly saving some of the original tiles that appeared to be in satisfactory condition and using them on the more visible areas of the roof. The applicants stated that they had considered several options but ultimately concluded that due to the poor state of the existing tiles and the scope of the job it would not be worth the time or effort to prolong the project. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. RESOLUTION Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Bennett, to approve as submitted the application to replace the roof, with the following conditions: 1. The project will be completed within one year. 2. The tiles will be Brava Spanish Tile in the color Terra Cotta. 3. The applicant will label and store in the basement some of the existing tiles. And with the following findings of fact: 1. This is a Type II SEQRA. 2. It is the Commission’s determination that the applicants have provided sufficient evidence, through photographs and documentation, that the existing roof must be replaced, as it has reached the end of its lifespan and is leading to water damage in the home’s interior. Due to the original material being unavailable they have chosen new tiles which almost exactly match the original tiles in appearance. The Commission believes that the new materials meet the criteria of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Historic Preservation Standard 6 - Deteriorated architectural features should be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event that replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures. 3. The existing roof was original to the home and is 97 years old. Motion carried unanimously. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 2 of 6 B. Consideration for approval submitted by Samantha Legere to install a fence and paint the house. The premises are located at 4 North Street and 123 Front Street in the Stockade Historic District. Samantha Legere presented the application. Ms. Legere explained that she had appeared before the Commission in April 2019 for approval of the fence and different paint colors. She stated that since that time she and her husband decided that they would like to continue the same style fence around the entire perimeter of the yard. She stated that they had also changed their mind about the paint colors, deciding that a darker color would make the house look more distinctive while still being a historically appropriate choice. The Commissioners indicated that they had no objection to the application. It was determined that the applicant will return to the Commission for review of the accent paint colors, as she indicated that she and her husband had not yet determined what colors they would like to use to accent the details on the house. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. RESOLUTION Motion by Commissioner Bennett, seconded by Commissioner Marney, to approve as submitted the application to install fencing and paint the house, with the following conditions: 1. The project will be completed within one year. 2. The body of the house will be painted Behr Very Navy (M500-7) and the trim will be white. 3. The applicant will return to the Commission for review of the accent colors when they are chosen and before they are applied to the house. And with the following finding of fact: 1. This is a Type II SEQRA. Motion carried unanimously. C. Consideration for approval submitted by Ashraf Ghaly to replace a portion of the roof. The premises are located at 1001 Union Street in the Union Street Historic District. Ashraf Ghaly presented the application. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 3 of 6 Mr. Ghaly briefly reviewed the application and explained that he would like to remove the existing slates that remain on a portion of the roof and replace them with asphalt shingles to match those existing on the other portion of the roof. He stated that when he purchased the home in 2002 the asphalt shingles had already been installed. The Commissioners discussed the application and determined that they would need more information to make a decision. Specifically, they noted that the application lacked evidence regarding the current condition of both the slate and asphalt roof, as well as an acceptable proposal regarding how the turret roof would be addressed. They agreed that the application should be tabled pending the submittal of additional information. PUBLIC COMMENTS None. MOTION TO TABLE Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Andriano, to table the application as incomplete pending the submittal of the following information: 1. Photographic evidence and documentation from a roofing professional that the current slate roof is beyond repair and cannot remain as slate without risking further damage to the structure. The Commission referenced Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Historic Preservation Standard 6 – Deteriorated architectural features should be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event that replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures. 2. Photographic evidence that the existing asphalt shingle roof is in good repair and will not need to be replaced in the near future, as the applicant is proposing to match the new asphalt shingles to the existing. 3. A plan for the roofing material on the turret. The Commission communicated that if the slate on the turret must be replaced they would consider the use of composite shingles that more closely match the appearance of the slate, as this is a prominent historical feature of the house and is highly visible from the right of way. Motion carried unanimously. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 4 of 6  D. Consideration for approval submitted by Teresa McCarthy to replace the roof. The premises are located at 6 North College Street in the Stockade Historic District. Ed Pollack presented the application on behalf of Dr. McCarthy. Mr. Polack briefly reviewed the application and explained that he first became aware of problems with the roof upon inspection of one of the upper floor apartments in the building, where he discovered significant water damage to the ceiling. The Commissioners discussed the application and determined that they would need more information to make a decision. Specifically, they noted that the application lacked evidence regarding the current condition of the slate roof, as well as an appropriate proposal for the replacement roof. They agreed that the roof on this building is highly visible from the right of way and has a definite impact on the historic appearance of the building. It was determined that the application should be tabled pending the submittal of the additional information. MOTION TO TABLE Motion by Commissioner Marney, seconded by Commissioner Andriano, to table the application as incomplete pending the submittal of the following information: 1. Photographic evidence and documentation from a roofing professional that the current slate roof is beyond repair and cannot remain as slate without risking further damage to the structure. 2. The Commission believes that because the roof is highly visible from the right of way it has a strong impact on the historic appearance of the building. If removal of the slate roof proves necessary the applicant should submit a proposal for a new roof that will appear as close to the slate roof as possible, as explained in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Historic Preservation Standard 6 – Deteriorated architectural features should be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event that replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures. Motion carried unanimously. VI. MISCELLANEOUS None. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 5 of 6 VII. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Bennett, seconded by Commissioner Marney, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes – July 23, 2020 –Page 6 of 6